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Voices of the Past By: Pent Ghelsburg

Disclaimer: Some characters in this story and have been created for use within the context of this story. Others are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. All characters are fictional any resemblance to real-life persons, or anyone other characters, is purely coincidental. Furthermore, there is a prominent micro-macro theme presented in this story. You have been warned.

"Over the field rang his clear voice.

Death ride to ruin and the worlds ending."

-JRR Tolkien

A vast open field of grass, flowing with the wind. The sky opens with a soft rain that comes in goes as time flows. Animals of all sorts frolicked through the hillsides. Everything is at peace. Runeterra has been without war for some time now. The uneasy peace has carried on much like many thought it would. Distrust grew through the nations and yet none seemed to act on it. Always remaining on constant guard on the defensive.

Noxus was known as the most militaristic of all the nations in the world and yet even in its sprawling metropolis, there was little talk of conflict. Its inhabitants were like every other nation's, desiring nothing short of peace. Only those within the Bastion's court or enlisted into his majesties service. The emperor of Noxus was a disheveled old Yordle who many had come to know through the great wars of the past. But now into his twilight, they respected him for his steady hand, even though sometimes he came off as brash and otherwise vindictive.

He was known across the land as a tyrant but to his people, he was revered. Those who served in his court were known as the Noxii. The trust inner circle of the emperor was vested only to those who served with the utmost vigilance and tact in their dealings. Every one of them was infamous for whatever skill they held. They were considered some of the most elite warriors in the entire realm. But not all of them were grizzled warriors. Some of them were newer to the scene and earnest in proving themselves as true Noxii heroes.

One such agent who served under the crimson and red was a young man who went by the name of Asriel. He was a young Yordle who was an aspiring member of the Noxii. He had recently been recruited by the High Lord who had learned of his skills from informants that were placed in every academy in the realm. It had been 3 years since that day and Asriel still felt like he hadn't carved out his place in the world. He was one of those guys who sought the betterment of the empire, no matter the cost.

Asriel was pretty much your typical yordle, shorter than many of the other furs who lived throughout Noxus. However, his body had transcended above normal means and had acquired a snake tail and horns to boot. Many of his contemporaries believed him to have dabbled in demonic magic, but it wasn't a story that Asriel shared willingly and so he allowed rumors to fly without any consequence to his self-image.

Asriel was a mage who was apprenticed under the grand wizard of Noxus. Like himself, the rather ancient female was enlisted with the Noxii and tasked with training younglings. Dagba was a mysterious mistress, only known by those who frequented her tower. But to those who learned from her, she was a determined and vigilant gal. Much like the emperor, she was well past her prime and had to pass off any duties she received to her underlings.

One day Dagba summoned Asriel to her chambers. The yordle learned of this from a messenger who had been sent to fetch him for his master. The messenger handed him off a small paper as proof of the permission. The young man was a little bit nervous as it wasn't every day she summoned him. Nervously he made his way from his chambers and through the terrace that lead to her tower. Out in the open, he could see gardeners tending to her many flowers which decorated the area and were perhaps the most fragrant and well-decorated area outside of the place itself.

Asriel looked up at the magister's tower. It was huge, at least to him. The tower itself was several stories tall and made out of cinder brick, giving it a molten look. Seams of magma could be seen creeping up the veins in the cracks of the stone, making it exude some heat as he approached it. She was known for her control of fire, despite being an Elementalist, her love of flame was paramount to anything else.

As he approached the tower, he was stopped by two guards.

"State your purpose." The two taller furs blocked the entrance using pikes to block the space between them.

Asriel gave them a salute. "I am here to see the mistress."

"Your papers, please?" The fur on the left held out his paw expectantly.

The yordle held out his letter and gave it to the guard. "Here you are."

"You may pass." The two guards parted to the side and rested their weapons.

Asriel bowed and made his way inside. Indoors it was much warmer than out. He couldn't feel much air flowing through the tower. Flame lanterns led to a path leading towards a spiral staircase that took him upstairs. He knew that his mistress resided at the top of the stairs. Taking a deep breath he braced himself for the inevitable meeting that was to come.

