Chapter 1: Tsukumogami ki.
Chapter Text
"Have you come here to complete our communion?" The demon's voice was threatening, but not enough to frighten Kayn, who walked calmly through the small hall where the priestess kept the scythe and stopped in front of it, being able to see every detail of it from the Blood Moon, the Order that had kidnapped him and forced him to serve the demon inside the scythe, but was now here in a temple of the Snow Moon.
If he had completed the ritual that day, he would be dead anyway, should he call Snow Moon his saviors? But would they be his saviors if that demon had corrupted him? He was in a very complicated division of values.
"What have they done to you? Alienated your brain with sweet words of affirmation? " The scythe had strangely white and metallic details, but its color was a cold red that stood out easily. It was still a mystery to Kayn that a demon's weapon was such a clear mix between the two Orders " Poor Kayn..."
He knew it wasn't out of pity, the demon was mocking him "Shut up."
"Didn't you talk to me like that that night, turning you into a jerk? Zed needs to teach you a good lesson"
Kayn couldn't understand what the demon meant. Zed? At least he gave it a new name "Tell me your name, demon, or are you called Zed?"
He could see the red of the scythe moving, the red that clashed with the pure air of the Temple of the Snow Moon and carried a sinister aura.
"Have they gotten so far into your mind that you can't remember?" There was a tone of anger in the scythe's words: "What a disappointment, and here I thought I'd have the most faithful follower among my brothers."
"Illaoi was right, you wouldn't say anything useful to me." The assassin took a step back, ready to turn around and leave, but his body prevented him from doing so as if waiting for something.
"Illaoi. " The demon laughed: " She tried so hard and seeing her face in fury at her failure to suppress me was a delight. " Kayn could see the red part of the scythe growing, invading the white part like a fungus desperate for energy " I don't need to tell you anything because you already know everything you need to know."
"You just forgot."
How? How could Kayn have forgotten? Who was he before that ritual? His memories were a meaningless blur as if they were being buried in the cold snow of oblivion. He wanted to get out of there a long time ago, but he couldn't.
"What have you done to me?" Kayn looked angrily at the scythe "Answer some questions you scythe farming idiot!"
The demon laughed, amused that Kayn's desperation for answers was feeding something sinister inside him. The assassin was furious, clenching his fists and ready to leave.
But he couldn't.
"Kayn." A woman's voice echoed through the almost empty room, causing him to turn and see Morgana standing in the doorway, illuminated only by the moonlight "That's enough." It was thanks to Morgana that Kayn had been able to come here without too much trouble, for Illaoi would never have allowed him here.
"Go, and come back as soon as possible. " The demon ordered and Kayn finally managed to move his body to get out of there " Rhaast, my name is Rhaast. Try never to forget it again."
Kayn felt furious that his body had obeyed Rhaast so readily, but something deep inside him just felt that this was the right thing to do, that his duty was to the Bloody Moon and to the demon Rhaast.
Perhaps Morgana would never be able to get this duality out of Kayn.
He himself felt that it wasn't right to have this duality.
When the door closed, Morgana faced him, "Did you get the answers you wanted?"
Kayn narrowed his eyes, trying to decipher the priestess's countenance only to find nothing but coldness as well as something about the Snow Moon "No, but I feel that if I come back here again there might be more." What? No! Kayn didn't need to come back here and he knows it, following Rhaast's orders was against the rules of the Order of the Snow Moon.
Morgana sighed, "I don't know if that's possible, Illaoi will be back here soon and I can't let you be possessed by the demon."
"Little faith in me?" Kayn snorted.
"I'm cautious." He could sense that Morgana was scolding him again for leaving his emotions so exposed, as any follower of the Snow Moon was, cold and emotionless.
That's what Morgana did with Varus and now she wants to do with him.
"If he possesses me, you'll save me, isn't that how it happened?" He was told that the Blood Moon ritual was being carried out when they stormed the temple and that they rushed to save poor young Kayn from the demon's corruption and it was Morgana who did it.
But her silence on this question brought doubts to the assassin's mind and fury at the lack of answers, again, the great hiding things from Kayn.
"You can come back here, but this time I'll make preparations first. We can't be too careful and we mustn't underestimate the strength of a demon." Morgana turned, walking away with steps so light they couldn't even be heard, and without too many demands, Kayn walked right behind her, waiting for her to tell him more.
But what came was only the cold of eternal winter and more doubts in Kayn's mind.
The next few days passed and Kayn found himself in the room again, now warm, bringing a small thermal shock to Kayn's skin, but quite nostalgic. This time, Morgana took the necessary precautions by drawing some preventative symbols on Kayn's body, without guaranteeing that they would save Kayn, but that they would keep the demon away from the future assassin of the Snow Moon.
"You're back, like the good puppy you are." The scythe was much redder than before, probably Illaoi hadn't arrived yet, which was good, since suppressing the demon was her duty and if she did Kayn would never get the answers he so desperately wanted.
"I didn't come for you, I came to make you answer my questions, demon." Kayn could see the red of the blade glowing and a debauched laugh in the background.
"Just sweet lies. " Rhaast saw the human come closer to him as he stared at him with disdain " I'm curious to know how you're going to do this."
Kayn didn't know why, but he could sense that the demon was very relaxed, certain that Kayn wouldn't take anything from him, which awakened his proud side "What happened the day the Snow Moon saved me?"
"Saved you? " The demon laughed, " You know very well what happened."
"No, I don't know, I don't remember." Kayn was gradually losing patience, getting something out of a demon isn't easy.
"Why don't you remember?" For a second, Kayn stepped back, giving Rhaast a taste of victory.
"Why don't I remember?" Was it a question to Rhaast or to himself? It didn't matter, the heat seemed to be rising, which is unusual in that icy part of the continent "What are you doing...?"
"I thought you were smarter, Kayn. Where's the woman from before? She doesn't tell you anything and lets you come here? " The demon continued with his debauched tone, as if he knew everything and Kayn nothing, making a fool of the assassin and leaving him angry and doubting everything “ What do you know about the Snow Moon and its gods?”
He just needed to plant the seed of doubt in Kayn and hope that things would turn out the way he wanted, because he knew every part of the mind of the one in front of him and what steps he would follow even if Ahri had fed on his memories.
The Death God of the Blood Moon would take care of all that later.
"Morgana just..." It was absurdly hot, he was sweating like never before, feeling his legs weaken and ready to collapse, but Kayn would never allow himself to be weak in front of the stubborn demon.
"Helping you? You know that's not true. I'm the only one capable of doing that for you. " Kayn could see the smoke around the room causing a sauna-like haze and had the reflex to close his eyes and enjoy the strangely nostalgic warmth " Go away and come back in three days."
Tomorrow Illaoi would return to the temple to exercise the demon scythe so this would be Kayn's last chance "If you live until then." And for some reason, Kayn didn't believe his own doubts, in his heart he knew that Rhaast was powerful enough to face a powerful woman like Illaoi, maybe even more so.
"I will."
Kayn knew that.
Then time passed, perhaps a few months, Kayn couldn't tell because things seemed to happen so quickly and now Rhaast must no longer exist. Meanwhile, he continued the arduous training of Lua Nevada, wondering how promising he would be even if the feeling of pride had never left him.
He remembered when he first talked to Rhaast, in that hall warmed by the demon's sinister aura. That's when he stopped to analyze the conversation he'd had, hearing Rhaast's voice echoing through his mind: communion.
Not ritual, as Morgana or Illaoi had first said.
But he shouldn't doubt them, right? They were his saviors so there was no reason to lie when they only wanted to help, especially Morgana whom Kayn partially trusted since he didn't want to admit that the demon was sure the priestess was hiding something from him even though something inside him screamed the opposite.
"Kayn." Morgana's voice rang out, interrupting his train of thought as he looked up at the woman "Illaoi is calling you, she wants to give you a gift."
A present? Kayn could imagine what it was. "It took her months to find a weapon?" He sneered, as he followed Morgana down the corridor.
"Kayn, don't talk about Illaoi like that." The priestess glanced at Kayn out of the corner of her eye, seeing his posture of walking beside her making a mental note to correct this arrogant behavior.
He shrugged, unable to empathize with Illaoi since the woman had never done anything to deserve his respect, but perhaps today he would change his mind with his weapon in hand. Kayn showed himself to be a master of weapons, mastering anything he put his hands on, leading him to wonder when he had learned to handle weapons like that and all Morgana offered him was an answer that pleased his ears: He was good at whatever he wanted.
Trouble followed when, even though he was so skilled, he felt that there was something strange about wielding such weapons. It seemed that his muscle memory craved something heavier and more challenging, something he didn't have at the Temple of the Snowy Moon, and when this came to Morgana's attention, she promptly went after something for Kayn, giving him a scythe.
The challenge was there, but it wasn't heavy enough.
Now he was in front of Illaoi's room, imitating the reference Morgana had made, and he moved the door aside to give the woman room to enter and finally followed her and moved the door back to its original place. Kayn was following etiquette.
"Looks like the boy's finally learned some manners." Illaoi's voice echoed through the spacious room sounding strangely familiar, but Kayn decided to ignore it since all the rooms looked the same in the temple "It seems Morgana didn't lie when she said you were better, maybe I won't regret giving you this then."
She placed her foot on a sealed crate, causing Kayn to look at Morgana for an answer and all he saw was an apathetic look that didn't match the tone of her voice as she uttered the following sentence: "Are you sure about this?"
"My skills don't fail me." She said confidently as she opened the crate and took out something wrapped in a restraining cloth: "Come here, boy, take the cloth and touch the scythe."
There was something there, something familiar, something he needed to touch because it called to him, walking slowly to Illaoi's side, without asking Morgana's permission, holding tightly to the object that Illaoi had practically thrown at him and crossed his arms, waiting for Kayn to open it, but, from the weight, Kayn could tell it was perfect, not taking long to unwrap it and see the white scythe in bright red details and when he touched and held it, it was as if it were part of him.
"Looks like he liked it." Illaoi laughed as Morgana reproached everything that was happening at that moment, fearing that Illaoi's overconfidence was causing her to misjudge and that the demon wasn't 100% restrained "Don't forget to bring the scythe here weekly, it needs maintenance."
Kayn looked at Illaoi in confusion "For that I have to take it to a blacksmith."
"Don't question me, kid, or no scythe for you."
Being treated like a child was humiliating, to say the least, and Kayn knew that Illaoi was doing it on purpose, but following what Morgana had taught him, he just kept quiet as he felt the weight and the slow handling being strangely familiar. Something about that scythe was familiar, good and comforting, and clinging to it, Kayn bowed again to the priestesses and left the room with the scythe.
"Are you sure the demon's gone?" Morgana looked angrily at Illaoi "There's no demon called Rhaast in the Blood Moon scrolls from that place so how can you be so sure you know how to exorcize it?"
"Ahri herself gave me the blessing that this demon is out." Illaoi was firmer now "I feel that her connection with us has improved a lot after this feast of memories, the boy really is special."
Morgana only hoped that her fears were wrong and that the gleam she saw in Kayn's eyes when he touched the scythe was just muscle memory and nothing more.
Chapter 2: Traitor in front of the Moon.
Summary:
The stage was set, he knew exactly where to move the actors to succeed in the first step to get Kayn out of this situation and out of that scythe where he was imprisoned. With that woman in the palm of his hand, everyone would obey him by herd effect and Vengeance would be his ally in this plot.
Notes:
Warnings: Contains descriptions of blood, death and nudity!
Look who decided to update? That's right, me. To be fair, I was still putting together what was going to happen in this fanfic, in which case I'm still doing it, so maybe this chapter will undergo changes (more than it already has) in the future.
I confess that while I was writing it I didn't like it, but after I let it rest I ended up liking it. Does this happen to you? It's happened to me a couple of times... Maybe it's me putting too much pressure on myself.Anyway, I intend to make the chapters as long as this one! Enjoy ❤
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
When he woke up, he couldn't open his eyes, but he could hear footsteps around him like an echo, footsteps in the heels of someone walking elegantly, and by touch he could feel soft strands caressing his skin sweetly, almost like a plea for him to wake up, which seemed silly because he just couldn't open his eyes.
He couldn't remember how he'd got here either, but the fox had told him not to worry about such details.
It's all right, you don't have to talk. The voice that echoed above his head gave him terrible dizziness as if he was going to vomit out his esophagus along with his stomach and die soon afterward, as cold as the snow on the mountains of the Snow Moon, making his body tremble and then a delicate hand rested on his cheek and all he felt was danger Sentience will never catch you because you're safe now.
If you speak.. . I'll kill you.
In one leap, Kayn opened his eyes, expecting to feel the petals that had previously been stuck to his body and to see who was talking, only to receive nothing but the chill of seeing in his breath, making him swallow and close his eyes so that everything he had seen would be forgotten and he could feel the sense of indignation perpetuate for a short period, but which for Kayn seemed to last for hours.
He pushed his thick sheets aside and got up from his futon, walking over to the window to open it and seeing only the remnants of sunlight, sighing deeply and coughing as he felt the icy air in his lungs, which was so strange for him since he had been there for months and still couldn't get used to the climate. Still, he took the time to take a closer look at the temple as a whole, huge and full of ramifications, each room had a reason for existing, and most of them Kayn hadn't had the chance to get to know.
Even though he had been there for months.
Closing the window, Kayn walked over to the chest of drawers took out a towel and some clothes, and went towards the door of his room ready to leave, but his body stopped and he had the glimpse that he was forgetting something so he looked around to try and remember until his eyes fell on the scythe, the new weapon that Illaoi had given him, and without realizing it he dropped the cloths on the floor and turned to the scythe holding the handle and feeling it cold which was expected.
But that didn't seem right.
The younger assassins of the Snow Moon gave names to their weapons, while the older ones didn't see any point in it and Morgana never made a point of saying why. At the same time, Kayn just thought that his scythe should have a name, and for some reason he waited for the scythe to say something in a huff Kayn gave up, picking up his belongings from the ground and carrying them with him to the hot spring where he would take his morning bath.
Stepping into the warm, soothing water, Kayn closed his eyes and took advantage of his short time to relax and prepare for what Morgana was going to do after her day of planning.
"Why did you bring your weapon here?" Kayn opened his eyes in disgust, ready to say something rude about having his moment interrupted, but when he saw Varus pointing across the room and saw that his scythe was indeed there, he blinked in confusion "Not even Caitlyn would do something like that."
His eyes fluttered and he could hear something whispering in his mind, but he didn't understand what was being said. He closed his eyes and begged them to stop. He opened them again and saw Varus looking at him strangely, finally interrupting his bath and leaving the fountain, walking over to the scythe and going to the cupboard area to get his towel and clothes, ignoring any questions Varus might ask him, and then leaving and walking over to the room where Morgana was waiting for him.
Being disciplined, he arrived earlier than any other member of the Snow Moon " As always trying to impress. "
Kayn turned around as quickly as he could, looking for where that mysterious voice was coming from, but there was nothing else and something inside him knew that the existence of that voice was certain, or perhaps the cold was causing something bad inside him. Deciding to ignore it, he turned back to the corridor and followed the path he had taken before. As he descended the steps, he saw Morgana holding a parchment that was different in color from any he had ever seen.
Red and black with gold details.
" Blood Moon. "
Kayn's ears twitched and he immediately looked to his side, but there was nothing there and he was already getting annoyed that someone was playing with him.
"Is something wrong, Kayn?" Morgana was glaring at him, suspicious.
"It's all right, master." None of this was worth Morgana's time, he needed a cleansing, and maybe whatever was tormenting him would go away.
Morgana sighed, "You can talk about what's bothering you Kayn, we've talked about this before."
His hands gripped the handle of the scythe tightly before he finally let out a sigh, "I'm fine."
Morgana didn't insist any longer, but it was clear that the priestess was still suspicious of something, in fact since the day Illaoi handed her the scythe, Morgana had seemed very wary of something, perhaps she needed to say something to Kayn about the scythe and couldn't, at least that was the impression he had.
"Master Morgana." Varus's voice brought Kayn out of his thoughts, looking at his outfit much like himself "What do we have for today?" Varus' crystal blue eyes met Kayn's vibrant heterochromatic ones.
Varus imitated Kayn and sat down facing Morgana, both waiting for the explanation "Caitlyn told me about your evolution in the field, I believe now is a good time for you to prove that you can lead a mission without supervision" The crystal eyes shone with pride but soon lost themselves in the immensity making Kayn wonder what the man was thinking "Now you will supervise Kayn for this mission."
Varus's eyes widened, but no protest came out of his mouth, knowing that Morgana would never do anything without thinking first, while a bitter taste grew in Kayn's mouth "In a village near Puboe, they're having problems with spirits, I want you to investigate and report back and if you find anything other than spirits, leave as soon as possible and return to the temple."
Morgana nimbly rolled up the parchment and handed it to Varus "This might help you identify them." She turned to Kayn who had a disgusted expression "Follow Varus' orders and learn from his experience for the future, I know it wasn't what you expected for your first mission, but I need you to be patient."
It was a break from expectations for Kayn, even though he was one of the best of the newcomers and even those who had been at Snow Moon longer than him, he expected something more dangerous "If you think that's best for me, I'll do it, but I expect something better next time."
Varus had a look of disapproval on his face, the first of many to come for Kayn while Morgana behaved neutrally "Prove yourself." She walked towards the exit "Take the morning to get ready, I'll send you to the village after lunch."
Just as she had said, after lunch they headed for the village marked on the map Morgana had given Varus. It was a small village without much infrastructure and with little access to the outside world, living off what merchants sold at the price of a coin and rules of self-sustainability, which seemed crazy to Kayn since in a place where snow ruled few things could be grown apart from undergrowth.
Cattle seemed more promising.
Fortunately, Varus had found an inn that had enough for survival since he was so used to the cold that he didn't need a heater, but Kayn felt like his fingers would freeze off if he took them out of his glove, so the archer took a little unsolicited pity on Kayn and paid for a room with a heater.
"Let's just put our things away and visit the temple from here."
The moon could already be seen at that time "Do you know where we should start?"
"According to the letter, we should go to an ancient temple with no god named. Maybe it's been so long that the aimless spirits have taken over, it'll be quick, maybe we can come back at dawn-"
The conversation was interrupted by a cup being broken next to them and a young woman on the other side of the small hall looking horrified at her friend, apologizing for the inconvenience and leaving with the other woman pulling her out, both looking terrified by something "I didn't know you liked gossip." Varus crossed his arms at Kayn.
