Rage of a Ruined King: Zara [Chapter 11: Knight of the Full Noon]
*Sparks fly. *Casks are gorged. *Embers die. *Blades are forged.
A process done autonomously, as machines above work ominously.
Rusted machines rise and fall as blades are dipped in the vessel of toxic-searing gall. The rusty chains tap as the fumes rise from the acidic system of crude devices. The operator taps as fumes rise from the cup of black magic.
"Guh... bitter," the woman grimaces from the sip of surfeit burnt beans. "I'd kill for a good cup of coffee."
So she says, but bitterness is no foreign flavor in the upper level of the steel works. There is no concern for cigarette smoke as the smoke of the raging fires below always reaches the surface. Fumes dense enough to be comparable living in a burning building. Such conditions only made tolerable by the air purifier kept in her quadrant, fueled by a crystal shard absorbing impurities and frequently washed to prevent the transformation into a hunk of obsidian glass.
These ashes come from the forges of steel down below. While it's possible to buy steel from Noxian markets, this rusty-dusty factory does not quite have all the money in the world. Even if there was money pouring down from Piltovian Heights, Demacian steel would be preferred anyways. Tis a shame as tariffs are to blame for such overloaded prices. Then again, dealing with debts to Noxus ends up being much worse. So, coal is spent and carbon is made. In the orange flames without taxes to pay.
In the warm flames comes a cool-wispy fire that intrudes in the smoky-smolders of a dying forge. She comes with a replacement lodestone to fix the sparker. "Fucking janky-ass forge. Third time this week it goes kaput and the third time I, out of EVERYONE else, has to go and fix this. Shit, they don't pay me enough for this- Ah."
Lo and behold, a mangled zombie with a spookiest-blue wisp for a head is flicking a little sparker in the forge she brought the lodestone for. Suddenly, the monster stops and turns towards the woman who dropped her lodestone.
"Eh?"
AHHHHHHH!
The newbie zips away, fumbling as she goes. Blazing past another blacksmith, she does a fancy twirl and frantically reaches towards the man.
"Piss off. Can't you see I'm busy here?" the man shuns the rookie with word of mouth and heel of boot.
She refuses to let up, latching onto his outstretched leg she shivers, shakily as she mustering the words, "B-bu-but, g-gho-gh-gho-"
"G-g-go. Scram. Jeez, what's got you so riled up anyways?"
Successfully shaking her off, she manages to latch onto his other leg. "It's a GHOST! Please! You gotta help me."
"Yeah, yeah. We've all seen a ghost in this smithy." He waves the idea off as he throws coal into the fire. "All the smoke gets to your senses. Gotta keep a purifier with you all the time."
"NO! It's a REAL GHOST!" She exclaims while flailing on the ground. "I can't do my job cause its rummaging through the busted forge with a sparker. Who gave em a sparker anyways?!"
"Well, I did."
"I mean-" She stops ranting. "You did what?"
"That's right." The man smirks confidently as he closes the forge and starts walking away.
That's not right!
"No Missy, it is right." The man replies while waging his finger snootily. He then points his finger at the gal on the floor. "What did I tell ya, we've all seen a ghost around here."
Dumbstruck, the rookie shakes off her overwhelming thoughts. "Why the fuck did you give em a dinky ass sparker?"
"Hehe, just for fun," The dude chuckles mischievously. "You see, that guy there wanted to have a word with the boss."
"What the... With the boss?"
"That's right, Mr. Devoue himself. But ghoulio got no appointment so I gave em a challenge since he wouldn't leave." He pointed towards the direction where the busted forge was. "If you can get that thing going with this here sparker, you can have your little chit-chat."
"Man, you're such a fucking clown." She berates the guy as he laughs like a maniac while pointing at that busted forge. She casts her gaze downwards as she wipes the cold sweat off her brow. "I've got a hunch... Something bad's gonna happen."
BOOM
Not even seconds after she says that, a massive blue flare rises where the guy is pointing in response to the sound of the explosion. Scrambling up, she and most of the other workers in the factory start rushing to see what just happened.
"Well then," the headless zombie said with his dinky sparker lit on fire as the furnace's blue flames spew out of the open forge. Immersed in blue fire, he turns to face the crowd. "Ah-Hey! I lit the forge with the sparker."
"That's not what I meant by LIGHT the forge!" The fury-fuming fellow yelled as he bolted in with the Extinguisher. "Fuck me, the shit's everywhere."
Flipping the switch on, the excessive fire was vacuumed into the gemstone, metamorphosing the crystal into a cerulean 
Sapphire Crystal. "The hell? This ain't no zircon. What kind of flames have you been making with that thing?"
