TALES OF RUNETERRA: IONIAN
KAYN THE SHADOW REAPER'S
Born as a Noxus, Shieda Kayn and many others were recruited into child soldiers, a cruel practice practiced only by the cruelest commanders in the kingdom of Boram Darkwill. After a major fight at the Placidium of Navori, the invasion is reorganized into a war of retreat. The compassion of the Ionians is a weakness that can be exploited—fighters they will hesitate before attacking anyone they think is innocent. But, despite not being able to lift the sword given to him, the first day of Kayn's fight was expected to be his last.
Attacking the province of Bahrl, Noxus troops arrived on the banks of the Epool river. Kayn and the others are brave soldiers, they face a group of local people who protect their homes from returning invaders. Meski his young friends were killed on the battlefield, Kayn showed no fear. He dropped his greatsword and picked up the falling scythe, he turned to face the shocked Ionians as the Noxus army attacked from behind.
The slaughter was terrible. Farmer, hunter—even some vastaya—all slaughtered without ceremony.
Two days later, after word spread from the southern provinces, the Order of Shadow arrived at that terrifying place. Their leader, Zed, knows this area has no tactical advantage. The massacre was intended as a message. Noxus will show no forgiveness.
A light reflection from the steel caught his attention. A child of no more than ten years old was lying in the mud, lifting his broken scythe to the master assassin, his hands covered with blood. This boy's eyes held pain that exceeded his lifespan, but he still burned the anger of a trained fighter. That kind of determination cannot be taught. Zed saw in this child, this Noxus survivor had been abandoned, he could be a weapon that could be deployed on those who sent him to die. The assassin extended his hand and welcomed Kayn into the Order of Shadow.
The priest usually spends years training to master one weapon of his choice, but Kayn controls everything his—, they are only tools, and he is his weapon. The armor he thought was just a burden, then he covered himself with shadows and killed his enemy with speed and agility. That short execution instilled fear in the hearts of those lucky to be left alive.
As the legend of Kayn spread, so did his arrogance. He believes his power could one day surpass Zed's.
The vanity leads Kayn to his final test: to search for the newly discovered darkin weapon at Noxus, and prevent it from being used against Ionian protectors. He accepted it without hesitation, without asking why he was chosen to carry out this task. Of course, another priest would destroy the living scythe known as Rhaast, but Kayn took it for his own use.
Vandalism began to take hold of him as his fingers grasped the weapon, locking them in a decisive struggle. Rhaast has long waited for the perfect host to rejoin the darkines and obliterate the world, but Kayn is not easily overpowered. He returns to Ionia with a victory, he convinces Zed to make him the new leader of the Order of Shadow.
THE BLADE OF MILLENNIA
Kayn stood so confidently in the darkness of Noxtoraa, surrounded by dead soldiers, smiling in irony. This black, bow-shaped rock was built to signify the power of Noxus, giving birth to fear and also a display of power to those passing under it. Now, the stone is nothing more than a tombstone, a monument that displays false power and ego, a symbol of a soldier who died when the fear of others turned to them.
Kayn was pleased with the fear. He counted them one by one. It was a weapon, and while his brothers in the Order of the Shadow had mastered their katana and shuriken, Kayn mastered fear.
Kayn had just this time again set foot on the land of Noxus, amidst the corpses of his soldiers trying to fight their own fears. Fear is like the air in a storm, begging to be released.
Nakuri, Kayn's partner from the Order of Shadow, turned his sword and prepared to wrestle with himself. Amazingly, he could almost hide the tremors in his heart from coming out of his mouth. “What will happen next, brother?”
Kayn did not say a single word. Hands open. He knew he was in control of the situation. Nonetheless, he felt like he was experiencing deja vu, like something out of a dream. He came so quickly, then disappeared quickly.
A voice emerged from the void space between them, a power filled with darkness and hatred reflected in the cries of thousands of wars, provoking them to react.
“Who will prove that he is worthy?”
Zed has called his best disciple.
The spies of the Order have confirmed rumors that have been troubling them. The Noxus have learned of the hiding place of the legendary Darkin weapon, a power far stronger than all the magic in Ionia. A hateful eye gazed from the sword, looking for the strongest figure that deserved to take him to the battlefield. Before, no one could ever prove it. All who touched it would instantly suffer pain and be consumed by darkness, which was why the sword was clad in a thick chain cloth, and guarded by many Immortal Bastion warriors.