"I don't care." He returned his gaze to Varus, squeezing the handle of the scythe which was strangely warm, making Kayn's body want more of this comfortable warmth "Are you sure that's all there is to it?"
Varus squinted, but it didn't seem to be at Kayn, his mind was far away "Do you sense anything else wrong here?"
Kayn's gaze shifted to the scythe as if all the answers could have come from there, but contrary to what he had expected, nothing did, so he looked at the door of the place, where the two girls had left "We should follow them, I'm sure it's linked to our mission."
His crystal-clear eyes widened in surprise "What if it isn't?"
Kayn smiled arrogantly "Are you going to or do you think I'll make a mistake?"
"I think you have very high self-confidence for someone like you." Before explaining his assumptions, Varus started walking, and with a roll of his eyes, Kayn followed.
Someone like him... What did Varus mean by that? Kayn was tired of the people around him seeming to know more about him than he did, it was unfair since his memories had faded along with that day... The day Kayn was supposed to remember, but even that he no longer remembered.
They walked stealthily after the women who ended up in a small hut at the end of the village, with the chimney billowing smoke and a dim light coming from the window without knocking one of them went in and the other followed behind giving them no more sight of them.
"Nothing, apparently." Varus whispered.
" Get inside the wall, sneak through the shadows just like Zed taught you and you'll see the truth. "
Kayn swallowed dryly, again that voice, again he didn't know where it was coming from, he closed his eyes and the putrid smell rose in his nostrils making him open them quickly and walk through the uncertain, walking to the hut in silent steps being warned by Varus, but his voice didn't reach him, seeming to be guided to something he knows what he must do.
" You just don't remember. "
The shadows and he are one now, swimming in the darkness he realizes that he has lived to be there and it is in the darkness that his vision is magnified and he can see the image of a man trying to calm down one of the previous women, the one who broke the cup in the hall, while the other was watching from afar, paying attention to every detail while a fourth person cowered in a corner, covering herself to hide her obvious nakedness.
"Why are you so sad? It's just a misunderstanding, my love." The man said, running his hands over the shoulders of the woman who couldn't control her crying "She's hurt, so I helped her."
" Lies, they increase the anger of the one who punishes traitors. "
Was the cowering woman shivering from the cold or fear?
"Please don't abandon me like this..." She said between sobs, clinging to the traitorous man's arms while he smiled smugly at her, convinced that he had once again deceived this poor woman with no self-respect.
"I would never do anything like that."
He pulled her closer and walked to the door with her glaring at her friend and giving her the most hateful look Kayn had ever seen to finally get out of there, watching her walk over to the cowering woman and struggle against her to remove the tattered sheet to win and see her naked body without any wounds.
"I hope she kills you too." Throwing the sheet over the woman again, she left the hut in long strides and the last thing Kayn heard before he was thrown off the wall was the silent but overflowing cry of despair.
" She fears death. "
Standing up, Kayn looked down at his hands and then at the scythe, this all started when he picked it up so it's all the scythe's fault "Who are you? Show yourself now, demon!"
" I told you not to forget my name, Kayn . "
As a realization, Kayn held the scythe with both hands in front of his body, looking at the red detail that grew thickly as if it were alive and as he commanded, he didn't forget, speaking in a whisper: "Rhaast..."
Kayn's arm was gripped tightly and in reflex, Kayn pulled the scythe forward to attack, a blow that would come from below, naturally and nostalgically "Kayn!" Varus' voice rang out, making Kayn's fist stop and finally look up and catch a glimpse of his crystal blue eyes "What happened? Where did you learn shadow magic?"
With a jerk, Kayn broke free of the archer's grip and glared "Are you crazy!? Don't do that anymore, I almost killed you!"
" It would be wonderful if you did. "
Kayn held back from scolding the chattering scythe, as much as Kayn would have loved to see those Varus perish, he had more important things to deal with at the moment, like the very scythe Illaoi had given him or whatever was going on in that village.
"Kayn..."
But he didn't hear anything from Varus, trudging through the low snow and walking to the front of the house he opened the door and with heavy steps walked up to the woman while being followed by a confused Varus. The woman's eyes widened in fright until she saw the clothes of those she didn't know, then tears of relief sprang to her face, and she clutched the blanket anxiously.
"Please save me...!" The crying voice was pitiful, but Kayn didn't care about her feelings, he cared about what it all meant "Death is coming for me!"
"What do you mean?" Varus approached, finding the woman's words and her action in their presence curious since it was so unnatural for people to revere them so desperately.
The woman didn't even notice that the two assassins from the Snow Moon didn't understand her fear "The demon is going to kill me...! I'll die tonight!"
"Can you say something that makes sense?" Kayn was losing what little patience he had.
Finally, the woman read the situation better and looked pityingly "You're not here because of the demon?" She looked at Kayn and then at Varus, wondering about something Kayn didn't understand, but Varus had expected it "For centuries a family has been blessed by a demon from the Blood Moon... Anything that happens to that family, those involved are killed."
"Blessed?" Varus took a parchment out of his small backpack "That's a strange way of saying cursed."
As if the woman realized what a gaffe she'd made, she straightened up "That's not what-"
"And what does that have to do with you dying?" It was so annoying for Kayn to talk to someone who said everything in parts, especially when the person knew details that he didn't.
She looked away as if thinking about the next choice she would make "A few years ago the village was part of a fiefdom belonging to the Sakamoto family, but one night something happened in the castle and a coup took place: the older brother was killed the younger brother and his father disappeared, after which strange things began to happen to the older brother and any of his descendants." The crying voice had gone and given way to fear.
"Is that guy who was here part of this family?"
"How did you...?" Seeing Kayn's impatient look, she retreated "No, it was the woman who went out with him."
Kayn turned to Varus, watching him read the thick parchment "Does that look like anything to you?"
The look Varus gave her spoke for itself that he had something to say that couldn't be said out loud, so they left the tent while the woman got dressed. When she left she thanked them and when she left, Varus looked at the younger man wanting to ask about shadow magic.
Talk about that later.
"You did well in the interrogation, did Morgana teach you?" Varus decided to follow this advice given by Valmar, even though Morgana would disapprove of such behavior.
Really, where had Kayn been so good at intimidating someone into saying what he wanted? Doesn't he remember "Yes."
" Hiding in lies? " Rhaast sneered, making Kayn's eyes roll, which did not go unnoticed by Varus.
"That's going to be a huge problem..." Varus scratched his chin "Perhaps what we have here are not mere spirits, but a demon of the Blood Moon." He waited for an answer from Kayn and all that came was a surprised look from him "Did Morgana explain anything to you about it?"
"She said that the demons of the Blood Moon are purged by us from the Snow Moon to prevent catastrophes and carnage."
Varus nodded "Unfortunately our mission isn't that at the moment, we should retreat and send a warning letter to the temple, in the meantime we'll just observe and try to control the situation but I think it's okay for now, a Blood Moon isn't predicted for the next few months."
Something inside Kayn wasn't afraid of the situation at all, in fact, he seemed willing to face what was there "What demon are we facing anyway?"
"Demon names shouldn't be said out loud, it might end up giving them more power, but basically-"
" Kalista, the vengeful spirit. " Everything became a reddish haze, Varus' voice was nothing and now Rhaast prevailed over Kayn with an ominously animated voice " Today we're going to have a slaughter since that idiot went and betrayed a family cursed by one of Kalista's spirits. "
"What...?" Kayn brought his hand to his red eye, feeling it throb painfully, closing it in reflex.
When he opened his eyes again, he no longer felt anything, but the look Varus gave him made him angry and without waiting for him to take any action, he began to walk away "If that's all you had to say, let's go back to the hotel."
Seeing Kayn's back, Varus whispered, "What was Morgana thinking sending him on a mission...?"
There was something strange about Kayn.
Varus couldn't disagree.
But Rhaast had other plans for Kayn, waiting for night to fall he whispered " Wake up, Shieda, we have an old friend to visit. "
With a sigh, the assassin woke drowsily, feeling feverish, perhaps from having spent so long in the snow. What kind of assassin from the Snow Moon would get sick from the cold? " Get up, take the scythe, and follow the trail of blood. "
"Rhaast...?" That name was so sweet "Where did I...?"
" Say it again. "
Kayn clenched his fist on the sheet and his mouth went dry "Rhaast."
The demon laughed with satisfaction " My name sounds great in your mouth, Shieda. "
The next thing Kayn knew, he was holding his scythe against his chest as he walked through the strangely warm streets, following the trail of blood in the snow that led to a barely clean castle, as if the number of servants wasn't enough to make the castle look as prestigious as it should have been, in contrast to the grotesque smell of blood that was so strong you could taste it on your tongue.
But it didn't bother Kayn and seemed to satisfy the scythe.
No, not the scythe "Rhaast."
The gates were open for anyone to enter but only the brave souls would do so and so, wandering quietly, Kalista's spirits gave Kayn room to pass through the red-carpeted corridors to finally arrive at a door with the body of a man bound by a spear, Kayn remembered his face, the same man who was in the hut earlier.
A terrifying scream sounded from behind the door with growls coming from behind, fierce as if they wanted more. Kayn ignored the body and pushed the door open, feeling the viscous liquid dripping everywhere again the scream echoed throughout the room, a woman was struggling against the spears that pinned her body to the ground and the spirit surrounded her while holding a simple wooden pot for a white-haired demon with a mask of huge red horns, wearing something old and torn that didn't hide its dangerous claws.
Kayn witnessed the weeping woman's last breath as the spear pierced her body " Did you betray us? " The demon's voice was spectral, somewhat different from Rhaast's. " Would you be the next to meet my spear? "
" You know you can try, but you'll have to pay the consequences. "
Rhaast's voice rang out across the room, the first time" that he could remember" that he had heard his voice beyond his head.
It seemed that Rhaast's threat had worked and Kalista turned his face grimly to the side as he walked up to Kayn " Rhaast? Aatrox is looking for you, he said they kidnapped your bone and took the meat with it. "
" You can hear that story in more detail later, now I want you to do something for me. " Kalista straightened her body, ready to listen. " Break this disgusting oath. "
Kayn felt the demon analyze the scythe he held so carefully " It may take three days to finish and I'm sure you'll kill this cunning fox before she even realizes it. " Kayn couldn't see, but he felt Kalista smile sadistically " A Memory Thief against Death itself, what a festival. "
"Memory thief?" Kayn couldn't hold back his doubt.
" Don't worry, Shieda, she'll pay for it. " Rhaast's anger is palpable.
It was like a gunshot, an excruciating pain hitting his conscious making him scream like never before that didn't last another second, making him desperately gasp for the air he hadn't realized he had trapped at the same time Kalista looked at his shadow " If I may comment.. ." Rhaast didn't seem to object, so she continued, " You seem to like this human so much that you feel the pain of death for him. "
" The pain of death is nothing to me. "
After all, he is Death.
It was like a slow-motion movie, absurdly slow, but Kayn resisted as if death was part of him and that he would never die even with the demon driving a spear through his chest, yet he felt no pain as if he was connected to something he couldn't control.
" The oath is broken. " Kalista held out her open hand, revealing a small, fragile spirit that had just been born. " As time goes by, it will get stronger and thus more difficult to break our pact. The boy is lucky to have you, otherwise, he would have been killed by my spear like the one that fell to the ground, just as he is lucky to have you to take him away from those vermin from the Snow Moon. "
" Soon he'll be back where he belongs. "
Kalista seemed to understand between the lines that Rhaast was passing on to her, getting excited about the future that was to come as Kayn walked out of there slowly and Rhaast's oppressive presence was no longer there, allowing herself to leave the place satisfied for the night.
Notes:
Yes, Kayn taking a bath for Rhaast's happiness 🤪
I think a lot has happened here and at the same time nothing has happened... It happens. I also really wanted to develop Varus and his relationship with Valmar and Kai and Rhaast's view of him as Kayn and Varus' friendship progresses! I think Varus would be very cautious at first with Kayn and vice versa, Kayn especially since he doesn't remember anything poor guy 💀
And no, this certainly won't be just 4 chapters long and I don't know how often it will be updated...
Chapter 3: The macabre storm.
Summary:
Behind a silly prank between demons, Death found an irresistible opportunity while remembering the day his deadly claws gently touched his beloved's flower of death.
Notes:
Yes, I procrastinated and went to write something else, but it was for a good reason!!!
This chapter is a little shorter than the previous one, but it has just as much information as the other one, in fact I thought I'd combine it with the previous one and you can see here that I didn't do that :P
This chapter may change in the future.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Like a giant in the middle of the darkness, a tori was nothing more than a small structure. In that domain, Rhaast was more powerful than any moon could be and with his highest peak of joy, he molded that small world into his own, leaving unique features that reminded him of the one who painted his mask red.
Red lilies were scattered all around the perimeter, surrounding a tree with budding flowers, because winter was cruel to it, and spending so much health to be trampled on later didn't seem like a good idea, so there he kept the little spirit, closing his eyes and waiting for the cunning fox to appear.
Can I see you smile?
She came in, wanting to play, seeing Kayn still with his eyes closed, making her sigh with boredom. What more did she need to do to accept the white light of the moon?
I wanted to taste your eyes...
The demon laughed at the fox as if it were foolish, echoing through Kayn's mind as he learned that shadows were the only ones that could give him the light he needed.
What would you do if you came face to face with Death? Some would be unimaginably frightened to the point of paralysis, and others would run as far as they could, even if it was in vain, because Time is merciless and if your time has come it will help Death to reach you. However, some thought they were special and that Death would only come to visit them, but that was a mistake because leaving the Yomi was never what the Death God of the Blood Moon had intended.
That's why, when he woke up, Kayn didn't feel afraid and didn't let the adrenaline rush take over his judgment; the now-forgotten dream gave him such a pleasant feeling that he forgot all his worries and only cared about how warm his room was for the first time in so many years.
Forgetting felt good this time.
He brought his hand to his bare chest to find nothing but his skin marked by the sheets, even though he must have felt the greatest anguish at the lifeless void. But he was alive, eyes wide open and thirsting for the familiar blood, ready to pick up his scythe and run through the frozen village.
"Kayn!"
Blinking, he recoiled from his unholy desires, that the white moon would forgive him for such behavior, but it seemed so natural that he didn't even think about holding back and diving straight into the red-painted river.
Kayn looked at Varus who was already tidying up and grunted "What's all the shouting about? What's wrong with you?"
The archer tried to express neutrality, but his actions indicated that something was wrong and that he wasn't happy with Kayn at all "Something's happened in the village, we have to go, the other acolytes are waiting for us." He finished tying up his hair and saw Kayn stand up without fear of putting his feet on the ground "Doesn't the cold bother you anymore?"
The heterochromatic eyes showed Kayn's confusion, which he quickly tried to hide and his eyes sharpened again "Maybe I've gotten used to it."
Disgusting, we should kill him here and now and blame it on some demon.
Blood moon dog!
Varus closed his eyes, leaving the room for a morning meditation that should never be skipped according to Morgana and again the woman was right about him, but why was it different with Kayn? Why did she think it would be a good idea to bring Kayn on such a mission when it had only been weeks since he had joined? Varus didn't want to question Morgana's motives, but it was hard not to when this kind of situation happened.
At the same time, Kayn noticed how Varus seemed upset after his answer, preferring to leave rather than give him a detailed explanation. A rare situation since he faithfully followed the Snow Moon and his typical coldness around him, something that was difficult for Kayn because it all seemed to be the first time, and holding back was like being against who he was.
Or who he was.
Who is Kayn? Him today or him before his memories? Who is the real Kayn? The one who wields a cursed scythe to fight for the Snow Moon or someone already forgotten by himself, but not by the world?
" You are what you want to be. " The black-haired man turned to Rhaast " But whoever took everything from you must be killed. "
He couldn't hide his irritation and exposed it with irony "Who took everything from me? You speak with such authority, so you must know something."
" The Memory Thief. One of the goddesses of the Snow Moon has your precious memories. " Kayn's cynicism could be felt through the natural and artificial connection made by Kalista, leaving the demon enraged " If you don't believe me, ask... Morgana. "
Rhaast had a bitter taste in his mouth, but he held on to what was worthwhile.
Kayn believed in Snow Moon with all his heart because they were the ones who saved him and gave him a home, he owed them everything, and in the end, they handed him a tempting talking scythe... A light bulb went on in Kayn's mind "Illaoi gave you to me on purpose, didn't she? She wants to test me."
The scythe grunted angrily " Sometimes your blind devotion annoys me. "
And then came the silence, Rhaast seemed far away now leaving Kayn alone who walked heavily to the dresser to get his clothes and feeling the cold sting his feet again made him run and get his shoes as quickly as possible, letting the loneliness consume him and not understanding why his heart seemed to ache more with Rhaast gone than his freezing feet.
It didn't take long for him to go down and meet Varus, who still looked a little upset, but Kayn shrugged as he instinctively held the scythe as if it were his life there, following the archer into the dusty village castle as if the servants couldn't clean the place up enough.
Arriving there, he saw some familiar faces that he had never spoken to before, but had seen in the corridors of the Temple of the Snow Moon, and among them was Caitlyn, always very calm and centered, leading the others while a veil was placed over a body already lying in the snow and Kayn took the liberty of taking a closer look, seeing how ugly the wounds were.
" You shouldn't pull a spear out of your body like that. " Rhaast sounded amused, easily contaminating Kayn who clenched his hands on the shaft of the scythe to contain any admiration for the art of death.
"Stop doing whatever you're doing, I serve the Snow Moon and not demons like you." His whisper came out as angry as a rabbit eating lettuce.
The red of the scythe glowed " I'm not doing anything, this bloodlust is exclusively of your being and who you are. " Closing his eyes, Kayn could feel the demon's insane satisfaction " A follower of Death. "
Kayn tsk'd, getting away from the body and walking over to Varus who was talking to Caitlyn "What happened here? You said nothing would happen at dawn."
Varus didn't seem happy with Kayn's constant complaints, but he continued his respectful tone with Caitlyn "I didn't expect a demon to appear without the blood moon."
"And they don't." Caitlyn held her rifle firmly in a military stance "Someone forced the blood moon this morning, but strangely there was no damage anywhere other than here, we only heard about it from your letter." Caitlyn glanced at Kayn and then turned to Varus "Good work, Varus."
Varus thanked Caitlyn "I'm flattered, Caitlyn, but tell me, what was in here?"
As they spoke, Kayn glanced discreetly at the scythe, waiting for an answer, but Rhaast remained silent and the powerful red had almost completely disappeared, making the black-haired man add 1 + 1 and realize that Rhaast was hiding his presence in front of the Snow Moon.
