League of Legends Series

Kayn x Zed

As night began to set, a raven swooped down past the training fields, landing on the Master of Shadows' arm. The raven cawed, and the man pried the slip of paper wrapped around its legs. Letting the bird fly off, the masked assassin turned his back to the darkening sky, rolling the slip of paper open as he began to decipher the message. A mix of emotions rushed through him in waves, but ultimately it was a dark, sadistic grin that settled on his face at the news.

Zed vanished into darkness, and in the blink of an eye, reappeared beside a training dummy, catching Kayn's scythe. "Swinging at a dummy all day long will not do you much good. Let's go," he ordered. Panting, the young man leaned down, resting his weight against his scythe.

"Where are we going?"

"I have an assignment for you, or I suppose us," Zed corrected, thoughtfully shaking his head. "If you want to learn to control your Darkin and its powers, live targets will be more practical." His tone was uncompromising, and Kayn nodded along.

"You mean I can finally fight?" Zed did not feel the need to answer and disappeared once more. Kayn had grown used to his master's vague ways, but deciphering such a man was training in itself.

Away from prying eyes, the two men regrouped, making their way towards the objective. Zed's shadow had gone on ahead to scout the enemy's location. Soldier camps always set a perimeter for security, and while Kayn wasn't one for patience, he was already calculating the odds of taking them all on at once. He didn't need Rhaast's help to take on Demacian footsoldiers.

Zed stuck his arm out, halting Kayn mid-step, and his hand balled up, his index finger pointing to the canopy above. "We wait and observe."

"Why? We can take them," the young man argued, tapping his fingers impatiently against his scythe.

"Get in the habit of waiting then. Not every enemy you encounter will be easy to dispatch. Before striking, you must spot their weaknesses. For example, the guards on lookout routinely walk around the perimeter of the camp. That tent positioned to the north of us holds about five to six men. Simple observations like that will save you a lot of hassle and a few arrows to your chest." Zed wasn't here for bloodshed, but if it came to that, he was more than willing. However, he was merely here to retrieve a scroll.

"Your job is to silently take out as many soldiers as you can while I retrieve the scroll. This is a Demacian convoy; hence you can expect a few officers, so do not underestimate their swords. A lot of them take after their fearless leader at the head of the Dauntless Vanguard," Zed chuckled before disappearing into thin air.

"And there he goes again," Kayn sighed, jumping down from the branch where they had been observing the camp. As Kayn stealthily took out two of the patrolling guards and hid their bodies, Zed snuck into the camp, blending with the shadows around him. He headed for the northern tent, readying his blades.

And then...shouting.

A loud rambling entity stormed through the Demacian ranks, alerting the rest of the camp as he swung his scythe like a mad man.

"Rhaast," Zed sighed, shaking his head as he emerged from the shadows, the need to stay hidden no longer relevant. Quiet and stealthy wasn't a word Zed would use to describe his partner. Kayn was always loud and outgoing, traits he usually hated, but with the boy, it was tolerable.

The sudden change in personality that Kayn could not control as a superior being attempted to gain control struck him deeper than he initially thought. His constant fight against the dark forces threatening to turn him mad reminded him of his younger days. He saw a part of himself in Kayn. Of one man against the world.