"Oh this thing?" The ghost waves the ignited sparker. Pointing the sparker at the blazed forge he answers, "Just those flames."
"You-"
"The hell is going on down there?" The operator interjects, yelling from far above.
"Hell is going on down here. I'm putting out the flames."
"Eh? Don't put out the fire. We need those flames- Hold on, are those blue flames? Where the hell did you get a hold of blue flames? Is it hot?"
"It's plenty hot alright. It's a damn fire..." Wiping his sweat-laced brow, the blacksmith turns to face the lackadaisical ghost. "I don't believe you though. You couldn't make this from that sparker." He challenges the ghost with a stern glare. However, the fiend-wraith had no qualms.
"So, you don't believe me, do you?" The ghost shakes the sparker vigorously until the ephemeral flame dies. Then he tosses it at the stubborn man. "How about you try it yourself?"
The man snatches the dinky cryptic-seared sparker from the air before it flies past him. One look at the metal contraption would tell you it's utter garbage. The flint was smooth as polished silver, so the friction to even make a spark was nonexistent. Even so, the flint bar itself was snapped and bent awkwardly.
Even if someone managed to get sparks flying out of this pitiful tool, the amount needed to make an entire forge burning is beyond a manual sparker. That's why every forge uses an electric sparker that easily spits out fire out of anything that it comes into contact with. It was that very electric sparker that was busted in that beaten up forge. Even with a functional forge, the furnace should not be producing those flames.
Those flames were no "ornamental" blue. They were the real deal, true blue heat. The kind of blue that you can see from plasma cutters as they penetrate steel. These flames are much hotter, but fortunately not hot enough to melt the belly of the forge. As beat up as the forge looks, it looks the same as its always been.
The smith's intuition is saying that there is some sort of high grade fuel he put in the forge. However, if that devil is claiming this pitiful excuse of a sparker can burn blue, then it's at least worth testing on another forge. So, he goes off away from the crowd, leaving them to the ghost.
You would think time was frozen with how still the crowd and the ghost was. That is, if it weren't for the clattering of the automation and the roaring flames in the forge and the gentle flame of the ghost. The pressure was unbearable and the sweltering heat cackling from the open forge of blue flames caused the men and women to put up quite a sweat. Even so, none dared wipe the sweat as it collected into droplets on their noses, lips, and chins.
The newbie stared into the flames, and the flame looked back. The crowd started inching away as the revenant raised the only arm it had toward the newbie.
"Boo."
"EEP!" She yelped and staggered to the ground as the rest bolted out of view. The newbie trembled in fear upon realizing just how vulnerable she was as she lost her opportunity to hide. Singled out by the monster she curled up into a ball and fell to her side, hoping it wouldn't do anything else.
"Eep?" the ghost asks rhetorically. The dreadful ghost shudders haphazardly and suddenly, "Pwhahaha!" He laughs uncontrollably, slapping his knee. "That fucking leap! OH! EEP! BAHAHAHA! The look on your face... Then you curled into a ball like a little baby."
"Arah! Who are you calling a baby!" The rookie revolts, flinging the lodestone at the ghost.
"Ah- I'm sorry, ma'am," the poor ghost apologizes to the rebellious lady as the lodestone slams his chest and rolls off his tattered garments into the palm of his hand. "I just wanted to try this out since you all seem tense."
"She's pretty fun to tease, isn't she?" The jester comes chuckling with an air purifier and tongs.
"Sure is," The ghost replies as the man chucks the air purifier into an open forge and closes the door to immediately extinguish the fire. "I wanted to scare them a bit, but I didn't think I'd get such a good reaction. You should have seen her. She jumped in the air and fell on her ass. Then she curled up and cried her heart out."
"AHHHHHH! Please stop! Make it stop!" The woman panicked exorbitantly as she rolled on the dusty floor.
"Serves you right. You go bonkers way too often," the man chides while picking up an obsidian shard out of the smoked charcoal with the tongs.
"Hmph! You're to blame for why I'm paranoid," the rookie pouts while grumbling over something about pranks. "Then you got some random- uh, ghost poking fun at me. Gah, I can't believe you! I can't believe this! What is even happening?"
The ghost bows before apologizing again, "I do apologize for my misconduct. I couldn't help myself after seeing the way you reacted to seeing me." Raising himself upright, he gestures towards the enraged broad. "After all, I used to have a lively someone in my life..." Their expressions showed concern, but before anyone could press the matter, he asked, "So are you going to light the forge or what?"
