Chapter 9: I Will Protect You
Akali re-emerged on the battlefield, determined to spill Zed’s blood. He tried to catch her off guard, which he did with the bottom lane gank with the jungler. Now Zed killed Varus and set Akali behind. She roamed to bot lane too late. She knew it was her fault. Disappointment welled within her. She was weak, wasn’t she? She focused on farming and neglected the spatial awareness around her. If she glimpsed Zed on the map, perhaps she would’ve caught him stepping on a ward if she placed one down. But Akali was so determined to kill Zed that she forgot an important thing about the game—vision.

“Akali, I’m here for you,” Shen said simply.

Akali’s heart fluttered when he mentioned this. Renewed strength and hope flowed through her. Akali convinced herself she would overcome this and make her team proud, especially Shen. She wanted to show him all her training wasn’t for naught, that she improved drastically, that she can surpass the mentor she once called a lover.

A miserable match awaited her. Zed bullied and killed Akali several times and smartly played maneuvers to outfox her despite the fact she was initially ahead. Akali knew the basics of the game and was a competent fighter who could get kills and objectives with ease. But Zed made the game harder. He knew macro play as well as micro play. He weaved his knowledge beautifully into one devastating dagger-like point to focus her and kill her so he snowballed off her and Varus instead.

No matter what they did, they couldn’t protect Varus. The opposing ADC, Caitlyn, sieged down turrets. They let Dragon go because they couldn’t contest it. But the real clincher was after the enemy team destroyed the outer turrets into crumbled blocks of stone, they slew Baron. Their Jungler, Vi, tried her hardest to Smite Baron away but ended up dying.

Thresh whispered in Akali’s ear something cryptic. The words rang in her head as the enemy team slaughtered Baron and watched in horror as the enemy team sieged mid and crushed the Nexus.

“Ever wonder what happens after you die on the Rift, Akali?”

Akali said nothing.

A strong shiver wormed its way down her back as Zed and the others declared victory.

—x—

“We lost,” Akali said dully as Shen headed out with her. “It’s my fault.”

“Perhaps you were not quite ready,” Shen put a soothing hand on her shoulder. “Fret not, though. Zed has more experience than you. I know him well, and he’s a crafty person that tries to get underneath his opponent’s skin, thinking what they would think and try to outmaneuver them in a display of one-upmanship.”

I should know very well. I was his lover, after all. Though Zed may be very arrogant and an insufferable prick, he still…did not care for me, at all? The fact that he would kill me goes to show what he thought of what we had before. Or is there something more to this than I thought? Is he working together with Thresh? Or is Zed, in his way, telling me that I’m defying everything that I’m teaching him by going to Thresh? I’m not sure, there are so many mysteries and secrets, and I can’t coax them out of anyone. So I might as well do my investigation and see what I must do to complete the puzzle pieces.

“Don’t blame yourself, Akali,” Shen said while putting a reassuring hand on her back. “That was a tough game. Zed knows how to play from behind and take crushing advantages. I imagine that he was behind all the shot-calling and why their team was so well coordinated. I’m sorry that I couldn’t save you that one time, Akali. That was an error on my part.”

“No,” Akali said with a sigh. “You did right trying to save the ADC. We needed Varus to push down turrets, but they just go ahead of us. I feel my blood tingling because of all that.”

“We all have bad games,” Shen said sagely. “Everyone goes on winning streaks and losing streaks, depending on their Summoner and the conditions of the match beforehand. There are many builds that you have to consider, along with map awareness, warding, trading, harassing, farming, and a bunch of other macro and microelements. It’s not easy to play the game that the Summoners set up. It takes a lot of time and dedication to learn all there is to know about it.”

“I still can’t help but feel bad,” Akali whispered to Shen, clenching her hands into her fists.

She wanted to prove to Shen she could progress further in her training, that she was ready for greater responsibilities. But she couldn’t even keep her promises. She couldn’t kill Zed and cost the team the game. That was her fault.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Akali,” Shen said. “Though what did Thresh to say to you?”

Still spooked by what Thresh said, Akali darted her gaze away from Shen. Shen could easily see it on her face, despite the mask covering part of her face.

“He told me…If I ever wondered what It was like dying on the Rift?”

Shen paused. He furrowed his brow. “It’s something that the Champions never really questioned. Though this could be forbidden knowledge that will only lead to despair or disillusionment. What will you do with that knowledge, Akali?”

Akali shrugged and stared down at the floor. “I don’t know.”

Shen watched her steadily for a few moments. It appeared he wanted to caress her cheek or tuck a strand of hair behind the shell of her ear, though people probably watched them at this moment. So they couldn’t do much except murmur some soft conversation and linger their gazes for a few seconds. It would be unseemly to look more than just mentor and student, after all. Though the coiled heat in her body threatened to spring up and overtake her if she didn’t do something about it.

It’s been a while since she and Shen slept together. It drove her nuts he kept these secrets and didn’t give the answers that she sought. She supposed he was being his old mentor self. Of course, Akali wondered whether or not Shen saw her as the little girl who followed his orders and example as the Kinkou leader. She wondered if she should break free from the Kinkou and exert herself as her own master, free from the influence of Shen and the shadows of Zed’s tutelage.

“Well,” Shen parted away from her for a moment. “Go to the Infirmary to check if anything is still broken or whatnot. I will be seeing you.”

Akali watched Shen depart, feeling love swell her heart with fierce pride. Then the smile disappeared from her face. There was something she needed to know, and she decided what she must do.

I must go to Thresh.