Arcane: Twin Cities Mechanic

"Freljord must be unified," Ashe declared, her voice firm and resolute. "Especially since we are facing the ultimate threat." 

"Tch, who even knows if that's true..." Sejuani muttered in defiance. 

As Freljord's "Conqueror," Sejuani held ideals that clashed with those of Ashe, the "Idealist." Since their split years ago, the Winter's Claw and the Avarosan Tribe had been locked in a bitter conflict, their relationship teetering on the edge of annihilation.

It was only when the mechanical army threatened to overrun Freljord that even the fiercest Iceborn warriors of the Winter's Claw felt a deep despair. Without Ashe's intervention to propose negotiations, the Winter's Claw might have been erased from history altogether. 

The pressure from the mechanical invaders, combined with the allure of Ashe's plentiful supplies to survive the harsh winters, eventually compelled the war mothers and warriors of the Winter's Claw's allied clans to unite.

They forced Sejuani into an alliance with Ashe. Reluctantly, Sejuani agreed, and her followers moved to the warmer southern valleys under Ashe's guidance. 

Though time spent together had softened Sejuani's opinion of her former sister-in-arms, her soul and blood still yearned for battle.

Ashe had used the imminent arrival of the "Void Watchers" to convince Sejuani temporarily. Yet Sejuani remained skeptical, believing it all to be a tale spun by the League of Legends and Li Lin to coerce them into submission. 

Now, Ashe was reaching out to Li Lin again, not only to negotiate with Lissandra for Freljord's true unification but also to rebuild Sejuani's trust and prepare for the ultimate threat they all faced. 

"You'll know the truth soon enough," Li Lin replied confidently as he snapped his fingers. 

Three glowing blue-and-white circles, etched with intricate runes, suddenly appeared on the ground behind him. Within four seconds, three sets of distinct nanotech armor materialized before them. 

"These are suits of armor I designed specifically for you," Li Lin explained. "They use the same technology as mine. Consider them gifts from me." 

With a flick of his hand, the suits flew to their respective recipients: Ashe, Sejuani, and Tryndamere. 

Ashe's armor was deep blue with a sleek, form-fitting design. It included a hood reminiscent of her usual attire and featured nanotech enhancements to secure her Avarosan True Ice Bow on her back. 

Sejuani's armor was silver-white and came in two parts: one for herself and another designed to fully protect her massive war boar, Bristle, which stood over four meters tall and weighed nearly ten tons. 

Tryndamere's armor, which covered him entirely, matched Ashe's in color and retained the iconic dual-horned helm he was known for. 

Li Lin had named the armors Project Genesis: Unity, Project Genesis: Warlord, and Project Genesis: Wrath, respectively. 

The trio's expressions betrayed a mix of emotions: surprise, suspicion, and confusion. 

"What is this?" Ashe asked, reaching out hesitantly. Her fingers brushed over the armor, which responded instantly.

The nanobots dissolved into countless microscopic particles and climbed up her arms, enveloping her entire body in the blink of an eye. 

Tryndamere's crimson eyes flashed with vigilance. "Ashe!" 

"It's all right, my love," Ashe reassured him. The armor, despite its advanced technology, carried no metallic distortion in her voice. She lifted the visor with ease, revealing her delighted expression. "Why are you giving these to us?" 

"All League of Legends champions receive their own armor," Li Lin explained. "You've all reached the rank of Master. Consider this my small gift to you on behalf of the League." 

He smirked. "Besides, we're heading to the Frostguard Citadel thousands of kilometers away. That's over two-thirds of Freljord. Without the armor's teleportation tech, were you planning to walk there on foot?" 

As the two remaining suits activated, Sejuani and Tryndamere found themselves encased in the advanced armor. An AI system immediately began briefing them on its features and functions. Moments later, the pair adjusted the appearance of their suits to resemble their usual attire of beast-hide garments. 

"This is... incredible," Sejuani admitted, her voice filled with reluctant awe. "Is this what you warmbloods call magic?" 

"This has nothing to do with magic," Ashe replied, though she wasn't entirely sure herself. But this wasn't the time for further discussion. 

"All right, time is running short. Put on your Project Genesis suits. We need to move quickly unless you'd prefer to spend the night in the Frost Witch's territory." 

After the Warmother left the tribe, the responsibility of handling tribal affairs fell to her Bloodsworn. Since Ashe vowed to only have one Bloodsworn—Tryndamere—he had to stay behind in Avarosa to guard against any potential emergencies.

