Legends Converging: A Prince in Peril (Chapter 3)
Hi everyone! I know it's been a while, but I had a really tough semester in college. Now that that's over, I had time to finally finish this chapter. I present to you Chapter 3: A Forest, A Fire, and a Friend. Leave comments and suggestions because they help me improve. Even if you don't have any suggestions, talk about what you liked about the chapter. Any feedback helps. Author's note: Given how quickly Lore changes these days, it is unlikely that that what I write in the beginning will remain canon. If new information is brought to light, I will alter my story accordingly depending on the size of the change.
Link to Chapter 2: https://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/skin-champion-concepts/2HY1jIKM-legends-converging-a-prince-in-peril-chapter-2
Link to Chapter 1: https://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/skin-champion-concepts/Tj7yusZ4-legends-converging-a-prince-in-peril-chapter-1
Garen waved his troops forward, as they approached the Demacian protectorate of Needlebrook. They had been marching for eight days, and this was where they expected to meet with Shyvana. She was the second warrior chosen by Jarvan, and Garen was a little anxious. He knew very little about her. As a rare immigrant to Demacia, her past was the object of many rumors among the soldiers. While he dismissed his soldiers’ speculations, Garen knew that there was something not quite normal about Shyvana—and he didn’t like it.
I don’t know what Jarvan went through after we attacked the Noxian camp that day. He thought, as he marched his troops to protectorate’s gates.
“Hail, Prince Jarvan!” A voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked towards the entrance to Needlebrook and saw a burly sentinel walking to them to greet the prince. Garen saw the insignia of a captain on his breastplate. With a wide smile, the captain knelt and grasped one of Jarvan’s hands in both of his own, and asked, “So the King saw to it that you were swiftly returned to the field? That’s excellent! The best cure for failure is another chance for success.” Jarvan looked a bit embarrassed, but pulled the man to his feet.
“Thank you for your...well wishes, Captain Bergan,” he said, “I am taking an army to P—” The captain halted his statement, and leaned in close.
“Prince, I am well aware of why you are here, however, I respectfully ask that you do not mention it near Needlebrook. The people are already on edge, seeing the army approaching. They do not need to know how close the threat is.” Bergan whispered.
At this, Garen asked, “If you believe that the threat is close enough to cause alarm, why do you not evacuate the town? Surely there is no reason as to why you cannot?”
The captain’s face fell as he answered, “We would love to evacuate completely, but a large number of our people are injured. We were being raided by bandits and had sustained a lot of damage. Eventually, that woman arrived and put an end to all but one of them, who escaped; but we still have too many injured to evacuate in a timely manner.”
Garen noticed the twist in the man’s voice when he said woman. “So I am correct in assuming that Shyvana is in Needlebrook?” The captain gulped and nodded quickly. Garen sympathized with the captain. Shyvana’s appearance was quite...abnormal, and if the rumors were true, her strength and ferocity were terrifying.
He turned to Jarvan, “How about we have the army set up camp. Let them have some fun in the town, it’ll raise morale. It’ll also give us some time to meet with Shyvana.” Jarvan turned to his troops.
“Soldiers! Set up camp in the clearing near the forest; we rest there tonight. If you wish to visit the town, you may. However, conduct yourself in a manner befitting Demacia’s reputation. BREAK!” The soldiers moved with discipline that exhibited their rigorous training. Jarvan asked Bergan, “Could you give us the location where she is staying?” Bergan nodded again, and told them the name of the inn she was staying at..
By evening, camp was made and the sun hung low. Jarvan called the troops to attention. “I’m leaving Lieutenant Tournes in charge until I return. You all will report to him in my stead. Is this clear?” The army shouted their assent. Jarvan and Garen then made their way through the gates and into the town.
While they were walking through the town, several people turned to look at them. Garen was used to attention now, especially from the townswomen. However, he noticed that they were looking past him at Jarvan. His heart sank. The mission that had gotten Jarvan captured was supposed to be kept secret; however, the story had leaked out among the troops that were present, and Jarvan’s reputation had fallen to ash. He was a laughingstock among some of the people, and that had coined him the name: The Damsel of Demacia. It had only become worse as Jarvan failed to return to Demacia after the Dauntless Vanguard had liberated him from the encampment. It was only when Jarvan had returned, dragging the head of a dragon behind him and with Shyvana at his side that Demacia had changed its view of him. While he had been disgraced, the slaying of a dragon was no easy feat, and its glory had redeemed him in the eyes of the soldiers. The commoners saw differently.