He began trekking up the staircase which spun around an opening where he could see down. Occasionally he looked down to the bottom, watching it become more distant the further up he ascended the ramp. Eventually, he made it to the top, where he was met by an ornate wooden door. Its carvings were of the ancient Freljordian language. He couldn't read it but he was familiar with its design from his teachings while he was in school.

Asriel stared at it for a second before finally bolstering the courage necessary to knock.

A feminine voice beckoned from within. "Enter at your leisure."

The yordle opened the door, expecting some sort of trap, stepping forward rather cautiously.

"You can relax. I have disarmed the traps for your arrival." A kemono woman rose out of a wooden chair in the back and began to approach him.

The man looked up at her as she approached him. She was tall and elegant wearing a red and yellow robe with an equally tall staff to support her frame. She was mostly human, though she had rodent ears and tail to compliment her body. She was a member of the enlightened Vastaya race. A bright yellow stone emanated from the tip of her staff.

Dagba lifted her staff and with little effort, she levitated the man into a nearby chair as she circled him. An apple descended from above and landed right in his lap.

She poked his lap with her staff. "This is the fruit of knowledge. Accept it with gratitude."

"Thanks?" Asriel nibbled on the apple lightly. "This isn't what you called me here for. Is it?"

She didn't respond. Instead of sitting down in front of a fireplace. "Stare into the fire."

The yordle did as he was told and looked directly into the flame. The blaze waving back and forth, spitting off sparks onto the floor. He could feel it's warmth as if it were right upon him. It's chafing, scorching heat exuding from its core. Asriel found that the longer he looked into it, the harder it was to look away.

Soon the flame seemed to grow, expanding to encompass the entirety of the makeshift firepit. The woman standing to the side of it, soon stepping into it. Waving her arms upward causing it to consume over her entire body. Her staff soon returning to her grip as it twirled within and caused the inferno to burst forward, creeping towards Asriel with ever-increasing vigor. However, no matter how much he wanted to, the yordle could not move.

Fear was not setting in as it should be. Instead, bravery brandished inside of him. He got up and began to walk towards the flame. Finding that once his feet stepped inside, his form was not set ablaze. There was no injury or pain, realizing that the infinite warmth only beckoned him to go forward to his mistress whose open arms now beckoned to him with the staff aloft over her head. As he reached out to her to embrace her figure, she vanished in a flash.

Asriel rolled forward as he has lost all sense of traction and balance. His body bounded onward until it rested against a stone wall. However, the rock was no longer molten. Looking upon it, it was greyed and icy. Streams of snow and glistening frost rose against its foundation. Touching it, the yordle found it to be cold and all too real. A sense of uncertainty began to set it as he had no idea of where he was or why he was there.

"Soothe yourself. I am here with you in Spirit. You find yourself at Frostguard Citadel, the fortress of the wicked Veigar. Your task is to slay him. He is a threat to the world...and peace. Do this and I shall guarantee your place among the annals of the Noxii." The Vastaya's voice beckoned from within his head.

The yordle picked himself up and looked around. Everything was frozen over. He examined himself, finding that his usual vestments had been replaced by a dark woolen coat and thick animal furs underneath. Asriel brushed himself off and wondered where he should go. Nothing seemed around him except for the occasional bat flew off in the distance. The whole place seemed dead and void of life.

Asriel trekked forward along a narrow path the led out to a balcony looking into a vast dark abyss. Mountains could be seen both near and far. He wasn't that far up but down below he could see a vast gathering of undead soldiers where he assumed to be the entrance of the place. They were all cheering for something. Suddenly a dark circular pillar formed. Purple liquid oozed out of it. From within emerged a figure encased in the same slimy grime.

The figure spun in a spiral, the muck shedding from its form without delay. A hallowed laugh echoing through the valley. It seemed small, even by yordle standards wearing a purple robe with gray tasseled edges. A huge pointed hat on top of its head, its eyes beamed yellow with a fiery light that burned from within his gaze. It stood aloft over the grand skeletal army below and despite being so far away, Asriel could overhear its commands.