Meeting the Frost Witch was an inherently dangerous undertaking, and Ashe had no intention of bringing an entourage. Thus, it was just Li Lin, Sejuani, and Ashe making the journey together.

The location of the Frostguard Citadel had long been pinpointed by satellites, and reconnaissance drones had scouted the area previously. Li Lin knew its precise location. However, before facing Lissandra—an expert at weaving lies—Li Lin had a different destination in mind for Ashe and Sejuani.

As a flicker of blue-white light flashed, the group suddenly found themselves on an ancient glacier battered by raging winds and snow. Towering atop the icy peaks was the massive Frostguard Citadel, forged from steel and ice.

An awe-inspiring bridge, crafted from stone and an unknown alloy far beyond mortal craftsmanship, spanned a deep chasm, linking the mountain peaks of the Howling Abyss. Countless magical runes and structures, etched into glacial caves, emitted brilliant beams of blue light that pierced the heavens.

Ashe and Sejuani stood gazing at the citadel rising from the cliffs, its construction deeply rooted in the glacier. The sight filled them with complex emotions. Years ago, the Winter's Claw tribe, under Sejuani's grandmother Hejian's leadership, was on the brink of extinction.

Though Hejian returned to the tribe under Udyr's guidance to restore stability, they still relied on the Frostguard to survive. Sejuani had seen the Frostguard Citadel before. Because of her Frostborn lineage, the Frostguard had almost taken her to meet the Frost Witch in the past.

It was only after she seized power from her mother and led the tribe away from the Frostguard's reach that they avoided Lissandra's hostility toward her sisters' descendants.

"I hate this place," Sejuani murmured, almost to herself.

"Don't worry, sister. We'll face the Frost Witch together," Ashe said, taking Sejuani's hand as if they were once again children sharing the same bed for warmth. Despite the exosuit separating them, preventing Ashe from feeling Sejuani's hand directly, she could still sense the bone-chilling cold that came with being Iceborn.

Sejuani felt a fleeting warmth in her heart, quickly overshadowed by memories of Ashe "betraying" her by heading south to the valleys. To Ashe and Li Lin, it was nothing more than a misunderstanding, but Sejuani still harbored resentment.

After a brief hesitation, Sejuani pulled her hand away. "Tch. Who said I'd face her with you?" she scoffed. Yet, deep down, she thought to herself, 'At least I could touch her hand again, like before.' 

Ashe's lips curled into a smile, not pressing further. Some rifts required time to heal. Ashe believed that once Sejuani realized the peaceful life in the southern valleys brought far greater happiness than endless war and plunder, she would come to terms with the past.

Shifting her gaze to Li Lin, Ashe spoke, "There will be many Frostguard ahead. We should at least greet them; otherwise, the Frost Witch might think we come with ill intent."

"We're not meeting Lissandra just yet," Li Lin replied, flying toward another direction adjacent to the bridge of the Howling Abyss, with Ashe and Sejuani following closely behind.

"So, where are we going?" Ashe asked over the comms channel.

"To meet an old acquaintance of the Three Sisters of Ice," Li Lin replied cryptically.

"Huh? Did you hit your head? The Three Sisters of Ice lived nearly ten thousand years ago. How could one of their acquaintances still be alive?" Sejuani's voice dripped with skepticism.

"Then how do you think Lissandra has lived this long?" Li Lin's counter left Sejuani in stunned silence.

"Well, we'll find out when we get there," Ashe said, trying to ease the tension. "If what Li Lin says is true and this person really knows the Three Sisters, we might uncover long-buried history."

"Whatever," Sejuani muttered.

The exosuits allowed them to fly rapidly, their speed unaffected by the raging blizzards around them. Before long, Li Lin led Ashe and Sejuani to a cliff near the bridge of the Howling Abyss, where they stopped in front of a massive, ice-encrusted monolith.

Standing before the monolith, gazing at its solemn, solitary presence overlooking the abyss, Ashe felt her eyes sting with unbidden emotion. 

"I sense True Ice magic," she murmured. She disengaged her exosuit, the nanomaterials retreating to reveal her classic attire.

Braving the icy wind, she approached the monolith and placed her hand on the True Ice embedded within. Its coldness was soul-piercing, yet familiar—something she had long grown accustomed to.

"There's something strangely familiar about this," Sejuani said in a low voice. "But I'm sure I've never been here before."

Both women turned to Li Lin, their gazes filled with silent questions. Before either could speak, a raspy male voice suddenly echoed from within the monolith.

"Avarosa… Serylda… Is it really… truly you?" 

(To be continued...)

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