"I guess so." The blacksmith took the sparker from his back pocket. He plunged his hand into the smoke with sparker in hand, but hesitated upon remembering how a great explosion was caused from the last forge. "Hey, is this even safe?"
The ghost mulled a bit and responded, "Not if you're holding that far in. Reel it back. You only need to let sparks fly at the edge to get a fire to going."
He slowly pulled his arm out so that the crusty sparker was at the edge of the furnace. He reached his arm out as far as possible in fear of the explosive force and looked at the ghost for approval. The ghost simply shrugged in response. His heart was pounding as everyone watched him. Wiping the sweat from his face, he faced the forge and scratched the sparker.
More than sparks flew as the sparker glowed eerie tints of teal. An iridescent flame burst out of the chasm of the sparker, flying into the infernal chasm. The marvelous ball of flame filled the forge with plasma sparks as it bounced within. When the furnace shone a blinding-ultraviolet white, the ghost bolted in front of the blacksmith and swiftly shut the furnace closed. Finally, with a great boom, the furnace burned blue.
"How fortunate. Closing the door is enough to prevent the fire from spilling over."
"You bastard! You said this was safe."
"Well, you wouldn't have gotten hit by the flames at that distance anyways." The ghost crouched to get a good look at the fire and continued, "Even if it did, obviously, I would protect you."
The crowd was speechless at this heroic claim from a terrifying existence. The ghost turned, curious as to why everyone grew silent. "Ah, I guess it isn't obvious. I highly underestimate how horrific I am, being undead and all. That aside, as you can see now," he says while opening the forge. "Blue flames, not made by my hand."
"Well, shit. It's the real deal," The operator hollers from up above. "Get to blazing all the forges blue. I want to test this immediately."
"If you insist." The blacksmith responds. His sigh weighs him down as he realizes that his pranks landed him even more work. Before he gets to start burning anything, the ghost's tapping on the forge interrupts him.
"I know you got a job to do, but I'd suggest you stop wasting any more of my time."
The lightness of a ghost's jest before was instantly weighed down by the impatience of a harbinger. "Well, you duped me." The blacksmith tossed the sparker to another blacksmith and continued, "Zara Phim, the Seraphim, was it?"
"I'm no angel, but that's about right."
"Well, Zara, Boss is all the way over there." He points past all the forges, reactors, assembly lines, and robotic automation to a group of body guards that form a wall around an open office. So, Zara proceeds to the guarding-wall.
"Where is that scary fellow going?" The operator wonders aloud as she watches him walk through the factory while sipping her bitter coffee.
"He's going to chit-chat with Gabe."
"Gabe? Who- Wait you mean Boss? The hell kinda business does the Boss have with a ghost."
"No business, ghost invited himself to give em a warning."
"Eh? Seriously now, his mere existence is already a warning."
"I know right..." He concurs, but notices that the rookie is packing up. "Eh? Whatcha doing there?"
"Ah, sorry, I'm clocking out early." She states while closing up her locker.
"Hold on. Why are you leaving so soon? Weren't you say you were going to work late since your house is under repairs?"
"Ah. That's right..." She pauses for a moment with eyes cast downwards as if she could see something lurking down there. "I think I'm still going to clock out. I just don't want to stick around while that ghost is still here."
"Bah! Come on, that ghost wasn't too bad at all. I'm sure you can-"
"No." The woman cuts down his heartening. "I'm sorry. It's not the ghost himself, it's something about the ghost. Something he said."
"I don't see the difference really. What's the problem though?"
"I don't know exactly," she shamefully admits. "But I've got a hunch." Staring directly into his eyes with a stern gaze she declares, "Something terrible is going to happen."
The man sweats, even though he's nowhere near the forge-heat. He averts his gaze from her and claims, "Regardless, you don't have a place to go."
Her eyes fall down yet again, staring into a hopeless abyss until he musters, "You can crash at my place if you want."
The rookie looks to him as he packs up too. "R-really? I don't want to impose on you."
"Heh, don't worry about it," he assures her with a pat on the head. "Your hunches are never wrong."
Before he can close his locker, he is wrapped in a tight squeeze by the lady as she hugs him endearingly. "Thanks bro." He reciprocates the hug with a pat on the head. "No problem." So, the two escape the smokey factory into the smog. Leaving Zara and Devoue Inc. to its own devices.
"Warning, huh?" Gabriel Devoue responds to the bodyguard who overheard the exchange of the operator. "Well, it's not like I haven't prepared for this. I'll hear him out anyways. Even though he's not among the living, it seems staff took a liking to him."