"According to what I investigated and your letter, this village lived on a fiefdom that followed the Snow Moon, but there was a Blood Moon cult right under our noses." Caitlyn called Varus and Kayn to sit next to her "A cult for a demon of Vengeance."
Kalista. Kayn only knew why Rhaast had spoken to him yesterday, so he didn't feel as lost as he had before and then rebuked that feeling: an assassin from the Snow Moon shouldn't owe anything to a demon.
"The fiefdom consisted of a man and his two sons. One of the sons died and, in revenge, his brother killed his father, becoming possessed by the demon of Vengeance and creating a cruel leadership, only for him to be killed by another demon, The Killer of Kings, on that year's blood moon." Caitlyn opened a scroll with some notes in her handwriting "That's why the Sakamoto family fell and is now just an ordinary family, but it seems that they continue to carry this burden."
"So the demons hate each other? Since this Killer of Kings killed those whom Vengeance possessed."
Varus shook his head negatively "It would be very naive of us to think so. Demons are irrational and do almost everything for fun, maybe this is just a sadistic joke between them.
Kayn remembered his few dialogues with the scythe demon, realizing that this suited Rhaast better, but at the same time, he couldn't feel that this was a bad thing or at least that it shouldn't be feared, as fear seemed to feed him somehow or Kayn just really liked the destruction it caused, which led to self-reproach.
"So should we wait for the next blood moon and see if this other demon shows up?" Kayn noticed Caitlyn's gaze on him.
"Seeing what's happened here, I don't think so." The sniper stood up and looked at the castle “Maybe we'll see the tradition continue this early in the morning, so let's stick around. Unfortunately, we won't be able to send you back to the temple as it's best not to leave the village under these circumstances, but I'll make sure the villagers stay somewhere safe.”
After this conversation, Varus and Kayn got up, but to Kayn's displeasure the archer walk off in a completely different direction from the inn “Where are you going? We need to get ready for tonight.”
Kayn narrowed his eyes “We've come to investigate the reports of spirits haunting the village and, as far as I can see, we're doing just that.”
Varus let out an impatient sigh “That said, let's go to the temple from here, maybe we'll find more things there that Caitlyn might not have seen, then we'll come back.” He started walking again and, with no other options, Kayn followed, even though he was against it.
What would a temple to an unnamed god have to do with them? He took a moment to enjoy the sight of the snow slowly falling on them, but his body seemed to reject the cold and embrace the little warmth that the scythe emanated. As they climbed the long stairs, the toriis looked rusty, but the surrounding forest was well-kept even though it looked rather sinister and red petals could be seen flying over their heads.
“That smells like Blood Moon.” Varus said in disgust.
“Did they really worship a rival sect in the domain of Snow Moon?” Kayn picked up one of the petals, analyzing the details, feeling a strange nostalgia to crush it in the end.
“I don't doubt anything, the cunning of those bloodthirsty barbarians is not something to be underestimated.”
Kayn nodded, remembering how good the demon on his scythe is with words, and made his way to the top of the stairs to find a small abandoned temple, destroyed and stinking. The bell rang and the offering box seemed to be the dirtiest thing in the place, leading to the realization that this place was no longer used even before it was destroyed.
Just behind the offering box was a broken statue, so it wasn't possible to make out the details, but Varus got a chill run down his back “Do you feel that?”
Kayn looked around, trying to see something, but all he could see was the forest. Then he decided to concentrate better, feeling something tug on his scythe and looked at Rhaast, who stared back at him, sending shivers down his spine at the sinister look in his eyes that smelled of fresh blood. Varus touched the statue to get a better look when the fire from the scythe suddenly flared up and Kayn looked for answers, but all he got back was an evil laugh.
Kayn's instincts were screaming, there was something wrong, something the scythe was enjoying and it seemed to be enough for Kayn to prepare for the worst “Varus, put it down.”
The voices inside him seemed to agree with Kayn, shouting for it, but something drew Varus in without much effort. He wanted to know whose statue it was and so he went deeper, to the point of feeling pressured, which brought him to the realization of a hitherto obscure vision.
It was there, a huge silhouette with horns curving forward and a war flag hanging from its back while the red moon shone sweetly as an invitation to fall into the temptation of desecration.
He just needed to walk closer and shake that hand like last time.
To see his face, at least once more.
So close.
LET IT GO!
Varus threw the statue away, taking a deep breath in Kayn's arms, not understanding what had happened “Varus, what did you see?”
Kayn's question came out urgent “I didn't...” He's not sure what he saw, he doesn't know what it means or why it was being shown to him, but that silhouette is easy to distinguish “I think this is a temple to the Cosmic Womb.”
The forest seemed to want to consume them.
Damn it Varus!
Kayn looked at the statue lying on the ground “How are you so sure...?”
“I saw him there.” It came out as a whisper, but he didn't feel fear, more a dark curiosity, yet the voices in his mind pulled him back to sanity.
“ Interesting. ” Rhaast laughed as if he'd made a big discovery and even though Kayn asked for answers, the demon's presence had already gone and the fire from the scythe went out as soon as Varus let go of the statue.
“This village is connected to a lot of dangerous things.” Kayn commented as he helped Varus up.
As he took a deep breath, Varus looked at the statue again and looked away “Let's find out more, any information about the Cosmic Womb will be good for the Snow Moon.”
However, all they found was dust and dried blood.
When Kayn entered his room, he had a very simple order to wait until dawn and until then do his daily meditation, realizing how tired he was and how badly he had slept that night so he couldn't concentrate properly listening to Rhaast laughing in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but let out an angry noise.
"Blood disgusting demon, I won't smash you to pieces because it's an Illaoi test, but as soon as I get back to the temple I'll give you back to her. " Kayn opened his eyes to see the scythe leaning against the wall in front of him again, red in the center and beating like a lethargic heart.
" That's how you hurt my feelings. " Kayn noticed that Rhaast was spending more time in anger, masking it with poisonous irony and a dose of loathing " Illaoi... Pathetic little thing, really believing that the Memory Thief will do anything to help her. ”
That name again... Kayn felt he should ask more about it "Memory Thief?”
" Your curiosity is fascinating, but I wonder why you follow the moon so faithfully when you don't even know its dogmas and gods. ”
"Shut up, you're confusing me.”
" But I'm not wrong. " The demon's laughter echoed through Kayn's mind.
"They saved me from the Blood Moon, I owe them everything." Kayn closed his eyes again, motivated to ignore the scythe and try to continue his meditation.
" Even your precious memories? That you feel so insecure about not having them and they use that to diminish you in that temple reeking of disgusting immortal life? ”
Opening his eyes immediately, Kayn swallowed "I told you to shut up.”
The demon grunted in anger, answering Kayn with silence as the red of the scythe spread further and further. Refusing to fall for the demon's tricks, he returned to his meditation, ignoring the doubts that Rhaast always planted in his mind with sharp questions without answers.
He knew that if he asked Morgana she would give him the answers he wanted, unlike Rhaast, but what did Kayn need at that moment? Answers he wanted or answers he should know?
When he opened his eyes again, it was night, so he had all the time in the world to conclude that nothing that came out of Rhaast was true and that he was being manipulated, but if he kept thinking a little longer, he would know that his situation was somewhat atypical, and even if he didn't trust illaoi that much, he knew that Morgana's judgment would always be the closest to logic.
As he got up, he noticed his room was warmer, as it had been that morning, smiling at the fact that he was finally adapting to the climate and becoming more and more of a Snow Moon killer, but was it normal to start sweating? He noticed a reddish light through the crack in the window, opening it to see a red moon.
The blood moon.
Kayn couldn't help but notice how beautiful the moon was as if the blood filled the whole sky and fell on the cold, icy snow to melt it with its natural warmth and instinctively he concentrated on that feeling of death that didn't cause him fear but gave him the strength to continue chasing that blood and immerse himself in it where he would come out clean because he wouldn't be the one bleeding but making others bleed.
In a moment of clarity, Kayn took a step back, ready to pick up his scythe and go out to see what was going on, when a bolt of lightning struck his well decorated balcony, revealing a small but deadly demon with a white mask and thick red hair circled by white horns. Its eyes were the color of a stormy blue.
The lightning seemed to want to cut Kayn's skin, but a huge clawed hand circled his body easily, protecting him from anything that demon could do to him, even though the claws were hotter than steel dipped in lava, they didn't want to hurt Kayn.
" Rhaast... So you've really returned to the human world? " The demon lowered his shuriken " Who convinced you? Aatrox? Evelynn? ”
His senses were strangely dulled, not knowing if it was real, but he managed to catch a glimpse of Rhaast's mask, snow white with red painted details, like the other demon's, but Rhaast's dye looked fresh and his mask cleaner.
Rhaast stared at Kayn and then turned his gaze to the demon " None of them could do that, Kennen. ”
" Allow me to question: A human yes? " Kennen couldn't hold back a slight laugh " Enjoying the bone in your flesh? ”
" It's none of your business, but I have to admit that what you did in this town was admirable. ”
Storm smiled " I'm glad Death liked my indirect offering. Thank Kalista, it was her idea. But tell me, what's wrong with your human? " He pointed at Kayn with a misty gaze.
Again, turning his gaze to Kayn, Rhaast held him as if he were a delicate doll “ I have to do this so that the Memory Thief doesn't find out about my plan, but having you here will be a great help. ” Rhaast noticed how excited Kennen looked when he heard his words “ I'm sure Zed must be after Shieda and I know you have human friends, give them a clue as to his whereabouts. ”
Kennen remained static, his head didn't move but Rhaast knew that the stormy eyes were analyzing the situation and surely the Assassin of Kings would mock him as he always did in every conversation with him “ Even a human could change you... Fascinating! Leave it to me, I'll fulfill my mission. ” And it's not as if Rhaast and Kennen hated each other, there was a strange respect between the two like any other relationship between demons since they both had similar chaotic thoughts about how to have fun, even if Kennen appreciated humans more than other demons, including Rhaast who never saw any reason to even think about humans... until he met Shieda.
And just as Kennen arrived, he left, leaving trails of icy killer blood in his wake.
Rhaast grunted angrily, knowing that this kind of comment would come from Kennen, but he couldn't deny that it was a more than pleasant surprise to have him here, this would be an extra for his plan to get Shieda out of there and complete their communion and before the blood moon was gone, Rhaast put Shieda to bed as he had done last night with the thread of energy he could use to get back to the scythe before the bedroom door was abruptly opened by Varus and went to wake Kayn who was as hot as a ruby crystal.
Notes:
I know these beginnings can be confusing because they don't explain anything with anything, but that's on purpose since the narrator is much more into Kayn than Rhaast (actually this seems to be a pattern in my long fanfics about Rhaayn, but what can I do? It's so nice to play in a place where logic isn't necessary)
Anyway, I also wanted to reference things that are in the game itself and since I say a lot in my texts about how hot Rhaast is I chose ruby crystal because most of the items that have to do with burning/fire are made with it!
I also really enjoyed writing Kennen and you should have an idea of who he went after to say something, I also made Kennen more chaotic than Runeterra but he still likes the human world more than Yomi so we're still following his concept and I think a conversation between Rhaast and Kennen in Blood Moon would be very funny.Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Chapter 4: Red Forest.
Summary:
Entering Death's domain, the woman knelt before the red tree and pronounced: "Shogun, the harvest is ready, The KingSlaying repassed and the Master of Shadows scattered and rushed towards him to finally bring back The One."
Everything was going as Death had planned, but he still had to confront something greater to get his shadow back.
Notes:
Well... That took a long time, I hope you'll forgive me.
Happy Pride Month :D
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
As he put the sack in the wagon, he could hear the icy wind blowing against his black hair. Looking at the castle from afar, Kayn tried to remember what had happened at dawn, for he was sure he was awake, but everything was as blank as if he had fainted and magically appeared in his warm, well-covered bed.
Varus walked further away, so deep in his own thoughts that his eyelids fluttered and Kayn thought that Varus somehow felt guilty that so many villagers had died that morning.
It was a bloody scene, the houses marked red with the blood of what couldn't be told if it was human or animal, the Kingslaying showing no mercy to anyone who got in his way, seemingly content with the carnage he had caused, while Kayn tried to help in any way he could, even with his scythe laughing in delight at the chaos in his mind.
“ Save no one, it's so liberating! ” Kayn knew that in a way, if he became more concerned with defeating the vengeful spirits coming from the castle, his win rate would increase significantly without worrying about his teammates or the residents who were destined to die that night. Or maybe Rhaast just manipulated his mind to think that way, to give up on the Snow Moon and go down a path of blood and madness.
Few survived and the mission was a total failure Kayn stared at the scythe constantly along the way, feeling that he had lost something and the sensation of losing seemed horrible, not sadness, anger at feeling smaller, not sympathy for the dead, but the addictive feeling of success being taken away from him in the most pathetic way and an itch that Rhaast knew what had happened, unfortunately Kayn didn't have the chance to question him.
Caitlyn didn't seem all that shaken, and she led those who remained out of the now deserted village and toward the Temple of the Snow Moon to tell Morgana and Illaoi what had happened.
“The journey to the temple will be short.” Caitlyn commented to Varus, trying to comfort the poor archer “Talk to Master Morgana when you arrive and try not to look so shaken Varus, this is not something an assassin from the Snow Moon should express.”
“I'm sorry, Caitlyn.” Varus took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind, but she never stopped pointing out and highlighting his negative emotions.
Damn Blood Moon! Damn demon!
So many dead... For what?
And then there's that THING next to us.
His crystal eyes landed on Kayn, who didn't hide his irritation so well, but not to the point of being lectured by Caitlyn, and then he looked at the scythe he held so carefully, but that night he had seen it at boiling point, hot, red and pulsating, feeding off the chaos that was happening at that moment.
Death everywhere, contradicting everything that the Snow Moon preached, because eternity being for everyone, yet it was taken away for the selfish reasons of a demon that Varus didn't even know the name of because the documents of the Snow Moon were lost over time and the ones they stole from the Blood Moon had no citations or the name was censored in some way.
The only thing that was repeated was Shogun and that was nothing.
And like a mantra, Varus repeated Morgana's words in his mind, trying to contain the anxious feeling of revenge: Sentience will never reach you, not as long as the blessing of the Goddess of Memory is on our side.
They walked at the pace of the wagon, protecting those left in the village and themselves “We haven't come this way before.” Kayn's voice rang out as he looked out at the forest of tall trees without many leaves due to the heavy snow.
Before Varus had a chance to speak, Caitlyn took it upon herself to answer the question: "You came by the longest and safest route, but since this is an emergency, we're going through the forest since the route is shorter. Frankly, our situation couldn't be worse…” Caitlyn looked at the wagon where the assassins were lying, seriously injured and feverish, indicating that they should get to the temple as soon as possible. “I hope Illaoi has mercy on us.”
Walking for a while longer, their feet already showing weakness and pain from the low adrenaline, as well as the bad sleep they'd had that night, and the cold only made their bodies softer.
“Shouldn't we take a break?” Kayn asked, seeing the condition of some of the acolytes.
“No.” She continued walking, in a perfect gait “Do you know why we never take this road?”
Kayn looked to Varus for answers “Because of the animals...?”
“No, this is the lair of a Blood Moon assassin.” Caitlyn looked over her shoulder at Varus and narrowed her eyes “Do you know what I mean?”
Varus widened his eyes, quickly looked away from Kayn, and nodded positively at Caitlyn “I understand…”
But Kayn felt that they were hiding something about him, again, and he was tired of it “Isn't our purpose to fight the Blood Moon?”
“Our purpose is to purge the demons, not to risk our lives for a vicious murderer.”
Kayn won't back down, not when he feels somewhat betrayed after months of being at the Snow Moon's side and the deep bitterness of that night's defeat "We're outnumbered, we can beat her."
Caitlyn sighed, understanding that Kayn needed more convincing "Besides me, Varus, and you, does anyone else here seem available to fight?"
Kayn and Varus looked at the remaining Snow Moon assassins, exhausted and with healing wounds, as well as the rest of the villagers in the wagon with defeated looks on their faces, prompting Varus to whisper: “That's a lot of people to protect…”
“And yet-”
“You seem very confident for someone who has never fought a Blood Moon assassin.” Caitlyn let out a weak laugh “Keep quiet or your arrogance will get you killed.” Kayn was about to say something when Caitlyn suddenly stopped walking and whispered “Someone's nearby.”
Everyone was on high alert, ready to pounce on whatever was lurking, only to hear the scratchy, forced voice seeping through their nerves;
Let's turn this river red.
It was something Kayn had never felt before in his life, it was like being faced with something completely numbing, to the point where there was only one choice: run or fight. But those words seemed so familiar to Kayn, so he had made his choice without realizing it, standing in place, clutching the shaft of his scythe ready to fight before anything even happened, but fear was paralyzing and the crows didn't seem to want to forgive him.
“Look at you…” He felt a weight on his back and the female voice sounded dismissive “It's good that you have him by your side at least.”
Nothing came out, the scream that should have been heard was nothing more than a surprised sigh, feeling that kama pierce not only his flesh, but his soul deeply as if it were searching for something inside him and death seemed inevitable for Kayn, who leaned on his scythe as he was swallowed up by that vast expanse of bright, meaningless colors.
Meanwhile, the woman jumped to the nearest tree, landing on a strong branch, watching all the assassins of the Snow Moon with disdain.
Varus ran to help, but Caitlyn shouted: "Don't touch him!"
The sniper's gaze seemed dark, leaving Varus stunned, wondering what was going on, but as he looked at Kayn better, he noticed letters crawling across his skin, while breathing seemed more like a plea than something physiological, on the other hand, Kayn's gaze held nothing but hatred and fervor for death.
And everyone already knew what Kayn's fate would be.
"What are you doing here, Akali?" Caitlyn narrowed her eyes, trying to see through the real intentions of the Blood Moon follower.
"This is my territory, I do what I want." The other kama was well secured in his hands "You'll be next, Caitlyn."
Fear controls them.
"What kind of demon sneaks up on you?" Caitlyn had her rifle ready.
Akali shrugged "The kind you don't want to meet."
The sound of tearing flesh and blood falling heavily into the snow was heard, nothing could survive such a loss, it was the end of Kayn.
"Kayn, you idiot, don't take it off!" Varus scolded, but all he wanted to do was kill Akali.
Once again he had lost someone to the Blood Moon and there was nothing he could do about it.
Kill her! Do it now!
Kill her!
“You…” It was like a sigh and yet it conveyed Kayn's feelings very well “You'll pay for this.”
