Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Days. It took him days to find the shrine. Never did he welcome the presence of the sun, but now, when his body felt heavy with each step he took, warmed all over as if his blood was starting to slowly burn through the veins, the vision blurred by the warning heat reflected by the sea of sand... he cursed the sun and all the gods who blessed its existence.

He even managed to follow the couple's plea for mercy and gain their silence in exchange for some insignificant mortal lives of those pathetic 'guards'. All for nothing. She wasn't there anymore. No trace of her or the weapon. The humans excavating the ruins fled faster than he anticipated. No desire to avenge those protecting them, not even the slightest curiosity of the 'monster's' origin or intention. Better, as they hold no value for the darkin, and killing humans without weapons would have broken the silence of the two. He walked freely through the ruins, searching for any remaining sign, but all for nothing, of course, he should have expected it from the moment he took notice of the faded warding sigils. "Where are you, sister...?" he asked with a sigh as he looked at the burned stone.

There was nothing more to look for in there, so he walked away from the ruins, not sure where he should go, he decided to get to the closest city. What better place to find out where one was, being it darkin or human, if not where all the stories ever seen or imagined were collected? In all his existence he noticed how humans kept the tradition of storytelling honorably, through generations, the only common link between all the mortal lives was the stories they shared, reality or not, the humans kept on telling them all over again, adding new ones and spreading those that happened in their time passionately.

The idea was brilliant in its raw, but even if the darkin even considered approaching the elderly humans —who he noticed before were, much more prone to share the stories — the humans seemed uncomfortable around him, avoiding answering his questions, some trying to run away from him or even worse. Frustrated by the inconvenience he was tempted to use a ... firm approach, but it was enough to just think about snapping a mortal's spine and he could feel the boiling rage of his hosts. "I tried to reason with them. What am I to do more?" he asked as he walked angrily to the nearby forest where he improvised a camp for the night.

"Perhaps dressing up as a traveler could help. Now that you possess the proper clothes." a soft familiar voice echoed in his mind. It was slightly uncomfortable to hear it again, after days in which the two kept silent, the darkin almost forgot how it felt to not only feel them but also hear the voices. It was easier to properly distinguish his feelings from theirs when they were talking, and yet, he couldn't bear hearing them all the time.

"Your desire to make me wear the human's attire becomes more tiresome each time you mention it." looking at the wood cracking under the purple fire, he could feel a familiar frustration, this time, not his.

"Like it or not, humans wear clothes usually. You probably look like a ... pleasure man for them." "Valmar!?" "Well, he is clearly a foreigner, walking around half-naked when the sun is going down, asking for stories. He is ... fairly handsome and bearing tattoos."

"If you put it like this..." Kai's voice whispered thoughtfully.

A shiver ran down his spine, this time not from the two. The thought of these mortals looking at him and thinking about such absurdity disgusted him deeply. As the couple kept talking about they know what, Varus went to his bag of holding and dressed in the clothes he collected from his 'expedition', not saying anything else to the others as he simply laid down near the fire with a small uncomfortable grunt. The darkin had no shame in his body, knowing how capable it was and how well it served in battle, but having it seen as an object by humans who could indulge their thoughts in sick perverted fantasies, was filling him with more rage than he already held in for the pathetic mortals and their ways of being.

To fuel his anger even more, the couple's theory was confirmed, as the next day he was treated with more respect than the night before. Unfortunately, he couldn't find the answers he sought, but he heard about someone who might have the story he was looking for. A young adventurer who came into the city looking for the same story. What connection do they had with the darkins, he had no idea, but if anyone else was looking for his sister, he might have a chance to find some clues.

"And now we are looking for ...what? A person who might have heard about this darkin?"

Just when the archer dared to enjoy the newfound silence in his mind, Valmar decided to ruin it. Why were they always so eager to talk when there was no need? To satisfy a foolish curiosity? It was not as if they could miss anything, considering their... situation. Only if he could ignore this one... but the consequences were far more painful. The last time the human kept on talking by himself for so long, Varus could feel his head pulsing in pain and had to acknowledge his presence to make the human quiet again.

"You heard the woman."

"She couldn't describe how this person even looked like? How are we supposed to find someone who can be anyone?"

"It seems like your kind forgot about our existence. A human asking about darkins should stick out of the crowd."

"What if we come across someone else who knows about the darkins?"

"I would be thrilled to see a human who recognises my kin."

"Was he ...sarcastic now?"

"Do you think he is even capable of that, Kai?"

"Unfortunately, I can hear you both."

"We know." Valmar replied with a somehow frustrated sight.

"And yet you are insisting on indulging in these little whispers of yours as if I am not forced to listen."

"It ...was only one time. And to be honest, I was convinced you were asleep, or however... not paying attention to us."