Zara passes through the iron-smelters as layers of bodyguards loom over him on the layers of railings above. Armed with various pistols, stun batons, and many concealed weapons, they stand ready to challenge any man. If only it was man they were up against. Footsteps echo throughout the factory alongside the dull thuds of those following from above, only stopping upon the wall of bodies to stop the march of man. All eyes affixed on the fire of his soul, behind the veil of shade and shades.
"Who-"
"Shh," Zara hushes the one man out of many. "Give me a moment, I'm exhausted."
It just hit me looking back at it. They didn't know who I was. Then again, I wasn't really paying attention. I was exactly where I needed to be.
"If you are tired, then come. Sit with me." The bodies parted to reveal a dapper dude on a delightful drab desk. "Tell me, how do you do dude?"
"I'm doing just fine," Zara replies. "For now."
"Hoho, how heinous!" The dainty duke delivers a dark cup of coffee. "Hold on, before we begin, I must ask. What is this blue magic that I've been hearing about?" The duke twiddles his fingers through the fire of the soul to the fire of the forge.
"You mean this blue magic?" Zara asks while pointing to his face of flame.
"Well that too, but I'm talking about that over there."
"Hold on, before I begin." Zara pours the burning hot coffee into the scalding pits of his soul. "What is this black magic?"
"Haha," Danger-Duke points emphatically at Zany-Zara with both hands. "How hilarious!" His smile droops as he gazes into the pit of darkness in a cup, made in abyss. "Burnt beans brew crude coffees. That's all I can say."
"I see." Zara nods in an obviously obscured manner. "I can't feel a thing."
"Ouch!" The dude winces wildly with the word. "That's pretty bad."
"Normal to me." Zara replies looking back at the discernibly dubious dude. Pointing at the forges with his thumb, "That's just me killing time."
Gasping grandiosely, the dude ogles the ostentatious object that ticks lightly on his hand. "Time looks live to me," dude describes trenchantly while tilting his head to the tick of the tock.
"Meh, time is ephemeral."
"True," the dude nods in an obviously obvious manner. "In the words of a colleague of mine, time tick-ticks away."
A melancholic pause fills the field by clang of surrounding steelworks. A flame was lit, and he smoked the cigar that seemed to appear spontaneously. One exhale added to the suffocating aura within this factory, but the toxic fumes were swiftly vacuumed into the crystalline purifiers that also seemed to appear spontaneously.
"What do you want?" the duke asked sternly. Even with how loud the clangs of steel smashing together in the factory was, tensions rose to a height where your average man would flinch to the drop of a pin. I was no average man, rather, I couldn't even recognize such tension.
"Hmm?"
He paused a second time. The pressure wasn't necessarily relieved, rather it became awkward.
"Well... You know. What do you want?" The man had to reiterate. He didn't know what else to say.
"Well what do you mean what do I want?" Zara reiterates. Now the dude has nothing left to say. "Guh, I want to speak with Gabriel Devoue. Happy now? So, where is he?"
Once I said this, he just glared at me. Then he looked back at the other guys who also glared at me. They glared at each other, then they glared at me. Many contorted expressions later, the dude curls his hand into a ball, resting his nose on it while contemplating how to continue.
"Bro."
"Yeah?"
"I am Devoue."
A blunt declaration.
"You're Devoue?"
"Yes, I'm Devoue."
"Devoue?"
"Yes, Devoue."
"De- Woah?"
"De- No. Devoue. Gabriel- Hold on, you pulling my leg here?"
"What? I'm right here, and your leg is down there. What are you talking about?"
"Wha..." He is compelled to turn back to get confirmation of how ridiculous things became, "This guy. You're a funny man, you're joking, right?"
"Yeah."
He turns back towards the guards fiercely pointing at me as if his finger is screaming, "THIS GUY!" Some shake their heads in genuine disappointment. Others chuckle at his exasperation. Then there are those who must avert their eyes from the nonsense.
"That's what I mean by pulling my leg!"
"Hmm..." Zara contemplates upon learning a modern idiom. "Well, in that case, I'm pulling both legs."
Some cover their eyes and cast their gaze downwards. Some cover their mouth to stop themselves from busting out in laughter. Then there are those who turn even their bodies away from such tomfoolery. However, one particular man takes an extended sip of coffee. Then, he sets the empty glass on the table. Finally, the table flew.
"AHHHHHH!" He hollers as the cups soar into the air alongside the wooden table. With an outstretched arm, the table was grabbed mid-flight. "Woah there." Zara responds as the cups shatter on the ground. "Just a jest, just a jest. Besides..." Zara sets the table down gently amidst the unmanageable outbursts of laughter and exclaim. "It'd be a pain in the buttocks to pull both legs with one arm."