Akali couldn't continue her farce, smiling proudly and pulling her kama towards her, while Caitlyn watched carefully, trying to see what had given Kayn this abnormal persistence for life, Varus couldn't understand why Kayn was alive or why that deep wound was completely healed “Of course he wouldn't let you die.”
Kayn raised his stance and pointed the scythe at Akali with blood in his eyes, he was ready to advance on Akali and kill her at that moment, fear would not consume him and there was no way he was going to back down.
On the other hand, Akali spun one of the kama in a relaxed manner “Not today Shieda... Not yet.”
“What is it? Are you scared?” The letters swirled like shadows across Kayn's exposed skin, whispering in a language he didn't understand, but he could feel the scythe growing stronger, screaming for blood.
“ That's it... Kill her. ”
As fast as he could, he lunged at Akali, ready to drive his scythe into his enemy's stomach, but she deftly dodged, spinning backwards as she threw a shuriken with enviable dexterity, and like a shadow, Kayn dodged, almost like muscle memory, and ran at her, preparing for the next blow by gripping the shaft of the scythe tightly and using his strength to spin it forward, letting the sharp blade screaming for blood slash through anything in its path.
It would be so easy to tear the flesh from Akali's neck and rip her head from her body.
However, Akali, despite her agility, surprised Kayn by advancing on him while dodging the slow blow of the scythe "Don't you think it's strange, Shieda, that of all the acolytes, you're one of the only ones with black hair like mine?"
He snorted "You will not fill my head with nonsense like him." In the midst of the confusion, Kayn evaded the shuriken that suddenly appeared, following Akali with his heterochromatic eyes, gauging the optimal location to inflict injury upon her. However, Akali was too fast, nearly impossible to touch, as if she possessed the blessing of a Tengu.
“ Behind! ”
In response to Rhaast's warning, he swiftly evaded the oncoming raven, ready to kill him, seeing intense red eyes staring at him from the dense forest and Fear caught up with him again as he uttered the following words:
The truth is in the darkness.
Akali jumped onto the tree branch again, excited by the result "My task ends here, Shogun." She looked at Caitlyn, smiling as if she knew everything and the sniper knew nothing.
The same way he came, Akali left quietly, leaving an irritated Kayn behind as the taste of blood disappeared from his mouth and he inevitably stepped back, almost collapsing on the scythe and being held by Varus, only to see him just as affected when a hand grabbed his horn and pulled it away, casting the accessory aside as if it would burn her hand.
"Kayn, how are you feeling?"
It was a simple question asked by Caitlyn, yet Kayn was at a loss to articulate his response. The sensation was overwhelming, intense, and primal, evoking a sense of nostalgia. Without offering a reply, he proceeded to retrieve the discarded accessory, dragging the scythe with him, and held it up, wiping away the melted snow and putting it back where it should always be “I feel everything... I am The One."
That's what the voices said, he had been selected to bear an immense and hitherto unimagined power that he wasn't sure what it was, but that would make him so powerful that the ambition to have would overcame fear and any other feeling and turned into a strange but enduring love. This love would be so powerful that even Death would grant the blessing to the One, allowing them to be together forever.
"How... How are you not dead?" Varus' question came out in a whisper, yet it was precisely this that was on everyone's mind and all Kayn could offer was a look away to hide his clarity about the situation as he stared at the scythe in his hands, the first time he realized that his accessories were as hot as magma and it didn't affect him negatively.
When the wind blew, Caitlyn could recognize the imminent occurrence, a phenomenon that was not uncommon but certainly not what she desired, being forced to give the order she didn't want for the sake of those she was responsible for protecting. "Let's get shelter and set up the tents, we'll take a break."
Kayn sat down, placed the scythe on his lap, and looked at every detail again, the letters had disappeared and Rhaast was quiet even though he was there and the red pulsated endlessly in his hands making the white seem like nothing more than a detail, that's always how the scythe looked when they were alone "Rhaast, what did that woman want?"
Rhaast did not immediately respond, seeming surprised by Kayn's courage in speaking his name out loud, but at the same time, answering the question would have been contrary to his plans. " No idea. "
The tent seemed too small for both of them "Don't you know or don't you want to tell me?"
What was inside was too sharp for Kayn to understand or for Rhaast to expose, even though the dim light of the candle flame gave Kayn an extra charm " How are you feeling? "
Changing the subject? Not at all subtly "Do you mind?" There was disdain in Kayn's words and his gaze showed his displeasure at the evasion of his question.
" Yes. "
Well, it's not the answer Kayn was expecting "You're a terrible liar, demon."
The delay in answering was rewarding " What do you want? " But Rhaast didn't ask in an impatient manner, he came out sweeter than usual " Tell me, Shieda, is there anything you want to ask or request? "
Rhaast purred in Kayn's mind, seductively and ready to pounce, but Kayn was not afraid to swim in those waters, considering about how to take advantage of the chance to ask and finally be answered "That woman called me Shieda just like you're calling me now... But I don't know who or what Shieda is."
" It's you. "
The answer was automatic, unlike when Rhaast was lying or hiding something "My name is Kayn, not Shieda."
" That's what they told you. " In Kayn's heart, everything seemed disconnected, Rhaast's words differed from everything Morgana had said about him. Yet the demon seemed to know so much more about him. By the Snow Moon, he didn't want to enter that cycle again. However, Rhaast had always been good at sensing negative emotions from humans and this would be no different now " Do you know what Shieda means? "
Kayn looked at him with curiosity, the same look that Rhaast saw the first time he met Shieda, and then nodded negatively.
" It signifies 'anger', yet simultaneously, it denotes 'love', an angry love. It's the perfect name for you, given to you by the one who truly cared for you, much better than Kayn which is nothing more than a lie invented by a foolish fox and his diminutive canine companion... But it still represents you, a new you, so it's not so bad... You just have to give it a new meaning. "
Kayn didn't know what to say, Rhaast seemed deeply amused to be talking about... Shieda or Kayn. Whatever Kayn was like before, Rhaast seemed to cherish him or at least talk about him a lot, or maybe this was all a trap by the demon to get Kayn to let his guard down so he could possess his body and quench his gigantic thirst for blood "And what does Rhaast mean?"
This was a bittersweet memory that descended bitterly on Rhaast, but he still responded as he had that day, purring and satisfied " Obey. "
And just like the other time, Kayn remained silent, yet Shieda would have smiled in understanding, while Kayn continued to think. Rhaast perceived this as a favorable response.
"Why am I alive? Did you do something?"
He's not an idiot. He knew he should be dead right now and he was aware of what was keeping him alive at that moment.
" Did you want to die? "
Surprisingly, Rhaast's questioning of what he wants no longer seems strange, but it still makes him question Rhaast's motives "I'm not afraid of death, but that doesn't mean I want to die."
" That's enough for me. " Was Rhaast considering saving him whenever he was on the verge of death? Kayn didn't know whether to be grateful or worried, after all, what would Rhaast get out of it? At the same time, he said these words with such zeal that he was on the verge of questioning more about himself and Rhaast.
Kayn touched the blade of the scythe, dangerously close to feeding the demon with his blood, but quickly withdrew his hand. "But I don't want to owe anything to a demon of the Blood Moon."
" Blood Moon Demon ... Urg. " If Kayn could see Rhaast's facial expressions, he would observe a demon rolling its eyes in disgust. " Humans full of tedious nomenclature... "
"Is that wrong?" Kayn's genuine curiosity was nothing more than a search for knowledge to fill the gap in his memories and learn more about his enemy.
" Demons do not differentiate between those from the Snow Moon or the Blood Moon; our sole desire is to consume their burning souls and their agonizing screams. However, those who seek to anticipate this at all costs... Then I hate them, but not only for that reason. " The question of Rhaast really seemed personal and with a lot of stories to tell, and Kayn didn't have time for that.
He needed to sleep.
But that night he didn't sleep, spending most of the time talking to Rhaast about everything and at the same time about nothing, it was difficult to follow all of Rhaast's monologues when Kayn didn't even know half of the full story, getting lost at some point and asking for clarity on the subject that Rhaast vaguely gave, but he always answered.
When the blizzard passed, the tents began to be dismantled quickly and the wounded had their bandages changed, but the fever persisted, and they had no supplies for temporary treatment, causing the scythe to say in a malicious whisper: " Remember what I said before? Still in the village? "
Kayn remembered clearly, feeling guilty for almost agreeing, after all, those were his fellow cult members, a cult that had saved his life, it was only fair that he wanted to save them, but it seemed that everything was in vain and Death was his greatest salvation
"Kayn." Turning towards the female voice, Kayn could see Caitlyn's gaze analyzing him. "I noticed the light in your tent, couldn't you sleep?"
Rhaast growled furiously "No, I was meditating."
Why was Kayn still hiding Rhaast's existence? Wouldn't it be better if he spoke up and finally got the demon away from him? "I see... But sleep is important Kayn, remember what Master Morgana taught you." Kayn nodded respectfully "By the way, I saw you using shadow magic in the confrontation with Akali, I didn't know you were capable of such advanced magic."
Kayn looked surprised at Caitlyn, he didn't even realize that he used the magic that Rhaast taught him in that fight, it was automatic as if his body and mind were used to fighting like that, maybe that was part of who he was before "Thank you."
He heard Rhaast laugh, sounding proud, making Kayn almost roll his eyes and continue helping to tidy up with the feeling that he was full of energy even though he hadn't slept, it was strange, but he was pretty sure that this was Rhaast's doing, at the same time as he had the feeling that he should prepare for a deadly fight soon.
Notes:
Because this chapter has so many references to the game, consider it revised, and let me know if the chapter is any clearer!
Chapter 5: In the Eyes of the Thief
Summary:
What is the concept of death? The end of something to give rise to something new or just the end of a life? For Rhaast, death is everything. It's about controlling what should die and what shouldn't, and that's why he chose it.
Notes:
Gore and Torture Warning! If you don't like it, I advise you not to read the part about the fox, but maybe you'll lose context for it...
It took me almost a month to update this... Forgive me 😭
But I really wanted this to be a special chapter for those reading to understand what's going on, obviously, because it's not the last chapter, it won't be here that everything will be explained and maybe it will create more confusion, but I like that :DObviously, like every chapter of this fanfic, everything is subject to change in the future, because as much as I know exactly what I want for this fanfic, maybe something will change if I see that it's not so cool or if it's so cool that I change the previous chapters so that this cool thing makes more sense... That's the process.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
After Caitlyn praised Kayn's mastery of shadow magic, he didn't have time to stop. Watching around them to identify potential adversaries or demonic entities and to alert them of his imminent approach. It would be ironic to use this when it was a demon, Rhaast, who had instructed him in the use of magic.
Fortunately for the assassin, using the magic was like riding a bicycle. His muscles and soul remembered correctly how to utilize the magic, while wielding the scythe became increasingly facile as if he and Rhaast were somehow aligned.
In contrast to Rhaast, Kayn wasn't so keen on the synchronicity with a demon. After all, he is a faithful follower of those who saved him. While part of him wanted to go deeper and find out more about what awaited him when he mastered the scythe and had the power promised to him by Death himself.
“ You know what to do. ”
Did he know?
“ We need to complete communion. ”
Kayn paused after crossing a tree to rest and tightened his grip on the scythe, looking at the reddish flame “Communion?” That term didn't seem strange, uselessly trying to remember what it was about, but again his memory failed him “Is that something from the Blood Moon, Rhaast?”
Rhaast laughed, “ It's about you and me. It's about joining my flesh to your bone on the Red Moon, offering of oneself to the other in life and in death, in sickness and in health, the becoming one in every way. ”
The words were almost poetic to Kayn's ears, which were now hot, for some reason sounding much more beautiful than the bloody “It doesn't sound like something the Snow Moon wants to do.”
“ More reason why this is the place that doesn't deserve you. ”
Despite the almost unbearable cold, the group managed to reach the temple without significant injury. The wounded were promptly transported. Caitlyn was leading Kayn and Varus down the corridor to Illaoi's room when Morgana intervened, giving them a colder look than she'd ever given them before.
“Master Morgana.” Caitlyn greeted Morgana, then bowed, followed by Varus and Kayn “We were just going to report to the High Priestess about the mission.”
Morgana put her hands together in her lap, standing up straight “High Priestess Illaoi is absent now, you must report to me for the time being.”
The news came as something of a shock to Varus and Kayn, who knew that Illaoi rarely left his post unless it was for something very important “Could you give us an explanation, master?” Caitlyn inquired in a complacent tone.
Morgana's heterochromatic eyes fell on Kayn, specifically on the scythe, which drew the attention of Caitlyn's attentive eyes. “It seems that rotten flesh has taken hold of the veins in our walls.”
Kayn heard Rhaast laugh maliciously.
Caitlyn swiftly discerned the underlying meaning while Varus was visibly affected as he observed two assassins arriving with an open crate, halting behind Morgana. The same crate that Rhaast was in when he picked it up with Illaoi, made him wonder if Rhaast had something to do with this mess.
“It would have been more prudent to assign this mission to someone else, it failed because of my misjudgment.” Morgana looked away from Kayn, seeing how the red in Kayn's eye was becoming more and more like her own.
“I don't think that's the case.” Kayn countered.
Everyone in the Show Moon had a slowed respiration, as if they were about to die, you could hardly tell, even in the extreme cold on that side of the temple, it was hard to discern any signs. Consequently, Kayn wasn't able to assess Morgana's stress level in the same way that Caitlyn could.
“Kayn, do you have something to tell me?”
He had a lot to say, about the possessed scythe, about Rhaast, about what happened in that village, and about what he didn't remember, questions that if asked he knew he would be branded a heretic, but all that could be heard coming out of Kayn was: “No, ma'am.”
This sense of protection that Kayn felt about Rhaast was comically frightening; he couldn't understand why he couldn't talk about Rhaast openly with other people, as if his tongue were sealed. Or even hand over the scythe, because the feeling of losing Rhaast seemed much worse than being caught in a lie.
So when the crate was put down, Morgana narrowed her eyes “Kayn, is this the truth?”
The sparkle in Shieda's eyes was as bright as ever “Yes.”
“So return the scythe that the High Priestess gave you.”
Kayn's heart skipped a beat, he was facing a situation he hadn't expected right away. Staying away from Rhaast? It was almost like breaking him in half. At the same time, his eyes wandered over every face in the room, seeing the emotionlessness of the assassins holding the crate, Caitlyn's understanding, Varus' waiting, and the most fearful: Morgana's expectant.
His faith was being tested, his faith in the Snow Moon and the outcome with the Blood Moon, or worse, the outcome with Rhaast.
“Master Morgana, would you consider not taking Rha-”
He closed his mouth immediately, knowing the gaffe he had almost committed, speaking the name of a demon made him stronger, speaking it in the Temple of the Snow Moon is sacrilege and yet his hand clasped protectively over Rhaast's shaft.
But he was accustomed to saying the demon's name as if it were candy. It seemed wrong to say that he was just a demon, when, in fact, all that power didn't belong to just any demon. Seeing the damage caused by Kennen and Kalista, and witnessing the cooperation between a Blood Moon assassin and a demon, Kayn knew that Rhaast was much more than a mere demon.
It's wrong, guilt overwhelmed him, who was right, and who was wrong? The one who had saved him or the one who was closely tied to his forgotten past? He now held the scythe in both hands, taking a good look at the red area, seeing the minute details, the flame almost failing, before dry swallowing.
“ Shieda. ” He took a breath when he heard his name. “ I've never seen you back down before like you are doing now. ”
Blind faith is what strengthens a human being the most, not the one who holds it, but the one who indoctrinates it. Seeing the scythe being carried to the crate by Kayn himself and being well-guarded so that the lid could finally be closed with a loud snap was satisfying for Morgana, even though she knew she was racing against time.
“You made the appropriate decision.” Morgana relaxed her arms, signaling them to take the crate away while Kayn felt their bond weaken. It was the right thing to do, he should, he wants to be seen as worthy under the white light of the Snow Moon and his saviors “Caitlyn, Varus, wait for me. Kayn, follow me, you need to be purified to receive Ahri's blessing.”
Kayn couldn't shake the bad feeling inside him, of being away from Rhaast and feeling guilty about his decision to let him go. This is how Kayn would obtain the power he desired? He had given up what should rightfully be his to have the blessing of a goddess he didn't even know. “Ahri?”
Morgana smiled slightly, “I'll explain it to you on the way, come along.” She extended her hand, it was an offer Kayn accepted “The Snow Moon, like all the other Ionian moons, has its dogmas.” She began, as she walked calmly down the corridor with Kayn by her side, paying attention, even though he missed holding the scythe “We of the Snow Moon follow Ahri, the Goddess of Memories, an ancient spirit who sees through the eyes of those accepted by the moon the world as it is and through the eyes of all those in that room, you, Kayn, have proven yourself to Ahri.”
Something stirred in Kayn's essence “How do you know that for sure, Master Morgana?”
“Ahri talks to the priestesses of the temple, it's a practice that takes years to have, not because of strength, but because of the determination to follow the path of the Goddess of Memories. The Goddess of Memories taught us about immortality and sentience. Do you know what sentience is, Kayn?”
“It's what makes us aware of who we are.”
Morgana knew she had to choose her words carefully from now on, and as she approached a door, she uttered words that seemed rehearsed and repeated over and over again: “In ancient times, humans were immortal, like the gods and demons, we were aware of this and everything was at peace. But this was taken away from us by a selfish demon, who wasn't satisfied with the natural cycle of life. He created the concept of death and dying , causing the gods of Takamagahara to descend to save us, but it was too late.”
Entering the room, Kayn looked surprised by the revelation, perhaps if Rhaast were here he could tell him the name of the demon who had done this.
“The Goddess of Memories, Ahri, with her benevolence, revealed a secret to the humans outraged by the dominance of the demons of the Blood Moon in Ionia. Memories are part of sentience, so Death and Time will always haunt us, so she offered her power, immortality, in exchange for our memories. The Order of the Snow Moon accepted, taking back what is rightfully ours, where even Death can't reach us and Time is irrelevant to us.”
Kayn's familiarity with the room he was now in sent shivers down his spine, even though he didn't remember its existence “So those who follow the Snow Moon must abandon what makes them slightly sentient?”
Abandon your memories.
“Not abandon them, but hand them over to the Ahri Divinity. Most people don't care about lost memories, while others are obsessed with getting them back.”
All of Rhaast's complaints and anger suddenly made more sense "One of the goddesses of the Snow Moon has your precious memories." His mind echoed Rhaast's angry words and the cold seemed unbearable.
