Chapter (15): cursed promise part 2
Lissandra of the past explained the deal with the Watchers, and something specific caught the attention of her sisters.
"The Iceborn?"
"Yes, my sisters. The Iceborn can withstand the power of True Ice. We won't need to drink the remaining Rhond blood to use True Ice—we can wield it and carry it at all times."
"What? Is this real?!" Serylda spoke in shock.
"Also, once we become Iceborn, we won't be affected by the cold. They said it could even grant us long life," Lissandra of the past spoke joyfully.
"Avarosa! Isn't this a great deal?!" Serylda exclaimed excitedly.
"...Right... This is immense generosity from them... Too generous."
"Sister, what are you trying to say?" asked Lissandra of the past.
"I feel they aren't doing this without reason. What do they want in return? Something..."
"They only want us to open a bridge between their world and ours, to prepare Runeterra for their arrival—the arrival of the Void."
"Just that? No food, no wealth? Just refuge?!" Avarosa raised an eyebrow.
"Yes..." Lissandra replied simply.
"This is suspicious... Very suspicious," Avarosa said, a faint glow in her eyes.
"Sister Avarosa, the Watchers' deal may seem suspicious. But think of it another way—we could gain the power needed to control all of Freljord," Serylda said.
"But this is still strange... Wait... How did you even meet these... Watchers, if they're in another world?" Avarosa asked.
"In my dream," Lissandra of the past answered.
"Your dream?" both Avarosa and Serylda asked curiously.
"Yes. One of the shamans who follow me told me he learned new magic—through the whispers of a servant of the goddess. He taught me a way to enter others' dreams and see what they dream of. By chance, I succeeded. I delved deep into some dreams until I fell into the abyss... but I saw something in the darkness."
"The Void Crest icon. The land of those things. I realized the truth of the abyss. If I had stared at it any longer, it wouldn't have just been the end—it would have been infinity. It was terrifying death, yet full of possibilities," Lissandra of the past spoke regretfully.
"And I met one of the Watchers as I stared into the darkness," she added.
"So, you can enter others' dreams now?" Serylda asked in amazement.
"Anything is possible with magic, sister," Lissandra replied.
"Ah, yes... But what you don't know is the promise I hid from you about the Watchers," Present Lissandra spoke painfully.
"But it's still wrong," Avarosa retorted.
"How so? I mean, we're not losing anything except granting refuge to some shamans or something like that. This isn't the first time we've done this," Serylda said.
"Serylda, we're talking about beings from another world. We don't know if they plan to invade Freljord or not. I feel their request will have dire consequences."
"Yes, sister Avarosa. Consequences that have already happened," Present Lissandra said.
"But we won't know unless we try. They told me they have no intention of conquest or control," Lissandra of the past said.
"You don't know what others are thinking," Avarosa countered.
"Same goes for you," Lissandra shot back.
"This is why I hate shamans. You've been blinded like them," Avarosa replied.
"Why are you always against me? Have you forgotten how many times I've helped you, Avarosa, when your tribe was on the brink of ruin?" Lissandra of the past asked angrily.
"That's one thing. Cooperating with these things is another," Avarosa said.
"You always think only of yourself. You never consider others," Lissandra said bitterly.
"That's not true. But making a rash decision without caution will have consequences that affect all of Freljord," Avarosa answered firmly.
"Fine. I'm leaving," Serylda said as she walked away.
"Huh?" both Lissandra and Avarosa wondered.
"We won't get anywhere by arguing endlessly. The longer you two bicker, the hungrier my people become. I'd rather raid some villages than deal with this headache."
"Wait, Serylda!" Lissandra called, trying to convince her to stay.
But it was futile. Serylda left, slamming the door behind her, leaving Avarosa and both past and present Lissandra alone.
"Well, I'm leaving too. My people also need me," Avarosa said as she exited the hall.
"If this weren't about the Watchers, I would've intervened with dream magic directly. But that would wake him up—the opposite of what I'm trying to do here. He knows this and is pushing me by using my memories inside his dream. A clever move."
"But you don't realize... I know what you're doing. And now it's pointless. There's no way___"
Suddenly, without warning, the ground cracked strangely, like shattering glass. The earth split, and Lissandra fell. Before she could react, she found herself in a completely different place—a snowy festival, filled with storms and screams.
"Where am I?" Lissandra asked curiously.
"Prepare for battle!" shouted Lissandra of the past.
"Battle against whom?" Present Lissandra asked.
"Ice witch!!!"
A deep, terrifying voice roared across all of Freljord. The very earth trembled at its sound, thunder striking everywhere around them. Present Lissandra froze—she knew this voice all too well.