“There he is..” whispered a young woman with long red hair, “The dragonslayer. I had thought he would be...more impressive.”
“I’d bet he’d still be impressive, if he still has his manhood after running away from the Noxians.” A drunken man slurred, leaning against the wall of a tavern. Some of the elderly men sitting nearby nodded and murmured their assent.
“Oi, mind your tongue Lanon, he’s still the prince, he could still have you arrested for slander.” A nervous-looking man said.
“Oh yes, the Damsel of Demacia, and slayer of drunks, at least that’d prove he can fight something. Lanon drawled, and then the old men and red-haired woman snickered.
Garen had weathered slander before, but he snuck a glance at Jarvan. Jarvan’s face was bright red with shame, and his hands were gripping his lance so tightly his knuckles had turned white. Garen clapped a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. This isn’t a fight you want to take, he mentally urged Jarvan.
Jarvan took a deep breath and the color of his face returned to normal. The pair walked in awkward silence for a while until they reached the inn that they were supposed to meet Shyvana. The Dragon’s Den Jarvan smirked, fitting. The pair entered. The Dragon’s Den was not a large inn, but it was a very well maintained one. Jarvan and Garen reached the polished wooden counter and rang the bell for reception. After a couple seconds had passed, a young, raven-haired woman hurried to greet them. She bowed in welcome.
“Thank you, my lords, for choosing The Dragon’s Den. How many nights would you like to...” Her voice trailed away as she beheld Jarvan’s face. “Oh..if you’re here then it must be because of-I’ll lead you to her room.” She hastily exited the counter and beckoned them towards the staircase. Surprised, Garen looked at Jarvan, who looked back at him with equal bewilderment. Shrugging, Garen made to follow the woman, with Jarvan close behind. She led them up the stairs to the inn’s third floor, and then stopped at the last door down the hallway. “You’ll find her in there, Prince. She has not left the room at all today.” Jarvan thanked her, she inclined her head and hurried quickly away. Garen hung back as Jarvan came forward to knock on the door.
“Name yourself.” An immediate response arrived in the form of a curt, female voice.
“Shyvana, it’s me, Jarvan.” Garen raised an eyebrow at how informally Jarvan spoke with her, but decided not to comment. There was a pause, then the door opened.
A tall, lean woman stood before them, clad in a brilliant armor of crimson and gold. Her face and body disfigured with the remains of a mage’s spell, leaving her purple and scaly. So this is Shyvana, he thought. She locked eyes with Garen, and he saw that they were a fiery orange, with slit-like pupils. The fury that seemed to emanate from them was enough to have him tighten his grip on his sword. They stood there for a brief second, sizing each other up, until Jarvan cleared his throat. Shyvana glanced at him, and her gaze seemed to soften slightly.
“Greetings, Prince.” She said, her voice more relaxed, though still slightly stiff. “I am at your service; I assume you wish to move to a different location before we speak further about our mission?”
Garen nodded, “We are going to reconvene at base camp outside. As far as your role in the mission, Jarvan and I will be commanding the troops, you are tasked with protecting Jarvan as he goes into battle. The King commanded him to choose a warrior to fight alongside him, and he chose you.”
“Is that so...?” Shyvana looked at Jarvan, only the tiniest hint of a smile curving her lips. Her eyes, however, shimmered with silent mirth.
Garen noticed Jarvan appeared slightly embarrassed. “There are a lot of people in Demacia, high ranking military officers mainly, that would have questioned my ability to lead; due to my past. I knew I needed someone who I could trust to watch my back, and you were the first person that came to mind.”
Garen nodded. It was true; Jarvan’s reputation was at rock bottom with the high military command, and Shyvana was an accomplished warrior, at least by success rate. The only issue was... “Jarvan, I did not speak out against your decision then, and I will not now. However, the soldiers may not all accept her as easily as you do.”
Shyvana nodded. “It’s something I noticed when I came to Demacia. Some people fear what they cannot understand, and some don’t want to believe what they see, even when it’s right in front of them.” Something about the way she said those words sent chills down his back. She can’t know, no one does, about-. Jarvan’s next words interrupted his thoughts.
“We’ll have her tent with the rest of the command tents. That should keep the soldiers somewhat satisfied.” He said, apparently unaware of the meanings hidden behind Garen and Shyvana’s exchange. “Garen, should we head back to the camp now?”