“Is that why I don't remember who I am?” Kayn tried to hide his anger in his tone, but Morgana was good at reading him.
“You are what you should be, what the Snow Moon wants: the best of you.”
Hadn't he gotten used to the cold? So why did everything hurt so much?
"You are what you want to be."
In the end, everything leads back to Rhaast.
The water on his feet was freezing and Morgana gently brought her hands up to the ornaments on Kayn's head, the only thing that made the cold less unbearable, was to take them off. “You've proven yourself worthy.” she repeated, sweetly attracting the one who wants to prove his worth. “Your time has come to have what is rightfully yours.”
It was like the touch of a needle, in reflex, Kayn pushed Morgana's hands away from him and took a step back. “You stole my memories and lied to me! You kidnapped me!”
“We saved you from being killed.”
“Shut up, I don't want to hear your lies.” He was ready to use his shadows.
Morgana sighed, disappointed “Was it the demon who put these doubts in you? Did you allow the words to sink deep into your being?” Morgana's white hand was extended and the icy wind swirled around her arm, conjuring a spell that Kayn didn't understand. The temperature seemed unbearable and the priestess's skin turned blue as death. “Be still and don't make this difficult again, Kayn.”
When Kayn turned a shadow, the water at his feet turned to ice, and in a circle, the diagram was written in red and the whispered words echoed in his ear, pinning him to the ground like blue chains that turned an icy red and his shadows no longer responded to him.
“I told you to remain!”
Morgana's wings opened, and Kayn let out a muffled scream, feeling the chains hurting his soul and felt his life slowly burning away even in the confusion of his pain, like the trained assassin he was, he realized that Morgana's right side was blood red.
“I suffered this for you...”
There was a hidden anger in Morgana's being that Kayn had never heard, but the ice that surged through his body was painful to the point where he shouted that could get him out of there: "Rhaast!"
That place was like emptiness, where nothing existed but the big tree with its red leaves and the red lilies scattered around like a beautiful field. The snow fox jumped gracefully through the flowers, careful not to let its conscience discover its presence and look for new memories to feed on when it smelled the putrid scent of blood.
The fox, curious, walked up to the hill where the big tree stood, watching the leaves slowly freeze around it in the icy wind.
Will you finally open your delicious eyes?
She laughed, making fun of all the trouble the Blood Moon for trying to keep Kayn away from her insatiable hunger. But she couldn't resist, there had never been any memories as bittersweet as Kayn's, the orphan boy's past, being caught by a shadow-encrusted killer when his biological parents abandoned him for their lives to finally grow up and be chosen by selfish Death.
Between the branches of the tree, the fox heard a faint scream, coming closer to see if Kayn was there, but all she saw were hands larger than her head with red claws. She quickly jumped back, returning to her true form, the Goddess of Memories, Ahri.
So that's where Damiyo was... thinking the Time was on his side. She scoffed But you should know, Death, that there's nothing more effective at stealing our present and future than Time itself, and that's why, you and I, aren't so different.
Crystal blue eyes opened to the sky, stepping out of the shadows to reveal nothing but Death, the boneless flesh, just as powerful as the last time she saw him, with a more detailed mask and his bloodlust was mixed with the hatred ignited by the fox's words.
That was the end of the fox's relief, her death was near, and she could feel it. Without even being able to defend herself, her stomach was torn open, her guts ripped out from the inside, and her scream of agony never reached the ears of her attacker, who was too lost in the satisfaction of pulling out his long nails and smelling fox blood.
The blood of the Memory Thief.
What a delight of agony. He broke the leg joints of the fox, who looked at Rhaast with horror and the gleam in his eyes fading. What? Is it dead already? Come on... Scream some more! He laughed as he ripped off the fox's ears and made it scream. When you, you damned fox, thought it would be a good idea to steal my shadow and use its memories for immortal purposes, I cursed you. I planned your death. All the agony you and your scum have caused him will come back to you.
Unforgivable.
Unforgivable.
Unforgivable.
Unforgivable.
Slowly, Ahri's eyes blinked open, she coughed up blood and said weakly: Forgive me... Don't kill m-
She was silenced as Death's sharp teeth ripped off her head, swallowing it like a cherry, feeling Ahri's strength fading and leaving her grasp. Of course, killing a Takamagahara Goddess wasn't that easy, and he didn't even want to do it because of the clauses he had signed in the past, but Rhaast had at least had a good time.
“Rhaast!”
When he looked at the tree, it was slowly freezing, a painful process, but Rhaast knew that, unlike Ahri, Kayn would never beg anyone for his life. This would be the moment Rhaast had been waiting for, the purification would not be complete, he touched the tree and then it shook.
The ice wouldn't stop easily and this process would be slower than usual and more painful for Shieda, so he drew Kalista's spear to himself as a final triumph and to end this cycle.
With his eyes painfully closed, Kayn breathed in agony, but he no longer felt cold, the whispered words were no longer heard, the chains didn't pull him towards the ice that burned where they touched and Morgana's presence was far away. He opened his eyes, recognizing the ceiling, the well-polished wooden floor, the ornate columns... He remembered when he came here to get answers from the scythe and how the bloody red moved him.
This is where Rhaast told me not to forget his name.
“Rhaast?” Shieda called out but didn't hear an answer.
Getting up slowly, taking care that the dizziness didn't get worse, he noticed how cold his skin was and his chest was marked with white shadows, that's when he noticed his hair was loose and completely white like everyone else's on the Snow Moon.
He knew he should feel something now, a sense of urgency, but it didn't seem appropriate to indulge in such an emotion. Glancing to the side, where the scythe had last been found, he noticed the crate tied up in straw ropes braided with sealing sigils. Kayn approached, lifting and removing the ropes without any delicacy, ignoring the sounds of fighting and screaming coming from outside. He used the shadows to open the crate and finally saw Rhaast.
“What…”
The scythe was completely white without the red flame, the ice could be felt and it didn't burn, but it was still lethal. The red moon was gone and Kayn couldn't feel Rhaast anywhere and finally, the feeling of urgency came, holding the lifeless scythe, waiting for some nasty comment.
But he never came.
He felt nothing but the emptiness left by Rhaast's absence. He hated every second of those who had casually stolen his memories and now he hated them even more for digging a hole in his heart.
Kayn knew he was lost, but he couldn't find himself. Was this how the assassins of the Snow Moon felt? Unable to shed a tear even when the flesh was gone? Perhaps the man smelling of shadows, who had just entered the compound, could tell him the answer, just as Rhaast had given him that night of the blizzard, after all, he wore red, just like Rhaast.
The assassin's eyes were completely blue now and Zed had a bad feeling of nostalgia, it was like seeing Shieda for the first time in that devastated village and abandoned in the village.
Notes:
You're probably wondering if Rhaast has died and well... There's no tag talking about the death of a main character, but you should know that I based this on the discarded lore of Kayn, Rhaast and Aatrox in LoR, how cool is that? I really like how they wanted to debut Kayn and Rhaast in LoR, but I also like how the end result turned out with Xolaani coming, I really like Xolaani A LOT 👁👁
Some considerations: Since this won't be explored in this fanfic I have a theory about Morgana Snow Moon. Of all the Snow Moon/Blood Moon skins, only three characters have heterochromatic eyes: Kayn, Jhin and Morgana; and the only thing these three characters have in common is that they are exposed to the demon more than the other characters, in this case, Morgana is not only the priestess but an exorcist. At the same time, I believe that being exposed isn't enough, and I think that maybe this is related to Kayle in some way, even if Kayle doesn't have a skin in this skinline, but nothing prevents her from having one 👀
The tree in Rhaast's domain is the same as the one in Morgana's recall animation where she freezes entirely, which is why Kayn here has become a Shadow Assassin with only a few memories intact thanks to Rhaast.
Zed has finally come to rescue his son... Again! 😭❤We'll have 2 more chapters, the next one will be a big flashback and the last one will be... The last one. And I intend to do an extra chapter for the joy of those who are reading! You definitely deserve it.
Chapter 6: Lord of Yomi.
Summary:
They were foolishly ambitious, wanting more than they could handle. Incredibly sadistic, they thought that if they could enter the mind of a Blood Moon follower, just to prove their point, that if they could mold him to the dogmas of the Snow Moon, it would be their greatest achievement and thus regain their immortality in a lucid dream. But it was just that, an unattainable dream, for Death will prevail even in oblivion.
Notes:
This chapter contains a lot of blood, a bit of gore and implied sex (emphasis on implied because it's different from explicit).
This chapter is a big flashback! It's important and honestly it's because of it that this fanfic exists, so I was excited to write it and because of that some of the previous chapters will undergo changes (especially the second chapter), the first chapter has already had small changes if you want to check it out.
Some considerations will be put in the endnotes so if you're curious I'd recommend reading on.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
" I had to change bones... " A voice rang out from far away, showing his disappointment.
" Well, wasn't he a good bone? Quiet, rich and very open to new things? " The question came like a thorn.
" ...He stank a lot and you know how I HATE dirty people. " The demon just surrendered to his misery.
Then the Lord of Yomi could hear more distant whispers.
" Have you heard about the cult that reveres us? Humans are really very benevolent if you say the right things. " A venomous laugh was uttered.
" Human worship? Why do you need something so low? " He growled.
" They give us everything we ask for without hesitation! They love us! "
" You're very needy, that's what you are. "
Rhaast refrained from listening to any more drivel from the weak demons who walked around Yomi, but there was one thing he agreed on in this last conversation: there was no point in wanting devotion from such weak and ignoble beings; Rhaast didn't see humans as anything more than a walking piece of meat, but on the other hand their souls were a lot of fun to torture.
Unfortunately, he couldn't state his opinion so bluntly when Aatrox, his brother, the Cosmic Uterus, is right in front of him talking about how walking through the land of humans was much better than being trapped in Yomi. Some foolish soul has opened the gates of Yomi's Torii making demons run around the world, all they need is a body, of course that wouldn't last long, possession is something very weak and temporary.
“ I've seen that some humans are getting together to come up with more... permanent solutions. ” Aatrox commented while drinking something his children had brought from the human world.
Rhaast wanted to comment that Aatrox was becoming too… Human, much to his displeasure, but he preferred to focus on something more important “ Permanents? Tell me more. ”
He still remembers millennia ago, when there were no restrictions, when he walked through the human world for the first time and found everything so disgusting that he simply wanted to destroy everything in front of him and revel in the eternal suffering of humans because those inferior beings with little flesh and brains had the same conditions as him, immortal by their pathetic nature and souls that leaked absolute power that they were incapable of using.
But Rhaast remembers well when it all ended, when the End came for human life, when he felt bored to the point that torturing them was no longer enough and no longer gave him the feeling of power he was so addicted to. He needed more, to reach into the soul and tear it apart and watch it crumble from his grasp, blood dripping and Life no longer existing.
He wanted something that didn't exist.
Thresh didn't seem to agree with you very much, he once gave you a sour look when they met after a while and Rhaast expressed his boredom at the lack of more, they never got on very well so it was nothing more than to annoy the demon even if he wasn't lying.
So he returned to Yomi after many years, his scythe bathed in the blood of countless humans who weren't even worth remembering by name, and the battle didn't seem to be enough.
He wants more.
More.
More.
“ What brings you here, Rhaast? Your brother won't like it when he finds out you came to see me. ” Tempo said, kind at first and bloodthirsty at last.
Rhaast saw the chains she carried and the tremendous power she wielded and yet she never directed her hatred towards humans, even if her actions were questionable she was still on neutral ground for Yomi and Takamahagara “ Xolaani, it's been a long time. ”
Xolaani, the Bloodweaver, her title is no coincidence, Time incarnate in her who weaves destinies with blood in an unconventional but very effective way.
“I dispense with your little formalities, Rhaast, now come and tell me what ails you or why you came to me. ” Xolaani stares at Rhaast with a superiority that he doesn't like, knowing that she thinks she's doing what needs to be done but in the end she's a demon just like him, addicted to blood “ You're always creative, even if you are as arrogant as Aatrox. ”
There were razors under Xolaani's tongue, but incredibly he didn't want a fight even though it was very tempting “ As you grumble, I'm here to make a deal, something that will make me happy and you satisfied. ”
He had to be persuasive enough, otherwise his plan wouldn't work.
“ I want to listen. ”
Rhaast hated how Xolaani said things that boosted his own ego with such a sweet tone, easy to manipulate any half-witted demon “ What is life if not eternity, humans have something that you and I have, immortality and look where we've come, them being tediously tortured with their guts out, a very happy life for them, no? ”
Xolaani blinked, seeing Rhaast's malice in every syllable he uttered “ In fact, his concern is nothing more than the very selfishness of his unholy boredom .”
Rhaast laughed “ And your absence is the greatest torture for your precious humans ” Xolaani's silence didn't seem to please her, and Rhaast knows he's won “ The End must come to them and the new beginning a blessing of Time, don't you think? ”
The mask said nothing, but Xolaani's essence was stirring with such an interesting proposal “ Since the Torii opened, I've been able to see the actions of demons and repudiate them, see humans suffer because of their immortality, for something they don't deserve, and then you propose the end for them... Where would their souls go? Who's to say when they should return? This cycle doesn't seem complete. ”
“ They would come to Yomi, their souls judged for their karma and then they would return their souls to the human world again. ”
“ Judged by their karma... How exactly? ” Rhaast's laughter seemed to be enough of an answer for Xolaani. Rhaast's motives were only cruel, but Xolaani's were noble, seeing the appeal of this new cycle of life and the end. No, not the end, but death “ Then you must promise me something. ”
Rhaast expected Xolaani to ask for something, maybe a fight? He knows she likes and understands things better by blood.
" You must be the Shogun of these cursed lands, you must be the Emissary of Death and never, ever kill any god of Yomi and Takamagahara. ”
There it was, the appeal of Xolaani and her unrealistic ideas about peace between entities that naturally hate each other, whenever she could bring it up and make Rhaast sick, but he didn't dislike it, after all, he wasn't really interested in such things, being more concerned with quenching his thirst for blood.
And a new cycle began in the human world, Life is the beginning, Death is its only certainty, for Time always obeys the limits of Death and only it can give you a fresh start. The balance shifted and Aatrox was angry with Rhaast for years for the feeling of betrayal, but over time, Aatrox became addicted to killing.
Their disagreements were healed by a vase of Baijiu placed neatly in front of them, blood staining their weapons a bright, lethal red that Rhaast loves.
He created the concept of death and dying and without asking some began to worship him, as if dying was a gift from Rhaast himself to them and that if they compensated for it they would be granted immortality or would be shown mercy by the Lord of Yomi when they crossed over to the other side. Fools. Rhaast would love to rip out two entrails and spread them out to be visible to any visitor.
But the demon had to admit that he liked the songs and dances they performed for him, the art of killing is something he enjoys. The dance of death is his favorite, being followed for generations, the crimson flowers were always placed on the paths of the temple and its followers the deadliest possible, but none of this was enough for him to want to leave the Yomi, he was having fun even though the Torii's strength was fading and the demons could no longer run around in the human world.
A long and boring story in Rhaast's opinion.
Then came something more concrete, the Blood Moon, bringing demons into the human world for an exchange of power. Some demons were willing to help in this crossing between Spiritual Planes, like Pyke and his relationship with the Master of the Ceremony.
Returning to the present, Aatrox turned his glass and looked towards Rhaast "It's something like what we used to have and what we have now, we join our flesh to the bone of a human, a communion.
Evelynn, who was following the conversation, couldn't hide her satisfaction at the topic " Imagine the things we can do again! All we need is a strong receptacle and we can walk the human lands again. ”
" I haven't been there for a while, I miss the smell of blood. " Aatrox took a deep breath, trying to remember what had once satisfied him.
" You should try it, Shogun. " Evelynn smiled mischievously " A pretty receptacle just for you to indulge in death, isn't that charming enough? ”
Rhaast was pensive, it had been hundreds of decades since he had set foot in the human world, tasting the power of death was so satisfying that he didn't even see the time passing, how ironic.
" Remember the last time he went to the human world and came back? He went quietly so that the shrew Xolaani could make a deal. " Aatrox pointed " No human world for you, brother. ”
" Brother , you hurt my deepest feelings like that. ”
Evelynn rolled her eyes " Let's not fight now, tomorrow I'll have my ritual and I don't want my dear friends playing at fighting. ”
Rhaast settled back into his seat, laughing at Evelynn's words and letting the conversation fade into oblivion, at least until Aatrox left, leaving only him and Evelynn to take the last sips of their drink.
" You didn't answer my question. " She pouted.
Rhaast narrowed his eyes, knowing exactly what that cunning demon was talking about "I have no interest in humans other than them dying by my hand.
" Exactly! Father can't get out of here because there's no good receptacle for him in that disgusting world and what fun would the world be without Death himself stepping into it? " Evelynn smiled cynically, getting up and ready to leave " I wonder what creative idea you'd have after stepping into the human world again even if Aatrox disapproved of the last one, he just won't admit he liked it because it involves Xolaani. " When she realized she wasn't going to get an answer, she sighed boredly " If you're so scared, come and see my ceremony, it'll be fun. ”
He didn't go, coincidentally the Lord of Yomi was very busy that day, but the idea never left his head, always listening to the lowest whispers of demons and souls about the ritual. A communion that joins flesh and bone under the red moon, the moon that was nothing more than a big VIP session for the demons in Yomi to watch the human world and dream of being the ones to set foot there again.
" Well, well, what have we here? " Thresh's mask could never hide his lying tone of pleasure " Our dear and honorable, Shogun. ”
Pyke looked over his shoulder at Rhaast's arrival, certainly something unusual, but he kept to his routine and warned: " We're not having rituals these days, Shogun. ”
“ That's not what I came for. ”
Rhaast walked to the middle, seeing the relic that humans call red moon, Tsukuyomi revealed where the moonlight hovered. Thresh didn't hide his interest in Rhaast's actions, wanting to know what he was doing there even though Rhaast himself was in petty denial while Pyke didn't want to meddle in the affairs of his ruthless Shogun, choosing to leave him and make his way into the Yomi.
Fortunately, Tsukuyomi seemed to know exactly what Rhaast wanted, a human to make communion with, she showed him several humans, but none seemed right for the Lord of Yomi, not that he was going to choose, he was in denial and it took so long that even Thresh's trickster curiosity faded and the demon went on his way to trap and torture more souls lost to Yomi.
And perhaps gossip to the other demons about the rare scene near the site.
