Fiddlesticks Short Story
Hey!
In line with the new Fiddlesticks VGU, I've written a short story. I'm pretty excited for his update as Fiddlesticks is one of my favorite champs. His design looks awesome, and his ult animation and attack animations look great too!
I aspire to be a writer, so if you have any criticisms after reading this (and I'm sure you will) feel free to share! I can't improve if I don't have feedback and I appreciate any and all complaints, criticisms, or anything that helps me become better.
Enjoy!
No one visited The Valley in Demacia. Even in conversation, it was mentioned in hushed whispers, with backward glances and signs to ward off evil. Few alive knew of its true origins for it was a closely guarded secret. It was rumored that High Marshall Tiana Crownguard and her predecessors were entrusted with the knowledge of what lay there--but if they did, they did not share the knowledge.
Even its name had been forgotten. And so, Demacians simply called it the valley.
Laurus grinned at his friend, Bennek, who rolled his eyes, as they crossed the last hill. Below them lay the hidden vale, scrubbed from any maps of the kingdom. Contrary to folklore or superstition, nothing appeared desolate about the land below. There were trees, grass, rolling hills, as well as a few houses and grain silos--though those appeared to be abandoned. All in all, it was nothing but ordinary.
There was no formal rule against visiting The Valley--everyone just knew not to go there. Laurus, however, had never been good at keeping rules.
That, and he believed The Valley was something more. Or rather, that it hid something Demacians wanted to keep hidden or forget. He held a hand in front of him, a small flame alighting in his hand. Dusk had fallen and the small glow from the flame illuminated a smile on his face--as well as horror on Bennek's.
"Preserve us," he muttered, averting his gaze from the light, "Laurus, stop. We're still in Demacia."
"We're fine," Laurus responded tartly, but he extinguished the flame anyway, "We're too far out for any of the mage seekers to sense us."
"Still," Bennek said, sitting down on a nearby rock, "I'd rather not press our luck. Someone down there could sense you, or there could be a patrol nearby."
Laurus peered down at the abandoned houses, a small frown creasing his face. "Doesn't look like anybody's visited this place in years." He pointed to the road below them. "Look. Even the road's overgrown."
"Yes, but things are different now," Bennek muttered. He unslung his pack, taking out the tent and beginning to set it up. "Ever since Sylas escaped, everybody's been on edge. I wouldn't be surprised if the mageseekers sent some people to watch this place, maybe catch a few stragglers."
"Or." Laurus rose from his seat on the rock to help Bennek set up the tent. "There's a hidden group of mages down there. This is where they go to hide from the rest of Demacia."
Bennek sighed as he snapped a metal pole together and slung the canvasse over it. "I don't know. It just doesn't make sense to me. If there is a hidden group of mages out here, why haven't the mageseekers come and rooted them out?"
"Maybe they're too powerful," Laurus suggested, pulling some stakes from the pack and hammering them into the ground. He tested to make sure the foundation was taut. Satisfied that it was, he returned the hammer to the pack.
"I'll believe it when I see it," Bennek said. "I still don't understand why you didn't just go find Sylas in Freljord. He's practically begging everybody with magic to join his rebellion."
Laurus ripped open a bag of jerky, tossing some to his friend. He bit into it eagerly, though he forced himself to slow down as he chewed. Their food was limited and if they didn't find anyone down there, they would be forced to hunt for food on their way back.
Neither of them were any good at that.
He shrugged. "I think Sylas is a good guy and he wants what's best for Demacia. But I think his rebellion is in the wrong. I don't want to kill the nobles, I just want them to leave me alone."
"But that will never happen," Bennek pointed out, "As far as their concerned, magic is as evil as Noxus."
Laurus' face soured and he bit back a reply. As much as he hated being compared to Noxus, it was a fair assessment. Most Demacians DID view magic the same way.
'Its not my fault I was born this way,' he thought as he bit into his second and final piece of jerky. But, it was his lot in life and he had to make the best of it. If that meant traipsing around the countryside looking for a cult of magic users that may not exist, then so be it.
If worst came to worst, he could always go somewhere else. Ionia maybe, or maybe he even Shurima. Zaun and Bilgewater were also options but...he shuddered. Those were a last resort if all else failed.