"Good grief," Devoue deplores his decisions as a guard sets down new cups of coffee. "Why did I even allow this joker in my quarters?"
"Hmm," Zara briefly deliberates the notion. "Perhaps because I am the second deadliest entity you will face today?"
The clicking of multiple guns immediately sounds as multiple barrels are pointed towards the dangerous claim.
"What exactly do you mean by that?"
"Bitch please. Cut the bullshit. I know you don't have an ounce of trust in me at all." Zara shoots his words with his fingers pointed right at Gabriel. "So don't try and act jovial when you're just scoping me out."
Gabriel raises an arm, his guards lower their arms. "Now, now. There is no need to get so violent. What makes you think I'm just scoping you out anyways?"
"Simple," Zara swishes his cup of coffee. "I came here uninvited. Yet here I am, in a non-smokey area you set out just for me. I'm sure you have better things to do boss."
"Pah, that's your reason?" Gabriel Devoue derides the claim. "You're not wrong, but is there really any reason to get so accusational? Even if I am scoping you out, is there a problem with that?"
Zara slowly sets his cup down on the table without letting go. Gabriel and the guards leer at him questionably, until he responds, "Obviously."
Devoue affixes his gaze at the ghost who will not let go of the fragile cup holding the darkest burnt coffee within. "Who is the first?"
With that question, Zara raises his cup and waits.
"You said you were the second deadliest, right?" The boss claims as he stares blankly into the darkness Zara holds. "So, who is the first? Who is the strongest one?"
Steam flows from Zara's cup as Devoue awaits his answer. The guards glare anxiously at the ghost who stopped moving.
"I-" his arm crashes into the table as the coffee leaps over his cup in a massive wave. "Am the strongest. Make no mistake."
The guards raise their guns yet again as Zara releases the cup from his hand covered in scalding coffee. The coffee completely rolls off of Zara's arm, not leaving a single drop as he continues asserting, "I assure you, whoever you are up against would not compare to my power. Yet..." Laying his hand bare on the table to persuade them, "I am not here to kill you. In fact, it's quite the opposite."
Devoue and the guards become puzzled with this assertion. So, Zara brings to light the former question, "You asked me what I wanted. Put simply, I want to be here." Zara cups his hand as he pans his arm across the entire group. "And I am here. Obviously, I got what I wanted. Unfortunately, the one you've actually prepared for isn't like me."
Zara examines Gabriel's doubt written on his expression, responding, "Don't look at me like that. Not even I had this many guards around me when my castle was laid under siege."
"Castle? Where the hell did you come from?"
"I came from a time when those pebble-shooters you got there weren't even conceived. A time before this land was industrial."
"Eh?" Devoue scratches his head. "I assumed you were from Demacia or Noxus, but you are that old? Damn, were you a Baron, Lord, or something?"
The ancient ghoul lets out a weighted sigh, proclaiming, "I am a king."
The guards gawk at Zara Phim. Some dropping their guns.
"Holy shit."
"That's right. I'm very used to the diplomacy tactics you are trying to pull." Zara smirks as he purports, "I never needed a court jester though, I had my own jokes. You see, there is a time and a place for fooling around."
CRASH!
Smashing his cup, which proceeds to trample the table, Zara roars, "Getting headhunted by a notorious assassin is not one of them."
Gabriel Devoue backs away as Zara demands, "Do not let some random fool like me get your guard down." Zara turns towards all the guards to let them know he is referring to their carelessness.
"I'm sorry for your precious cup and table, but it's for reasons like this that I am the second deadliest." Zara clasps his arms to shrug the glass shards off his hand. "I am too powerful. Even if I'm your ally, collateral damage is inevitable for me. I could very well destroy all your assets by accident."
"That was totally unnecessary..." Gabriel responds with wrath-spiten eyes.
"Oh, it was very much necessary. After all, she could be here any second now."
"Wha- her?" Devoue stammers with a perplexed demeanor. "Who the hell are you talking about?"
"Eh?" Zara stands. He is as perplexed as the boss. "Are you shitting me right now?"
"Wha-?"
"Is this the bathroom? Cause you gotta be shitting me right now."
"No. Seriously, who the fuck are you talking about?"
Zara takes a seat so as to contemplate how to handle Devoue's lack of awareness.
"What are you even here for?"
Gabriel Devoue's eyes widen upon that question. He turns away as deliberately as he deliberates. "Usually I would keep this a secret, but if you are seriously here as an ally... I'm here for my wife."
Zara gazes beyond the duke to find Evangeline, the maid, from across the street enter from over yonder. "Your wife?"