The first of many to show up was Tryndamere, not to snoop, but to find his own bone “ My Shogun. ”
The bow was well done and Rhaast gave the demon space to do what he wanted, paying attention to everything he did, wherever Tsukuyomi looked the demon always seemed to be attentive, looking for something specific, Tryndamere seemed satisfied when the image of a human facing a horde of assassins said to be from the Nevada Moon appeared.
“ Will he come out of this alive? ” Rhaast growled in glee, one more soul, one more death.
Tryndamere crossed his arms “ He wouldn't last a winter, but he has the bravery to face death. ”
The human emerged victorious, but with many wounds, escaping death is not easy but it seemed to be enough for Tryndamere “ Satisfied? ” Rhaast saw Tryndamere's mask turn towards him.
“ If you'll allow me a word of advice, Shogun. ” When Rhaast said nothing, Tryndamere continued: " It seems you've been here for a while, Tsukuyomi only shows what you want, if you're not clear you could spend a long time here. ”
After saying their goodbyes, Tryndamere went on his way, leaving Rhaast to think things over, laughing at his own foolishness and realizing that denying his desires was not part of him, he knew what he wanted: Death, he wanted to see a well-done death where he could immerse himself to the point of tasting blood on his tongue and the images that Tsukuyomi gave him couldn't have been more delicious.
He wanted to see the human world today, even though he was the one who spent the most time with human souls, he knew almost nothing about it, after all, Rhaast never allowed souls to do anything but scream.
And well... Rhaast couldn't be more bored, the greatest feats were done by demons, things he sees every day “ Show me that. ”
The image returned to the first ones, the ones that had almost made him want to go to the human world again, almost. Then Tsukuyomi showed a human, male, with yellowish eyes and long hair like a black veil tied into a neat braid, probably in his twenties, he handled his sword with frightening skill, killing his enemies without looking back, his methods seemed calculated, which displeased Rhaast, but the way the blade tore through the victim's skin made the Shogun's body tremble.
That human did everything that Rhaast would do if he were in the human world, he destroyed villages and eliminated his enemies, a prodigal killer who knows how to cut without being cut back, going through structures and jumping from shadow to shadow to kill, a quick but entertaining death.
He spent a long time observing that human, his name is Shieda and he lives in the cult of the Blood Moon, being trained by a man called Zed who was just as ruthless, yet no fun at all. Every death Shieda made fueled something in Rhaast, something destructive, something beautiful, like a dance.
A dance of death.
“ You look like a little girl in love, brother. ” Aatrox's voice rang out, but Rhaast didn't answer, making the demon snort “ Come on, brother, react, you've been watching this human for two weeks and there are a few souls waiting to be resurrected! ” Rhaast shrugged and Aatrox allowed himself to pay attention to what fascinated Death, a murder well done, making Aatrox laugh evilly, walking over to Rhaast “ You want this human. ”
Rhaast's mask didn't hide his obvious smile “ Yes. ”
Aatrox looked strangely pleased “ I can do this for you, a human from the Blood Moon answers for me, tell me the name of your human and he'll be your bone. ”
For the first time in years, Aatrox said something that made Rhaast anxious with happiness “ Shieda, that's your name. ”
When Rhaast returned to his duties, the souls suspected that his tortures would become milder, but the demon was more cruel than ever, enjoying himself like never before, even daring to eat a few souls here and there, those who would never be resurrected and no one would notice! The fun couldn't stop.
Returning to Tsukuyomi, Rhaast saw Shieda's image being revealed automatically, it seemed that Tsukuyomi was as excited for this communion as Rhaast was, he saw Shieda meditating under a tree being bathed in moonlight with some sigils written on his body. He saw Shieda opening his now blue eyes looking at the moon, looking at Rhaast, without fear, just genuine curiosity.
“You're ready, Shieda.” A voice sounded, it was the first time Rhaast had heard it “Your blue eyes indicate it, soon you will be the bone of the one who created death and you will have your mask.”
The man talking to Shieda seemed happy, almost ecstatic about it “Master Jhin, you seem to know a lot about him.”
Jhin laughed “Shieda, when I say that he created death, I'm not joking.” He had a scroll with him “We at Blood Moon killed because of him.”
“Really?” Shieda crossed his arms “And after years he decided to show his face, why?”
The boy is daring, Rhaast had to admit that, first he stares at him and then he questions his actions, great for crushing the ego.
“We don't know, in fact he has never manifested himself to humans except to kill them.” Rhaast felt Jhin's envy “You must be very special to attract his attention, but I understand the appeal.”
Shieda narrowed his eyes as Jhin walked away, passing Zed, who put his hand on Shieda's shoulder as he arrived “How do you feel? Did Jhin do something strange to you?”
He denied it, laughing quietly at his master's act of concern “He only said that I was ready to receive the demon.”
In an act of brotherhood, Zed removed his mask “I always knew you'd get your mask early, but I didn't expect the Lord of Yomi to take an interest in you.” Shieda's eyes lit up at these words: “You are my pride, so I will do my best to ensure that nothing interrupts this Communion.”
Rhaast could feel the positive words filling Shieda with happiness and the demon realized that he should talk to Shieda before the communion, he knew a few tricks so this part wouldn't be difficult, he had a plan in mind.
One evening after training, Shieda sat under the same tree, his muscles were sore but nothing that would hurt him, when he closed his eyes he could feel a powerful presence watching him, in fact it had been a long time since he had felt it, since the massacre he had carried out a few weeks ago and then the news of his communion arrived and the presence had gone away and now returned.
“Impressed by the view?” Shieda looked around, trying to identify where the presence was, but it seemed that he was being surrounded by it.
But he never expected to be answered “ Tell me, human, have you considered your fate after your death? ”
Shieda couldn't be more amazed, the voice was deep and strangely velvety, as if it were caressing his soul with just words “I'm not afraid of Yomi if that's what you're asking me, I don't regret any death. I did what had to be done.”
“ Aren't you afraid of what I might do to you? ”
Shieda stared at the moon with a smile “No... But that doesn't mean I want to die, I still have a lot to do, at least until my bone can sustain your flesh on this plane.”
“ You'll still have plenty of time for that. ” Rhaast almost vibrated when he saw the human's curious gaze, sweet and ready to perfect what he was already good at “ To help with your next kill, keep this. ”
Shieda didn't understand until he felt a weight on his left wrist and was surprised by a bracelet of blue stones and black alloy “How did you...?”
“ If you don't want to die like an idiot, don't take it off, don't be shy, indulge in the blood of your enemies. ”
Is this a test? Shieda interpreted it that way and realizing that the demon had already done what he wanted Kayn quickly said: “Before you go, tell me your name.”
Rhaast wasn't surprised by the lack of knowledge, since from what he'd seen through Tsukuyomi he's no longer so revered by humans, but he did enjoy the human's curiosity “ Rhaast, my name is Rhaast, don't you dare forget that name. ”
“Rhaast.” He repeated the name, very similar to Aatrox, the Cosmic Womb, making him want to ask about it, but feeling that he was already getting too much out of the demon he preferred to wait.
Touching the new accessory, he cracked a smile, casually he didn't like to be pampered or flattered, but this came from a demon who had handpicked him, a demon who could have chosen anyone from the higher ranks of the Blood Moon and knowing this he felt he could do anything.
His next mission would be an ambush, perfect for the test Rhaast had given him, showing off his assassin's skills in a situation that required secrecy seemed appropriate, but before he went his Master touched his shoulder and pointed to his left fist “Where did you get that boy?”
Shieda's gaze went to his bracelet and his blue eyes sparkled “The Lord of Yomi gave it to me along with a mission.”
Even wearing a mask, it was clear from the shadows that Zed was tense “Shieda you-” He interrupted himself, calming his tone “Why didn't you tell me about this?”
“Because this is a test and no matter what kind of mission it is, I will carry it out with excellence.” The acolyte's self-confidence is indescribable.
“What about the bracelet?” Seeing the questioning look, Zed elaborated on his sentence “Shieda, demons don't give gifts for your bone, at most they test if they are very benevolent. And that's not just any bracelet, is it?”
“Death metal, bathed in moonstone.” Shen's calm voice sounded next to Shieda who stared at him trying to recognize what each of those stones did “They say that death metal comes directly from Death's scythe, I've never seen one up close before. It seems He really wants to see your footsteps up close.”
Shen is a tall man who intimidates anyone, but when he speaks, all he would feel is calm, which is unusual for a Blood Moon assassin, but don't be fooled because nothing gets past the cold wall that is that man when he is committed.
From Shen's words, Shieda understood the level of his test, if Rhaast was watching him closely then the demon liked how he handled things and he wanted an up-close demonstration and like an aura he could feel his Master's and Shen's gaze on him with confidence, he had to do this well and he would, for himself and for Rhaast.
He is Death's One, nothing could stop him.
Where three rivers cross, Shieda positioned himself in the shadows of the forest's tall trees, seeing his targets and the best way to kill them while waiting for the signal to move forward. The plan was to leave some of them alive in order to find out where they had come from and who had sent them so far.
“I came to you to be sated. ” Rhaast's voice whispered in his mind like a seductive promise, making the hairs on his neck stand on end “ I lead and you follow. ”
Shieda felt his bracelet burning, but not in a bad way, so he let things flow, picking up his dagger and ready to kill, not at the sign of his companions but when Rhaast allowed him to kill them all and when the caravan passed right under his tree he knew it was time.
“ Oh, yeah... Let's turn this river red. ”
Walking in the shadows the first death came, natural for hands made for it, satisfying for the one guiding him “ Again! ”
The background voices of his companions seemed not to understand what he was doing by going against the mission, but they were too far away and Shieda ignored them “Yes!”
In a lethal dance for his god, Shieda killed them all, quenching a thirst for blood that he no longer wanted to contain, licking the blade and tasting the blood of the weak, his legs trembling from the euphoria of feeling all his senses well up and Rhaast's approval coursing through his veins, something addictive that he wanted more of.
“Shieda!” The world was no longer candy red, the voice of the mission leader sounded angry. hm, yes , the plan, it had to leave someone alive, but what was a mortal's plan for Death's wishes? “Search the caravan for any notes or information. Shieda, what's gotten into you?”
“ Useless mortals! ” Rhaast sneered.
“I answer to Death and it wanted blood, maybe you want to be next.”
“ Yes! Drive the dagger into his flesh and tear, imagine the sound it would make. ”
Stepping back, the man lowered his gaze in fear “I'm sorry, I didn't know that was for-”
He never finished the sentence, when Rhaast whispered to kill Shieda he spared no effort, plunging the blade into his chin and slicing backwards, splashing blood on himself while the other acolytes looked away, afraid of angering Shieda.
Afraid of Death.
Shieda walked up to the one he thought was leading the caravan, now dead, but his body was spared from Shieda's thirst “ Raise your hand, I'll give a reward to this cult of yours. ”
As ordered, he raised his left hand over the body and the bracelet glowed red as the metal burned more, making his skin increasingly irritated, but it didn't hurt and a sigil glowed ‘Rhaast’ and the body's eyes opened blue.
Shieda had seen something like this before, some Adepts and Masters of the Blood Moon did it, but nothing as easy as he was doing now, it always needed an elaborate ritual for it so it was hardly ever used and understanding came quickly.
“Write down what he's going to say.” Shieda ordered and the acolytes followed, writing down the answers he demanded.
The mission was successful and even though Shieda killed one of his own he wasn't punished as he normally would have been, people were already used to Shieda doing something that deviated a little from the objective, but killing another Blood Moon acolyte never happened so it was thought that now he would finally be punished.
They just didn't expect that everything Shieda did was on orders from the Lord of Yomi.
Now free of his duties, he walked through the nearby forest and quickly returned with something in his hands; no one asked, no one had the courage to question Shieda's affairs after all. With the moon high, he ran to the tree where he liked to meditate and heard Rhaast's voice, now clearer: “ I have a confession to make. ”
Shieda's heart pounded, eager for approval.
“ I didn't think you'd be so good at it, but your display of mastery when it comes to killing and making decisions effectively... You'd kill anyone I asked you to .” Shieda swallowed, Rhaast's deep voice sweetly tugging at his mind with sincere praise. His show of faith was recognized and his plea for praise and approval was being satiated “ I can't wait to taste you .”
Shieda sighed, almost intoxicated by Rhaast's words “It's an honor to satisfy you, Lord of Yomi.”
Rhaast snorted “ Say my name, you know what it is, so use it. ”
“Rhaast.” He heard the demon purr in approval, speaking the name of demons was common on the Blood Moon, as it gave them power. He thought of that name again and again, remembering that it had appeared in the sigil he had made on the last mission “What does Rhaast mean?”
“ Obey. ” Shieda's silence followed by an understanding smile satisfied Rhaast, he knew he had made the right choice. Shieda is perfect for him “ What's that you're holding, Shieda? ”
The assassin didn't know if he was nervous because of the veiled way Rhaast said his name or because he had been caught red-handed, but how could he fool that cunning demon? “They're red lilies, they grow where there's fresh blood on the ground.”
Rhaast remembers seeing these flowers when he was still in the land of humans, wherever he went these flowers sprang up and he vaguely remembers those who worshipped him handing them over to him as small offerings “ They tread the path where Death trod.”
“They symbolize that even in death there is life, it's a natural cycle.” Shieda looked surprised “So you know the customs of humans?
“ I know enough. ” Rhaast saw Shieda a little confused holding the bouquet of red lilies, understanding that this was an offering for himself “ For every red lily you make, give it a moon bath and keep it. ”
Shieda nodded positively while Rhaast thought about exactly what to do with them. Their conversation lasted a while longer, until Shieda had to do his duties and go to sleep, but before he went Death said: “ Harvest souls Shieda and you will soon be rewarded. ”
Was it another test? Shieda couldn't be happier. He had to tell Zed to give him more missions to complete his tests, anxious about whether Rhaast would accompany him again. Carefully he put the lilies away, knowing that caring for them is not an easy task, let alone a popular one, since blood is needed for them to stay alive, luckily for him Shieda is a Blood Moon assassin, what he has most for them is blood.
Zed seemed to understand Shieda's situation, taking him on missions that acolytes don't usually go on, but because of the special situation, he would allow Shieda to have them. Shieda couldn't care less, everything he did was to please the God of Death of the Blood Moon, killing became his routine but it never stopped being exciting and he increasingly went on solo missions, as he liked to do.
However, his weapons wear out quickly, once his sword broke in half only to be stabbed in the stomach and left for dead, but the bracelet burned off and Shieda was able to open his eyes and breathe again, he didn't stop to think about logic at that moment, he just got up and went after his target to kill him.
“Fascinating.” Jhin took a closer look at Shieda's bracelet and not even the mask hid his admiration “It's not just death metal bathed in moonstone.” He held up Shieda's cuff for all to see “The alloy is made of Hematite. This is an artifact, not just any accessory. I never thought the God of Death would be so benevolent, such is the fate of being chosen by him as a bone.”
Zed approached, pulling Jhin away from Shieda “If you look any closer, you'll break.” Jhin laughed at Zed's simple threat, but moved away “How many more do you need to kill?
Urg.
Shieda held back a laugh “It's still not enough, Master, Rhaast wants more.”
Insatiable, that's a word that suits Rhaast, the more Shieda kills the more Rhaast wants, a primal desire for flesh and blood seduces the Lord of Yomi more than fine words making him ruthless at the same time impatient, but he is his god so he must give him what he deserves.
A feast of agony.
Zed just nodded, knowing that demons want more than they can get, even if Rhaast seems to be more than just any demon.
“Rhaast? Like the death sigils on souls?” Jhin asked, fascinated ”Tell me more, kid.”
Shieda started to talk more to Jhin, the man was curious and his long scrolls would never be enough about the Lord of Yomi. Rhaast didn't hate his curiosity, but his attention never turned to him, only to Shieda and only to him. Humans in general are uninteresting to Rhaast, but he's The One has enormous potential, he knows because he is always with him.
“Go to your room, there's something interesting there.” Rhaast seemed tired of the conversation and somewhat impatient, arousing Shieda's interest in what his god wanted to show him. Saying goodbye, he walked to him room and as he entered, he looked around anxiously while listening to Rhaast laugh amusedly when something caught his eye.
A scythe. Its red is simple with ornamental white details “Is that...?”
“ Just a remnant of my power. ” Rhaast's voice ran through Shieda's entire body, calling to him “ Touch it, enjoy it, never let go, use it to cut the flesh of our enemies, remember Shieda that this scythe does not like to be handled coldly. When our communion takes place, it must be fed by souls dedicated to me out of love. ”
“How many are needed?”
“ 100 is enough. ” Rhaast was pleased when Shieda fearlessly took hold of the scythe “ Hmm... I can feel your heart beating fast, delicious. ”
Shieda held the scythe closer, it was heavy and clearly not made for humans to handle due to its size, and at the same time he felt a dense and powerful magic. He's good with any weapon, no matter how difficult it is to handle “Rhaast, what else do you feel?”
It was obvious that their spiritual connection grew with each artifact that Rhaast gifted him “ I feel your blood coursing through your veins, fast and bright... Is my voice that interesting, Shieda? ”
The human couldn't hide his redness in front of Rhaast's eyes, who looked at him with shameless desire “Am I so special that you give me so many presents?”
Shieda's boldness only ignited something lustful inside Rhaast “ You're my The One, my bone, of course you're special, Shieda. I don't waste time with humans, but you're the one I'd love to see screaming my name while you're in my hands. ”
The redness increased and Shieda instinctively gasped as he rubbed his groin between his legs, he could feel both his desire and Rhaast's lust and it was too much, Shieda didn't even know where to start or how it ended, being an acolyte is not having time for many of life's pleasures “I would do much more than that.”
The demon laughed “ That's what we'll see. ”
That night Shieda had dreams he never imagined he would have, even though he didn't know what Rhaast looked like, that wasn't necessary when the demon's voice alone was such a temptation. Shieda had never imagined himself in such a submissive position, but when he dreamed of it he could want nothing more than to be in the palm of Death's own hand. A mad, lethal desire that led Shieda's mind down paths it normally shouldn't have and he knew it, yet Rhaast seemed to respond well to his desires with blood.
What does the Rhaast mask look like?
After that dream, Shieda wanted to know things he would never have the chance to see, after all, he would perish before he could even look at Rhaast, at least that's what he imagines will happen at the Communion, since his Master Zed had already made the Communion and he never told him precise details of his flesh.
“ Lord of Yomi, Death God of the Blood Moon. ” Evelynn entered the castle alongside Aatrox, both looking at Rhaast who was analyzing his own scythe with a look that neither of them were used to.
