Two Sides of the Coin - Nasus Fan Story
Hi guys! As a non-native english speaker I have written my first story in my entire life. I wanted it be quite serious and less fanfic like as much as I am capable of to do. I share it here so I may have suggestions to improve myself. Let me know what you think if you read it at all. ^^
It was one of those clear skies shining with countless stars he had for eons. Night was blinking from every view, every side, so much that, for one moment, he was relieved from his burdens and regrets. It did not matter the lands that were once his home was built upon the Sun. Even though he knew it was the power of the Sun he wielded in his flesh and bones that was the nemesis of darkness and night, it was it that saved him from the grip of death, It did not matter. It was pleasant, and beautiful. The Sun, left the day to darkness, but he could not care less. It brought life over the lands, to took it back in minutes. For him, the Sun already left him and his people hundreds of years ago, in the most devastating way. On the day he lost his everything.
If he was mortal as he had been once, the freezing cold of the desert that swallowed Shurima would take his life in hours. His blood was burning with a celestial power very few could even grasp, let alone handle. The cold was just there to remind him of how cruel Shurima is, not to end him.
The days, no, the weeks passed since he entered the Great Sai. His ascended form, even as a shadow of former himself, gave him power over hunger and thirst, tiredness and sleep. He had no need for food, nor water, he could walk for days without stop. But he had a burden on his shoulders heavy enough to bury his soul forever, if he had stopped for even a single second. Even if he wanted to shrink to nothingness, even if he was ashamed for things he had done enough to make him avoid looking in the face of even an unknown mortal, he could not stop. He could not say everything was his fault, but he knew, if he had been more mindful, his brother would now be standing by his side. The country he devoted his life would now be glorious as once it was. And before every lost, his brethrens would not turn the world to a living hell for mortals, and lost themselves in complete madness. As his grief was already enough to shatter him in pieces, It was a disappointment that was not needed.
As the Ascended have become everything they once loathed, they left nothing behind to resemble their former glory, there was no legacy of nobility, their malicious actions consumed even their look. Forbidden magics they used was so unbelievably disgusting and cruel, yet awfully potent, Nasus was terrified even from the idea of becoming ominous like them. The very source of their divinity was stained by vile powers permanently. The sickening and tangible power radiating from every single one of them lost in these arts of magic was enough for Nasus to put them below even the spawns given birth by the Fall of Icathia. So that, ferocious and grim beyond any mortal can imagine, they burned entire cities to ashes, turned labor of years to desolation, created untreatable hollows in humanity. Screams they caused was so unbearable, so touching to every edge of Nasus, he had to leave civilizations to not witness this devil’s work anymore.
If he had power, he would stop them. He would not wait a single second to snuff out their hidden and forgotten light away. But years of depression and isolation faded his power. And he knew, if he took a side, there would be more blood spilled, as such thing is even possible.
He walked above the sands of Shurima effortlessly, every step was a work of elegance. The weight of his ascended body was enormous enough to break the bones of an adult man with a brief pressure, yet, he was not sinking into sands. The magic he merged with let him exceed the laws of the universe mortals forced to bow before, to a degree. He looked up to the sky, the wind hit his closed eyes and his face. He barely felt the cold that could paralyze a mortal face and embraced it. He listened to shifting sands beneath him and focused. He sensed the faint spiritual energy of a scorpion under him that had a safety most of humans would envy. All these things made him aware of his freedom, unlike his brother, and this truth hit him like lightning on a single, lonely tree.
After minutes, maybe hours - to him, it is hard to tell -, he felt a power getting stronger and stronger every passing moment. Nasus, for centuries, have not felt such power even from members of his once family. The Ascended could hide the power radiating from them to a point, but this entity had not shown any effort to hide it so far. He thought whatever it is, is actually provoking him or maybe... even calling him.
The trail to this entity had not needed any physical sense for Nasus to follow. He could find it even at the darkest night, without any air to carry the odor to his nose. The power was so dense, the closer he got, the more disturbing it had become. He was exalted, but also terrified. Not because of that could be the end of him, but because, he was afraid of it be an enemy of humanity. They suffered enough, they did not deserve a single another drop of blood.