"Yes," Duke Devoue blushes as he confesses. "Evangeline, my wife."
"Hmph," I should have known. That's why she knows so much about this place. "Is that your only reason?"
The brow twitches, "So what if it is? You got a fucking problem with that?"
His guards were taken aback, but I was content. "That isn't a bad thing." In fact, "That's the best thing. You're a real gentleman, you know that?"
Devoue was speechless with widened eyes, but he closed them responding, "Of course. It's expected of me."
"Well, your heart's in the right place." The maid passes by and notices me. That hearty-harlot skips towards me waving, so I wave back. "That's all that matters."
The man's eyes track my hand. "Who are you waving at?"
"Your wife."
"Eh?" smacking his head, he hides, whispering, "She's here alrea... Hold on." Suddenly getting grumpy, he grumbles, "How do you know my wife?"
"I just met her today. She must be done with her shift at the cafe across the street."
"Pah!" he exclaims with relief. "You're a funny man, getting me worked up over nothing."
Eh, "Hmm?"
"Eva is a stay-at-home."
"Oh, woops."
"Haha, yeah, you got me good." Devoue smirks wagging his finger at the headless ghost. "Besides," he stares at the shattered cup of darkness. "There isn't a cafe around here anywa-"
Darkness fell from his hand, to his arm. To strike the shadow before him. So, the grounds were sundered. That malevolent smirk was all it took.
Zara's blade was cleaved in the four-foot deep crater, made just beyond the relieved speaker. A string of fire trailed past the man as Zara struck her down in a flash,
But he missed.
I should have known. That's why she knows so much about this place.
"What the hell are you-" Like a javelin, that monster's blade whisked right past his head. A flame followed. Zara was no longer there.
A guard felt his life flash before his eyes as a sword zipped straight towards him, but that sword was caught in mid-air as the ghost eviscerated a faint-shadow pillar with an orbital strike of his blade,
But that arc did not affect her.
Stone steadily spewed from the pillar as the guard's guts gushed from his crumbling stature. The man crumbled before the pillar did, a hole gouged straight through him. He could see the other side, and his insides. So Zara climbed that crumbling pillar, to catch the criminal that caused this crisis.
The supporting frame came tumbling down, so too did the men and women who stood above. Zara bolted across that pillar to catch the bitch before she caught them. An outstretched arm, to latch onto the shadow, is grazed by a pebble before it could reach the whore.
"Get your fucking hands off of them you shifty bastard!"
This is the roar of the guardian-battalion, and their shots rained down upon me: a hail of pebbles.
Holding Zara down, the whore took down the horde. Scored in unison: chain carnage. Quite literally, as a rusty hook, that held the blades dipped in acid, impaled them all leaving their carcasses hanging loosely on the railings above.
Fear was burned into their eyes, transforming into panic as they reloaded their pebble shooters, and mutating into a mass of vengeful massacre.
RAAAAHH!
NOOOO!!!
DIE
The demons of mankind spat their sorrow upon Zara with a blaze of smoke and gunpowder. It was difficult to tell who the real demons were here. The dames wept. The dudes cried. As bodies died and lives swept. They could no longer see straight. Zara could not see straight, but he could see it all, in a way.
He hath no eyes to see, nor ears to hear, no mouth to shout. All Zara had is fire. Fire fueled by darkness to illuminate the life he made. A life too desperate to fade, inspired by the motivation to continue, awestruck by the world laid before it. In the beginning, a mere tool for a dead body's conviction. Then, a passion to overcome the limitation its body became. A method to reach what it would finally become. So, it could see beyond the eyes of man, hear voices beyond the ears of women, and roar louder than the nature of existence.
Zara could see the shadows scurrying in the darkness from the time he came to, at the bottom of the sea. Shadows that encapsulate others to become even darker. Zara knew this much. They are the enemy: shadows scurrying in that darkness. He is one of them, and she is too.
Zara's rage reached its zenith as the crowd flicked stones at his 
visage. It was not the rage of a demon, it was the rage of mankind. Rage for mankind. His fire is the fire that burns out the darkness, snuffing it out through complete consumption. This is Zara's purpose. What was hers? So, Zara rebels.
That broken table flies to the rooftop of the factory, piercing through the darkness that lies above as he stands far down below,
But it did not meet its mark.
The gunshots die, and so do they. Zara stood upon a hill of pebbles. Shot two-thousand times, yet the holes were in the hands of the holders. Pierced by an illusion, blinded by rage, all that was left was sorrow. A single pebble flies through the flame, where Zara's head should be. The last shot fired by the one who was to be protected.