When Lissandra of the past turned toward the source of the voice, all they could see was a massive white bear's claw rushing toward them.
"Grrrrrrrrr!"
Lissandra touched her eyes behind her mask. Her hands trembled slightly as she remembered every ounce of pain she endured at that time.
"Even after ages, it still hurts like an arrow lodged in my gut. Curse you, you great bear."
The world around her shattered, and she found herself somewhere else again.
"What now?" Present Lissandra asked angrily, looking around.
She saw she had returned to the same place, but it seemed slightly different.
Lissandra of the past was sitting in the same spot with her sisters inside their hut. But this time, she was blind—a black bandage wrapped around her face. Avarosa and Serylda were also there, but their conditions were far from good. Their bodies were covered in wounds, bearing painful changes.
"Ah... I remember now. This was the day each of us faced a god and a spirit realm being alone... and suffered heavy losses. This was the day everything began," Present Lissandra said coldly.
"I dreamed... a dream with the Watchers. I dreamed that humans would become slaves to these animals, treated as mere tools. They told me this was their vision of our future."
"We must do this. Otherwise, mankind will perish. Or is that what you want, sisters? The destruction of all humans?" Lissandra of the past asked.
"I... agree with her..." Serylda said resignedly.
"Serylda!" Avarosa shouted.
"Sister Avarosa, stop being stubborn. Look at where we are now! Half my men are dead. That fat bear has fierce warriors attacking us from all sides. We might not even survive the next winter."
"Serylda, we must think carefully about the future. Making___" Avarosa began.
"(Slams the table) And does that matter now?! What's the point of thinking about the future if we don't live to see it?! Think, Avarosa! Aren't you the smartest among us? You should know this is our only choice for survival in this harsh world!" Serylda cried in despair.
"I... I..."
"(A moment of silence) ...I understand... Lissandra, I agree to the deal," Avarosa said in a resigned tone.
"This is what I expected, sisters. It's good you've finally awakened to the truth—we need them," Lissandra of the past said, smiling.
"No. Never. In fact, we've been blinded—blinded by fear of those damned creatures."
The earth cracked again, and Lissandra found herself somewhere else once more. She saw herself standing in the middle of a large, eerie purple magical circle—as if forbidden magic were at work.
The three sisters—Lissandra of the past, Avarosa, and Serylda—stood in the center of the circle, undergoing some transformation. She knew what was happening here. They were becoming the first...
The first Iceborn in Freljord? No... the first *true* Iceborn in Freljord.
"This power! Look at my skin—it's become the color of ice!" Serylda shouted excitedly.
"Sisters, do you feel this power? It's the Watchers' gift!" Lissandra of the past exclaimed.
"This power... is unbelievable," Avarosa said in awe.
"Wait, let me try wielding my weapon without Rhond blood. Let me test it properly."
"My sisters, I can hold the whip without feeling pain or cold! Their blessing truly works!"
"Sisters, my veins are turning blue and... purple?" Avarosa asked suspiciously.
"Avarosa, it's a gift from the Watchers. Can't you stop doubting for once?" Lissandra said, slightly annoyed.
"Sorry, past me. But the truth is... Iceborn are actually Void energy granting cold immunity, magical resistance, extended lifespan, and a stronger connection to dark magic. But that's all."
This time, Lissandra decided to step through a rift that had appeared moments ago. She found herself in the middle of a camp with some Iceborn warriors.
"It must have been at least three years since the Watchers' deal," Present Lissandra thought.
"Sisters, how have your campaigns fared with the Iceborn power?" Lissandra of the past asked.
"Thanks to you. Thanks to the Watchers' blessing, we've repelled the tyranny of those gods and their followers. We've driven out the Elk Bones cult and removed them from the field," Serylda said proudly.
"Yes. I'm sorry for doubting you at first, sister. I thought they wouldn't give gifts without a reasonable price," Avarosa said.
"We all make mistakes, sister. What matters is moving past them and walking a new path," Lissandra of the past said.
"Yes... a good and cursed path. How foolish and arrogant I was. Maybe that's why they chose me—because I was easy to manipulate," Present Lissandra said angrily.
"But what still worries me is that man. Of all the warriors we've faced, he might be the most dangerous in all of Freljord. He may be that bear's servant, but he's an absolute monster in battle," Serylda said, fear creeping into her voice.
"Him? Who do you mean?" Lissandra asked fearfully.
"The Cruel," Avarosa said coldly.
"The Cruel... I've heard of him from my followers. But what is he?" Lissandra of the past asked.
