The midday sun hung like a molten eye above Bel'zhun, baking the stone streets and garrison walls until the heat rippled like a mirage. The air was thick with the scents of sweat, sand, and steel, mixing with the distant aroma of grilled meat from the marketplace beyond the barracks.
The Desert Raiders gathered around the sparring pit, their eyes locked onto the two warriors standing in its center.
Captain Su'Rhaal and Lieutenant Zanaiya.
The air was still.
The soldiers around them stood silent and waiting.
This was not just another spar.
It was a duel of warriors. A ritual of the Sang'Kalla.
Titus and his squad had just returned from patrol, their armor coated in desert dust. The city had been restless lately—tension hanging thick in the air like an approaching sandstorm. The encounter with the stranger in the marketplace was still fresh in Titus' mind, but all thoughts of that vanished when he saw the crowd forming.
A spar between Su and Zanaiya was rare—and always worth watching.
He pushed forward, Thelassan and Victus following close behind.
"What's going on?" Thelassan asked, adjusting his sword belt.
"A duel," Victus replied with a smirk. "The Captain and the Lieutenant."
Titus exhaled, eyes narrowing. He had seen them fight before.
He knew what this meant.
"This should be good."
The Raiders watched in silence, their gazes shifting between the two figures in the pit.
Su stood like a statue, his wooden blade resting at his side, his expression unreadable. His red eyes were locked onto Zanaiya.
She, in turn, held her training spear with ease, shifting her weight ever so slightly, measuring him.
No words were exchanged.
There was no need.
The Sang'Kalla did not fight for spectacle.
They fought to prove themselves.
A gust of wind kicked up, sweeping dust across the courtyard.
Then—movement.
A smooth, teasing voice cut through the tension.
"Let's make this more fun."
Samira.
She leaned against a wooden post, arms crossed, a wicked grin spreading across her face.
"I say we start a bet."
The soldiers exchanged glances.
A Sang'Kalla duel was sacred. Betting on it wasn't exactly respectful.
Then, Dorrik's men stepped forward, tossing their coins onto a crate.
"If we're betting," one of them muttered, "my money's on the woman."
That changed everything.
More coins hit the crate.
"Captain's got this," one Raider muttered.
"No way, Zanaiya's gonna pin him," another argued.
Titus smirked, shaking his head. "This could go either way."
Samira grinned and flipped a gold coin in the air.
"Now this is entertainment."
The air was thick with anticipation.
The soldiers held their breath.
Then—Su moved first.
His blade cut through the air, a downward strike meant to crush.
Zanaiya stepped aside with perfect precision, her spear lashing out in a fluid counter.
Su barely deflected, the wooden tip grazing his ribs.
They were fast.
Each movement was practiced, honed over years of battle.
For a moment, the world blurred.
And the past bled into the present.
-----------The Tribe – 12 Years Ago----------
The sparring circle of the Sang'Kalla Tribe was smaller, its ground packed dirt instead of stone. The warriors of the tribe watched with quiet judgment, their arms crossed as they observed two young figures in the ring.
A Eleven-year-old Su'Rhaal stood in the dust, bare feet planted, wooden sword clutched tight.
His breath was ragged. His arms ached.
Across from him, Zanaiya. Fifteen. Taller. Stronger.
She barely looked winded.
The elders muttered among themselves.
He has the eyes of the Chosen.
But he is still reckless.
Su lunged.
A burst of speed and desperation.
Zanaiya sidestepped with ease, her spear snapping across his legs—
And Su hit the ground.
The warriors laughed—not cruelly, but knowingly.
Zanaiya extended a hand, smirking. "You're getting better."
Su wiped the dust from his face, eyes burning.
"Not enough."
--------The Immortal Bastion – 8 Years Ago---------
The Noxian training grounds were cruel and brutal.
Pain was the only instructor.
Failure meant being left behind.
The first time Su and Zanaiya sparred in Noxus, they had both been young, untested.
Their first fight had ended in humiliation.
The Noxian instructors did not go easy.
Su had bled that day.
But by the time they fought again, he had held his ground.
--------The Present---------
Su saw Zanaiya's hesitation.
A flicker of doubt.
It was all he needed.
He stepped inside her guard, his blade striking fast.
This time, he won.
His wooden blade stopped just shy of her throat.
A long silence followed.
Then—laughter.
Zanaiya exhaled, smirking. "Well, can't say it's unexpected."
The soldiers murmured, exchanging glances.
Samira grinned, flipping a coin between her fingers.
"Alright, boys, time to pay up."
The soldiers grumbled, dropping coins into her waiting hands.
"See?" she smirked. "I'm Always right."
Zanaiya rolled her shoulders. "You've improved," she admitted.
Su just nodded.
"I had to."
Zanaiya studied him. "Still think you're not strong enough?"
Su didn't answer.
Instead, he turned toward the garrison gates.
A lone figure stood there—Lieutenant Gadriel.
"Captain. Lieutenant."
His voice carried over the courtyard.
"The General is summoning the officers."
A tense silence settled over the gathered Raiders.
Su exhaled, tossing the wooden blade aside.
He already knew what this was about.