"Soldiers, we stand here on the precipice of a new era. Today marks a new epoch that the living shall tremble. I promise deliverance. Your flesh, which was so unreasonably taken from you shall be returned. All I ask is your undying loyalty and service!" A deep masculine voice beckoned through the canyon, which was met by loud and jubilant cheers.

Hearing the figure's voice was enough to make Asriel's blood curl. Slowly he stepped back away from the balcony, hoping that he wouldn't be discovered.

Soon Dagba's voice spoke to him again telepathically. "That was Veigar, the evil sorcerer of Frejlord and the sworn enemy of peace and prosperity. The civilized nations are poised against him. As a Noxii, I task you with taking him down. Bring me back his talisman as proof. I shall instill the knowledge of whereabouts in your memory. I shall be with you, should you need anything."

The yordles head was hurting at this point and all Asriel wanted was for the voices to stop. It was bothering him even though he had heard her voice more than enough times before. A few moments later, he was able to shake it off and get a feel for just where he was.

In front of him was a vast hallway, encased in a frozen sheath. Everything glistened and he could see his breath as he breathed in and out. He had no idea where he needed to go. The path in front of him only seemed to lead in one direction, so he began to tread carefully that way. Asriel found that the floor was rather slippery and it took more effort than he was used to in keeping up his balance. The yordle ended up having to use the walls to maintain himself.

The hallway soon ended and was raped by a ramp that led both upward and downward. Each path spiraled in the opposite direction, still keeping to the wall and looking over an open pit. The pit underneath the ascending stairs had a flame alight. Asriel couldn't help but clamber up next to it as his body was still accommodating itself to the cold. He sat down and rubbed himself a bit, stroking his thick fur through his clothing.

Soon a shadowy figure appeared within. At first, Asriel thought it might be Dagba reaching out to him again. Within moments it emerged, slowly stepping out with not a single ember clinging to its form. It reached out to grab the yordle. Naively he did not back away from it, so it was easily able to clutch him in its grasp. The mage writhed as he was held up in the air as if he were a toy. Is's arm flung him across the room and he hit the wall with a light thud.

Luckily for him, the distance wasn't that far. Finally realizing that it was an enemy, he gazed upon the shadowy facade. Its form wavered back and forth as if it weren't solid. Its limbs slithered across the smooth floor. Asriel struggled to get up, his body was somewhat stunned but fear set in and pushed him up in a more urgent fashion. The yordle grabbed the wall behind him and touched it before pinching his finger.

"Fail me not young Asriel. You must overcome the trials of this palace with tact and tenacity." Dagba's voice encouraged him to get back up.

The mage grunted and thrust his arm forward, a shard of ice flinging from his grip and careening forward towards the waverly silhouettes. The streaming missile shot right through the obscure frame. It continued ever slowly towards him as Asriel began to panic. Despite the yordle being a youngling he had learned to deal with stress. The young man bounded across the back wall and inched back towards the open flame, which was roaring audibly. Making sure to keep his distance, so that he wasn't burned from his proximity.

Asriel took a deep breath and catapulted himself through the open fire. His body took ablaze and he raced towards the dark facade. Leaping towards it the enigma billowed into a fuming smoke as it dissipated. The yordle touched himself as his fiery aura died down. His heart was beating a kilometer a minute but it seemed as if he had overcome the trial. Even more surprising, the firepit nearby him seemed to have been less obtuse than it was before. The yordle figured it was time to move on, wondering if he should go up or down.

His gut feeling led him up the ramp. He looked up the ramp and saw that it led up several stories of floors. He couldn't even see the spire from where he was so he assumed he was pretty close to ground level. He began following the path up. Unlike his master's tower, it weaved through the center of the building rather than keeping to the wall. He figured it was to maintain some of the warmth from the hearth below.