Shieda Kayn was aware of the things that would be ordered to her. This is his last test.
He had reached the coast of the city of Vindor before he had even considered this move he had received. Attacking enemies on their own land is not easy. Kayn was also aware of that. But no one can match his talent, no one else deserves Zed's trust in Ionia, and there will be no doubt: Kayn is destined for something big.
Kayn had set up his trap before the sun sank. A caravan approaching from afar is clearly visible across the orange sky escorted by three warriors across Noxtoraa.
He moved smoothly past the shadow of the rock basin, finding the first guard off guard. Kayn used dark magic and walked through a black wall that only he could do. He could see the silhouettes of those guards, trying to grip their spears tightly with both hands.
Kayn jumped off the rocks in the darkness, taking the life of the second guard with his bare hands. Before the third guard could react, Kayn precipitated into a true darkness and appeared right in front of his victim, twisting his neck to lifelessness with ease.
The first guard heard the sound of a fallen body, weak and lifeless, then turned towards Kayn.
The assassin simply laughed, looking for the right time to join in killing the remaining guards. “You can't move, can you?” he whispered, disappearing into the dark shadow of Noxtoraa once again. “Fear..”.
Then he came out of the shadow of the guard.
The guard threw his weapon and tried to run as fast as possible to reach the nearby town of Vindor.
Enveloped in a dark, dark robe that Kayn was wearing, Nakuri leaped from behind Noxtoraa and pointed her at the belly of the running guard. His brothers looked at Kayn. “You want to be cruel like Noxus? Great job..”
“I know you're in a hurry, my brother” Kayn said as she spat. “But this? You've been following me all the way here, and then you're hoping I'll just give up my glory?”
There is no time to argue. They heard the caravan of soldiers approaching.
“Hide, Nakuri. I'll take care of you later. If you're alive.”
The long shadow protected the corpses of the guards from being seen by the soldiers passing around it.
“Wait!” said the caravan rider, while preparing a sword. “Comeout! Now!!”
They were all confused as they got off their horses, and for the first time, Kayn saw what the caravan was carrying. Just as Zed had explained to him, a chain-covered wrap was tied to Vindor's horseback.
Patience was something that Nakuri did not have, he directly lunged at the soldiers that were in. Kayn always chose his target carefully, and went straight for his leader, making him fall with a slash from his own sword.
Kayn turned towards the horse earlier, but the weapon had disappeared.
No. gabe. He has come so far and cannot fail.
“Kayn!” Nakuri shouted while cutting the necks of the soldiers busily. “After you!”
A Noxus soldier appears carrying the weapon he was looking for, with red and glowing eyes symbolizing inhuman anger. The eyes of the warrior grew as a great force came out from within the sword. He really did not seem to be able to control that power, the pain was too intense to control.
The rumor turned out to be true.
With his dark magic power, Kayn tries to get inside the body of the Noxus warrior. In that very short moment, he saw through his eyes an immortal figure, watching how lamenting for pain and suffering for thousands of years. This was definitely a demonic figure that would continue to be reborn. The real devil, and this must be stopped immediately.
Kayn then exited the body, leaving the Noxus warrior with his body that almost exploded into ashes due to the pain he got from the forbidden sword. Now all that was left was the weapon, but this time with his eyes closed. Kayn tries to retrieve it, while Nakuri is still trying to get rid of her last enemy.
“Brother, don't!” his cry, with his katana filled with blood. “What are you doing? You saw what the soldier was going through! It must be destroyed!”
Kayn looked at his face. “No. It's mine.”
Suddenly the two of them bounced, no one could stand. In the middle of a nearby town, alarm bells ringing. Looks like something big is about to happen.
Nakuri turned her sword over. “What will happen, brother?”
The demon sword spoke to Kayn. Like whispering something to his mind, and it looks like his fellow students also heard it.
“Who will prove that he is worthy?”
Kayn with his finger melted into the darkness and united with the sword, like entering a gate into a very dark night. It felt like the weapon was now a part of her, as if she was born with him. Kayn swung her sword, then directed parallel to Naruki's neck.
“Do what you have to do.”
***