"Let's get some sleep," he suggested as he swallowed the last of his jerky. "The Valley isn't large. If we wake up early, we can probably walk the whole thing in a single day."
Bennek agreed. "Good. The sooner we leave, the better. This place gives me goosebumps."
Laurus jerked awake.
He sat up, hair slicked against his head, sweat cascading down his cheeks. A shiver ran across his body, and he wrapped his arms around himself. Beside him, Bennek shifted in his sleeping bag, snoring loudly.
'Just a dream. Just a dream,' Laurus said, leaning forward. His heart raced rapidly and his chest was tense. He sucked in a few breaths, holding them, then exhaling loudly.
It was fine. He was fine. He pushed himself up, adjusting his sleeping bag to be more comfortable, then laid down.
And froze.
A dark patch hovered over the tent, casting a shadow on their small shelter.
Someone was outside.
He bolted upright, panic striking him. "Bennek. Bennek!" he cried with increasing fear, trying to keep his voice down.
Beside him, his friend rolled over, eyes fluttering open. His brow creased with annoyance. "What?"
"Look! Look!" Laurus said, unable to find any other words to say.
Bennek rose, squinting at the shadow. "What am I looking at Laurus?"
"Someone's out there!" Laurus hissed. His skin tingled and sweat began to drip down his face once more.
Bennek frowned. "It's just a tree. Look. You can see the branches."
He pointed at the shadow. Laurus' breath caught in his throat as he looked at the shadow again. Now that Bennek pointed it out, it did look like a tree.
He swallowed, still half unconvinced. A moment ago, he could have sworn it was a person.
But, wasn't that what he wanted? If someone was out there, wouldn't it be a mage hiding out in the valley?
"You're seeing things," Bennek said with a yawn. He laid back down, drawing his sleeping bag tight around his body, "Go back to sleep."
Hesitantly, Laurus nodded. He rested his head against the ground, gripping his sleeping bag tightly. Yet every time he looked at the shadow, an inexplicable dread filled his body.
He didn't get much sleep that night.
When they arose in the morning, dark clouds covered the sky, threatening rain. To make matters worse, a thick fog had fallen vale, obscuring the trees and buildings they had seen from the hilltop to the previous day.
"Its a bad omen," Bennek muttered as they packed their things, and headed into the vale. "Kings of Old protect us."
"Quit whining," Laurus said, projecting a confidence he didn't quite feel. "Its just a little fog."
"I know," Bennek said defensively. In the white darkness, their footsteps echoed loudly against the dirt road. Brambles pricked at Laurus' skin, in the space between his boots and pants.
"Listen. We'll be in and out," Laurus said, fighting his rising irritation. "There's probably no one here. We'll be back home in a week and we can move on to somewhere else, yeah?"
"Right," Bennek said, though he said it unsuredly. They continued in silence for the next hour. Bennek at one point asked for Laurus to light a flame with his hand.
"Give us more light," he explained, but Laurus refused. It would do little to pierce through the fog--and on the off chance Bennek was right, any mageseekers in the area would descend on them like flies to a corpse.
He didn't really believe there was anyone out there. But his lack of sleep exacerbated his paranoia, and his nerves were already on edge. Best to be on he better side of safe.
Finally, they reached what seemed to be the edge of a plowed field. Laurus knelt down, scooping up some of the foamy soil in his hands. He frowned as it rolled through his fingers, some of it sticking underneath his fingernails.
"Maybe there is someone here," he murmured.
"Really? How can you tell?" Bennek asked.
Laurus held up some of the soil for Bennek to see. "It's been plowed recently."
He was about to say more, but he stopped himself. Bennek wasn't even paying attention. The younger man kept casting glances behind himself, as though he were afraid someone were following.
Laurus felt his temper flare. "Will you stop doing that?"
"Stop what?"
"Acting like we're being followed. We're the only ones out here," Laurus said impatiently.
"I can't help it," Bennek protested. He stepped closer to Laurus and lowered his voice, "I'm telling you. Something's not right about this place."
"We're fine," Laurus said, ignoring his friend's concern, "You're just jumpy because you didn't get enough sleep last night."
"No, I'm serious Laurus," Bennek said. He sucked in a breath. "There's something in the air..."