Garen shook his head, “Actually, how about you escort her back to camp. I just remembered there was something I needed to do.” Jarvan nodded, and the pair exited the inn. Once alone, Garen headed to the counter where he saw the raven-haired woman who had welcomed them. Walking up to her, he asked, “When we arrived, why did you act that way. Did she do something that we need to know about?
The woman shook her head fervently and answered, “No, no, nothing like that it’s just that her requests were fairly peculiar, and it seemed that she had had a special reason to stay the night.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Stay the night?” He asked, “She only stayed for a single night?”
The woman nodded, “Yes, she arrived last night, her body stained with dried blood, ash, and dirt, as if she’d been living outside. She only asked for a single room with a bath for the night.”
Garen lapsed into thought, Why would she not stay at an inn while she was here, and why when she finally rented a room, did she stay the night before we were to arrive? He shook his head. Never mind, plenty of soldiers, even female soldiers, preferred living in tents while on mission...But I don’t remember seeing her carry a bedroll.
Annoyed that he could not learn anything useful, he made his way out of the inn and toward the camp.
Garen, Jarvan and Shyvana all sat in a circle inside of the command tent, their faces illuminated only by a flickering lantern. “Palclyff has been invaded,” Jarvan began, “By Noxians. I do not believe that they are here to begin conquest over Demacia, but they are searching for a magical artifact. This item is called Bami’s Cinder. According to a tome that we read, the Cinder is a large fiery gemstone housing a large store of life energy. We do not know what Noxus intends to use it for, only that its retrieval was ordered by Swain himself. The operation was supposed to be a quick infiltration, search and return. However, thanks to Quinn’s efforts, we were able to catch wind of it before the main force arrived. We have now two weeks before Noxus attacks Albruin. If they’ve evacuated by now, it will make our task a lot easier. However, if Noxus reaches Albruin before us, then the lack of people in the town will make it easier for them to search for the gem. We do not know if the Noxians know where the Cinder is, but we do know the gem’s location. It is either inside, or underneath the God’s Arm. Our main mission is to drive Noxus out of Albruin, but our,” he indicated the three of them, “mission is to prevent Noxus from getting hold of the Cinder. I don’t know what they are planning, but I know that when Noxus is involved with magic, it’s never good. Are we all clear?”
Garen nodded, but Shyvana asked, “Where did you find a tome about magical artifacts?”
Garen froze, as Jarvan answered, “We acquired it from the Vault. It had been captured from Noxian troops years ago.” Relaxing, Garen looked gratefully at Jarvan, only to realize that Shyvana was watching him suspiciously. He quickly donned a serious expression again.
Shyvana yawned and stretched, “I believe that was all that I had to ask. I’m going to rest now; it seems we have much to be prepared for.” She exited the tent.
Garen stood up, “I think I’ll sleep too. It’ll be a long march tomorrow, and I need to be prepared.” He walked out of the tent and made his way to his own tent. He removed his armor and laid down on his bedroll. His mind was still on heightened alert after dealing with Shyvana. That woman was definitely more than what she seemed, and she seemed to know a great deal more than she should. It seems we’re all keeping secrets these days, Garen thought, as he remembered what Shyvana had said earlier. Some don’t want to believe what they see, even when it’s right in front of them. After what seemed like an eternity, Garen finally drifted off to sleep.
Garen awoke to the sound of yells. He grabbed his sword and dashed out of the tent. The camp was ablaze. Garen watched saw the men dashing to set up a bucket brigade from the nearby stream. He ran to join them and saw Jarvan carrying buckets of water. “WHAT HAPPENED?” He yelled.
“THERE WAS A FIRE AT THE PROVISIONS TENT. GRAB A BUCKET AND HELP US PUT IT OUT.” Jarvan yelled back. Garen dropped his sword and grabbed a bucket and dashed to the stream. He filled it with water and handed it to the next soldier in line. Garen soon lost himself to the rhythmic motion of the bucket brigade as the Demacian Army worked quickly and efficiently to extinguish the blaze. Soon, all that remained of the fire was the smoking wrecks of the campsite. Garen retrieved his sword from the riverbank and went to see Jarvan.
“How did the sentries not report that the campsite was on fire? How did they manage to miss a fire that large?” Garen asked Jarvan. Jarvan paused for a moment.
Then he called out, “Lieutenant Tournes, please tell me which soldiers were responsible for the night’s watch.”