"Stay back!" His voice sounded with fierce determination, but his hands shook, shrouded in doubt. "F-Fiend! Why did you do this to us?"
Devoue drilled Zara, attempting to bore a hole through him with his wild eyes and spirit. However, Zara would not have his spirit broken so easily, especially over a false accusation.
Sheathing his sword, he turned towards the boss and proclaimed, "They were in my way." I could not fight properly since I didn't want to hurt them.
"So you KILLED them?!"
"It was an attempt to destroy the opposition." The bitch who took their lives. The one that's right behind you.
"GRRR," he growled bitterly. "I trusted you! How can you call yourself a king now?"
"I am no longer a king." I lost my kingdom to what is now Piltover and Zaun. "I am just a ghost of my former self."
"Puh... Hahaha. Hahaha! HAHAHA! BAHAHA!" descending into the realm of insanity, he laughs it all away. "Are you satisfied now? You took everything. What more do you want?"
"One thing," that I must have. "Your life."
"Hah..." His laugh almost sounds like a sigh. "Go on, take my life."
"No," you must come here. "You come to me." You must escape the shadow that is lurking just behind you.
His brow twitches, "After all you've done, you won't come here and end my life?" No! Don't step into the darkness! "Why the HELL should I do anything for you?"
"It's quite simple. I could take your life, or..." I'm sorry. "I could take your wife."
Gabriel's eyes droop. "You're kidding... You don't even know my wife."
"I could easily find out," to make sure she's safe. "When she comes to your funeral," but don't let it come to this.
"Hah, hahaha... You're a funny man." His laugh almost sounds like weeping. "A cruel... funny man."
Gabriel Devoue resigns himself as he stands and walks forward slowly,
But the darkness creeps forward. "I'll play along for now."
Please go a little faster.
The darkness almost grazes him. "Just know this..."
You fucker, I swear, don't let her drag you to hell.
The darkness enters his shadow. "I'll never forgive you for what you've done."
I won't allow it!
Zara dashes forward, reaching for his sword, but it spooked Gabriel Devoue into tripping backwards. Stumbling backwards, he fell into the shadows embrace that he was urged away from, grabbing onto his gun. He did not make a sound when he collapsed. He was caught by the darkness that rose from the ground.
"Oh baby, you're mistaken." Incarnating itself into a fiendish damsel, she imparts the painful truth as he slides gently into the large spike that pierces his ribcage. "That man, didn't, do, a thing." Leering at me provocatively she continues, "Nothing, at all. Hehahahaha..."
Gabriel loses his footing as 
Evelynn disappears into the darkness. "Gabe!" Before he falls, he can hear her voice. Devoue's warm blood flows out of him. He is colder. He is numb. Yet, this monste- this man closed the wound. Tore his own tattered garments and created a tight cloth seal to prevent any more blood from flowing. It feels cold, but I guess it's not that bad. I thought I would have died much sooner, but I'm alive long enough to feel the warmest embrace in the whole wide world. Evangeline, I love you so much. Thank you for finally getting here.
The desperate cries of a damsel in distress. "Pull yourself together Gabe!"
Zara tries to get closer to Gabriel to heal him better, but the woman pushes him away. "Stay back you foul demon! What did you do to my dear husband?!" This woman hath no fear of Zara; the fear of love dying stretches beyond it. She cannot let go.
I could not let go.
"Eva..."
"Gabe!"
"Please, don't harass him." Gabriel pleaded weakly. "He tried to save my life. This was my fault."
"No, no. It's not your fault. I..." Evangeline holds him tightly and weeps oh so bitterly.
Gabriel offers her somber strokes of comfort. "Well," he calls without pause. "Are you going to kill her?"
It was tough being called out on such a cruel lie. Looking upon her face of confusion and his face of submission, Zara responds, "No."
Gabriel closes his eyes. "So, that was a lie." It was the kind of blunt answer he was expecting out of this fool, but it was one that he wanted to hear. "Your diplomacy, I presume."
"It almost worked," Zara sighs heavily, the air dense with regret. "But it seems she won't accept a peaceful end." Which is no surprise anymore. The manifestation of deception and tragedy, that is Evelynn. The folly I fell victim to twice now.
"You really are a cruel, funny man," the undying man smiles while stating his observation. I've recovered his battle-born orfice as much as possible, but his impalement serves as a mortal reminder that death cannot be averted--only delayed. "You would accept being the enemy to the ones you wish to protect. That's something I don't get at all. Don't tell me you were like this in life as well."
He receives no response.