As he climbed the building the source of heat became less obvious. Soon the ramp came to an end, even know it seemed to Asriel as if the spire continued to climb higher. The end of the incline led into another hall, which unlike the other he couldn't see all the way through. It curved to the left with a door on one of the walls. The yordle made his way down the hall, wondering what might be inside the door. He made his way to the door and touched it, believing it to be a trap.

The door opened without much effort. Inside of it was a room, unlike anything he had seen in the citadel to this point. Asriel looked around. There was a cushioned chair sitting in front of a few lanterns that were lit by a strange blue flame. A huge pot sat in an open furnace. It was boiling and the yordle could smell whatever was cooking inside. He approached it with caution, the warmth of the steam seeping out from the cooking utensil was enough to put him more at ease.

His stomach growled as he smelt the scent of the cuisine from within the vessel. He contemplated getting within a personal range of it but his hunger seemed to grow within him, the longer he indulged in the decadent scent. The aroma flowing through his nostrils and eliciting him to lick his nose in desire. Once he was close enough, he no longer cared about any potential threat to his safety and wanted only to sate his craving.

The young man was barely tall enough to look over the brim of the pot as he gazed into it. By the looks of it, there was nothing more than broth Reaching inside of it, he felt nothing and wondered if the cold might be making him hallucinate. Not to mention he was already hungry, so part of him was hoping that there was some morsel inside. He stared into it's liquid and could see his image on its calm surface.

Eventually, it began to bubble and a new shape began to take form. Blazing eyes appeared from within the liquid. Asriel felt as if they were peering into his soul. It made him feel rather uneasy and yet he could not take his gaze off the piercing visage. A small bulb began to form from the broth, the yordle remaining transfixed on the optics before him. Soon a hand appeared a metallic one with frail fingers dripping with the same broth from which it emerged.

The appendage reached for Asriel clasping onto his face and tightening its grip. The yordle remains entranced even though he no longer saw the glaring vision in front of him. His face began to feel ornately cold, the grasp becoming tighter and more prominent with each passing moment. Then all of a sudden a flashing light occurred. The fist finally loosened itself and with that simple deed, its form disintegrating into dust and then disappearing into the liquid.

Before long the room's appearance faded. It was much like the rest of the fortress, with naught but icy palisades covering its walls. The warmth had left, restoring its proper frigid climate. Asriel shivered as the light died away, a single wispy enigma remaining. Flying right back towards him and then flying right through him. The yordle felt at ease once again, his sudden famine seeming to have left it. He figured that Dagba had intervened and didn't think much of it before heading back outside the room.

The hallway was nowhere to be seen. Yet again he found himself outside on a balcony. Except now, he was much higher up than before. Looking beyond, it seemed to peer in the opposite direction. A small chain hung from above and Asriel wondered if it might be strong enough to support his weight. He reached out and grabbed it, pulling on it lightly. Looking up, he could see the chain led up to another balcony above. He figured this was the only way he could keep up his journey

Slowly began pulling himself up the makeshift rope. Each chain offered him a little bit of extra traction. With a little bit of effort, he was able to make himself each link. As he neared the next floor, he pushed himself to his limit to power himself to the next floor. Once he managed he stopped to catch his breath, feeling rather proud that he managed to climb up the chain. After he recovered he made his way off the balcony into the next room.

He now found himself in an area dominated by cages. Many of them were empty but eventually, he overheard some whining nearby. It was faint but loud enough for his keen ears to pick up on the sound. Asriel began to search for it. Gradually it became louder and soon he was able to locate its source. Sure enough, a minotaur was being kept. It seemed feeble and underfed. The yordle couldn't help but feel bad.

The young man located the lock and jostled it a few times before maneuvering his tail around from his behind. The serpentine tail slithered forward on its own accord, wrapping around Asriel's body and latched onto the lock before him. The snakehead opened its jaws and crushed the lock with its supernatural strength, hissing as if declaring victory. Asriel opened the door and the Minotaur collapsed right into his arms. Normally he wouldn't have been able to hold up the bovine creature but this one was emaciated. The yordle stroked it's back to put it at ease and guided his right hand over its forehead.