“ It seems your popularity has grown among the living and the dead, brother. ” Aatrox crossed his arms.
Rhaast shrugged, seeing how calm his scythe was, he had never seen it like this, but lately, with the souls Shieda was harvesting, the scythe seemed content after millennia of neglect.
“ To what do I owe the honor of your presence, Cosmic Womb? ” Rhaast's sarcastic tone showed how annoyed he was at being interrupted “ You didn't even tell me you were coming, it must be something urgent. ”
Evelynn had a well-decorated vase in her hands “ I hope the artifact I made is working, the demons were jealous of you monopolizing Tsukuyomi. ” She walked over to Rhaast, placing the vase on the table beside him “ I've brought you another present, a drink. Don't worry, I got it with blood on my hands, but I heard that whoever drank it had about six children. ”
“ Then you're giving this drink to the wrong god, Evelynn. ” Rhaast finally looked at Evelynn, a small demon ready to pounce “ The Cosmic Womb, the Heart of the Blood Moon, is in this room. ” Rhaast pointed lightly at Aatrox.
“ And who said it was for you, Shogun, to have the babies? ” Evelynn laughed mischievously “ Humans can be very fertile, if I may say so, Lord of Yomi. ”
Rhaast looked at Evelynn and then at Aatrox, who had a serious look on his face “ Can you two just say what you want here? ”
“ No, no, no, I'm here to honor your Communion. ” Evelynn tossed her hair aside “ I felt the pleasure within these walls earlier, I bet you're having a lot of fun with your human. ”
“ Evelynn... ” Aatrox snorted in disgust.
Rhaast laughed as he picked up the jug and saw that it was alcohol “ You raised that child well, brother. ”
Aatrox growled angrily as he saw Evelynn and Rhaast laughing like accomplices, ignoring his presence “We need to talk. As I said before, your name has been thrown around a lot lately, do you know what that means? ”
“ What can I do if I'm so popular? But between you and me, I don't give a damn. ”
Aatrox couldn't mask his anger “ It's not a question of whether you care or not, Rhaast, they'll soon learn that you're not just some half-baked demon who's coming into the world, but a primordial god, just like me. ”
Rhaast set the jug of drink aside, looking at Aatrox with disinterest “ They wouldn't dare do anything. ”
“ There are many humans who desire the immortality you took away! ” Aatrox stepped closer, his hand closing tightly around the hilt of his sword “ I know you don't give a shit, but I know that if I tell you that your pet is in danger because of this the only remaining neuron in your brain will glow and it's so annoying that I could rip your head off! ”
Rhaast spent a while in silence, probably looking at his options, making Aatrox happy for Rhaast's common sense while at the same time making Aatrox angry that Rhaast's head had actually started to work cautiously after talking about Shieda.
“ What do you suggest then? ” Rhaast corrected his posture, holding up his scythe in case Aatrox really wanted to rip his head off.
“Be less, your human won't die if you leave him without attention for a while, in fact maybe he'll live longer for it. ”
“ If you didn't want me to go to the human world, just say so brother. I'm hurt. ” Rhaast feigned a sniffle.
“ It's not about that! ” Aatrox was reconsidering his idea of murder “ I want you to step into the human world, I want you to kill all those insolent vermin from the Snow Moon! Since you can get there, do it! ”
“ Snow Moon? ” To reassure his brother, Rhaast asked in a tone of interest.
“It's a cult that has the blessing of some of the gods of Takamagahara. ” Evelynn explained, “ Now that's interesting, why does Father want them dead? ”
“ They're killing what I created, they're purging demons as if they were nothing! And the only way to stop it is to kill their gods. ”
Xolaani's words echoed in Rhaast's mind and he knew that Aatrox would probably kill him “ I can't. ”
A lethal silence gripped the room, followed by Aatrox's shout of fury “ How can you not!? ”
“ You see, brother, sometimes we make deals that will seem like a hindrance in the future, but at the time we don't care. ” Rhaast saw Aatrox's eyes bulge with hatred.
“ You... ” Aatrox drove his sword into the ground, causing Evelynn to recoil in fear as her wings spread and a sinister energy surrounded them, pulling out the jammed sword and pointing it at Rhaast “ You and that coward! You two did this on purpose! ”
Rhaast felt no fear, but he knew that Aatrox would kill him several times without any regret “ Brother, be logical, how was I to know that at some point you would ask me to kill gods? I thought that was your favorite sport. ”
Aatrox shouted with all the air in his lungs “ You defy me like that... Insolent! ”
Evelynn looked pleadingly at Rhaast to correct his speech “ Brother, I may not kill gods but I can make them weak and then you can kill them when they fall into the Yomi. ”
Aatrox's anger seemed to subside as Rhaast's words seemed to make sense “ How would you send a god of the Snow Moon into the Yomi!? ”
“ Have you forgotten who I am? ” Rhaast laughed “ I sent Shieda on a mission to harvest souls, he'll probably finish before Communion and when I'm reborn in the human world, I'll make those gods so weak that the only place they can go is Yomi, now the rest would be up to you. ”
“ Then be discreet! ” Aatrox came face to face with Rhaast “ If your Communion doesn't work, I'll kill everyone! I'll kill your human, I'll kill whoever got in the way and I'll kill the incompetents who let it happen! ”
Rhaast rolled his eyes, but was still annoyed by Aatrox's threat against his little shadow “Shieda was my One by me because he had potential, you should understand this. Now, is there anything else to be said? ”
Aatrox huffed, got angry, shouted at Rhaast and left the castle, probably to torture some poor soul trapped in karma in Yomi. Rhaast looked at Evelynn where she was clearly judging all the actions taken in that room when her scythe flashed, pulsing with more power, another soul harvested, Shieda was doing a good job. Too bad he couldn't see it.
“ Your scythe pulses, my Shogun. ” Evelynn smiled “ I've heard that your scythe needs a genocide for that to happen. ”
“ Yes, I had Shieda killed holding my scythe, he's followed all my orders so far. ”
Evelynn seemed surprised that Rhaast had given his scythe to a human, she laughed thinking about how her Shogun has no interest in anything, but when he does he dives in deep and is possessive, watching him fiddle with his bracelet, the same as Shieda's but bathed in Hematite, the artifact is like a beacon, Rhaast could always watch Shieda anywhere and communicate whenever he wants.
“ Don't you find Aatrox's actions strange? ” Rhaast pondered for a moment, demon killing shouldn't be the only cause for him to be so angry, there had to be something behind it.
“ I think he's just annoyed... ” Evelynn shrugged.
Of course, Rhaast is one of the few who knows his brother's nuances and as much as Evelynn slithers like a snake between them, perhaps she doesn't know that Aatrox's anger always has a basis and not just unbridled, senseless rage.
His brother was hiding something and Rhaast wanted to find out.
Evelynn saw the suspicion welling up in Rhaast, seeing that some drama was going to ensue. At the same time, Shieda was somewhat confused by Rhaast's abrupt lack of words and all he could feel was anger, not at himself, but at something beyond.
Shieda knew that Rhaast was angry about something, perhaps he had done something wrong and lost his attention? The artifact in his fist told him nothing and the flowers seemed to be wilting even with all the blood he had sprinkled on them.
“So you gave your flesh death omen flowers?” Akali laughed at Shieda “The tastes of demons can be strange, but I think that might have been it.”
Shieda rolled her eyes “What did you come here for anyway?”
“To see who's your meat!” The sun was at its zenith and the trees swayed in the swirling wind, but none of this matched the worry on the face of the man in front of him “Kennen told me to visit you, I never thought it was to comfort you. I have a mission and you're going to help me by telling me who your beef is in the first place.”
Not very motivated, Shieda just wanted to take his disappointment out on something, but Rhaast made it clear that the scythe likes souls harvested with intensity of feeling and he felt more confused than indignant “Rhaast, the Lord of Yomi, Emissary of Death, God of Death of the Blood Moon, Death, since he gave me his scythe has become distant-”
“Wait... The Shogun is your meat?” Akali interrupted, very shocked by the information “Rhaast is the Emissary of Death? It all makes sense now. Sometimes Kennen comes to talk about Rhaast, but I never knew he was the Emissary of Death... Well, maybe it wasn't the flowers that made him distant, but a request from the Cosmic Womb itself.”
“What do you mean?”
Akali stepped closer to Shieda, looking around to make sure there was no one there, and whispered: “Rhaast is one of Aatrox's few living brothers, Kennen told me that Aatrox is planning a deicide on the gods of the Snow Moon, but it seems that Rhaast did something that displeased him and ordered him to keep quiet for a while.” When Akali saw Shieda's face change to something softer, she continued: “Maybe the anger isn't directed at you, but since you're connected so... intimately, you feel it.”
Shieda stopped to think: “Rhaast would never agree to be quiet.”
Akali didn't know Rhaast that well, so she trusted her friend's judgment “Maybe there's something more.” Akali looked at the scythe Shieda was carrying and something sparked in her mind “Maybe Shogun agreed to this to protect you.”
He looked at his scythe, full of souls screaming in desperation for death “Do you think I've drawn too much attention from the Snow Moon for destroying so many of their villages?”
Shieda's intuition is something Akali has always believed to be his strong suit, as well as his beauty “Probably. It wouldn't be long before they discovered that a god with Aatrox-like power was coming, especially one that meant the end of everything. They're cold sons of bitches, but they're not dumbs, they could come and kill you.”
Shieda snorted, gripping the handle of his scythe “Then let them come, I'm The One, I'll kill them as soon as they set foot in these forests and I'll hunt them down like acuamines.”
“I don't doubt that, but your idiot boy tone annoys me.” Akali laughed while Shieda looked at her indignantly “Try to follow your intuition and reduce the frequency of the killings a little, I know it's against your current mission, but it'll be better this way. If you ask me, I see these idiots from Snow Moon every day and I know how vicious they can be when they want something.”
Akali's warning stayed in Shieda's mind for a few hours, at least until night came and he saw the moon shining as brightly as ever, walked over to the tree and sat there, looking at it as he touched the bracelet. He hated begging, but he hated waiting, Rhaast fed him sweet words and then disappeared, it didn't seem fair “How long are you going to ignore me?”
Silence, the bracelet didn't even vibrate and Rhaast's presence couldn't be felt. He was talking to himself.
Was this a test of faith? Or was Rhaast just staying away so as not to cause discord? Isn't chaos something the Lord of Yomi liked? Shieda was sure it was, so the mere situation where he was in danger would be enough to put the demon off, he had to admit that it did funny things to his stomach, however, being happy about things he wasn't sure about didn't appeal to him.
“ Don't think so much of yourself, my shadow, I'm doing what's best for me that just happened to be good for your cult. ” Shieda was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't even feel Rhaast's presence coming “ And still questioning me... I thought we had something more. ” Rhaast's tone was one of false sorrow.
His blue eyes sparkled “I would never question you, I just wanted your confirmation.” He wanted to hear the voice of his god.
“ And now you have. ” He was homesick and couldn't stand it when he saw him in the moonlight “ You must know by now that Aatrox is my brother, right? Just don't think too much about it, he and I have some issues to resolve that aren't for you to get involved in. ”
“No?”
“ You're my shadow, Shieda, stand firm until the Communion and continue what you're doing. ” Rhaast whispered, that feeling of his mind being caressed by the demon's beautiful voice was present again, Shieda loved it.
And so he did, Shieda kept going to that tree for his meditations, he continued his mission even at a more cautious pace until he noticed that the flowers looked healthier and that the scythe was full of hunger, unaccustomed to its new routine. Shieda hopes to prove himself worthy of the Lord of Yomi's blessing by now.
But as he felt the scythe pulsing rudely against his palm and the counter in his mind reached 100, he knew that his mission had been completed to perfection after a few months and so he had a crimson garden in his hands that was adored by the weapon he had been given.
The scythe loves him.
Red as the Blood Moon, his once white ornaments were now golden, this gave Shieda an idea of what Rhaast looks like, perhaps his mask had golden details? Now that his mission was over and his duties suspended, he had more time to think about it.
“ Look who's here, my lethal little shadow. ” Rhaast's voice went through Shieda's entire body like a thunderclap “ You must know when the red moon is, right? ”
Shieda placed the scythe on her lap and closed her eyes to better feel the presence of her god “Yes, Zilean predicted it for the fourth day of this month.”
Rhaast had no idea who Zilean was, but he was right “ When this day comes, take the flowers and bring them with you along with the sickle, our Communion will need this to work. ”
“Yes, Rhaast.” Shieda opened her eyes and touched the bracelet “What will our Communion be like?”
“ I don't think that's what you want to ask. ”
“I was wondering what your mask looks like. I want to know if I'll have the chance to see it.” He tightened his grip on the bracelet, trying to convey to Rhaast something more than his anxious words for his god, and what he got back was relieving.
“ Yes, we'll have time to do whatever you want, after all, it's our day, our party. ” Rhaast looked pleased, just as anxious about the day as Shieda, just as irritated by the wait “ About my mask... What do you imagine it's like? ”
Shieda didn't have to think too hard about it, the image came to her mind instantly with details “Big with red paint and gold ornaments.”
Rhaast laughed, “ Using the scythe as a guide? It's not that wrong. It'll look good on you, don't worry. ”
“I know, you chose me for a reason, there's no one who will do what you want as well as me.”
Convincing, unstoppable and almost irrefutable, Shieda is the human chosen by a god who cares little for things other than death and bloodlust “ I'll see you soon, my shadow. ”
Rhaast's presence slowly faded, as if he wanted to take advantage of Shieda's thoughts, which seemed to be immersed in the beautiful nickname or the certainties that his god gave him, even if he was bloodthirsty there was something good about being appreciated by him, even if he had been taught that demons don't appreciate, they only take, but Shieda could sense that Rhaast wanted more than taking.
His unwavering confidence only grew, what could stop him now?
When his Communion arrived, he was dressed in his usual outfit with extra details, carrying the scythe with him in a blood-red color laden with red lilies, Shieda's loyalty was glaring to everyone in the room, which had already been proven very well over the last few months of killing. The golden ornaments that circled the seam were the novelty, matching the scythe in his hands and when he reached the altar he knelt down and raised the scythe towards the moon that dripped red.
The sky was a great gloom and only the moon could be seen as a well-drawn picture.
All eyes were on Shieda, the lilies neatly placed on the altar and three cups in front of her, the scythe rose in a sinister aura and Shieda's mind reeled as the scythe smashed into the altar with a chilling bang.
Obviously things weren't going the traditional way, the demon's weapon had never been present and that just showed how willing the Lord of Yomi was for this ceremony. Shieda looked at his wrist and saw the bracelet bleeding red, burning Shieda's left arm deliciously, reaching out to take his cup and drink the icy liquid, a potion made just for this ceremony where his bone will connect to flesh.
He handed back his cup and took the next one to reach for the scythe, Rhaast's body on its plane when he felt a sharp crack in his soul and the souls inside the scythe screamed and pulled Shieda in.
“ Don't open your eyes. ”
A guttural voice said, a voice Shieda had never heard before.
“ Come, my shadow, this will be your last test. ” Rhaast's voice rang throughout the domain, he is more than a demon, he is a god, the God of Death of the Blood Moon, drenched in a primordial power that Shieda has never felt before. It's suffocating and oppressive, yet he began to walk, hearing the cries of begging souls and evil laughter.
Is that Yomi?
Not knowing where to go, Shieda used Rhaast's overwhelming power as a guide, his erratic steps now confident that he is The One and must behave like one in the face of small demons and achieve what is rightfully his. More whispers and laughter, he feels he has entered a place and the darkness has become a mixture of red and orange and the surrounding area is as hot as a sauna.
“ Let's complete our Communion, Shieda. ” Now Rhaast's voice sounded closer, but no less intimidating “ Kneel. ”
“Yes, Rhaast.”
He felt claws under his knees, feeling small in front of Rhaast's presence and Shieda's shadows touched him, trapped him, obeying Rhaast and not Shieda.
Obedience.
That's what Rhaast means.
He clenched his fists when he felt hot breath on him, being caught by more claws and being touched cautiously even as the heat increased and seemed almost absurd. Was that coming from the place? Was it Rhaast? Or is it just him?
“ I shared my scythe and my flesh with you so that you could feel some of my power and flame your bloodlust and be the perfect assassin. ” Shieda sighed, every touch he wanted more, every word he wanted to hear intently and his body cried out for Rhaast “ But you went beyond expectations when you wielded my scythe with feeling and harvested souls with your intensity, understanding that it's about knowledge. About love. ”
Shieda moaned, his legs seemed to melt and without permission he touched Rhaast's palm, sweating for him, crying out for him “My God. Please.” He felt his mouth open at the slight touch of claws that tasted like iron and he licked them hungrily.
He is his god and Shieda is his most faithful follower “ With this love you have created a path to me. ” He could smell the putrid scent of the red lilies “ You've made entire villages and souls shatter in my name and that's what it means to wield me, cutting everything down without distinction and delighting in their terror and fear as you fall prey to my unholy pleasures. ” He watched the human's body tremble with so much stimulation, unashamedly opening up to Rhaast as he moaned beautifully, “ Open your eyes, Shieda. ”
When Shieda's sensory senses became accustomed to his surroundings, he saw Rhaast for the first time and nothing he had imagined prepared him for this moment “Rhaast...”
The Shogun's armor was perfect for him and his mask looked more polished than any other he had ever seen and the golden ornaments and his third eye were vibrant, but where was the red dye? As if reading the human's mind, Rhaast laughed as he approached, coming face to face with Shieda “ Beneath us is the blood of all the souls you have killed, use them my little shadow. ”
Only now did he realize that the lilies had melted into the watered blood, dipping their fingers in and raising them to Rhaast's mask “More...!” He felt an electrifying surge inside him, his dreams being fulfilled and his desire sated.
“ You know what must be done. ” With his hands bathed in blood, Shieda started at Rhaast's eyes, an intense blue that could kill, following the line as far as his hands could reach, touching the places Shieda thought were the best and then his moan echoed through the castle from Rhaast's strong stimulus making his eyes close in reflex “ Perfect, my shadow. ”
He was being sweetly tainted by Rhaast's body, shadow and voice.
The shadows stirred and Shieda opened his eyes to see Rhaast's face and drowned in that immeasurable pleasure, finally they would be one, but all he felt was a painful crack and saw him being laid against the floor as the floor was scattered by the swords plunged into the vital areas of his companions.
