Shadows & Illusions ; Zed x LeBlanc

Chapter One; Life & Death.

Underestimation.

No such thing existed within the Shadow Order. The habit is pinpointed, disemboweled, and charred from each disciple within the thousands of painstaking hours of training.

Overestimation, however, a trait seeded with means to prepare is one that could not be taught.

Not even to the very man who embraced the shadows . . .

Rain. Pouring from the nebulous dark skies, rain and thunder adorned a clearing nearing the outskirts of Noxus. It decorated and soaked every inch on the field, as did the crimson liquid seeping from the hundreds of bodies that laid waste to the land.

The was no motion, nor sounds but that of nature itself. That is, excluding the sole body that barely stood amidst the mass graveyard.

A man. Covered in too many scars to count, drops to a single, impaled knee. Each garment he wore was a different shade of red, his own blood as well as the blood of his victims painting it all. He didn't speak, nor did he cry out in pain. Nothing but breathily pants passing through the holes his bloody mask provided. Breaths that weakened with each passing one.

He was silent. Zed was silent. He gave the enemy too much credit, prepared too much, overthought the enemies capabilities, and was fooled by his own precaution. He could feel his foolishness within each cut his body suffered, within the blood he shed . . .

And most importantly within the poison that coursed and pumped through the entirety of his body.

Consuming his life with each grueling pellet of rain that splattered against his mask.

Those piercing crimson eyes his mask emitted, were now nothing but dull shells clad in the shadow of the rain. His body, once able to withstand the pain, could only feel heavier and heavier. And as the last of his strength burned, he could only drop into the land . . .

But not without seeing what he thought was the silhouette of death; coming to to claim his essence.

"Forgive me . . . Kusho . . . "

The Matron stepped upon the ravaged battlefield; seated upon a dark steed. Her eyes scanned through every lifeless body that laid across the field.

One of her ravens had noticed the bloodshed, and came back to her with a message of warning. She decided to find out what happened beyond the Noxian walls. There hadn't been any cases of invasions or bandits, what could this be?

She kept a bag of "medical" supplies on her; various elixirs and potions concocted by The Black Rose to tend to its wounded一 If anyone was still alive; She wanted answers.

Death and gore were nothing new to her, she grew used to it. But any other woman might've squirmed at the sight. The grass was watered with blood, men were left to die, some still half alive.

It was... Distasteful to her. She was always a woman who cleaned after herself, who left nothing behind, no traces, no trail. Any Noxian would know to cover up their crimes. But who would do this?

She would dismount from her horse, stepping through the grass, searching for answer, but there it was. Right in front of her.

Zed. Why was he here? Why would he bring this battle to Noxus? She stepped closer to him, her eyes gazed upon each injury upon his body. She had to help him. He was a champion. Even though Noxus had never been peaceful with Ionia, she couldn't just leave a Champion of the League to die.

But something was different, he was dying. She knelt in front of him, a pool of blood tainting her clothing. A warm hand pressed against his neck, her eyes would look deep into his. She could see pain, he was at death's door, almost embracing its cold grips.

She pressed another hand on his chest, she felt blood gushing from his wounds, blood adorning her pale hand. She smelt the venom within his blood. None of the wounds seemed fresh, he'd been there for a while now. How did he survive this?

No more questions. She will receive answers later, for now her focus was on him.

She would take a vial out from her bag, an almost glowing amethyst coloured concoction within its glass. She would remove its cap and press the cold glass against his lips.

"Do you wish to live? Drink." She said softly in her soothing voice, of course if the pain was too much and he felt no hope, he didn't have to.

But the gods know Emilia wanted him alive.

Zed expected pain. Expected for the person or being before him to take his essence away from the world, and yet . . . It spoke to him?

Eyesight being blurry, he could only make out the a silky white silhouette, however not any of the finer details. Though, what he did see was the glow of the vial which was placed before his lips.

Pain was a constant, nearing death's door was nothing but an understatement for the ninja; but did he have something to lose?

No.

Without question, but with a last glance, Zed parted his lips and accepted the liquid. Gulping it down as the person's words finally made some sense to the shinobi head.

"Why help me . . ." He managed to mutter past the pain, an arm barely pushing his frame off the ground.

"Consider it a gift." She replied.

Raindrops kissed her skin, the weather was going to get worse, she could feel it.

As he drank from the vial she would speak once more, "It's going to keep you alive; long enough for you to be treated."

She'd say, taking his arm and wrapping it around her shoulders, supporting his weight and helping him to stand. She'd take on most of his weight, helping him the best that she could as she'd bring him to her horse.

She was gentle with him, making sure she didn't cause any more pain. Emilia would help him rest upon the horse as she'd lead it back to the manor. It wasn't far, there was a Black Rose headquarters in almost every part of the city. Each led back to her home.

A faint chuckle puffed through his lips, an empty laugh really before he attempted to speak, "Don't these type of gifts come at a price . . . "

He didn't speak again, though. As if the last of his energy was focused on at least keeping some dignity and hold some of his weight, but alas, that soon gave way too. Fortunately so, it gave way once upon the horse, as did his consciousness. Oblivious to where he was being taken, and still unaware of who was helping him.

Her voice, though, sounded all too familiar . . .

"Perhaps I just feel generous today." She uttered, nearing the vast mansion, hidden within many dark trees and trails within the city.

【 End of Chapter 1 】