League of Legends: Siege of Summoner's Rift

Chapter 16

Syndra was disoriented for only a moment. She forced her mind to focus, refusing to be in any state where she wasn't fully aware. Besides power, control was one of her highest priorities - if she couldn't be in control of herself, she couldn't control others.

The League of Legends was simply a means to an end for her. On the Fields of Justice, she could test the limits of her power, and discover the weaknesses of her enemies. She cared nothing for her fellow Champions, in and out of Summoner's Rift.

Syndra surveyed her surroundings within the strange cloudy sphere. She was sure there would be some new threat to face quite soon.

"Good," she said to herself. "It is very refreshing knowing that my attacks will do real damage. I grow tired of battles where my victims keep rising up again and again to aggravate me further. Whoever you are, come at me, and see my true power and potential!"

Her command did not go unheard, and four figures materialized in front of her. They were massive beings, and took the shape of humans - and they looked just like Ionian political leaders.

Syndra was taken aback by the familiar, albeit gargantuan forms before her. She was expecting some monstrous dragon, or a screeching Void-born to come charging at her - the last thing she thought would appear were the very people she despised and hoped to overthrow one day.

There was an elderly man with a large grey beard and stern eyes, a middle aged woman with a pointed nose and disapproving frown, a young man with folded arms and mocking smile, and an old woman shaking her head.

These were the symbols of power back in her home country of Ionia, and she loathed the sight of them. Although she knew they weren't the real thing, seeing them there awoke a rage that threatened the control within her that she valued so much. Their sheer size, and their disapproving stares made her feel as if she had to prove her worth - show them that she WAS powerful.

"All shall see my strength!" she cried, and began to form the familiar dark spheres around her. Syndra wasted no time in launching the projectiles at the menacing figures. But to her dismay, they simply passed right through them.

Her heart froze in an irrational fear. Not being able to attack the people she most reviled began a sort of panic to arise.

"I must remain in control!" She shouted aloud to herself. "This is not really them...!"

Suddenly, from behind, she felt the force of a devastating blow. With a cry stemming from disappointment more than pain, she was thrown forward. She was disappointed in herself for falling into such an obvious trap.

Using a strong magical field, she kept herself from falling. She whirled around, head throbbing, and gasped in shock. There before her was an old mage - wearing the face of her old mentor...the one she had killed long ago.

"You cannot hurt me!" She cried. "I bested you before, and I will defeat you again!"

The mage did not respond, but formed a red ball of venomous ether. He leapt forward, and tried to bludgeon her with the floating sphere, but she levitated, and barely moved out of the way. The red ball exploded in the place where Syndra had just stood, but it sent out several smaller spheres that singed her in several places.

Wasting no time, she retaliated, sending her own dark spheres his way. The old mage put up his hands, and a thin sheet of scarlet energy encased him, causing the black projectiles to bounce away.

Syndra hissed, and sent the spheres back at him, pummeling the shield relentlessly. "I will break you!" She shouted.

A part of her wondered how this purple sphere knew of her past, and was able to take the form of her deceased mentor, but most of her was worried she may be beaten by it. Even though she was sure this wasn't really him, Syndra would be just as humiliated if she lost to a pretender, as she would be with the real thing.