The sandy-haired head of Lieutenant Tournes poked out of the assembled Demacians. “It was Isaac Danevar, Seidra Aeges, and Lotha Brione. We’ve seen none of them since the fire broke out. In fact, the soldier who woke us all was Hallyne. He’s right here sir.” At this, Tournes pointed at a large hefty man, with dark hair and eyes.
“Hallyne, I thank you for your service. Without you, many Demacian lives would have been lost in the fire.” Jarvan said, and the whole army cheered and clapped.
“I am honored to serve, Prince.” Hallyne saluted Jarvan. Jarvan then turned his attention to the army at large. “Our first priority is to salvage what we can from the wre-” A whistle cut through the air, and before Jarvan could even blink Shyvana was in front of him. Jarvan heard a dink as an arrow bounced off of her heavy gauntlet.
“He’s here to finish the job.” She said, half to herself. At the edge of the forest, a man was climbing down from a tree. “Garen.” she snapped, “That’s the last of the bandits. He’s probably come to avenge his fallen comrades. He probably started the fire as well. After him! I will follow.” Without another word, Garen quickly took off towards the forest. Seeing him charging, the man disappeared into the foliage. Shyvana snarled from behind Garen. “I know where he’s going. And I laid a trap two nights ago. Go that way.” She gestured to his right, along the southern side of Needlebrook. Garen leapt over logs and tore through the ferns and vines that blocked his path.
After around ten minutes he began noticing signs that someone had been there before him. The plant life had already been cleared out of the way, and the ground looked freshly trampled. He also realized that he was now alone. Shyvana was no longer flanking him. He hesitated slightly but then realized that he couldn’t be far from where Shyvana told him he would be able to find the bandit. He’s close, Garen thought, and readied his guard. Suddenly there was a loud crack followed by a scream. Garen jerked his head around to stare at the direction the sound had come from. He could see a couple birds flying out of trees not too far from him. He then moved cautiously down the beaten path, pushing away stray branches as they crossed his face.
He came upon a scene of absolute destruction. It was a charred clearing; the ground was blackened with soot, and the ashen remains of a campsite were strewn across the ground.
What is this place? Garen thought, as he moved through the wreckage. His eyes fell on the piles of blackened sticks. Some were oddly curved. With a jolt, he realized they were bones. A wave of revulsion passed over him as he realized what must have happened. This must have been the bandit camp. But why is it in ashes?.
Suddenly another scream pierced the air. ”ARE YOU HERE TO FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED, MONSTER?!”. Garen rushed towards the voice and stopped as he beheld the scene before him.
Shyvana was walking towards a man trapped in a net. The man had an average build and unkempt, salt-and-pepper hair. Currently, his face was wearing a look of absolute terror. His crazed eyes darted around frantically, and locked onto Garen.
“HOW COULD YOU WORK WITH HER?!”. He howled, his mouth foaming with fear. “DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT SHE REALLY IS?!! SHE'S-” At this, Shyvana had sprinted forward and struck him in the face with her heavy gauntlet; silencing him.
Shyvana quickly cut the unconscious man down from the net. She started walking back to camp, only stopping when Garen stepped in front of her, barring her path.
“What are you doing, Crownguard?” She snarled. “You're not going anywhere until I have some answers.”. Garen shot back. “What happened here? Why was he so afraid of you? And most importantly, what are you not telling us?”
“I can answer only some of those questions. The rest are known to Prince Jarvan and him alone. To answer your first question, we are standing in the remains of the bandit stronghold. I burned it to the ground after I dealt with its inhabitants.” Hearing this, Garen relaxed slightly; he had been afraid Shyvana had burned the bandits alive, but a post mortem burning was usually justifiable. The bandits had been wanted dead after all. However, burning alive was considered a serious military crime.
“As for why he was afraid of me, it is because when I fought the bandits, I did so alone. I've been told that most people cannot deal with thirty armed men alone, and my prowess must have terrified him.” This too Garen understood.
“You fought them alone?” He asked, now genuinely surprised. Shyvana snorted, “Please, it wasn't like they were a real challenge. They were barely trained, waving weapons around like toys. The only real strength they had was their numbers.” She started towards the camp again, and this time, Garen did not stop her. He trailed behind her thinking about what kinds of fighter Shyvana would've had to be in order to slay thirty men on her own.
After about five minutes, they ran into a small group of soldiers led by Lieutenant Tournes.
