A Search Through Runeterra (Arcane)

"Let us hunt those who have fallen to darkness."~ Vayne, The Night Hunter

This full on war thing is new to me. Originally I had planned to write just Gregori's portion and call it a day but this would be better overall. Cannot introduce new characters and not have them be in the story. The volume is literally called War Across Nations lmao.

So this might be less refined than usual but yeah. Every chapter is going to be for a character.

And the final battle between Gregori and Sylas would be one chapter as well. A longer chapter.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In his full armor, Jarvan IV was a sight to behold. The scale like pattern on it and its resemblance to dragons were uncanny. And with Drakebane in his hand, the man looked like a king.

A king who rose to his position through battle.

As his men fought alongside him, Jarvan turned his attention to the beast that seemed to cause a lot of trouble. 

The mammoth.

It was giant. Hulking above even largest dragon he had seen.

Gregori had told him that it took quite a few Freljordians to hunt it. He would have to make do with less.

The original plan was to have the Silverwing riders take them out by individually removing their riders but the riders were protected by some kind of covering. They used this covering to shoot those nearby with arrows. It also protected them from arrows. This protection also protected them from the raptors. None of their arrows actually managed to hurt the beast. Its wooly fur completely blocking the attacks.

Jarvan watched as the vanguards with shield rushed forward and stabbed their swords into the creature's feet.

But the mammoth did not fall.

Instead all they managed to do was anger it. And in its anger it swung its trunk in their direction. 

BANG

The shield did little to stop the attack. The trunk sent them flying into the waiting blades of the other Freljordians.

And those who hadn't been swatted away were stepped on by the mammoth. If they weren't fortunate enough to instantly lose their lives to the stomp..... they struggled underneath knowing their limbs would never function the same way again.

And there were two mammoths.

He just needed to take out one. The other would be focused down by his soldiers.

With his weapon held to his side, Jarvan stepped closer to the mammoth.

The mammoth's rider probably noticed him if the sudden burst of yelling was any clue. 

Jarvan readied himself and got into a stance. 

As the mammoth entered his range, he swung his lance.

CLINK

SWOOOOSH

The lance looked like it grew in length as it cut right into the trunk of the mammoth.

Blood rained.

ROOOAAAAAAAAARRR

The mammoth reared in pain as Jarvan pulled the lance back. It then, in its fully enraged state, rushed toward him fully intent on goring him with one of its large tusks.

Pulling his lance back fully, Jarvan waited for an opportune moment.

It did not come.

He ducked under the left horn that was about to pierce through him. Though if it hit, it wouldn't leave much behind considering its size. He needed another way in.

In an a brief moment of madness, Jarvan launched himself under the creature, in between its legs. He raised his lance straight upward and leapt in order to stab the creature.

His attack landed but it wasn't enough as the lance slid out of the new wound under the creature.

But this led to another spurt of blood completely covering Jarvan.

The gold plating in the armor and its scales were stained red with blood. The beast reared up and its foot came slamming down onto the ground like divine judgement. Jarvan rolled to the side and out of the reach of the mammoth.

He scrambled to his feet, slipping on the now wet blood soaked ground, he stabbed his lance into the ground to stabilize himself.

An arrow came zipping at him barely missing his person. Looking up, Jarvan spotted the peeking Freljordian.

Then it struck him. He just needed to kill them first.

With a sudden burst of energy, he jumped to the mammoth's legs and grabbed onto its thick fur. With a strong grip, he swung the lance right into the trunk like leg for better stability and then slowly began his climb.

But the moment he began his climb, the mammoth's injured trunk cam flying into his side. He was sent tumbling to the back from the impact.

His body didn't register the pain as he shot to his feet. Out of the corner of his vision he spotted an incoming axe. One he sidestepped and stabbed forth with his lance.

The Freljordian fell.

His eyes shot back to the mammoth a short distance away now.

Yelling, he began his charge right at the creature. Any Freljordian in the vicinity met the impossibly sharp edge of Drakebane.

Within a minute Jarvan had reached the mammoth.

"If the forelegs don't work....." He muttered under his breath as he lunged at the hind legs of the massive creature.

He thrust his lance into the creature and began his climb.

The mammoth swung its trunk but it did nothing as it couldn't reach Jarvan.

The riders on top of the mammoth noticed him climbing as they began to shoot arrows at him.

Jarvan tilted his head down, choosing to trust his armor to block the damage. And block the damage it did. Every arrow bounced off of his armor and body while he patiently climbed.

Every stab sent a spurt of blood at him. He sputtered as blood began to cover his face and his person. His climb halted as Jarvan left his lance and brought his hand up to wipe the blood off his face. Holding onto the spear, he began climbing once more.

Slowly but surely he scaled the mammoth.

Tanking everything being thrown at him without flinching.

One last push later, Jarvan found himself struggling to find his footing on the side of the mammoth.

Stabbing the lance into the back of the mammoth, he found his footing and turned to face the Freljordians.

Three of them.

In an instant he was on them, the lance piercing through the bowman and his fist sending the other stumbling to the side of the mammoth. Ripping the lance free from the man's body he sized up the Freljordian who had pulled out a dagger. 

He seemed considerably weaker than the other one.

The other man's body slid off the mammoth's body and into the battlefield below.

The Beastmaster most likely. Jarvan knocked the dagger out of his hand with his lance and then front kicked him, sending the man toppling off the side of the mammoth where he would meet his doom to the foot of his own beast.

SPLASH

A sudden burst of some liquid hit his face as Jarvan's head turned to the side from the force.

He wiped the liquid off his face and realized that it was just water.

"Thanks for the wash." He spoke as his vision cleared.

Attention finally turning to the last person on the mammoth, Jarvan noted that they were a mage.

Her eyes widened as she took in Jarvan.

"T....The p...prince..." She muttered, wide-eyed in fear.

Jarvan tilted his head. She called him prince. A Demacian mage then. One who had escaped after causing the rebellion.

He noted the fear on her face and her shaking arms. She was just a mage. One who was hunted for no other crime than being.... just a mage. But after breaking out she was involved in the deaths of many. Now she had returned to do the same thing again.

Rage filled him.

Not because of the woman but due to his father. His fear and subsequent support of the Mageseeker and their depraved practices had put them in this situation.

Put him in this situation.

A situation where he was to be merciless.

"King." Jarvan corrected as swung his lance sideways, decapitating the mage.

Her body slumped downward but her head rolled off the side of the mammoth.

With the deaths of all three riders, he had expected the mammoth would stop. But it hadn't. In fact, it had gotten more rowdy. Its trunk swung frantically and its body lumbered forward stepping on both ally and enemy.

Jarvan got off the platform the riders were seated on and shimmied his way to the head of the beast.

"I apologize for this." He whispered as he raised his lance high up into the sky.

BANG

He brought it down onto the creature's skull.

The creature immediately seized up and its knees buckled.

Jarvan hung onto his lance for dear life as the mammoth landed on the ground. 

BOOOM

The battlefield shook as they hit the ground.

Countless eyes turning to his position.

Jarvan stood to full height and pulled out the lance. Raising it into the air, he screamed, "FOR DEMACIAAA!"

The morale of nearby soldiers shot up as they began to battle with renewed vigor.

Fatigue hit him as he groaned, the year of sedentary lifestyle as king was taking his toll on him as his muscles cried out in pain.

He raised his head and spotted the group of Freljordians moving closer.

"Fuck..." He grunted as he raised his lance.

With a shake of his head, he began running toward them.

For his people.

For himself.

For Demacia.