Runeterra: Alexander The Eternal

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The forest thundered with destruction as I ran, the mother dragon in relentless pursuit. Trees splintered and toppled like matchsticks, and the earth shook beneath her massive steps. Her piercing roars echoed through the dense foliage, a sound that could freeze blood.

I glanced down at the hatchling in my arms, its cries sharp and frantic.

'This will buy me time.'

Reaching the edge of a steep drop, I threw the hatchling over the precipice. It tumbled through the air, its small wings flailing. The mother dragon let out a deafening roar, diving after her offspring.

The father dragon's shadow loomed overhead as he followed, his colossal form blocking the sun.

For a fleeting moment, I caught my breath, my chest heaving as I kept moving.

The parents managed to catch the hatchling before it hit the ground. The father dragon, probably realizing how far they'd strayed from the nest, turned back, flying in the direction of the other eggs.

'Heavens luck,'

My eyes flicked back to the mother dragon, who now ascended from the ravine, her glare locking onto me with murderous intent.

'Good. Just you and me now.'

I skidded to a stop, sliding on loose dirt. Her heavy footfalls grew louder as she closed the distance.

Planting my feet firmly, I reached into my reserves, activating my healing ability. Golden fumes began to rise from my skin, knitting the cuts and burns that marred my body.

My muscles tightened, and my breath steadied as the restorative energy coursed through me.

"Rematch?," I murmured.

The dragon emerged from the treeline, her body battered with fresh scars and old wounds. Yet her eyes burned with undiminished ferocity.

"Superficial cuts, magic ineffective… nothing works on you, does it?" I said, my lips curling into a grin.

The Slimecite coiled around my arm, its texture shifting like liquid shadows. In an instant, it hardened, forming a sleek black blade in my hand.

"Well, then," I muttered, lowering my stance, "I'll just have to create something that does."

The dragon roared, her chest glowing as flames gathered in her throat. She unleashed a torrent of fire, the inferno rushing toward me with blistering heat.

When the flames cleared, I wasn't there.

Reappearing at her side, I lunged. Her tail whipped toward me with blinding speed, but I was ready this time. I sidestepped, allowing the deadly appendage to pass by harmlessly.

'Wait for it.'

The Slimecite blurred in my grip, transforming at the last second into a massive, jagged blade. With a single, decisive swing, I drove it deep into her flank.

SCHLUNK!

Her roar of pain pierced the heavens, her body recoiling violently.

"Finally," I said, stepping back to observe the damage. Blood seeped from the deep gash, staining the forest floor. "I've seen enough."

But something was wrong.

A sudden surge of energy rippled through the dragon's body, a current of mana visible even to the naked eye.

Her scales began to glow, faintly at first, then brighter and brighter. The light pushed against me, its force like a physical wave. I staggered back, shielding my eyes as the radiance intensified.

Her wounds closed before my eyes, her body renewing itself as if my attacks had never happened. Her once-scarred scales now shimmered like molten silver.

ROOOAAARRRR!

The roar shook the very air, sending shivers down my spine.

"What the hell is this?!" I shouted, disbelief and frustration mingling in my voice.

The dragon's form loomed larger now, her glow casting long shadows through the forest.

"So that's how it's going to be," I muttered, gritting my teeth.

Golden fumes rose again as I activated my healing ability, but this time I pushed further. My body began to glow faintly, crackling with electrical surges that danced across my skin.

The Slimecite responded in kind, the blade sparking with energy as it adapted to the heightened flow of mana.

Telekinesis coursed through my limbs, enhancing my speed and strength to their absolute peak.

The dragon charged, and I met her head-on.

. . .

The battle raged on, each clash of will and power tearing through the forest.

"Believe in yourself and act with confidence." I had told them. "True power."

Ridiculous.

My breath came in ragged gasps, sweat and blood mingling as they dripped from my wounds. The dragon had stripped away piece after piece of my armor—first the gauntlets, then the greaves. Now, all that remained were my boots, a dented chest plate, a battered shoulder guard, and the arm bracer on my left arm.

A searing strike ripped through the air. I barely evaded the blow, but her claws grazed me, carving three deep gashes across my arm and down to the chest plate. Blood seeped through the gaps, warm and unyielding.

I staggered back, planting my feet firmly despite the pain.

"Why am I doing this?" I murmured under my breath, my voice trembling with exhaustion. 'Isn't it my destiny to face the void? To win?'

Another strike sent me sprawling to the ground. Dust and debris clouded my vision as I lay there, staring up at the radiant figure of the dragon.

'Have I failed?'

The question hung in the air, suffocating and unrelenting.

But then, like a spark igniting dry kindling, something clicked.

"NO!"

The roar tore from my throat as I forced myself up, grabbing my dislocated arm, wrenching it back into place with a sickening pop. Pain seared through me, but I didn't flinch.

The dragon paused, her glowing eyes narrowing as it observes me, a predator sizing up its prey.

"Destiny isn't predetermination," I said, my voice resonating with newfound resolve. "Destiny is a choice—a declaration of will."

Mana flickered faintly around me, golden tendrils weaving into the Slimecite, which now sagged, nearly depleted of its energy.

"I choose my fate." My voice hardened. "And I choose to win."

The Slimecite quivered, responding to my determination. I forced it to take shape, transforming it into a sleek, lightweight spear. The black surface gleamed under the dragon's radiant light.

Nothing's better than a weapon you've mastered.

The dragon's chest began to glow once more, the light growing more blinding by the second. She was charging another devastating blast.

"Perfect."

My legs tensed, my grip firm as I prepared for the attack.

FWOOOOSH!

The beam of destructive light tore through the air, heading straight for me. I surged forward, raising the spear in both defiance and trust.

The Slimecite quaked as the beam collided with it. To my shock, the spear began to absorb more than I expected of the dragon's mana.

'You're hungry, aren't you?'

The light dimmed as the spear fed on the attack. The energy coursed back into me, revitalizing my drained reserves.

'Let's gamble.'

Burns licked at my skin, but I endured. When the dragon lunged, claws and teeth flashing, I danced around her assaults, weaving through death with precision.

With each step, the Slimecite grew stronger, the spear radiating with the combined force of every magic it had absorbed—Kayle's light, Morgana's shadows, the storm's fury, and now the dragon's energy.

Then I saw it—the opening.

The dragon reared back, her massive jaws parting as she prepared another blast.

"Now."

I surged forward, channeling every ounce of power into the spear.

BOOOOOOMMMMM!

The strike connected, driving deep into the roof of her open mouth. The resulting explosion was divine, a cacophony of light and sound that drowned out everything else.

When the dust cleared, the dragon lay still, her radiant glow extinguished.

I stood there, swaying on my feet.

Pain. Fatigue. Triumph.

All of it crashed down at once, my body threatening to give out.

But I remained standing, defiant even in victory.

And then, as if acknowledging the battle was over, I allowed the darkness to take me.