“Sir Crownguard, Shyvana, I'm glad to see you both alright.” Tournes said. He caught sight of the unconscious man trapped in Shyvana's net. “I assume you were successful in apprehending the arsonist?”. Garen nodded. “Good,” Tournes said, “He’ll have much to answer for.”
“Thank the Veiled Lady you're both alright!” Jarvan exclaimed when he saw Garen, Shyvana, and Tournes emerge from the edge of the forest.
“I mean it's not like I thought you were in any trouble, but you were both gone for a while so I thought I'd send a group with Tournes to assist you if you needed it. I'm pleased to see that you didn't need help after all.” Looking at the man Shyvana had now slung over her shoulder, Jarvan's expression darkened. “So this is the one responsible for the fire. Still doesn't answer what happened to the sentinels.”
Tournes hesitated, but then said, “Sir, I think I can answer that, but we must speak of this in private later. While we were searching for Sir Crownguard and Shyvana, we found the sentinels. They were brutally murdered. Lotha, Seidra, and Isaac were all found dead in the forest. It's odd, though, that all three sentinels were killed without any commotion. Perhaps this bandit was more skilled than the rest of the set?” Shyvana pursed her lips as she thought about it.
“I don't see why not. This bandit was not present the night I attacked the camp, so I am actually unaware of his abilities.” She snarled with distaste. “In either case, I think it's best if we kill him quickly.”
“I’m afraid I’d have to reject that, Shyvana,” Garen said. “This man has taken the lives of three soldiers. The men will want him to be properly executed, as is the custom.”
He saw Shyvana’s grip tighten on the net. “I don’t think that this is the best course of action, Garen,” she answered slowly. “Justice should be enacted swiftly, should it not?”
Garen’s suspicion began to grow again. She’s still hiding something, and that bandit knows it. If I can get a little time alone with the bandit, I can find out what her secret is, and maybe what it has to do with Lux. “If you were familiar with our system, Shyvana,” Garen said coolly, “You’d know that a proper execution in front of the entire force is necessary if possible.”
He watched as Shyvana looked at Jarvan, and a sort of silent exchange seemed to have passed between them. Jarvan then said, “I think it would be the best use of our time if the execution is handled as quickly as possible. We have far to travel, and provisions to gather so that we can reach Albruin in time. You should go and gather the troops; I will stand guard over our prisoner while you do so.” Jarvan turned to Tournes. “I believe Lotha’s younger brother Arthos is serving in this regiment. Please let him know what has happened, and that we have caught who is responsible.”
Garen opened his mouth to protest, but Jarvan raised his hand, clearly indicating that the matter was settled. Angrily, Garen stormed out of the tent.
Garen was still seething as he let the camp heralds know about the execution. After a little more than an hour, the army had assembled outside of Jarvan’s mostly undamaged command tent. The bandit had been tied to a wooden stake, a rag was stuffed in his mouth and secured by another rope, gagging him. Jarvan stood to one side and Garen on the other. Jarvan held a sword reserved for executions in his grasp, and the deep blue mantle of a prince draped over his armored form. The army was gathered in front of the trio, with Shyvana standing in the front row. She watched the bandit with what Garen could only assume was apprehension. Garen felt a sense of satisfaction seeing how uncomfortable she looked.
“Bandit, you have committed the grave crime of arson, and the murders of Lotha Brione, Seidra Aeges, and Isaac Danevar. Preceding this criminal act, you were convicted of looting, multiple other murders. Your penalty is death.” Jarvan raised the sword, as it began its fateful arc downwards, a voice rang out.
“Wait, we want to hear why he did it! Why did he set fire to the camp, why did he have to kill my sister?!” It was Lotha’s younger brother, Arthos. The boy was barely eighteen years of age, and his puffy eyes had made it clear that he’d been mourning his sister’s demise.
“Yeah, ungag him so that we can hear what this scum has to say!” Another soldier cried out.
“Let’s hear his excuses!” A third angry voice rang out.
More voices shouted their assent, and eventually Jarvan shouted “SILENCE!” A hush descended over the assembled men. Jarvan walked in front of the man, who was straining against his bonds. Garen watched them carefully, This is my chance, he thought. If he’s ever going to say something useful to me, it’ll be now.
Jarvan stared the bandit down and growled, “You are going to answer why you set our camp ablaze. Do so, and your death will be quick.” With one fluid movement, he slashed the rope binding the gag to the bandit’s mouth.
