TALES OF RUNETERRA: IONIAN
YASUO THE UNFORGIVEN

As a child, Yasuo believed what the villagers told him: in his best days, his existence was a miscalculation; on the worst days, he was an irrevocable mistake.

Like any other pain, there must be truth in it. His mother is a widow raising a young son, when the man who will become Yasuo's father enters his life like the spring breeze. And, just like that lonely season, he disappeared again before the Ionian winter came upon the little family.

Although Yasuo's half-sister, Yone, was very inversely proportional to him—honor, beware, meticulous—they were both inseparable. When the other child annoys Yasuo, Yone will defend him. But Yasuo's lack of patience, he replaced it with his strong determination. As Yone began her studies at the village's famous sword school, young Yasuo followed her, waiting outside in the rain, until her teachers felt pity and opened the gates.

Despite upsetting his new friends, Yasuo showed a natural talent, and became the only disciple that caught the attention of the Souma Elders, the last wind engineers. The old man saw Yasuo's potential, but like trying to ward off the whirlwind, this disciple often ignored his teacher's teachings. Yone pleaded with her sister to get rid of her arrogance, by giving her maple seedlings, the school's teaching of the highest humility. The next morning, Yasuo accepted the position of Souma's student and personal guard.

When news of the Noxus invasion arrived at the school, many were inspired by the overwhelming resistance at the Placidium of Navori, and it was not long before the village also surrendered troops. Yasuo wanted to devote his sword as well, but when his classmate and brother went to fight, he was ordered to settle down and protect the elders.

The invasion turned into a war. Until finally, on a night drenched in heavy rain, the sound of Noxus troops drum can be heard on the hill that is not far away. Yasuo left his position, foolishly believing he could turn the war around.

But he did not find fight—only the new tombs of the troops of Noxus and the corpses of the Ionians. Something damned and unnatural happened here, something that happened not because of the sword. The land there itself seems to be affected as well.

Upon awakening, Yasuo returns to school the next day, but he is then surrounded by the other students, with a sword pointed at him. Elder Souma had been killed, and Yasuo was accused of not only having abandoned his duties, but of being a murderer. He realizes the real killer will be free if he does not act immediately, then he fights back to escape, even though he realizes it will only reinforce his sin.

Now an Ionian war fugitive, Yasuo searches for any evidence that could lead him to the killer. And in doing so, he is hunted by his former friends, while constantly being forced to fight or die. It was the reward he chose, until he was chased by the one he loved the most his own sister, Yone.

Following the honor of the swordsman, they encircled each other. When their swords met, Yone was not his match, with a single slash, Yasuo slashed at his brother.

He asks for forgiveness, but Yone's last sentence is the wind technique that caused the death of elder Souma, and he's the only one who mastered it. He died before he could grant a pardon.

Without a teacher or brother, Yasuo wanders the mountains, chugging the pain of loss and war, a sword without its sheath. In the snow, she meets Taliyah, the stone witch Shurima who escaped from the military forces of Noxus. Inside him, Yasuo looked at the disciple, and inside him, he saw the figure of a teacher. He taught him the way of elemental magic, the wind that forms stones, following the final teachings of Elder Souma.

Their world changed when rumors of the resurrected God King Shurima rang out. Yasuo and Taliyah then parted ways, but he gave her the precious maple seedlings to her, since her lesson had been completed.

When Taliyah returns to her desert village, Yasuo heads to her hometown village, determined to right his wrongs and find the real killer of his teacher.

Inside the village wall of the council hall, the death of elder Souma turned out to be an accident, caused by an exiled Noxus Man named Riven— and he was deeply sorry for it. However, Yasuo still could not forgive his choice to leave his teacher, and that choice was the cause of Yone's death.

To this day, Yasuo continues to wander, his regret weighing on the freedom of the wind.

...FRATERNITY...

The source of her crying was a boy. Six, maybe seven summers.

He sat cross-legged with his back to me, in front of a tall hull. The cry settles into sobbing, wet hiccups. I stopped at the edge of the trees, and looked back at the shadow of the road below. The midday sun was merciless, flowing brightly into the grassland of the boy. He doesn't seem to be hurt. Open clearing. Unprotected.

You are not needed. Stay on your way.

The voice was clearly ringing in my head, even though I had never heard it spoken out loud for quite some time. I turned around, but turned to my back when I heard the sound of****** which was deep and torturous, ending up with a new little sobbing.

As I was about three swords apart, I stepped on a dry twig to announce my arrival. The boy began to hear the voice.

“Teo, I'm sorry, I didn't mean.” The hasty apology of the boy was muffled by the sweep of his sleeves on his face. He stopped dying when he saw me.

He retreated so fast that his back hit a tree.

" Emai paid the Brotherhood," he stuttered. "I'm not playing on the street."

When mentioning the group, my hand pointed towards my sword. The boy looked at me; his cries turned into a series of gasping breaths. Sure oes. He thinks I'm a Navori thief who came to take something from him.