He looked up at the altar and saw someone taking out the now-sealed scythe “What do you think you're doing!?” Anger seized him as he tried to free himself from the bonds he had been put in and he saw the ornamental horns on his forehead being pulled back and a man telling him to be quiet.
He recognized those clothes.
Assassins of the Snow Moon.
Shieda's blue eyes blazed with fury, breaking his right fist to get out of the restraints and advancing on those who dared to stand in the way of his Communion. Feeling the bracelet and horns heat up, regenerating his fist at a frightening speed, he killed two men from the Snow Moon with the first weapon he saw with dexterity, running towards where he had seen the scythe being taken.
He touched the accessory, were those crimson horns a part of his mask? Something from his god? Shieda couldn't hold back his anger, the way Rhaast had taught him, rushing at the assassins who were carrying Rhaast away and cutting their heads off in a single blow, and tried to hold on to the scythe that was gradually losing its red color.
Before he could touch it, he felt something against the back of his neck, groped for it and recognized it as a sleeping pill.
“You'll pay for this...” He whispered before falling into darkness.
But he heard something that shook his mind: “ I have cursed you, cunning fox, let these souls prepare your flesh and I will devour you. I will torture you to death as you stare into my eyes in awe, ripping out your pink guts so that everyone can witness your carcass. ”
Notes:
I know it's a lot of information, but everything shown here was previewed in previous chapters in a subtle (or not so subtle) way.
I wanted to show other demons of the Blood Moon besides those already shown and Rhaast's relationship with Aatrox and Evelynn, in fact it's the first time I've written Aatrox so I'm a bit unsure if you have anything to help me about this character on how to understand him better I'd be happy to read your suggestions. We also had Xolaani! Xolaani is one of my favorite darkins so I had to field the diva, maybe I should put the fanfic on LoR? I'm not sure. Her interaction with Rhaast comes a lot from my interpretation of her relationship with Rhaast in LoR, even though they don't talk to each other the fact that if Rhaast won he would take Xolaani with him rent a building in my mind.I wanted to work on a more friendship and family relationship at the same time as developing the love between an acolyte and a god, it wasn't easy but that's interesting character development, don't you think? Shieda being so open to Rhaast, being kidnapped in the middle of a fuck and ending up being repulsed by forgetting what he did in the name of his god, the next few chapters will be interesting.
If you're interested in seeing more of my hcs follow me on tumblr! Since Twitter went down in my country, I'm only using tumblr
Chapter 7: Communion
Summary:
What happens when the Yomi is left without its Lord? The same thing that happens when the The One of the Death God of the Bloody Moon is left in the lurch, the difference is the priority of the Lord of the Yomi himself over it.
Notes:
This chapter contains blood!
The translation really took a long time, I'm sorry, and to be honest, in this chapter I used DeepL to translate and it wasn't proofread :(
Maybe I'll change a few things in the future...
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Everything was still a blur for Kayn, but he pulled himself together quickly, letting go of that strange feeling of barely contained anger.
Losing teaches us the truth. In emptiness, we are the purest expression of ourselves. There is nothing nobler than forgetting and abandoning ourselves to the darkness. For this small pain we turn to the Goddess of Memories who rewards us with an icy embrace.
The first night with dreams after a long time.
Unpleasant.
The Goddess of Memories knows what you have buried in your mind. She knows what ails you and what bothers you, so open up to Her about your failures. May She place the soothing hands of forgetfulness on your wounds, may She know you fully in order to free you from your limitations.
The second night of dreaming, listening to Morgana's whispers.
He didn't want to sleep.
Emptiness is a sacred state to be followed and admired. To deprive oneself of all feeling, of all attachment, is to approach the purity of the embrace of the Goddess of Memories. Each of us must fight in our own way to stay away from the temptations of blood. Remember that any false comfort will end up betraying you. Only sacred nothingness will last.
On the third night he was reminded of a short text by Morgana about one of the most important goddesses of the Snow Moon: Ahri, the Goddess of Memories, in the body of a snow fox she carries the white moon on one of her tails and feeds on its memories, promising eternity.
Hearing Morgana's voice gave him the creeps, even in his dreams. But Zed's presence was more than enough to confirm that Morgana would never again say such shrewdly evil words in such a sweet way.
A goal, a purpose. Kayn clung to that to keep going. Proving himself worthy of Zed's trust seemed natural and one of the only things he was willing to do when he returned to the Blood Moon and settled into his new old room like a forgotten ghost.
In addition, of course, to finding Rhaast.
When he first arrived, the acolytes avoided him out of the respect that came from fear, and after a while, without any punishment from Zed, it was out of disgust for the once black shadows that were now icy and snowy. An eternal reminder of Morgana's abduction and successful manipulation and the word Kayn repeated to himself every time he remembered it.
"When I get the chance, I'm going to drive my axe into the head of that scum of the Snow Moon." A laugh echoed through the small weapons shed.
Weakness.
"Master Zed won't like you saying such things." Another man said, looking more fearful, afraid that the walls might hear.
"Master Zed says not to trust foxes." He scolded in an ironic growl, silencing the one next to him without realizing that the place was getting cold.
But his friend seemed to be wiser and searched for the reason for the change in temperature until he saw Kayn's shadow materialize in front of him to say to the one who was threatening him so confidently: "Get a weapon.”
The man shivered, from the cold and from fear "I don't…”
"Take. A. Weapon." There was nothing, his tone conveyed nothing and his face was nothing but a stone of ice. The man swallowed and picked up an axe, just like in his fantasies. Good .
The man took a firm grip on the simple wooden handle and as if asking for confirmation, he looked at his friend "Well?" He tried to sound confident, to mock the commands Kayn uttered, but his voice failed him, as did his actions.
"Then do it." Kayn was challenging him and when the man's false confidence came through he swung his axe at him.
No blood splashed, or scream, or sound of flesh tearing came, only the icy cold was present and the shadow of Kayn's body materializing again before the man's eyes who was startled to feel the icy hand around his wrist pulling him closer to be intimidated by the killer's lifeless crystal blue eyes.
"You're a drop of blood that won't even stain a surface. If you ever want to talk about killing, make sure you go, or I'll kill you." He saw the man try unsuccessfully to break free of his grip, felt his skin burn with ice and the anger of the imposing man began to turn to fear, so Kayn let go of him and saw him fall to the ground and approached "This is your place, in the mud with the vermin.”
And just as he came, he was gone in a shadow of snowflakes. Yet he felt his scythe vibrate for the first time and he wanted more of it, the control made him want more and the promised blood almost made him jump with excitement, but none of it lasted long and so Kayn went for more.
Rudely, Kayn left the monastery for the nearest village. At the first house he saw, he entered the walls and killed the entire family who were happily eating their mooncakes.
The influence of the white moon was doing this to his scythe, doing this to him. His scythe that had once been red and gold was now ice blue and white, begging to be fed by a power that no longer belonged to him. A reflection of who he is now.
"Shieda.”
He turned to see Zed standing by the door, his red mask didn't allow Kayn to see what was going on in his master's mind, but he knew he shouldn't be here and he knew Zed would spare him by causing more anger among the followers of the Blood Moon.
The scene was simple, Kayn with his boots stained with blood from the bodies scattered on the wooden floor "How do you feel now?" Zed asked, knowing Kayn's motives.
Nothing. He felt nothing.
" Shieda. " Kayn repeated his name or who he used to be "When you look at me, do you see Shieda?”
"No." A quick answer that hurt Kayn, even though it was what he had expected. That man, his master, saved him because he was who he was, but what now? "But you're still him.”
"I'm nothing more than a reminder of the Snow Moon.”
"But do you feel like you're from the moon?" Zed crossed his arms, almost anxious for the answer to come.
"No." Kayn doesn't belong to the Snow Moon, just as he doesn't belong to the Blood Moon. "I don't feel anything.”
Zed saw Kayn pull the scythe closer, looking at the orb in the middle of it as if he expected something to come from it "You are Rhaast's chosen, a demon who has lived in isolation for millennia in Yomi and only came to light because of you. Shieda, you are everything you want to be.”
You are what you want to be. He could hear Rhaast's deep voice whispering in a memory that was hard to remember, but somehow it comforted him. Zed approached and put his hand on Kayn's shoulder to comfort him and what he received was cold.
The only thing Zed could say to Kayn was something he always said to the boy when he saw him confused about how to proceed "The truth lies in darkness." And then he was gone, leaving a black shadow behind, one different from his own that was as white as Morgana's shards.
But there was no point in regretting what had already happened, moving on seemed the most rational thing to do, but something was growing inside him. Hatred. When he touches the scythe, he remembers that he has been accepted by the white moon, that he has lost the only being he remembers and now rejects while the white moon insists on having him, a possession, a prize, a walking warning that the Snow Moon can convert even the most important acolyte and turn him into an empty vessel.
Now he had other goals in that cult, the cult where he spent his childhood and adolescence until he was 20 years old, and in the end he felt he no longer belonged there.
Neither Snow Moon nor Blood Moon, just... Shieda Kayn in search of his true god.
Shieda? His past that now belongs to him again. Kayn? The present that he won't run away from like a coward. Rhaast, his future that he wants to reach at any cost.
"Shieda." Zed called out to him as he let go of the vellum stained with dried blood "You don't need to read Morgana's heresies anymore, drop it.”
Kayn remembers that Morgana gave him this vellum for one purpose: to remind him of Ahri's power with vehemence. When did she give it to him? A mystery to him.
"I'm sorry... Master." It's still strange about his new life, but Zed came to him that day, took him out and cared for him as if he were 10 years old. An affection Kayn didn't expect from a Blood Moon assassin, but what should he expect from the world when all he remembers about it was told to him by Morgana? Zed seemed to analyze Kayn, looking for something in him, an unwanted attention "What you're looking for no longer exists, the child you knew is gone and all that's left is the killer.”
Kayn's words reminded Zed of a hateful truth "You're not wrong.”
"Communion." He stood up, put down the vellum and turned to Zed "How was that process?”
A sigh came, not of impatience, but of regret at knowing that it would all happen again, because Kayn, even though he's more reclusive now, is still stubborn "You had to kill a hundred people just to start with.”
Zed explained things in a straightforward manner, unlike Morgana who preferred to use pretty words until she got to the main point, much like Jhin who, even though he had little contact, he could recognize from afar a person who liked to use words to manipulate.
It seems to be a normal thing among initiators of ceremonies.
When his master pointed to some empty plant pots, he said: "You used to take care of the red lilies to present to Rhaast, giving your own blood to them.”
Kayn touched the pots when Zed left the room after more explanations, seeing the dry earth and knowing what to do by instinct, leaving the temple and returning the next day and to the surprise of many the scythe was clean making the curious question themselves and the attentive ones the wise decision to let Kayn do what he was doing.
Staying out of the way of an unpredictable killer is survival.
What Kayn witnessed that night was followed by all the others: He killed people, counting each one, and waited for the blood to be swallowed up by Ionia's hungry earth and sprout a slender red lily, a beauty that Kayn didn't contemplate, but longed for.
Making him feel something.
When he touched the lily and lifted it off the ground, he expected the flower to die, but instead, with his touch, it began to freeze into a thin layer. Just enough to preserve its shape.
He was silent for a moment "What does that mean?”
Nothing answered, not that he expected an answer, but it wasn't enough for him to give up. Taking all the frozen flowers with him, he kept them in his room, with the thin layer of ice firmly holding bloody beauty, but would that be enough to preserve the souls?
Kayn bet on it.
During the last few months, this was his routine and when the red moon was at its highest, its light illuminated Shieda's room, which was now locked, he closed his eyes, meditating and trying to visualize what he wanted.
Rhaast, Lord of Yomi. Rhaast, the Emissary of Death. Rhaast, Death God of the Blood Moon.
With a sigh, he felt a painful sting that melted his skin like lava touching glass, but never deteriorating, only shaping him for that moment.
And then a wave of power surrounded him, similar to the Blood Moon, but stronger and more intimidating.
" Don't open your eyes. " A deep voice, it wasn't Rhaast, but it warned him of something he should take seriously.
The smell was something he had never smelled, the weather was warm even for his pure ice body and cursed by the white moon and whispers were heard.
" Follow the path, Chosen One. ”
They whispered endlessly and all he could do was listen to them, walking quickly, his heart racing with every step he took. Unusual. And for some reason he knew that he had been there before, that his legs seemed to know better than he did where to step.
Or maybe something was guiding him.
It seemed unlikely given his current condition, but nothing would stop him now except Rhaast and when he sensed and saw Kayn entering his castle he knew that the last thing he would want was to expel the human from his domain.
" Have you come here to complete our Communion? ”
Nostalgic. It seemed that Rhaast had said this to him several times that he didn't even remember, but the feelings were there, allowing themselves to be, and now he wanted answers and now Rhaast was willing to give them.
"Yes." He walked a little closer to Rhaast's intimidating voice, feeling the evil power it emanated burn against his skin, realizing it was the same as when he entered that place, but now, in Rhaast's domain, the magic seemed heavier, more powerful, stronger and relentless "But I need to know why I'm so special to you.”
Rhaast laughed " Special... You think too much about yourself, human. ”
He smiled arrogantly for the first time in a long time "The Lord of Yomi could have abandoned me the day I was kidnapped and gone after another bone, it would have been easy for the Shogun, but he chose to stay inside the scythe to save me.”
Rhaast snorted, keeping quiet in the face of Kayn's clever words, and finally shrugged " I do what I want because I want to, I don't need reasons. " Demons lie, Kayn almost said.
Rhaast looked Kayn up and down, analyzing him and then said amusedly: " You look good in white. ”
"Liar." He said it on impulse, but something inside him knew better that Rhaast spoke in mysterious ways to manipulate the truth that he didn't want to speak out loud or just because he was bad with words "You hate it as much as I do." Kayn listened to Rhaast fidget, trying to decipher his emotions, trying to sense what the demon felt, but it seemed difficult when he didn't respond, so he pressed on "Master Zed told me about the red lilies, that they represent the path of death. He said that they are the embodiment of Him in the world of the living and when is taken out of the ground watered with blood withers, but that doesn't happen to me. It freezes.”
" So you're special because a flower freezes when touched by a cursed assassin from the Snow Moon? Something very unusual indeed. ” Rhaast mocked, but got tired soon afterwards “ Yes, it's true, you are special. You're special because I chose you, my shadow. ”
Kayn felt the place grow hotter "You chose me to be your bone of flesh and beyond, I am worthy of your power and your blessing and there will be no one better than me for that.”
Rhaast couldn't be happier to have Shieda back, even if he did say such presumptuous things " Really? Talk more about it, Shieda Kayn. ”
Kayn shuddered, anxious, wanting something that Rhaast knew what it was "Last time I gave you a hundred souls, now I'll give you a thousand and more.”
The ground at his feet began to wet his boots and he soon recognized the smell of fresh blood " Delicious. " Rhaast's deep, sweet voice made his insides shift and his core throb. Taking a deep breath, he remained poised and did not falter before the Lord of Yomi. Then he felt something touch his cheek lightly, almost as if it was afraid of hurting him " Open your eyes. ”
He immediately opened it, his senses getting used to the surroundings, the first thing he saw was a well-polished white mask stained with red and gold and blue details, it's Rhaast, bigger than he could ever have imagined and what touched him is his claw and icy blue eyes met spectral blue ones, beautiful and glorious as it should be.
At that moment Kayn realized that Rhaast is not just a demon, he is a god, the God of Death of the Blood Moon, the one who wields the scythe of death and the one who brought cruel death to the world.
A sigh, and Kayn could have fallen to his knees, but he didn't and that left Rhaast wanting more " Can you hear, Shieda? ”
He finally oriented himself where he was, a palace without walls, the souls walked below him begging for mercy amidst the howling of a mad wolf and a reddish scythe was resting in demonic hands stuck in the ground and he was tiny compared to Rhaast and his hot claws that squeezed his icy skin "Are these all the souls I gave you?”
Rhaast just nodded, seeing the human fearlessly touch him and look at him with a glare he hadn't seen in ages " Don't look at me like that, or I'll devour you. ”
"Do it." He saw his hand smear blood across his left cheek and turned his eyes back to his God "Make me your weapon and I will kill everyone you wish, spread your word and bring you into the world of the living so that I can personally destroy you.”
Rhaast's sharp tongue swiped painfully across Kayn's body with ease to finally stain the white red " That's it, just like that. ”
Running his long bloodstained hands through Kayn's hair ending in black shadows as it always should have been, the white moon was gone and a mask appeared, white with gold and red details, discreet to camouflage itself and help the killer in clean kills and the bite came painfully, yet Kayn didn't scream, enduring the pain and pulling Rhaast closer, falling into his arms and gasping.
" This is just the beginning of our Communion. " Rhaast whispered as he tore the white robes from Kayn's body and soiled him even more with blood " When I said you look good in white, it was because it's easier to stain red. ”
In his bloodbath, Kayn could see a red eclipse in the sky, large and emanating a maniacal light while the souls screamed below him, burning and not having the right to afterlife, for Rhaast will be reborn in the world of the living, the Lord of Yomi and his shadow was no longer there and that once locked room was now empty and messy.
That night the acolytes of the Blood Moon glimpsed the silhouette of something giant walking on the horizon and a macabre shadow following it over its broad shoulders while the howls of wolves seemed to follow them.
Notes:
This is the last chapter! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for all your support and may there be more fanfics from Rhaayn, they deserve it.
Hexyah on Chapter 2 Fri 19 Apr 2024 03:03PM UTC
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Inory12 on Chapter 2 Sat 20 Apr 2024 04:03PM UTC
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Hexyah on Chapter 3 Sun 05 May 2024 06:55AM UTC
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Inory12 on Chapter 3 Wed 22 May 2024 06:05AM UTC
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Riryn on Chapter 5 Thu 04 Jul 2024 06:40AM UTC
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Inory12 on Chapter 5 Fri 12 Jul 2024 10:47AM UTC
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Mostly Dead Moth (Guest) on Chapter 7 Sun 24 Nov 2024 10:58PM UTC
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Inory12 on Chapter 7 Mon 25 Nov 2024 06:02AM UTC
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Riryn on Chapter 7 Mon 02 Dec 2024 11:24AM UTC
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Inory12 on Chapter 7 Fri 06 Dec 2024 04:59AM UTC
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Riryn on Chapter 7 Wed 11 Dec 2024 10:01AM UTC
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Waffles_XD on Chapter 7 Mon 10 Mar 2025 06:02PM UTC
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Inory12 on Chapter 7 Sat 15 Mar 2025 07:22AM UTC
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