"A warrior who follows the path of the war goddess, Volibear. He and his tribe cause more trouble than any troll invasion in Freljord," Serylda said angrily.
"Ah, so that's why you asked for some of my men—the Iceborn, the shamans who wield dark magic to kill him. So, what happened when you faced him? How did they fare? The shaman Elis, too___"
"They all died," Serylda said furiously.
"What?!" Lissandra of the past asked in shock.
"That man fought our army of Iceborn and dark magic. We fought him and forced him to retreat, but we lost many Iceborn warriors because of him," Serylda replied angrily.
"Don't worry about the Iceborn. We can make more warriors undergo the transformation. But is he really that strong? Strong enough to face Iceborn?" Lissandra of the past asked in disbelief.
"You have no idea how terrifying he is. Once you face him, you'll wonder if you're fighting an armed troll," Serylda said.
"Then where is he now? If he can face Iceborn, he's a danger to us. We must eliminate him as soon as possible," Lissandra of the past said, swirling dark purple energy around her hand.
"I don't know... I heard he sailed away from Freljord a few days ago and hasn't returned," Avarosa answered.
"It's best if he never returns. That would be good for us," Serylda said.
"Yes. But if one warrior can truly face Iceborn, maybe they aren't *true* Iceborn. We must increase their numbers in case another appears," Lissandra of the past said.
"Indeed. Speak with the Watchers about this," Serylda replied.
"As you wish, sister," Lissandra said.
"About the Watchers... Have you ever heard their voices in your mind?" Avarosa asked.
"Voices? Now that I think about it, I did hear something, but I thought it was just a bird's chirping," Serylda said.
"It must just be whispers, sister. No need to worry about that," Lissandra of the past reassured.
Present Lissandra gave them a cold look, then stepped through the next rift. She found herself back in the same hall, but this time, Avarosa and Serylda were furious with Lissandra.
"Lissandra, what in hell is happening here?!" Serylda shouted angrily.
"What's wrong, Serylda? Why are you so angry? Did something happen?" Lissandra asked cautiously.
"Did something happen?! Those Watchers—they're planting thoughts in my mind! At first, it was whispers, then clear speech, and now they're in our dreams, ordering us what to do for them!" Serylda raged.
"They must be sending you a message or warning you about something. The Watchers don't do anything without___"
"Lissandra! These Watchers are in my mind too, and I know these aren't just messages! They told me about the promise! The promise you made with them!" Avarosa slammed her hand on the table.
"What? Lissandra, what did you promise them?!" Serylda demanded.
"I only promised them what I told you. Have you forgotten I was the one who connected with them? The one who opened the only door to controlling Freljord?" Lissandra said.
"Then tell them to stop this!" Serylda shouted.
"I can't do that," Lissandra of the past said quietly.
"Why not?!" Avarosa yelled.
"Because it's already done! We can't back out of their deal! If we do, we'll lose our only path to control—and we may never get another chance. Have you forgotten they gave us the Iceborn?!" Lissandra of the past snapped.
"We don't deny that. But I refuse to be anyone's puppet," Serylda said.
"They're not controlling you. They're just trying to communicate. But they're ancient beings—you must have misunderstood their cryptic speech," Lissandra of the past said desperately.
"Lissandra, we refuse to be subservient to anyone. That's why we sought their help—to be free from the gods, not to become slaves to them," Avarosa retorted.
"Yes, exactly!" Serylda shouted.
"Sisters, without the Watchers—without the Iceborn's power—we are nothing!" Lissandra of the past said tensely.
"(Sigh) I'm leaving... I no longer recognize you as my sister... The sister I knew would never say such things," Avarosa said as she walked out.
"Me too," Serylda said, following.
"After all these victories, you reject them? Without them, you wouldn't be like this! They watch and hear everything I've said. You'll see the consequences of your choices!" Lissandra of the past shouted angrily.
"You mean *our* consequences," Present Lissandra said with regret, stepping through the next rift.
Present Lissandra looked around and saw her past self standing before the Frostguard, who had become Iceborn, kneeling as she delivered a speech:
"We are the chosen, destined to receive the gifts of the Watchers. Our faith is tested by bitter cold and endless winter. A crucible that separates the worthy from the unworthy, purging doubt, and leaving purity behind. The others fight like neglected children, petty squabbles that will amount to nothing in the end. We have purpose: to prepare this land for new masters. The Watchers return. Our ascendance is at hand."
Present Lissandra remembered this scene—it was before the battle that decided everything... the battle that wrote Freljord's fate.