"Wow, seriously?" He tries to laugh, but it's too painful. "Archaic, strange, you are strange. Honor shrouded in lies, cryptic as all hell. You truly are a Cryptic King..."
He sleeps on the tears of his lover. A hypocrite. He calls me cruel, but the cruelest thing is not sharing your words with the ones you left behind. So, Zara goes to let Evangeline grieve, keeping his weary soul all to herself.
"You..." I see a familiar face. "YOU!"
The veiled woman that I heard this from in the first place powered walked towards me, fuming that could not be guised. "Why the hell are you here?!"
"I saw the opportunity to meet Evelynn, but-"
"Opportunity?" she interjects. "OPPORTUNITY? Is that all this was to you?"
"No, I wanted to stop this befor-"
"I had it under control!" she interjects yet again. "I already hired a special mercenary who is TRAINED at killing people like Evelynn. People like YOU."
"Really now?" Zara looks around. "Where is that someone?"
"She was preparing a trap, but YOU provoked Evelynn."
"A trap huh?" Zara presses. "So you are telling me a trained professional had absolutely no backup plan?"
"Well- she must have a good rea-"
"Bullshit!" Zara interjects on the interjector. "Where is she now?"
"I don't know okay!" The widow that is Evangeline's sister panics upon her thoughts. "I just don't want my sister... Please. Why did this have to happen?"
"Guh..." Zara groans at the absurdity of this professional's priorities. "So your trained professional isn't here. Unfortunately, for you..." He looks up at the shady operator box from many railings above. "Evelynn is still here."
Both women freeze upon that declaration. "Evelynn was after me?" Gabriel asks painfully. "Fucking, hell. It would have helped if you told me sooner."
I don't even have a response to that, but I could feel my rage rising as I start to remember. "Get out of here."
"B-But, she could ju-"
"Trust me." The flame flowed more violently. "I got this bitch."
"Shouldn't we stick together? She could easily just pick us off if we-"
"That is the worst option." Wisps of darkness seep out of his soul, like a mist. "You don't want to be here when I raze hell."
The women succumb to his decision and walk Gabriel out.
"Zara Phim!" Gabriel yells before he leaves. "Give her hell for me. For all of us."
The three ride off in their mechanized carriage. Looking down, he notices that the boss dropped a weapon, or rather left it behind. A blade fashioned into a gun. Zara takes the 
gunblade and hides it within his tattered robes as he rises the metal staircase to the darkness up above.
Even though the sun is at its zenith, Zaun would not see the light of day.
He's baaaack~! [zombie-nunu-hearts] Well, not really. [zombie-nunu-bummed] As always, thanks for reading chapter 11, Knight of the Full Noon. If you've noticed, I changed the title. This is to celebrate the first battle in the Epic of Zara as well as to indicate the shift to the martial side of Zara. It's the phase where dear old Zara obtains his reputation as The Ruined King, which is the character Zara represents.
Zara, the Cryptic King is a custom champion I made that represents my vision of The Ruined King. The title I gave him is different to indicate that his infamous title will eventually be overcome.
This new title change is to mark the beginning of where we see the side to Zara that represents the traditional vision of The Ruined King. A bitter, vengeful king who would make enormous sacrifices, despite its costs, for the sake of love. It's also to highlight this lore when people search for The Ruined King. People don't search "The Cryptic King" when they think of this guy after all. [zombie-brand-clap]
Honestly, this hiatus was totally unacceptable. I hope you can see why it took so long. I mean, for one this is an enormous chapter compared to the previous chapters. The big thing is that this is a large shift from from the norms that Zara has undergone. Now, this king is in a state of warfare. [darius-angry] The biggest thing is the fact that I completely lost momentum the moment I stopped publishing chapters. It's gotten to the point where I actually finished portions of future chapters rather than the chapter right ahead, since it was easier to envision. It's this fact that dragged time along beyond inexcusable levels. Q~Q
At least I pulled through and got a chapter done. Things will get much more exciting from here on out. I'm planning to attach a theme song to the next chapter. It may take a while due to the style I'm planning on making. However, one thing is for certain: "Action is COMING."
Get ready for The Fall upon Zaun in the next chapter: MADNESS OF MAN.
Arc 1: Our King Returns
- A Distant Memory
- Conquering the Abyss
- Runic Affinity
- Yearn to Learn
- Forged from Sand and Runes
- The Blue Sea
- Pain and Pride
- Lost Homelands
Arc 2: Method to the Madness 9. Dawn upon Zaun 10. Good Morning Ghost 11. Knight of the Full Noon 12. Madness of Man 13. Worries of Women 19. Echoes in the Deep