A bright purple light plumed over the minotaur as it disappeared from his grasp. Asriel had teleported it back to Noxus to be cared for. He figured they could do much better than he could in his current situation. He continued walking through the prison, witnessing some devices that he knew to be of a torturous intent. The yordle felt sick to his stomach and was glad the place was vacant except for the one beast he had freed.

Once he exited the room, he found himself in front of a lift. It was attached to a rope and pulley system and only seemed to go in one direction. Asriel got on it and waited for a few moments, expecting it to do as it was designed to. However, after waiting a few moments he found that the device didn't work quite as he expected. He leaned down and examined the base of the elevator, It was metallic, smooth, and cold to the touch.

The yordle extended his claw and began to draw a circle around himself with barely enough force to even leave a scratch on the surface. When he was done, he stood in the center of it and closed his eyes. Slowly but surely his body levitated along with the small platform that he had created. The cutout shifted away from the lift and guided him further up and away from it. Asriel maintained focus, wondering how long he should keep up the spell.

Eventually, the yordle had to open his eyes. After all, he had no idea how far up the lift went. After a few minutes, he was able to reach the end of the lift, forcing the disk to deliver him safely to the side. Asriel stepped off of it and then kicking the small saucer down below. A loud clang bellowed through the chamber as the yordle had to cover his ears. Instantaneously he wished he hadn't of done that as he knew the sound must have carried throughout the area.

A roar soon resounded through the area. Asriel shivered as a gust of chilly wind passed by his body and knew that couldn't be good. He looked behind him and saw nothing but a hallway with a few doors. Slowly he began to make his way down through it. As he moved down the walkway, he heard the repetitive sound of thumping on one of the doors. It was growing more rapid and he could make out the sound of steel brandishing against the wood. The yordle began to walk more quickly to avoid whatever it was that was making the noise.

Just as he thought he was about to escape, he overheard a crash. Looking back he saw the door slung open. Out of it came what seemed to be an iceborn, a human who had fallen sway to Veigar. An icy aura wrapped around its figure. It's hair pure white and flowing, carrying a small runic ax in its left hand. Asriel readied himself for combat as placed his paws above his head and summoned a shield, which he fastened to his right arm.

The iceborn assaulted him forthright, cleaving right over his shield and them past him sweeping to a complete stop. It's breath visible in the frosty wind. Soon it chucked the ax right at Asriel, which the yordle was able to parry with his defenses. The mage charged forward with his shield in an attempt to stun the iceborn and make a getaway. The yordle crushed the being against the wall but the iceborn was able to withstand much of the brunt force that it was struck with.

The creature pushed back trying to get Asriel off of it, but the yordle was able to maintain his strength. The mage summoned forces within him to charge his shield with an electric pulse. The shock pulsating through the iceborn. Before long it slumped to the ground and the yordle arose victoriously. The young man huffed and puffed as he was rather fatigued from the bout. Still, he knew that his venture was far from over. He walked away, thinking that the fell creature would wake up at any moment.

He walked to the end of the hall where a window looked out to below. There was no balcony here, so he wondered how he might continue ascending the tower. A few thoughts occurred to him. What if he summoned his trusty steed? Was he high enough to avoid being seen? He wondered if his avian brethren would answer to such a call Asriel looked back and saw that the frostborn was coming around. Rushing, it seemed as it was a risk he had to take. Asriel he stuck two fingers into his maw to whistle.

Moments later a black crow came diving down from the heavens. Much bigger than he was, the crow had been his companion since graduating from the ministry of magic. Asriel reverted his gaze again and threw the shield back to buy himself some time. The bird perched right outside of his window. The yordle saddling up on top of it as it raced away from the tower. Looking back at the spire, the young man got a sense of how big it was. He realized that where he had just came from, he was only halfway up.

Asriel guided his steed around the spire looking for a place to land. Eventually, he found a terrace he could touch down. The yordle shifted the reins over in that direction and took the raven in for docking. He looked down and realized the platform was completely congested with undead soldiers. The mage decided to take his chances and use his trusted avian to his advantage. He slapped the leash forward as the bird darted in towards the skeletons.

