Fall of the League, Rise of the Frostguard: Lissandra

I ran a hand through the buns of blonde hair I had conjured, pulled at them as if it would help me endure Ashe's rambling envoy. Yes, of course I would investigate the raiding trolls. Yes, of course I would remain vigilant against Sejauni's forces. I was struck with the sudden urge to laugh, and then the sudden, irrational urge to drop the guise of Mauvole's daughter and silence the envoy with ice. I confess, I was restless.

It was as the dithering old man opened his mouth to voice some other inane request that I felt it. It started as an overwhelming sensation of power, a feeling that left my mouth dry. It reminded me of Watchers. Then I heard the briefest hint of sound, accompanied by a violent jolt that shook my throne room. The envoy fell, spots of heat—his knees—warming the stone throne floor. My Frostguard remained impassive.

I stood up, letting my useless white cape fall. "Excuse me," I said, starting to walk away.

The envoy made to stop me. "The Ice Dervish will see you again when she wishes to," one of my guards interjected, cutting him off. I kept walking.

The second it was safe, I let Lissandra, daughter of Mauvole, disappear. The rolls of blonde hair and pale white face disappeared into ice and I stretched, glad to be free of a tedious disguise. If only the envoy knew what pains I had taken for him.

I pointed forward, imaging a claw of ice slashing through the landscape, in the direction of the power and sound. In my mind, I saw it clawing through the landscape, the ice around it forming images for me to see. Far into the distance—something had happened. I half hoped the Watchers had returned but I knew in my heart it was too soon.

I would receive word soon though. Doubtless Ashe would send me another envoy, another blathering fool.

"Arghrgh!"

I flinched away from the sudden sensation of heat and power to my left. My ears registered the familiar tone of Trundle's voice. I heard the clatter of Serylda's club against ice and I could not help but feel a pang of regret.

"What happened?" I asked, letting ice gather under my feet so that I became taller.

The troll gasped, grunted, and then got to his knees. He been thrown to the ground, spat out by a tear in space. "The league is gone," he managed, still sounding surprised himself. "No more summoners. They—I saw—"

I couldn't help myself. I started to laugh quietly, into my hand of course. I had anticipated the League failing, the eradication of the summoners, but so soon? And what chance, to have a troll appear out of thin air to bring me the news. It was also so bemusing.

"What's so funny?" he asks stupidly.

"Frostguard!" I called, my voice echoing into ice, ringing through the ancient stone city. "Come, my children!"

I turned to Trundle. "Prepare your army for war."

He grinned at me, a shift of warm lips over an unpleasant display of cold teeth. "Yes your majesty Dervish." My cold skin crawled with disdain at his feigned respect and poorly concealed treachery. I could ignore it, for now at least. I still had uses for the troll. My Frostguard started to arrive as he left.

The men came first, hunters and guards stiff with purpose. Then the women and children streamed forward, smaller impressions of heat accompanied by the pitter-patter of footsteps, until they all gathered around me, so many people and yet, not all of the coalition I had assembled. We were many.

"The League of Legends has fallen and the Summoners are no more," I said, aware that hundreds of pairs of eyes were now focused on me.

Silence. Shock. But they believed me immediately, without hesitation.

"I, the Seeker, see this: It is our time, my children. War will break out soon—Sejauni and Ashe think they are the only contenders for the throne. They are wrong."

I raised both hands, conjuring two balls of ice.

"We will crush Ashe's leadership." The ball of ice flattened, fractured, and fell to the ground in shards.

"We will shatter Sejauni's strength." The ice cracked, split to pieces, and then fell to the snow, broken.

"The Freljord will be ours." I raise myself higher, gathering snow and ice under me until I know I am over their heads.

"The Watchers will return." At this, my Frostguard break composure. They scream, they cheer, they yell. They are overwhelmed with joy and anticipation.

"And they will make you—" I smile now and point a single finger at my Frostguard. "—Iceborn, like me." I almost whisper this, my voice no longer booming through the ice, but instead wrapping around my Frostguard.

"Never again will the frost chill you. Never again will hunger plague you. Never again will disease and old age ravage you,"

I slowly let myself down as I speak, until I am just barely high enough for all to see.

"I know what lies ahead my children. We are almost there. Ashe, Sejauni—they are but motes of snow drifting in the wind." I pause, gathering power as my voice picks up with my next words.

"And we, we are an avalanche."

I send a tremor through the ice, making Freljord itself shake for the briefest of moments. I feel trees move slightly; ice crack over lakes.

"They cannot stop us."

I turn to leave.

In the distance I hear the roar of falling snow; avalanches smashing snow down the mountainside.