Chapter 3: Training And Temptation
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Chapter 3: Training And Temptation
Akali exercised in the League’s training room. She practiced stretching and squats, sinewy muscles showing dynamism in the fine lines and curves of her athletic body. Warmups and training always relaxed her mind. Being physically active soothed Akali’s nerves when she felt the tension in her gut. A little on edge after her meeting with Thresh, though that was something she could alleviate through practice and training.

However, hyper-vigilant to her surroundings, another presence crept behind her. She hastily grabbed her kamas to defend herself and turned. 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 laughed gently before patting the Yordle on the head. “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 Shen disapproved of her meeting with Thresh, and the reason why she wanted to do his bidding. Though Kennen quickly forgave people and had an easygoing demeanor, he didn’t like Zed. He didn’t exactly approve of Thresh, either. Both of them thought Thresh influenced Akali for the worst. Though Akali was an adult. Shouldn’t she make her own decisions? She did this for herself, not for any of them. 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 the world was a cruel place, but she also knew if she could ask the source herself, Akali would do anything to find the answer.

“Let Shen be,” Akali stared off into the distance and stood up. “I’m sure his emotions will resolve themselves. For now…I need to train.”

Akali raised her fists to strike against the wooden dummies before she sensed another presence. Shadows coiled around her and watchful eyes trained on her form. She had a feeling who this intruder might be. Who else knew how to manipulate shadows and hide unseen in his world of darkness?

“Such wasted potential,” a dark voice said.

Akali knew whose voice that was.

Zed.

Zed materialized from the shadowy world he inhabited and into the sunlight. Being a ninja, sunlight didn’t suit him. Shadows embraced and coiled over his muscular form. Akali glared at Zed.

“You’re not welcome here,” Akali said in a terse tone.

Kennen also tensed. Zed merely looked at his sharpened blades in disinterest.

“My shadows see everything,” Zed’s red eyes glared. “Spar with me, Akali.”

Kennen’s more jovial expression turned serious as he noted the fighting auras surrounding Zed and Akali. Kennen didn’t want blood spilled in the training rooms, for God’s sake. Akali wanted a fight, especially with Zed. She seethed when she thought about what he did to her beloved Shen. It was absolutely unforgivable! Akali declared as the Pruning of the Tree she would eliminate the man who killed Shen’s father.

“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.

“Ah, Kennen. You’re nothing more than an oversized rodent that I’ll stick with my blades soon enough when a match comes up in the League. You’ll be nothing but rust on my blade, do not worry.”

He then turned to Akali, narrowing his eyes towards her.

“As for you…”

Akali waited. To be truthful, he didn’t deserve to say his piece, though lingering respect for Zed still remained…and perhaps the old flames of a love she thought would last forever. But it was something he scorned and threw away. How could this happen? He taught her so much, along with Shen, and Shen and Zed were closer than brothers. Why did everything have to change? Why did everything happen on that day, when Shen retreated into himself and stoically bore the death of his father. Yet she knew Shen was falling to pieces on the inside. She refused to forgive Zed for that, ever.

Akali’s clenched fists trembled. She ached to strangle the Shadow Ninja, her fingers snapping his neck. Her hands were strong enough to break a chain—why not break a man’s neck? She thought about the Noxian man she killed with her bare hands—and some part of Akali feared to admit it, but she actually enjoyed the power of breaking a man’s neck with her bare hands. They were strong enough to break boulders, to cleave apart chains—with this kind of power, she could take on Zed. She trained devotedly every day so it led to a fateful showdown between mentor and herself.

“I bet if I were to use one shadow clone,” Zed said. “You would lose to it. You cannot face me as you are now.”

His eyes narrowed towards Kennen. “But I know that Akali is doing something that is against all of our interests. Even though I have no love for Shen, I agree with him on this matter. Someone is corrupting her.”

Akali’s cheeks flushed the barest hint of red. So he spied on her? She should’ve realized, that arrogant bastard! Her plans may be ruined if she couldn’t contact Thresh. She needed this. And why did Zed care about corruption anyway? He wasn’t a pure-hearted saint. He, in fact, was a bloody assassin, like herself. Why was he against her killing a few lowlives and bringing them to Thresh?

“Why would you care anyway, Zed,” Akali flushed. “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.

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

“Zed, I will fight you,” Akali declared. “I’m not the little girl that you’ve trained. I can take you on, and you will regret showing your face around me.”

“Eager for a fight, Akali?’ Zed said as he chuckled and brandished his blades. “Is your mind strong enough to withstand…this?”

The shadows wisped and swirled around her as Zed’s shadow clones materialized. One pinned her arms behind her back and the other mockingly held her cheek. The real Zed glanced at his blades and appeared bored. He was awfully confident, wasn’t he? She would show him. She ripped through the shadow clones with her karmas and threw one kama straight towards Zed’s head. However, Zed easily outmaneuvered the throw and merely sidestepped out of the way. The kama struck against the wall.No matter though, Akali would still get him.

She used Shadow Dash to leap towards him. She aimed her kama at his throat. However, Zed disarmed her and rolled on top of her. Kennen threw some shurikens at Zed, though Zed merely deflected them away with a flick of his arm blade.

“Do not interfere, Kennen, or I will hurt her,” he growled.

Kennen, fearing for Akali, didn’t intervene further.

“You two really need to stop,” Kennen protested.

Zed threw a shuriken towards Kennen. Kenne deftly skipped out of the way.

“Silence!”

Zed held his arm blade towards Akalis throat, who was now completely disarmed. She glared at him defiantly. She would not yield, no matter how much he wanted her to.

“Haha…Akali,” Zed said as he whispered in her ear. “Does this remind you of old times, hm? Do you sometimes whisper my name when you’re fucking Shen?”

“Fuck off, Zed!” Akali kicked both her legs against his chest and scrambled to get her kamas.

Zed immediately grabbed her leg and forced her onto the ground none too kindly. He pinioned above her, and Akali could imagine the insufferable bastard smirked again underneath his mask.

“Pinned again, Akali,” Zed said mockingly. “No matter how hard you try, it’s not quite good enough yet, is it?”

“I will get you one day,” Akali said with a dark promise.

A white light enveloped Akali. Zed knew what this meant and cursed. He jumped off of Akali and held his blades in front of him. Shen teleported to Akali’s side to protect her. He drew his blade towards Zed in a warning.

“Zed…” Shen’s 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 in the 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 with no emotion in his voice.

Before Akali could utter an insult his way, Akali might’ve heard slight regret? Was she mistaken? “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 obscured from view. Always watching. Akali felt his eyes on her even in the darkness.

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