Chapter 3

Akali was in the training room of the League for Champions. She practiced stretching and squats, sinewy muscles showing dynamism in the fine lines and curves of athletic body. She sensed another presence in the room, and she turned around and hastily grabbed her kamas to defend herself from an intruder. Stepping out from the shadows was a diminutive creature known as a Yordle. This particular Yordle, however, was her friend—and his name was Kennen.

“Kennen, you scared me,” Akali said while letting out a gentle laugh before patting the Yordle on the head gently. “How’re you doing?”

“You, scared?” Kennen said teasingly, before his normally jovial demeanor turned more serious. “Shen seems to be in a fitful mood. Is there any reason in particular for that?”

Akali knew. She knew that Shen still disapproved of her meeting with Thresh, and the reason why she wanted to do his bidding. Though Kennen had a jovial demeanor and was quick to forgive, he didn’t like Zed, though he didn’t exactly approve of Thresh, either. Both of them thought that Thresh was a bad influence on Akali. Though Akali was an adult. Shouldn’t she be able to make her own decisions? She was doing this for herself, not for any of them, and she needed answers. Did her mother die in vain as the Pruning of the Tree? Why did the Summoners execute her? Akali was only a child back then, and she understood that the world was a cruel place, but she also knew that if she had a way to ask the source herself, she would do anything to find the answer.

“Let Shen be,” Akali said while she stared off into the distance, absently petting Kennen on the head and standing up. “I’m sure his emotions will resolve themselves. For now…I need to train.”

“Such wasted potential,” a dark voice said, and Akali knew whose voice that was. Zed.

“You’re not welcome here,” Akali said in a terse tone, and Kennen also tensed. Zed merely looked at his sharpened blades in disinterest.

“My shadows see everything,” Zed said ,his red eyes glaring into Akali. “Spar with me, Akali.”

Kennen’s more jovial expression turned serious as he noted the fighting auras surrounding Zed and Akali. They would rip one another’s throats out if they could, and Kennen was determined to not have blood spilled in the training rooms, for God’s sake.

“You two, there will be a time when you’re in a match together,” Kennen said calmly. “You can vent out your aggression there. If you fight here, you will only be punished by the Summoners. And I know that the Summoners…have various methods of persuasion. And by methods of persuasion, I mean that they can do horrible things to you and that you shouldn’t test their patience.”

Zed glared at the Yordle, but said nothing. Akali’s hands clenched involuntarily into fists. She ached to strangle the Shadow Ninja, feel his neck snap between his fingers. Her hands were strong enough to break a chain—why not break a man’s neck?

“I bet if I were to use one shadow clone,” Zed said. “Akali would lose to it. She cannot face me as she is now. But I know that Akali is doing something that is against all or our interests. Even though I have no love for Shen, I agree with him on this matter. Someone is corrupting her.”

“Why would you care anyway, Zed,” Akali said hotly, her face flushing. “It’s none of your business who I spend time with!”

“If you can’t face me, Akali, then you have no right to face your mother,” Zed said.

Akali felt anger flare up within her, and she hurled the first punch towards Zed’s face. He materialized into a shadow clone and emerged behind her, where he put a blade to her throat. Akali used her shroud to get some of the smokescreen through the slats in Zed’s mask, and Zed coughed and sputtered while she dashed out of his grasp and put a safe distance between herself and Zed. Zed glared at her, brandishing his blades menacingly and taking on a more defensive stance.

Shen teleported to Akali’s side to protect her, and he drew his blade towards Zed in warning.

“Zed…” Shen said, his yellow eyes narrowed towards the Shadow Master. “Are you so petty that you seek to humiliate Akali? She will surpass you one day, under the Kinkou ninjas.”

“Shen, you are just as foolish as ever,” Zed said, seeming to lose interest inthe fight now that it was three against one. “As for Akali, she has an unholy bloodlust for me. It’s only natural that I return the favor. If it weren’t for the Summoners standing between us, then I would’ve eliminated all three of you a long time ago.”

Akali frowned beneath her mask. “I share the same sentiment, Zed. You have no right to be walking on this Earth after what you did to Shen.”

“Siding with Shen, I see,” Zed said. There was no emotion in his voice, though perhaps Akali heard slight regret in his voice? “I will see to it that you will regret that choice, Akali.”

With that, Zed disappeared, slinking back into the shadows and transported into his shadow realm where he stayed hidden and obscured from view, always watching. Akali could still feel his eyes on her even while he shrank into the darkness.