The bandit spit out the gag and then shouted, “BECAUSE OF THAT FREAK! SHE CAME TO OUR CAMP AND SLAUGHTERED US. WHAT COULD MERE MEN DO AGAINST A MONSTER LIKE THAT?! I THOUGHT THE GREAT AND POWERFUL DEMACIA STOOD AGAINST SUCH ABOMINATIONS?! HOW CAN YOU MEN FIGHT ALONGSIDE HER? DON’T YOU KNOW SHE’S- Jarvan’s sword flashed and decapitated the bandit. His head fell to the ground with a thud. The man’s eyes kept rolling and his mouth continued to quiver as if it wanted to continue shouting. After a few minutes, it grew still. A deathly silence hung over the army. Garen glared at Jarvan.
“He wasn’t finished.” Garen said, breaking the silence.
“He’d said enough.” Jarvan retorted.
Garen glared at Jarvan, who met his gaze unflinchingly. After a harsh minute, Garen looked away, instead focusing on Shyvana, who had gone very still. When she saw him watching her, she wordlessly turned and began walking away from the congregation. Not in the direction of the command tent, but away, in the direction of the forest.
The remainder of the army watched her go, but made no motion to stop her. Jarvan started as if to go after her, but Garen held him back. Furiously, Jarvan whipped around to pin Garen with a look of absolute venom. “Command tent now,” he hissed. Garen gestured for the army to disperse, and he followed Jarvan into the command tent.
“What in the Veiled Lady’s name are you doing?!” Jarvan exploded.
“The same can be said about you, Jarvan,” Garen answered quietly, “What are you hiding from us? That bandit was about to say something you didn’t want him to say. You killed him before he could finish. This means you’re hiding something and so is she. So I ask again, Prince, what are the two of you not telling me?”
“That’s not for you to know, I had hoped that you would trust me Garen,” Jarvan answered.
“When I become King, there will be things I know that I cannot tell anyone, you included. There are things my Father still won’t tell me, even though I am next to be king. I just need you to trust me, that what I’m not telling you is to protect Demacia and the people in it. I’m more than a little convinced that even you have things you don’t want to tell me. I’m fairly sure you didn’t go around telling people Taric had been studying Magic stones. Shyvana asked me to keep some things from being public knowledge, and I have determined, that this information is worth keeping buried. Now, I need you to trust me that I’m doing the right thing; because if I can’t rely on you to support me, while we are friends, then I won’t be able to convince Demacia to trust in me!”
Garen thought it over, while Jarvan caught his breath. He brings up good points. Jarvan knows something and he won’t tell me. But...do I really have to know? Jarvan is the future ruler of Demacia. If I can’t trust his judgement now, as his right-hand man, how can I trust him as King? Garen felt his anger ebb away, and he sighed. I’ll trust Jarvan on this matter. He can keep his secrets, just as I, he thought of Lux, keep mine.
Seeing Garen deep in thought, Jarvan said, “Garen, I hope this answer is enough to satisfy you for now. Maybe one day I can tell you more, but right now, one of our soldiers is out there in the forest, and I’m going to bring her back. I don’t expect you and her to be the best of friends, but I need this obsession to end so that we can finish our mission.”
Jarvan opened the tent flap and stepped out. Garen opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words left his lips. He closed his mouth as he considered what he needed to do.
Jarvan made his way through the forest, towards the bandit camp Shyvana had told him about. Damn it Garen, he thought, of all the times you had to be clever, why now? I...I can’t tell you about her identity. If it were known who she was, Demacia would never accept her, and neither would you. I need people to accept Shyvana the person first, before I can even think about revealing it. I need time.
Jarvan stopped as he came upon the edge of the ruined campsite. He peeked over from behind a blackened tree and spotted Shyvana. She stood in the middle of the wreckage; the moonlight bathing her in a silvery glow. She seemed unaware of his presence as she looked up, towards the stars. In that moment, she was not the hardened warrior or the fierce dragonborn...in that moment she looked sad, almost vulnerable.
“Did you come here to stand and gawk, Prince?” In an instant, he saw her mental barriers go up. Her moment of vulnerability was disappearing. He walked to stand by her side as he turned his gaze towards the stars as well.
“Was I wrong to do what I did?” She asked, not looking at him.
“I believe that you did what was the best course of action available to you at the time.” he answered. She grimaced with frustration.
“Then why I feel such revulsion when I return here? It is almost as if the dragon part of me is arguing with the human. One lives to fight in all its wild forms, the other...is more complicated.”
