#shadowtread

/ @shadowtread

— @shadowtread

@shadowtread

“Aack-”

Normally the best response to some nitwit thinking they can steer Rhaast by grabbing his horns is to twist his neck and gore them with the sharp parts. But this is just Kayn, and thus not trying to kill him, and thus not in the ‘nitwit’ category.

So Rhaast goes with the momentum of the drop, tilting his head even farther back while curling in the rest of his body so he can roll into a backward somersault with his horns starting the curve instead of breaking it.

Step 2 is to knock Kayn over with his legs on the way back and land on them. 

Unable to hold their feigned smile anymore, the young warrior is quick to shut their mouth, taking care to not bare their teeth.

The sound of twisted plates running across each other could be heard as they straighten their posture. Their expression reading of nothing but distaste.

“I believe just over a year. I have been a little… preoccupied, and had to put the poor thing to the sideline of my focus.”

 “Oh but I have plans for it. For all Darkin,” At this, Kayn begins to take a step forward, only to shift their weight instead, “But, one thing at a time.” Arms fold across their chest; human fingers resting on the twisted flesh of the other as claws stretch. Their gaze moves down to watch this, seemingly inspecting their corruption instead of the other before them.

“And how have you been preoccupying yourself all those years? Taking in the sights of Ionia through stolen eyes?”

@shadowtread​

@shadowtread​ said : kiss the weird shadow kid u wont - kiss prompt 3/3

To be in Ionia was a risky venture for someone like Canus. There was no end to the bad blood between his homeland and the land he tread upon, but it was his journey that had brought him here. Tales of a great warrior queen long since passed abounded of this place and if any place was a place to start, it’d be here. To press on to the future, one must look to the past for guidance, as his adopted father always said.

So step by step he went with hood drawn over his head through the fields, then the forests, of Ionia, searching, searching, searching still for this legendary temple. Villages and towns were avoiding as best he could, respite taken only when he could not find himself game for the night. The grass and earth became his bed and his travelling cloak his blanket. It was nothing new for him considering the work he had performed while in service to the empire and at times he almost preferred the soft scent of the earth beneath his head and the gentle glow of the stars above, even if sleep would escape him.

The count of the days passed soon escaped him since he had set foot in this land. Yet none of that mattered. His was to be an endless march until he found what he was looking for, whatever that was. Though as the sun rose high on one of those uncountable days as he crested a hill, he was greeted to the sight of what he’d hoped to be that legendary place. Where legends lay slumbering and with any luck, the answers he sought.

However, he wasn’t the only one to finally land upon this place...

“My wisdom?” Were all spirits supposed to be very wise? She hadn’t gotten to meet many to be fair but she was in Ionia and they seemed to have a certain connection with their non-human neighbors... How awkward...

She glanced around for inspiration, honestly wanting to tell the warrior something. They were so polite and earnest! Surely that deserved something in return. Her eyes fell upon the strange weapon they carried. Had she ever felt contempt from a mortal blade? It did have an eye that all but radiated arrogant dislike but was there more too it than Ionian decorative flare? It was only a gut feeling but perhaps.... 

 Her expression softened from distant to warm, a gentle knowing look in her eyes.

“A weapon’s killing edge is not the only way a weapon can inflict harm. Such tools won’t always accept another’s mastery and might seek instead to master those who would wield them. Care should be taken with the path you tread and what companions you would take with you.”

The sounds of countless pounding footsteps, a few out of beat, but as a whole, they all were together as a single figure, rushing, desperate to see that what they were doing, how they sought to rush, to go and fight, to see that their efforts were not in vain. 

The first one to step into the battlefield, clad in red and grey stood, looking over what had remained. The irony smell of blood was almost enough to knock the wind out of you. Red eyes scanned over the field--corpses, he expected that much, in any battle, any war, any massacre... Corpses. People died--it was the way of battle. 

But... The field, littered with corpses, little life left to be seen... The thing that made the horror strike his heart, was how many children there were. A gaze down at one near his feet, collapsed on the ground... He moved his hand down, gently pushing the child’s eyelids closed, and then moved away. 

He knew Noxian had employed child soldiers, but this...  This... 

“Fan out!” His voice was booming, loud, so all the others which had come with him could hear. “Find any who are alive, Noxian or otherwise!” He shouted. “Harm no child, if you must, find me and I will deal with them!” He wished he could have brought more, but the Order was still growing, and he was unsure of how many it would be safe to tear from their training, from protecting other fronts. 

...Even if they failed to reach the battlefield in time, if they could save one life, Noxian child, Ionian adult... It didn’t matter, if at least one could be salvaged, then it would be worth it. It pained to see his own failure... If he was fast enough--

The thoughts were thrown out of his mind. Where others left, running far, he moved to search the children--to check for a pulse, to see if any bodies were still warm. For those who were not...