The raven cawed loudly as it neared the surface, extending out its claws and grabbing more than a few of the ghouls. It careened outward and released them into the wide chasm below, the remaining exanimates running around rather frivolously. Some of them shooting arrows back up at them but not making it far enough to land any damage. Asriel tightened the harness again and motioned his steed back towards the podium.

The undead was screaming and yelling as the bird's talons struck again and again. By the third time, many of them had dispersed leaving the scaffolding void of any more of their presence. Asriel took it in for a final landing. Once they had made a safe arrival, he reached out to stroke his soft feathers. Reaching into his pocket and summoning an apple for it to nibble on.

"Good girl." The yordle waved her off to make sure she wasn't injured while he was away.

The yordle looked down once again and then back up, realizing that he was much closer to the top. The pinnacle of the tower was blatantly obvious now, with a purple jewel glistening on top of it.

Asriel took a deep breath and watched his steed fly off into the distance. He knew this had to be the last stretch as he was nearly at the top now. Heading across the terrace, he entered back into the tower itself. Now he found that the corridor was more open. It was a large room with no evident way in or out outside of the platform he'd just come from. It seemed to be some living quarters, which he gathered from the bed and chairs around the interior of the chamber.

The yordle looked around, everything seemed to be about his size. He gathered that Veigar must have lived here and assumed he must have been a yordle like himself. Asriel saw a mirror in the corner. It seemed ordinary but he couldn't help but think like it seemed to be out of place. He approached it and ran his paw over its rims once he was close enough to touch it. As he looked into it, he could see his image staring back at him.

Before long the reflection distorted, his red eyes soon burned bright red. His face took on a more shadowy look with tendrils coiling off of it. His mouth moving into an open smirk. Holding his hand to his face he found his jaw to be doing the same. Soon the hand reached out and grabbed him, Asriel finding himself unable to move once again. A flash of light occurred, blinding him and returning his image to the mirror.

"Welcome to your doom...cocky little freaks." A deep but raspy voice beckoned from behind him.

Asriel turned around and sure enough, Veigar was there in front of him, levitating off the floor with a blackened steel staff in his grip. The same bright yellow eyes burned from within its skull looking deeply into the other yordle's soul.

Veigar held out his staff and touched Asriel on the shoulder. "Annoying champion...you and you're friend are done."

The larger yordle batted away the stick and stood his ground. He wasn't about to be swayed by the enemy.

"I know why you're here...Asriel" The floating mage returned his staff to an upright position.

The young man looked up at Veigar. His whole body was covered in a purple aura matching the purple gem at the top of his staff. Slowly Asriel backed away and renewed his resolve. The young man fisted his hand and generated a small bolt of electricity as he lashed it forward.

"You dare defy me? Do you realize who you're dealing with?" Veigar jarred the staff forward and batted the bolt away as if it were nothing.

The purple mage vanished in a cloud of purple smoke. Asriel looked around, figuring that he couldn't have gone far. The young man started to move around, feeling that at any moment he would be assaulted from any direction. A villainous chuckle reverberated through the chamber as the same staff struck out into the floor in front of him. An icy blue cloud poured from the hole that it had created from the impact.

Asriel watched as the smog-filled the room with the same mist. The yordle began to choke and cough but he wasn't about to go down as simply as that. The younger mage motioned a circle around his body, creating an invisible barrier to protect him from the smoke. The room was becoming colder with each passing moment so the mage summoned a small flicker of a flame to keep him warm. He continued to move around the room, fully expecting Veigar to launch another attack.

"Your soul will come to serve me...Even now I can sense your fear." The raspy voice echoed through the room.

The young mage looked around, there was no sign of Veigar anywhere he looked. The older yordle laughed maniacally. Soon a bear rug below him began to shift. Asriel noticed it's movement as his body shifted on top of it. It ballooned into its full size, sending the young yordle reeling on his behind. The creature roared with a loud bellow that resounded through the area. The noise was so loud that it pierced through his head and made him cover his ears.