“Shyvana...” Jarvan started, but she cut him off.
“Humans are complicated creatures compared to dragons. A dragon would eat when it feels hungry, take when it feels greedy, and kill mercilessly when it is angry. Yet a human would hunt for others while it was starving, it could give when it was needy, and it would consider murder a crime, yet wage lusty war with its brethren.”
Sensing she was finished, he said quietly, “The ideals of man are as idolized as they are hypocritical. For Demacia, magic is our greatest enemy, we fear it due to the persecution we faced from the Magelords. Yet, we invite the same persecution and destruction upon those who are born with such power within our walls. When I observe this system, I see only the misfortune of one type of man being born within the regime of a different sort. Even now, as we are raised to fear magic and hate mages, there are those among us, born with no power, yet content to spend their lives in pursuit of magical knowledge.”
Shyvana snorted, “There would never be a man so foolish.”
Jarvan smiled wryly as he thought of Garen’s friend Taric, and the remaining scholars at the Vault. “In essence, what I ask from you, Shyvana, is to wear the mask that Demacia forces upon us all, until the day it changes its pattern. Until the day I am able to change it. So while I cannot undo what you have done, I can tell you that I will not punish you for it. It is up to you to forgive yourself, and grow based on your experience. The very fact that you feel remorse for this is a good sign that you’ve become different than you were when you did this.” Jarvan unclasped his mantle from his shoulders and wrapped it around Shyvana’s. “You may stay here for as long as you need, but come back to camp before we leave. After all, we need you for this battle.” When Shyvana didn’t answer, Jarvan turned and made his way back towards the camp.
He was walking through the forest when he saw the flickering light of fire up ahead. Worried, he broke into a sprint as he approached the source. “Prince Jarvan! We were wondering if you had found the Lady Shyvana?” It was Tournes. The young lieutenant had entered the forest with what looked like a large portion of the army. They had all been carrying torches, which were the cause of the fiery light.
“Lieutenant Tournes, why did you bring this many men into the forest?” Jarvan asked. “If you were concerned for our safety, a normal scouting party would have sufficed.”.
“Ah...” It was at this that Tournes seemed to turn red slightly. He shuffled his feet as he answered, “We were a bit concerned for Lady Shyvana after what that scum said about her. We know it wasn’t her choice, what she went through with that mage. So we thought that we’d try and bring her back. We felt bad for her, All of us.” At this, Jarvan saw Garen’s massive frame emerge from the crowd of people. He knelt before Jarvan, and said. “I apologize, my prince, for my misconduct. I let my paranoia and fear get the better of me and acted most shamefully.” Jarvan stood there, astonished at Garen’s change-of-heart.
“It is not me you need to apologize to, Garen.” He said, and Garen nodded.
“I will apologize to Shyvana as well, I have caused her much grief.” he said, straightening up.
“You won’t need to.” A voice said behind Jarvan, making him jump. Garen froze as Shyvana appeared before them. “I’m sorry for causing alarm,” she said, addressing the group at large. “I did not intend to bother any of you with my troubles. However, I am grateful for the support you’ve given me.” At this, some soldiers smiled, others bowed. Sensing that their aims were complete, they began dispersing. Some muttered something about needing to sleep as they left. Soon it was just Tournes, Garen, Jarvan and Shyvana. Tournes, realizing he was now interrupting something private, quickly saluted Jarvan and left as well.
Garen turned to Shyvana and knelt at her feet, “Lady Shyvana, I apologize for my misconduct. I have caused you unreasonable difficulty due to my own paranoia. I hope you will forgive me, and I would be honored to have a warrior of your caliber fight by my side.” Slightly embarrassed, Shyvana look to Jarvan for help. He nodded encouragingly.
Shyvana took a deep breath, “Garen, firstly, I am no Lady, you can just call me Shyvana. Secondly, I accept your apology, and thank you for your compliment.” Hearing this, Garen got to his feet and smiled gratefully.
Jarvan looked between the two and said, “So it seems like everything has been resolved. Perfect, let’s return to camp, and get as much sleep as we can. We have a long march tomorrow.” The other two nodded in agreement and the trio left the woods.
And that marks the end of Chapter 3! Given how wildly inaccurate I was when I predicted this release, all I can promise is that I will be working whenever I can to release chapter 4. The POV of Chapter 4 will shift between our three champions. Please leave comments for improvement as every critique helps. That, or just talk about what you liked.