After not so long, he found the source of this tremendous power, he sensed it at its strongest just behind the small peak of sand blocking the view, to lose it completely. The power made his fur bumped, the power vibrated the very magic within him, ceased to exist in a heartbeat. He had no idea what is going on, and since the horrors of all-consuming nothingness he witnessed, he felt no fear like this.
Then he saw her. A girl that could be considered small even in mortal standards, and her back looked at Nasus. He at first thought It was a trap by his brethrens to revenge the darkin trespassed his library, which ended with Nasus killing her. He stepped ahead, to save her, as she does not deserve to be a pawn of these slaves of power, to be interrupted by an extremely unusual event. Why was it raining? They were in the middle of the greatest and harshest desert of Runeterra. Raining would be an understatement, the sky was grieving over the all innocent lives has been lost in this endless war, It was soaking. Nasus, in his lifespan of over 4000 years, never witnessed a case like this before.
He took another step. Tears of the sky turned to white, raining leisurely and peaceful. He knew what is raining, but he never had white raining before. He was pleased with how it looked like, found it so beautiful and pure. He could watch this pureness for weeks and be lost under it. After all, for centuries, all his friends were sand and the sky.
He thought it was his steps that were causing all these miracles, or at least, he thought, she was doing whatever is happening in his actions. Nasus was not stupid. As so, he had already noticed it was not his brethrens. They had no power over reality at this control. He might not considered the chance of meeting a vessel of an aspect today, but he would immediately recognize the Aspect of Twilight when its magic is used. Twilight might be one of the most mysterious aspects of Targon, but it was also one of the most known, even among shuriman culture. Tales about it were told to children -and will continue to be-, sun priests would travel to the Mount Targon to learn about it even a few words. Sun eclipses were related with the Twilight even in Shurima. And, Nasus, as the most knowledgeable of his kind, would surely have heard about it.
When she turned her face to directly gaze into the eyes of Nasus, when the eyes clashed, time slowed down. He, as an ascended being of Shurima, was able to feel even the slightest change in the air. But the air reminded him a chained slave hopelessly waiting their inevitable execution, without motion, without struggle. She took her head up and looked upon the stars, as he did hours ago. It was her face that differed them than each other, smile turned to frown, happiness turned to grief. It made him think for a second, her countless memories among the stars, joined her in a quick replay of history.
“Nasus, am I right?” She said. Her voice was impossibly soft and youthful. It was a dangerous weapon, if he did not witness her power, it would make him underestimate her, and confuse her with innocence of a mortal child.
Nasus answered with “You already know that, what do you want?”. He would not be surprised if she had planned this moment decades ago.
“Balance, harmony and peace.” She was not looking at him all, and was almost dancing with moves that could end her. Disrespect against an ascended being was a death sentence far quicker than any mortal tool could give of. Her confidence annoyed him.
“Just kidding, silly. We both know it is a goal beyond anyone's reach, and where is the fun with that anyway? Change is the ultimate fundamental of the universe. Balance is a lie, so is harmony. Peace though, we can make it work together, maybe. At least, temporarily.”
“Peace.” He said, followed by the first laughter he had since imprisonment of his brother. Renekton was one of the few that could make him smile, yet laugh.
“Have you ever looked around of you? Have you seen the world outside of it?! This damned desert is the safest place of Shurima and that's because its emptiness is not worth to conquer for them. When the Great Sai is your escape, even the mere dream of peace is a fairy tale”. He was yelling.
“This world is a part of a greater design, scholar. You and your kind were destined to be protectors of it.” Her attitude of mockery ended in speed of light. Softness of her face became hard as iron, taking her false innocence away.
“Protectors turned to destroyers.”
These words of harsh truth cut Nasus deeper than any blade.
“What sad is not even the scars of the Void left on you. No, It was not all. Your mortal desires have overcome your noble purpose. You have lost yourself in power, believed you are gods.” Her eyes were vibrating, analyzing Nasus and his every move. Emotionless they were, or so he believed.