He opened is mouth to respond, to say Bennek was a fool, when the ground rumbled. It was a low rumble, not too loud, but still recognizable.
Hoof beats.
Mage seekers.
"We're dead," Bennek said, his voice rising. Laurus rose, grabbing his friend by the arm and pulling him across the field.
"What are you doing?" Bennek asked.
"Gotta find shelter. There were some abandoned buildings. Maybe we can hide in there," Laurus said. The two of them bounded over the field, racing to the other side. The hoofbeats grew louder, and the sounds of men shouting pierced the air. Laurus wanted to look behind, but he dared not. Any loss of momentum could spell death for the both of them.
A large building faded into view through the fog. As they drew closer, Laurus saw it was an old barn. But perhaps old wasn't descriptive enough. The grayish hue that normally accompanied old farm buildings had faded completely. Instead, the wood makeup of the outside had turned completely black, almost the same color has tar. Holes littered the roof and the wood, big enough that a small child could crawl through.
It was a wonder the thing was still standing.
Bennek whimpered as Laurus dragged him around to the entrance. One of the front doors was missing, and the other hung limp on its hinges. Pitch black awaited them inside. For a moment, Laurus almost reconsidered. As much as he didn't want to admit it, there was something...strange in the air.
He cast a look backwards. He could hear the hoofbeats, louder now, and he saw dark silhouettes approaching through the fog.
There was no choice. If they were caught, they were dead. Laurus pushed Bennek inside, a strange cold crawling across his skin as they entered. Almost immediately, the darkness enveloped them, and Laurus could only dimly make out the different support columns in the darkness.
"Laurus," Bennek whispered as Laurus pushed them towards the back of the barn. "Laurus, I dreamed this. Last night. He's coming for us."
"Shut up," Laurus said. He could hear horses panting through the wall, could hear men whispering in hushed tones. Their voices weren't clear enough to be understood, but Laurus didn't need to hear them to know what they were saying.
No prisoners.
No witnesses.
He pushed Bennek to the ground. The soldiers would have to come in if they were to take them. With the limited visibility, the soldiers wouldn't see them at first. Perhaps, if Laurus got the upper hand...
'Fool,' he told himself. He wasn't a strong enough mage to fight mage seekers yet. He barely even knew how to control his powers.
Beside him, Bennek grew still.
If they escaped this, Laurus might as well go and joing Sylas. The mage seekers would return and post a bounty for him in all the major cities of Runeterra. It was one thing for a mage of another nationality to escape the mages eekers. It was another for a natural born Demacian to flee the city state.
He waited as the footsteps drew closer. He pushed his head in the dirt, praying to whatever gods existed that the soldiers wouldn't come in the barn. Praying that whatever was in the air would deter them from searching for them.
Laurus sucked in a breath. The light of the barn darkened even further. He tilted his head to look at the entrance and saw a single, lone man standing there, peering inside, blocking the little light that was entering.
'Go away. Go away,' he pleaded silently.
Moments that felt like eternity passed. Slowly, ever so slowly, the figure turned and walked away.
Laurus blinked. He couldn't believe his eyes. Any minute now, the man would come back with the other mage seekers to slaughter him and Bennek.
But he didn't. The world fell still and silent as Bennek and Laurus were left alone. On the other side of the barn wall, the horses stopped panting and the men stopped whispering.
Laurus let out a sigh of relief. He sat up, placing a hand on Bennek's shoulder.
"Hey. We're alright," Laurus said. He forced a smile as he looked down at Bennek.
He gasped.
Bennek's face had gone white--bone white--and his eyes had rolled back into his head. Foam frothed at the edge of his mouth, dribbling down his cheek and into the dirt. Veins popped out along his arms, as though they would burst, and his body began convulsing violently.
Outside, a crow cawed.
"Bennek!" Laurus yelled, pushing his friend over, not caring if the mage seekers heard him. Bennek's body continued to spasm, his torso lifting into the air, then slamming back to the ground.
"No...no..." Bennek whispered, his head thrashing from side to side. His eyes rolled out from his head, but a milky film covered his iris's, as though he were blind. His friend sucked in a breath, then exhaled a deep, guttural scream.