"I was strictly referring to your open discussions about me. Why would you bring that memory back...I spent days trying to forget that repulsing feeling." the darkin had to physically stop and put his hands on his head as if he somehow could take the human out of his mind.

Just as he was trying to erase that memory from his mind, suddenly the sound of a branch breaking under pressure caught his attention. In a quick fluid motion, he turned around, bow instinctively posed ready for a fight in one hand as in the other an arrow of purple light was already prepared to strike. His eyes sparked with the same dim light and the specific thirst for blood that seemed to curse through him every time he raised the bow. Nothing, just the forest being caressed by a gentle breeze. His eyes squinted and a devilish grin played in the corners of his mouth as the darkin let go of the arrow once with his breath, earning a pained groan from a figure that was hiding behind the vegetation. Already prepared to strike again, Varus was surprised when a human came out from hiding.

"Wait! Please! I...I mean no harm!" the man pleaded as he kept a hand over his bloodied shoulder, the other limp against his torso.

"Take your sword out so I can finish you." Varus commanded, his stance just as prepared, not even a muscle moving, even if the arrow was completely drowned.

"Wha...what? No, please! I don't want to fight."

"Then why have you followed u..me?"

"I was hunting when I noticed you. Hair as white as midday clouds, empty eyes with purple fire, braced by dark tattoos, a bow made for a devil ... you are the archer who destroyed a Noxus ship and its crew...you have to be him." his eyes opened wide as he stepped closer, only to stop immediately as Varus moved his hand slightly to aim the arrow to the man's heart. "I've heard the story from a merchant, but also...my brother was on the ship with you. I heard word that he is safe and sound thanks to you. Only wanted to thank you, but ...I was afraid to approach someone so... like you."

"You did it. Now run before my arrow finds its mark."

"I...I would like to offer you a place to stay tonight. You are a traveler, aren't you? Please...let me properly thank you for saving my brother."

"I haven't done it for your brother. It was in my interest. I don't care for his or your life."

"Even if you don't, please... It would make my soul lighter to know that I did at least this much and it would only benefit you."

"If you truly want to be of any help to me, help me find a human. A young one interested in stories about darkins."

"Dark..kins?" the other man asked confused but immediately jumped in place scared as the archer let out a displeased grunt and gritted his teeth. "I will do whatever is in my power to help you find the one you are looking for. You have my word." the arms crossed over the heart and the sincere voice didn't seem to convince the man.

"Prove me worth to take a mortal's word in vain and no plea for mercy will stay my hand."

"I ...wouldn't dare do such thing." with a slight tremble in his voice, the man looked down at his feet and let out a strangled breath as he heard the archer coming closer.

To his surprise, from up close the pale figure was considerably smaller. Strong elongated limbs clearly built for archery, dark tattoos contouring the clear lines under his eyes as to enhance the vision even in the harsh light, and the look in his eyes, patient yet observant, almost as if he was ready to grasp the soul out of the human before he could have the chance to blink. With cold shivers threatening to take over his composure, the man put one foot in front of the other and guided Varus further into the forest. Deathly silence within and around, only the birds and soft steps on the grass dared to break it. As they reached a small clearing in the forest, the man stumbled over thin air and fell with an unusual groan, which made the archer stop a few steps behind and reach for his bow, already aiming his arrow.

"Ugh..No need for precautions, my friend. I just lost my balance for a moment." the man laughed it off as he tried to get back on his feet, apparently getting caught in his robes over and over again.

"Move one more time, and I will make sure your body rots where it stays."

"Varus! Put the bow down, he is no threat to us." Kai tried to calm the darkin, but there was no effect, not even the usual frustrated grunt from the other, it was terrifying to feel all that rage directed at one helpless human. The couple tried to take over the body, but the will of the other was abnormal, not even the smallest tremor of surrender. It was futile for them to even try to reason, as they barely got to make a sound and the arrow had already pierced through the thick skull of the man, the body dropped to the ground with a disturbing grace. "Gods! Why would you...why... Varus?" Valmar's voice faded slowly in an echo.

In the fraction of the moment before the arrow could reach its mark, the human managed to make one last move, fast enough to give the other no chance, as a small blade, shaped like the petals of a flower, with a strange green liquid smeared all over it, found its way in Varus' chest, small drops of blood starting to drip on his body. His heartbeats got uncomfortably powerful and his vision more and more distorted. Even in this condition, he ran, fast, as far as he could, fearing that others might come looking for him. The souls within tried to talk, to scream, but he couldn't make out their words, only sounds, mixed with the thumps of his heartbeats, the distorted songs of birds. His blinks started to feel like entire minutes, black for most of what was left of his run, his mind more and more dizzy, his senses mixed in ways he couldn't comprehend. Before he could even realize it, the vessel got on the ground, with no feeling of either pain or sense of touch to help him keep the illusion of life, his mind fell into a much too familiar darkness.

"...varego" a fainted voice shattered the emptiness

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