Its eyes were very much the same as Veigar, burning with a bright yellow as the critter showed off its teeth, slathering with dripping purple saliva. The beast raced forward in an attempt to ambush the other mage. Asriel rolled out of the way, reaching out onto the floor touching it lightly. His hand lifted, pulling out a slab of rock as he chucked it in the direction of the bear. Even despite landing a square hit on the attack went right through the fiend.

The creature chuckled in the same fashion as Veigar and lurched forward again. But just as it was about to land a blow on Asriel, a bright light brandished once again. A wispy light expelling from within him, growing to a much more radiant figure of flame. The frame holding a shield keeping the bear at bay.

Dagba's voice carried through the room audibly. "Now."

Asriel felt a new sense of hope kindle inside of him. Reaching to his side and flicking out his arm. A sword appeared in his grip, glistening with an ambiance of light surrounding it.

The young mage lunged forward, thrusting the blade right through the fiery aspect. The bear remained fixated on the shield, it's determination seeming unhindered. The eyes began to flicker and then darken as the pelt fell flat to the floor. The enigma of blaze stepping over the felled creature and setting it on fire. It burned before long, leaving naught but charred remains.

"My power is spent..." Dagba's voice was hoarse and exasperated.

A dark cloud soon from below, seeping out from below the charred ash, surrounding the semblance of blaze embers.

A dark circle began to form around the base of the fiery body, encasing its feet in a purple slime. Gradually it crept up and submerged the entire form within its contents. Asriel watched in terror and tried to withdraw his blade. It was stuck within and the goo was now extending to cover even that. Within moments the weapon snapped. The gunk reformed and a larger more ominous representation of Veigar soon appeared.

"Give up now, I can sense your fear. Even death trembles in my presence." Veigar inched forward and slithered along the floor in a shadowy fog.

By now the shield around Asriel had dissipated and he was coughing and choking from the ever-present blue fog that now congested the room. He was tired and his body was failing on him. As the older yordle approached him, he could smell death on him as if the elder mage had tampered in things far beyond his understanding. Veigar reached out with his gauntlets, his touch soon lingering over him. The younger yordle tried to grab the other male's wrist but the older one was easily able to overpower the weakened youngling.

Asriel found himself being pinned to the floor by the purple mage. The two looked eye to eye for a moment, red and burning gold colliding. No matter the effort, the now smaller yordle was incapable of moving. Only the smaller one's tail was free to move. Without wasting another second, Asriel's serpentine tail lunged forward from beneath his vestments, wrapping around the foe's body to get him off Asriel. The evil mage was being gradually being pulled away from him.

With that, Veigar immediately lost command over his body, his limbs limply dangling. The tail binding Veigar tight enough that he lost focus on his spell. Within moments the blue fog dissipated, Asriel breathed in heavily equally relieved that the air had cleared. The purple mage closed his eyes and Asriel believed him to be subdued. The room seemed to fill with more and more cold air and the younger mage was finding it increasingly hard to maintain his coiled grip.

The elder mage snapped his finger and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, Asriel's tail bundling in from its lack of prey. Darkness soon filled the room as if the light from outside had been all but blocked, making it difficult to see.

Ice shards were sent careening across the room, shackling Asriel to the wall. "Do you know why you are here?"

Asriel struggled, but even his tail had been locked up leaving him without any hope of escape. Opening his eyes, he could make out the visage of Veigar's golden gaze in the darkness.

"This is all going according to plan. It is because I wanted you here." A figure in the darkness appeared and approached Asriel ever so slowly.

Once Veigar was close enough, the younger mage could see his breath. It was cold enough to be visible in the brisk air. Asriel's tail writhed trying to be free.

"You're petty attempt at Demonic magic will do you no good. I won't be defeated so easily." The evil mage clasped his hand as Asriel's entire tail was encased in ice.

The purple mage leaned forward and pressed his face right against the others. "Your journey ends here...hero. It's game over...for you."

