The Survivor ( A bit Graphic)

Author's note: I wrote this because I love Alistar as a champion, but feel frustrated by his lore. There are a few champs that haven't had an updated lore in a while, and Alistar is one of them. I'm not the best writer, but I'm just throwing this out there. It's a bit darker than I thought it would be, but then again Alistar is supposed to have gone through a lot of misery to get where he is now. This is the first chapter, I suppose. If it works in any way, I may write the second one. Constructive criticism is appreciated. Thanks.

Pain.

An interesting concept. Something every living being is born with. It has been likened to a river, coursing through the body without a care. Or as a knife, cutting it's way through the flesh as if it were air.

It is unavoidable. And inevitable. Yet it is something every living thing lives with.

The Great Barrier cut through the land like a knife, it's jagged mountains separating the massive continent of Valoran into two halves. While most would seek to cross the gigantic mountain range as quickly as possible, there were those that lived among them. One such race are the mighty Minotaurs, creatures with the body of men but the head of bulls that towered above most beings. Proud and fierce, they have always been known as valuable allies, but also as brutal enemies. Many who sought to control the Minotaurs learned, to their detriment, that you cannot tame brute force, and as such were defeated by the Bullmen. One such enemy, was the land of Noxus, home to a harsh and warrior-like people. When they found they could not tame the mighty Minotaurs, they resorted to their favoured policy. Genocide.

The mountains had always fascinated Alistar. They were so big, and so noble, watching the land as a mother watches her child sleep. The elders of his village advocated against going near them, but it was not uncommon to find that a young Minotaur, eager to test his mettle, had wandered into the massive peaks, seeking a challenge. And that challenge would almost always be too much for them. More oft than not, it was Alistar that was sent to find them when their absence was discovered, as the elders and parents trusted him more than any other of the Warrior Caste. Most of the time he would find them cowering in a cave, or behind a tree, desperately seeking succour from the numerous horrors that lurked in the vast gorges of the Barrier. Yet there were times when the bellows of grieving parents were heard as Alistar brought home those that fell victim to the Barrier's embrace. The Minotaurs were a tough, hardy people, but family and friends were prized above all.

On this particular day, Alistar was sitting on a hill just above his village, watching the rolling plains that were his home. There had been word of a Noxian force moving across the plains, and as such Alistar had been keeping a watchful eye out. The smoke from the many fires permeated the air with a rich smell of woodsmoke. Alistar loved the smell. It was familiar, and comfortable. No doubt his mate, Yalne, was busy cooking the herbs and roots that made up their food. It was a simple meal, but healthy and reliable, as their tribe was able to grow the ingredients easily, and as such there was never a shortage of food.

Alistar's tribe, The Thunderhooves, wasn't necessarily the largest or wealthiest tribe, but it had garnered the reputation for some of the fiercest warriors to have roamed the plains that lay at the foot of the Barrier. Alistar was a paragon of the strength and honour of his tribe, and considered by most, if not all, to be the greatest Minotaur Warrior alive, besting the many enemies that challenged him and his tribe. He was treated as a legend by the people of his tribe, young and old, which annoyed him at times.

But it was all to be expected. His father had raised him to be the shield of the tribe, guarding it against the many dangers of Valoran. And so he had, defeating bandits, monsters, and once, a strange creature that reeked of purple energy. "A voidling", the elders had called it, before communing together to discuss, as they always did. Alistar did not care what it was, only that it was dead and sent back to the foul place it had come from, and moved on to the next threat.

All these victories meant nothing to Alistar, who only cared for his family and his tribe. He sat there, contemplating, when something caught his eye. A strange glimmer on the plains, moving at an erratic pace. His curiosity piqued, Alistar followed it, moving away from his village. He trotted down the grassy hill, his massive hooves leaving noticeable imprints in the earth.

He continued following the strange, shiny glimmer, until the grass was up to his stomach. Still the glimmer persisted, always ahead of him, never closer. And then suddenly, it was gone. Alistar stopped, turning his head erratically, trying to find the find the strange glimmer. But it truly was gone. It was then that he noticed the sun had fallen in the sky, and wondered how long he had been gone for. It had seemed like minutes, but it must have been hours.

He turned back and began his long trek back home, unsettled by the strange glimmer. What was it? Where had it come from? These thoughts were still in his head when he saw the smoke. It rose lazily into the air, enveloping the sky in it's density. But it was not the smoke that horrified Alistar. It was where it was coming from.

The village. His village.

He picked up his pace, into a slow run, and then a full sprint, his hooves truly sounding like thunder as they hit the ground. Desperation and shame filled him as he finally reached the hill he had been sitting on mere hours before. The sight that he beheld from there truly broke him, and he fell to his knees with a clump, a deep groan emanating from his chest.

Thunderhoof Village was no more. All the wooden huts that had housed his people were charred ruins, and it's inhabitants lay strewn across the ground, dead. And it was then he saw them. A group of large men in black leather armour, holding brutal looking weapons.

Noxians.

The biggest of their group, clearly the leader, was sitting on a minotaur's body, and with a shock, Alistar realised that it was his wife. Yalne.

Alistar felt his emotions drain away. All that was left was anger. Rage. Fury. And with a colossal roar that was typical of his race, he charged down the hill, tearing off the cloth that his wife had made for him. His torso, awash with old scars and wounds, combined with the rage that clouded his face, gave him a nightmarish appearance as he bore down upon the murderers.

The men turned quickly to the sound of his approach, shouting and readying themselves clumsily to face him. But no force on Valoran would have stopped the juggernaut that was Alistar. His massive arms batted the men aside, crushing armour and bones alike. One of them charged at Alistar with a spear, yelling his own warcry. Alistar responded by grabbing hold of the spear, and using it to pull the man to him. Before the Noxian even realised what was happening, Alistar had him in his grip. He looked in abject terror at the titanic warrior, before Alistar threw him with all his force into one of his comrades. The resulting cracks from the impact were sickening to hear.

Alistar's wrath was terrible to behold, and the ones that died quickly were lucky. Alistar broke bones and tore limbs like a child would tear grass. Covered with blood, he at last turned to face the Noxian sitting on his wife's corpse. The man had watched the carnage, frozen in fear as his men were slaughtered. Alistar slowly walked towards him, covered in blood and gore. His mouth opened, and his deep voice rattled out.

"Get....off.....her!"

The Noxian continued to stare at him, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. Alistar growled and closed the remaining distance quickly, grabbing the man by his upper torso and lifting him up. The soldier whimpered in fear, quite different from the man who, just an hour ago, had gleefully ordered the slaughter of the village.

"Puh....puh.....please...ddddon't...." he managed, before Alistar squeezed. The man gagged, his eyes bulging from his head, and he shook fiercely in Alistar's grip. But he might as well have been fighting a mountain. Alistar lifted his other hand up, and slowly enveloped the man's head. The cries and whimpers were muffled somewhat, and then Alistar started to pull...

Thanks for reading. Part 2 might be coming soon.