He thinks you're a criminal.

I let go of my clutches, trying to look more friendly. “No, I'm not from the Brotherhood,” I said. “I heard someone from the street. Sounds like they're having a hard time.”

The boy wiped his wet cheeks with his sleeves again, trying to save face in front of the stranger standing in front of him.

“Know such a person?” I asked.

The boy started shaking his head slowly, but the truth came out of him.

"That's me," he admitted, ashamed of his rude voice. “I... I just want to play with him.” He pointed. Among the uppermost branches of the tree were old festival kites, the tail of the silk fluttering in the breeze. “This belongs to Teo.”

His eyes began to water again. He showed his palm, covered in sap, darkened with earth and bark.

“I tried to climb a tree, but it was too high. Teo will be so mad at me. He told me not to do it.”

A moment passed between us. “Brothers often say that,” whispered.

There was a small pile of broken ground in front of the child. I kneeled down, wiping the top layer to reveal the newly sprouted sap.

“I am a wood weaver. I'm studying. I think ..." The boy lowered his head, embarrassed by the idea. Weaving wood even a tree will take much longer than an afternoon.

I hold a smile from my lips. “An awesome effort.”

The boy's gaze remained on the fluted edge of my pauldron.

“The pattern is not from our village,” he said, in a cautious tone. "Or the village in the next valley."

"Can you help me?" she asked.

I stared at the kite that was sitting carefully on the high branches. "It's been a long time since I've climbed a tree, son."

"Joab," said he. “My name is Yoab.”

I offered my hand to her, my own name hesitated at the tip of my tongue. It's been too long since I've said it with shame.

Come onl. You've called worse.

"Yasuo," I said, and pulled him off the ground.

I stepped out of the shade of the tree, and returned to the sun from the open to get a better view. It was hot and quiet. I closed my eyes to feel the small airflow left on the edge of the meadow. A gentle breeze blew, pushing a wisp of hair from my face.

“I wish I could blow it up. Weaving useless wood, ”murmam Joab, frowned from the kite to its poultice. “There used to be an elder who could move the wind, but he was dead. And his student can too, but emai says he's dangerous, he kills the older ones.”.

I grabbed a knife by my side. As I drew the weapon, I focused the magic. Wind swirled around him, gathering in an increasingly violent vortex. Dust and dead leaves danced on the blade until I formed a whirlwind at my will, then released it with a flick of my wrist.

An invisible force hit the tree desperately, the tree trunk shook from the impact. The branches swayed as if an invisible spirit rose through them, finally reaching the kite. The colorful silk gently lifted as the air returned to the sky above, and floated slowly onto my outstretched hand.

The boy's mouth opened slightly, but he closed it quickly. The fear is back.

"You?" she asked. "An older disciple?"

All Ionia knows who you are.

Joab looked down the forest path, maybe someone would come hunting for me. "Are you running away?" he whispered, but I shook my head. “Did they let you go back then? I mean, are you forgiven?”

"I can't be forgiven for a crime I didn't commit." It's just a technical issue, but I said it before the voice in my head could.

But you killed the others…

I took a deep, calming breath, concentrating on the cool breeze on my back and the kite in my hand to store the memories at bay. Joab chewed her own thoughts for a moment.

Just as his mouth opened to another question, the metallic glint that emerged from the forest caught the sun.

I raised my sword in anticipation, only to find a slightly older mirror of Joab carrying a small farming tool tied to a long rope. I dropped my weapon quickly, but late—fear and vigilance settled in the meadow.

Too fast to react, too slow to stop.

It was never enough for him. It's my whole life in miniature.

Brother Joab watched us. He did not leave the security of the forest edge.

"Joab," the older boy called out. Joab ran obediently, but stopped when she saw the tools and rope. I pulled a breeze, trying hard to hear.

“For what is it, Teo?” joab asked, consciousness turned to anger. "You know I'm gonna take a kite?"

I shook my head. Of course he knows.

Big brother always knows what little brother will do.

“Yes, always the opposite of whatever I told you, Joab,” said the older boy, still watching me. "Who is that?"

Joab looked back, then leaned over and whispered in his brother's ear. Teo's eyes widened for a moment, then became an understated frown.

“Emai says it's time to eat,” Teo said as he turned to leave. Joab pulled his arm, trying to slow him down. He whispered again in Teo's ear.

I tried to calm the wind that brought the next words, stopped listening, but it was too late.

"No, he can't come" Teo said. “She xiiri. ”

Xiiri's.

The word stuck in my throat as the wind finally stopped around me. Xiiri is something that is not desirable. A misfortune brought by outsiders or greed. The little pest that follows the brothers…

The sun was setting, heating the blade by my side. It's a word I've heard all my life.

You are not needed. Stay on your way.

I braced myself, and walked to the brothers.

“Listen to him, Son,” I said, handing over the precious silk package to Joab. "Brothers know best."

Before any of them could answer, I walked on, returning to the road ahead.

***