Soon Veigar breathed into him. His visible breath was just as yellow as his eyes and Asriel breathed it in. The chilled feeling Asriel was just experiencing was now replaced by an innate warmth. The yordle scrunched his eyes as the weight of the other male was too much for him to withstand.

The older mage remained in this position for the duration of the ritual. Little by little, he was transferring the essence of his soul into the younger yordle. It didn't take long before the remainder of Veigar's being was entirely absorbed by Asriel. The two now one being. Asriel's thoughts completely blurred in confusion, uncertain as to what had just happened. He struggled as the ice bindings seemed to break more easily than he thought.

The yordle got up and brushed himself off. He was still a little sore and his head was throbbing. Asriel saw the elder mages staff in the corner, feeling compelled to pick it up. Despite the yordles better senses, the staff seemed to call to him. He approached it as the area around it seemed to be soothing.

A maniacal laugh resounded from inside Asriel's head. "Go on...pick it up."

The staff gem remaining inanimate until he picked it up, spiraling into a more green color.

"I shall show you true power. This isn't even my final form." A familiar voice beckoned within him.

Asriel's body soon levitated without any sort of command from his magical understanding. Soon he found himself back on the platform in which he had arrived.

He looked down below and though he could not see the undead army, he could feel them. Asriel whistled for his trusty steed, the bird swooping in from above. Once within range, it stopped and hovered above. The crow cocked it's head awkwardly as if something was off. The bird cawed at him defiantly. Veigar reining it in by streaking a beam from the tip of his staff, sending the bird plummeting into the platform. Asriel panicked as he watched his friend thrown around like it was no big ordeal.

"Is that any way to greet an old friend?" Asriel said even though he wasn't thinking of mentioning those words.

The green beam burned around the blackbird's form. It's feathers torn from its skin as the thing writhed and cawed in agony. The avian twisting and turning, taking on a new form devoid of flesh becoming naught but bone and frost. Snow dripping from its chin as it's beak was the only thing that remained of its old self.

Veigar spun the staff in his hands, a green fog overtaking the two. Asriel still seeming lost for himself uncertain of what to do. A tingling sensation coursing within, his body as cold as death. The thick clothing disappearing from his body only to be replaced by a blue and golden robe that very much resembled the purple one that Veigar had been wearing earlier.

"Our transformation is complete! My power grows, I am stronger. I am infinite..." A tremendous blizzard raged as Veigar spoke.

The unified organisms walked over towards the undead bird mounted the steed. Veigar sheathed his staff and commanded it to dive to the chasm below. Asriel felt as he was losing his mental capacity to the more powerful being. Bit by bit he was having less of a say in what they were doing, only having a minor presence within. The undead bird bought them to the base of the tower, where the undead army sat awaiting their master's return.

"The end draws near, playtime is over. Weakness is a disease and we are the cure. Our every victory symbolizes the crumbling of justice! A battle they have no chance of winning. Vengeance shall be ours! Move out, army of the undead."

The army saluted him and turned around all at once, marching along with the winter winds. Asriel felt as if he had lost not only the battle but started a war all in one fell swoop. The now undead bird crowed as the unified being mounted it. The younger yordle tried his hardest to regain control and yet it seemed like he was not having his way. Veigar seemed very much to be the one in the driver's seat and there wasn't much he could do about it.

The avian flew into the distance from out of the citadel and towards the foundling village. The town seemed more than willing to welcome then. After all, it was made of naught but the forstborn, most of which were loyal to Veigar himself. However, since he was in a new body he had to prove himself. But the now green mage was more than willing. Enthralling them with his controlling staff and adding them to his now increasing army.

The village became the first to fall to Veigar's undead army. Of course, he had full intention of taking it further than that. Asriel was still struggling with his new reality. He needed to figure out how to regain control. He felt very much alone and without guidance especially now without Dagba's guidance. As they looked into the barren frozen tundra of Frejlord, he wondered what would become of the world now. He needed to act and fast...in the name of Runeterra he swore he would stop Veigar no matter the cost...