"Bennek, stop! Snap out of it!" Laurus yelled. Yet he was helpless to help. His friend stared ahead, as though he didn't see him. He slapped Bennek across the face, though his friend kept screaming as though nothing had happened.
Then all at once, it stopped.
Bennek's body gave one last thrash before falling still on the ground. The scream died in his throat and the milky white substance in his eyes faded, leaving only the blue of his eyes.
"Bennek?" Laurus said, his voice a hoarse whisper. Hesitantly, he reached out to touch his friend.
No reaction.
A chill ran down Laurus spine. The feeling of dread returned, stronger than ever and he rose to his feet, backing away from Bennek's corpse.
"No..." he whispered.
Maybe he was still dreaming. That was it. He and Bennek were still on the hill, asleep in the tent, and he needed to wake up.
He slapped himself. Then he slapped himself again, and again, and again.
He didn't wake up.
What little light that filtered into the barn suddenly darkened. Laurus turned to see a figure with twisted, uneven limbs. It was hunched over, a dirt cloth covering its face and upper torso.
It stepped forward, its limbs making a loud metallic creaking. It had a large hand that dragged behind it, tearing up the ground as it went. In its other, smaller hand, it carried a small scythe.
Fear gripped Laurus. He held up a hand, a small flame flickering to life, as though he could ward away the creature. He gestured to Bennek. "Did you do this?"
The creature paused its unnatural gait. It cocked its head twice to the right, each time snapping back with a loud cricking sound. It opened its mouth for Laurus to see rows of metallic teeth, like one of the dune worms of Shurima.
The teeth began to rotate. The sound of hoofbeats, accompanied by men whispering, echoed from the creature's throat. Laurus felt his stomach sink as dark shadows appeared around the creature. Shadows that could be mistaken for horses in a fog.
"Ti--T--Time's u-u-up," the creature spoke, its voice unnaturally deep, like metal on metal. With every word it spoke, its body contorted, its head cocking back and forth, as though it had no voice of its own. It raised its scythe, as though it would strike.
Laurus reacted instantly. He summoned a fireball and flung it at the creature. It sailed through the barn, illuminating the dim space. Skeletons hung from the rafters--hundreds of skeletons of varying shapes and sizes--each one staring down as though like an audience of the dead.
The fireball fizzled, then disappeared before it struck the creature. It continued forward as if nothing had happened. Laurus stared in disbelief, then threw another fireball, and another as the thing drew closer.
"Laurus, stop. We're still in Demacia," Bennek's voice, twisted and distorted, emnated from the creature. "I'd rather not press our luck. Someone down there could sense you, or there could be a patrol nearby."
"Shut up!" Laurus screamed, tears streaming down his face. He threw fireball after fireball, only for them to fizzle out before reaching the creature. Outside, a cacophony of crows began to cackle as a gust of wind tore the barn door off its hinges. The bones above began to chime, clacking together as they were flung about in the wind.
Laurus backed up, tripping over Bennek's body. The creature drew nearer, a twisted smile on its face.
The hammer. If magic didn't work, maybe something physical would. Laurus ripped the pack off Bennek's shoulders, dumping the contents onto the ground. He snatched the hammer up from the pile and raised his arm to strike the creature.
A dark limb shot out of the creature's chest, almost like a claw. It caught Laurus arm mid swing. Laurus froze as the creatures grip dug into his arm, paralyzing him with fear.
A second claw shot out, driving itself into Laurus' chest. He lurched backward as it pierced his ribcage, going straight through his heart and out his spine.
Laurus dropped the hammer. His head lolled forward and his body went slack. The creature let go, its shadowy claws retracting back into its body. Laurus fell to the ground, hitting the ground with a thud.
"Mo-mo-more fooo-food for m-m-m-my crows," the creature said, its body twitching as it spoke. With a slow, unnatural twisting of its metallic limbs, it turned and left the barn.
No one visits The Valley in Demacia. Few even acknowledge its existence, and if they do, it is in hushed tones, with backward glances over their shoulders. It is rumored that High Marshall Tiana Crownguard and her predecessors know of what lays in wait there. But if they do, it is a closely guarded secret they share with no one.
Regardless, all Demacians know not to visit the valley.