Chapter 43 - The Shadow Isles.

Half a kilometer away from the Shadow Isles.

"This place was once a paradise. Covered by a white mist that concealed the isles, the inhabitants of the Blessed Isles devoted themselves to finding cures for diseases and saving people with their magical waters. Then the Ruined King came and destroyed this place with his sheer stubbornness. The Isles now only harbour the dead...or what's left of the dead." Illaoi explained as they made their way through the black mist of the Isles.

"And what exactly are you using?" Sett asked and touched the barrier that covered the ship. As his hand passed through it something swooped from above, prompting him to pull it back instantly.

"What the hell was that?!" he asked as the thing crashed on the barrier, soon disappearing back into the thick mist.

"That...was a Wraith. And that thing we use cannot be revealed." Illaoi explained to the Beast man. "When you reach the Isles, Wraiths will usually come to attack you."

"Don't any Light Sentinels live here?" Akali asked.

"Only one, an old man who fights the mist by himself." Farru, the one of the other three Bhuru that was on the ship explained. He was the one that would guide them through the Isles.

"Well, one way or another we'll have to fight at a point." Kayn said.

"You will, just be careful of the champions of the Isles." Illaoi advised them.

"Champions?" Rakan asked.

"Supposedly, those who stand out, whether it is due to proving their excellence in combat or something greater are worldwide referred to as champions." Illaoi explained.

"Are we champions?" Rakan then wondered.

"Who knows." Xayah replied. "Regardless, you're my champion."

"Same for you."Rakan replied.

"It's not time for playing, we've arrived." Farru announced.

As the boat came into a hault, the crew and Farru got out of the ship and stepped at the shore and began to walk. Farru and Ahri were at the front, and the rest followed.

"Where do we go now?" Akali asked.

"There's a vesani vault about half a day from here." Ahri replied. "We'll have to be careful tho, as the place is filled with wraiths."

"Do not worry, we have Nagakabouros on our side." Farru said.

Lanius shoved his hand into his satchel and pulled out a necklace with a small yellow crystal. One of the Bhuru had given it to him before they boarded the ship. She said that it was an "Echo amber" and that it came from the Blessed Isles. The inhabitants of the isles used them to communicate with the dead. Very few of the crystals survived after the destruction. Lanius clenched the crystal, before he placed the necklace on him.

As they passed through the full of mist land, every single one of them was of the travellers aside from Farru was on edge, especially the vastaya. Lanius couldn't hear the magic at all, instead, he only heard a constant very faint cracking sound.

"There's no magic in here...it's all silent." Rakan confirmed the Winters thoughts.

"All of it died with the Ruination." Farru explained.

Lanius looked around him. Everything was at a shade of grey, toned by the black fist that engulfed the land. It was...depressing to see such sight. Suddenly a sharp screech ended the silent and tense atmosphere that had built up. Every one of the Ionian champions aside from Lanius drew their weapon and frantically looked around.

Lanius turned towards the source, to see a transparent green figure that resembled a centaur on some sort of arch. The figure then got more clear, revealing an armored centaur with a spear. Below and around the arch stood many other armored figures.

"Wraiths" that was the first thing that came into the young man's mind as he saw this scene. He then summoned his new ice weapon, a combination of a voulge, a halberd and a bardiche.

He had thought about this yesterday, when he suddenly remembered about the duel with Titus, one of the Noxian bandits he faced at the start of his adventure.

When Ahri went to sleep, he and Freida sat and thought of a perfect pole-based weapon that would suit him. In the end, they came up with this design. During their travel from Bilgewater to the Isles, he and the spirit searched through every single ancestral memory for a poleaxe weilder. In the end, they found one that battled against a Darkin.

Lanius accessed the memories that included training with the poleaxe and soon he was able to learn to utilise it to an extent.

Lanius now held his weapon diagonally with the blade downwards.

"Mere mortals!, you have made a grave mistake when you came here. You shall now be purged by us and become a part of the mist!" the centaur roared, followed by the other armored wraiths.

"Who do we speak to, wraith?" Xayah then asked.

"You speak to me, the great Hecarim. Destroyer of the living and commander of the dead." the centaur exclaimed.

"Well, looks like we'll be fighting here after all." Kayn said as he grabbed Rhaast from his back and armoured himself.

Farru closed his eyes and began chanting something in Bhuru as Hecarim pointed his spear towards the team. The wraiths charged towards them. Lanius and the rest braced themselves. The barrier couldn't cover them all.

Suddenly, four white rays fired upon the army, hitting them, followed by another bigger one. Then, two figures appeared on the top of a hill that was behind them.

The one was an old man with a rifle, and the other was a young man that was holding a weapon that would be best described as a combination of a rocket launcher and a rifle.

"I'm afraid that they won't be joining you." the younger stranger sad.

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.

.

For a few seconds, Lanius felt as if he was falling off a cliff. He then found himself on the ground next to the others, who looked around in confusion. He also looked around to see that they were at a completely different location, with the two newcomers standing next to them.

"Who are you?" Xayah asked as she pointed a feather dagger at them.

"I'd say you lower your weapon first, darling." The younger guy said.

"I'd say you shut up and give me a reason to not pierce you with my feathers." Xayah continued, still aiming for his heart.

"We're not a threat to you, young vastaya..." the elder one said as he leaned against his weapon.  "Only to the wraiths."

"Then why did you take us out of there?" Xayah continued as the others got up.

"You're not experienced against fighting wraiths, you'd just get wounded." the elder said.

Lanius looked at both of them carefully. The gold, black and white colours combined with the pattern in their clothing gave away their occupation.

"Light Sentinels?" he asked.

"Yes, we are Light Sentinels." the younger Sentinel replied.

"Perhaps you could help us." Lanius said.

"Help us?" Xayah turned her head towards him. "These humans just abducted us and you ask for their assistance?" she did not believe what he just said.