The Demon and The Shadow ~ Kayn x Akali ~ League of Legends

Chapter 4 - Unlikely Allies

Kayn looked up at the crimson sky, its clouds stained with dry blood. Around him, boys, no older than 10, lay dead, horrific burns covering their skin. Instinctively, he dropped into a defensive stance and raised Rhaast at his side. However, it wasn't Rhaast at his side, but a rusty longsword which was much heavier than he expected. In fact, it wasn't his side either. He was as young as the boys who lay dead around him and his arms were thin and weak. An inexplicable wave of dread washed over him as he saw a green flash on the horizon. His confusion was soon replaced by sickening fear as he saw green fireballs blazing through the air towards him. He cried out, but his voice was silent, the words lodged in his throat. His eyes stinging with tears, Kayn dropped to the ground, closing his eyes as the fire rained down around him.

With a scream, Kayn awoke, his body drenched in cold sweat. He frantically looked around, expecting the ground to be covered in corpses alight with chemical flame. Instead, he found the sleeping body of a girl, around 20, her hair raven black and her frame athletic. Kayn took a moment to compose himself, reassuring himself that he'd had a nightmare and he was safe now.

"I see your nightmares. Do they scare you?" Rhaast's voice was uncharacteristically curious, lacking the usual sarcasm and narcissism. Kayn didn't answer immediately. He stood on the edge of the cliff, gazing down into the valley and replaying the dream in his mind, remembering the blood and the fire and the pain.

"Less than they used to," Kayn replied, a hint of sadness in his voice. Before Rhaast could pry any further, Kayn noticed Akali stirring from her sleep. Dawn was almost upon them and the clouds were scorched by the sun's light, leaving them glowing orange and yellow. She yawned, before rubbing her eyes and stretching her arms.

"Kayn, you're still here," Akali said, her voice slightly surprised.

"Of course, I couldn't leave you alone and defenceless," Akali gasped almost inaudibly, causing Kayn to check himself, "b-because you hold information useful to the Order of Shadow!" Kayn's voice was rushed and disorganised, a stark contrast to his usually composed and confident tone. Akali noticed the slight glow in his cheeks and wondered whether it was because of the rising sun.

"Well, thanks," Akali replied, standing up and stretching her legs, "anyway, let's get moving: we've got jobs to do after all." The pair were in a strange position where both wanted to capture the other alive for the information they held but wasn't confident enough that they'd beat them in a fight. In fact, both Kayn and Akali had experienced moments when they were surprised to finally find someone who matched their skill. And so, here they were, unlikely partners until they figured something out.

"Yes, I suppose we do," Kayn said, kneeling down to roll up the sleeping mat, "what's first?"

"Take your pick: kill a disgraced samurai on the run for killing his master, capture an ex-Noxian commander charged with killing hundreds of Ionians or kill two vastayan rebels wreaking havoc on some settlements."

"Well, the samurai sounds as good a place to start as any, where can we find him?"

With that, Akali and Kayn set off to find their target, making their way to the village where he was last seen. On the way, they spoke more than either of them would have expected. Kayn, the usually cold and emotionless killer found it easy to open up to Akali, the solitary rogue assassin. For hours they exchanged stories of their pasts, laughing and talking endlessly for the whole journey. Akali spoke of why she left the order and the disdain she had grown for her masters in the Kinkou; Kayn spoke about his arrival in Ionia as a Noxian child left for dead. They enjoyed each other's company more than either would admit. And, with evening drawing near, they found the village, venturing inside to find the target.