“Maybe it is your fault for granting such power to mortals.” Nasus had no any better answer to call.
“I know, right?” Her closed eyes and smile were so pretended, he wanted to take his guard. How unpredictable she was.
“For that, you will give me the Chalicar and I will take care of everything. Tell me where it is, Nasus.” She was still giving the most uncomfortable smile.
The Chalicar. One of the symbols of Shurima. One of the greatest artifacts of the Ascended. The weapon of the Sacred Dawn, Setaka. Nasus was the one that took it from her grave after the Fall, so his brethrens could not abuse its power beyond imagination. Setaka, even as the original owner of the weapon, was holding its power. What was she gonna do with it?
“I asked a simple question, curator.” The smile was no more. Her transitions were ridiculously fast.
His voice quavering “Can you really stop the War?”. He answered the question with a question. That was not the way for the scholar, as he always had solutions for problems, answers for questions, but not for this. The War was the case he was out of hope and words. It was the problem he was no different than others.
“Of course I can, but if you were not needed, I would not be here. And If I did not know you were reasonable, we would not concerting, right now. I need the Chalicar, Nasus. I cannot do stop the War without it. Its secret power is unexplored by even your kind.”
Extinguished hope was reignited once again in Nasus.
He knelt before the girl, put his battle axe his beside slowly. Took a deep breath he did not need, but was forced to do. He did not believe in gods but prayed like a zealot, that what he is going to do is not another mistake he will regret. He reached the sands older than even him, touched the ground and awakened the ancient magic of the desert. He was one with the desert. He, imagined Nerimazeth in front of himself. Then after, the sands shaped into the visions he imagined as almost perfectly.
“It is hidden in Nerimazeth. After my brethrens ruined the first capital, I knew they would not step this place anymore. Sealed and protected by potent magics, search for the underground grave of Nadeen.”
She was not prepared for it, at all. She had planned every possibility of this encounter, but not it being that easy.
“I-, I appreciate for not making it harder than it is.” said the girl. For the first time, she smiled sincerely. “I am grateful.”
“I beg for you to success. Please... end it. No matter what.” Nasus continued.
“No matter what? Even if It means the end of your kind?” The girl was virtually surprised.
“I don’t expect any less. I know it is the only way.” Would he say the same if his very own brother was one of them?
She gave one last look at Nasus, she was confused. The Ascended took from her so much, even the idea of obliterating them to nothing was unimaginably delightful. But she could not feel the same for Nasus. She could understand his suffering, his reasons. And It was a feel enough to melt the bias of ice in her heart against the Ascended. At least, for the few still noble.
She was just about to leave and left everything behind to get in work, he called her.
“Could you at least show the kindness of telling our savior’s name, your name, vessel of the Twilight?”
She did not look at her back. A brief turn to her right side, she accepted as her friend.
“Myisha. My name is Myisha.” And before he could even blink, she was out of his sight.
Only a mere second in mortal grasp passed for Myisha to get in Nerimazeth. The first capital of Shurima was once blessed by power of the Sun like the second capital, and was the first city built in a new era of dawn. Now, nothing was left to resemble its former awesomeness. It was completely ruined. The Host of Madness were trying their hardest to destroy this city to revenge the slave made them lost their purpose. Thousands of innocent died here for a crime they could not be blamed for. Like her mother, father, and her lovely brother in swaddle. Even if she was chosen as the vessel of a power beyond mortal comprehension before this moment, she could not react fast enough to save them. Neither could she stop. The massacre expanded too fast, the united force of the Host was more than capable of obliterating an entire metropolis in minutes. It was a force beyond any mortal army could come close to even dream of stopping it.
The plan the Aspect of Twilight shared with her was promising, but more than it, it was satisfying. They would pay for every teardrop, every scream, every life they took of. Some, for all eternity.
It was the cure of the most horrific disease, the spark to reignite the courage in the hearts of men. But before everything, It was the last blow of her personal vendetta.