Concept Lore for Zelos

So I got to thinking to myself, "what happened to Zelos?" Now, I'm not sure if it was ever confirmed as to what happened with him but I decided to write "A Letter to Irelia" from Zelos describing a small bit of what happened to him. This letter describes details during the Noxian invasion but was actually written after.

"Ambushed... the Noxian cowards came out of the woods surrounding us... We fought off as many as we could but I soon realized we were vastly outnumbered. I knew my men would hate the decision, but I told them to split off into two groups, one to go find Yone and report what happened and the other to find the Demacian ambassador to whom we had initially been sent to appeal. Understandably, they questioned this judgement, which later became an incorrect one, but despite their confusion, those noble men did precisely as I said. I don't know and likely never will know anyone so courageous. I regret nothing more than not knowing their fates or being parted from you dear sister, but I have heard of your feats and I am certain our father would be proud. I stood steadfast, waiting for the Noxians I swore to hold off to begin their assault. As predicted, not a single one took after my soldiers. Being bloodthirsty, every single one of them stayed to gain assurance they could take pleasure mutilating my corpse one-by-one. I remember taking deep breaths each swing I made, each resulting in a severed Noxian carcass. The smell of gore was overpowering. I am unsure how I managed what I did. I just kept swinging and wailing my blade, the one I tempered and honed for the good of our people. It was here I learned how much I scorn killing. The concept of depriving life from a man, yet worse, stealing them from a family is utterly revolting. But the grotesque reality is that we, as soldiers, are meant to protect at all costs, even if that means applying needless slaughter to maintain peace. Before I knew it, limbs, intestines, heads, heaps of flesh and bone scattered around me soaking myself and the now red earth. I was alone and only now saw how many wounds had been inflicted upon me. Three arrows were sticking out of my back, and multiple stab wounds blemished my abdomen. I collapsed to my knees then fell head-first into the darkness. I don't know what happened next, but I awoke a short time later on a Noxian vessel. They bound me but treated my wounds. Kaletta, the Noxian woman who saved me was the only Noxian I could say I'd have ever trusted. She wasn’t like most Noxians, which is probably why she was a servant. She had a gentle voice and the disposition of someone who should never see combat. Between her compassion and intelligence, she made an awful Noxian. From her I initially discovered that the Noxians aimed to impress me into their ranks. That said it later became painfully obvious. Every day a Noxian torturer or recruiter, I’m not sure which, ceaselessly demanded I swear allegiance to the Noxian empire and like clockwork I’d refuse. He beat me senseless then left, returning the next day. Kaletta was kind to me, healing me after each session and I felt as if I gained her friendship, as she had certainly gained mine. In the night, a week into our voyage, a terrible storm shook the boat apart. I remember trying to reach Kaletta as the boat went down. I called out to her in desperation as I realized what was happening. My voice was raw and practically gone but I was still bound and she was atop the ship, likely doing all she could to assist. Waves pounded the sides of the ship and inevitably as the boat shattered, everything and everyone went with it. I plunged into the pitch black water and struggled to the surface. The rope sliced my wrists as my arms flailed. When I finally breached the surface I gasped for air and made an unsuccessful attempt to make sense of what had just occurred. I looked at every bobbing visage in the water in hopes of saving her - or at least seeing her one last time. After two days of searching and drifting, with no food to eat and no fresh water, I barely clung to life. Now survival was my only goal. My life was the only thing not taken from me and I refused to lose it. I only managed to survive because of the fragments of the Noxian ship. Another vessel was in the distance with the sun behind it. The glare was horrendous making it impossible know where it was from. I screamed until I couldn’t make any sound and only then did it look like it was approaching. After what felt like an eternity the ship pulled up near me. It was now close enough to deploy row-boats. I counted six, each with about four men. I knew now that it was from Bilgewater, the smell alone gave it away, and I wondered if it was better to drown. They gathered me into one of the row-boats and once I felt the hard surface I passed out. A long time later I regained consciousness. When I woke, the first hand told their captain and brought me to her. They dragged me up the steps of the brig directly to the captain’s quarters. Waiting there was, of course, the captain. I knew I had to be cautious. If I wasn’t already dead then clearly there was some idea with what to do with me, yet this woman looked like she wouldn’t hesitate to throw me back into the ocean if I proceeded incorrectly. Not all could see past her alluring appearance and know she was cold-hearted but I could and it wasn’t an advantage I would squander. We talked for a while, or perhaps it was more of an interrogation. I had told her my name was Zelos and that I was in the Ionian military. After conversing, she told me that I would be on the ship for a while and should make myself useful. Shortly after I found myself being verbally abused and worked half to death, but I didn’t care too much because in the end I came out alive. I’m writing to you now, Irelia, from the ports of Bilgewater to make you aware of what happened to me. I don’t entirely approve of what I must do, but I do it nonetheless with both the hope and desire to soon return to Ionia. I’ll see you again." Zelos