Chapter 10

Once more, Akali went to the Shadow Isles. She stealthed herself in a cloud shroud from any passing people who might be hostile towards her, before she realized that Thresh was waiting for her, as usual, in the same spot as always. Akali emerged from her smoke shroud, and she bowed towards Thresh.

“I apologize for the match, yesterday,” Akali said while bowing her head. “It was my fault.”

Thresh pondered for a moment, before saying, “You didn’t come here to tell me that, I’m sure.”

Akali nodded, before she took a deep breath and said.

“Does dying on the Rift…have something to do with my mother?”

Thresh paused for a moment, before he said. “I have some suspicions, but I don’t know everything on my own. That’s where I’ll need your help to do something. I realized that the Summoners keep a key to a vault where they keep something extremely private and locked away. Only someone with the key can get into the vaults that the Summoners enter through. I want you to use your feminine charms to seduce a young Summoner and take the key from him while exploring that vault.”

“That sounds like a tall order,” Akali said, though her eyes narrowed when Thresh mentioned a secret room that the Summoners had. No champion had gone in there before, and those who attempted to try were severely punished. Just what could be in that room? Her curiosity got the better of her. “All right, I’ll do it.”

“Good,” Thresh said, before he said. “Make sure that the others don’t know. One of the Summoenr’s suspects me for trying to get into the vault, so this is where you come in. Also, it’s best if you don’t tell anyone else about this venture; the fewer that know about it and attempt it, the less likely the Summoners will get suspicious of us.”

Akali listened for a bit, before she stared off into the distance.

“What do you know of my mother?”

“I knew that she looked exactly like you,” Thresh said. It’s a little suspicious, isn’t it? That a mother and daughter have that close of a resemblance to one another.”

“I guess it’s not so strange, at times,” Akali said, furrowing her brow a little again. “It’s just our genes.”

“And you mother died under mysterious circumstances,” Thresh said. “Usually, Champions don’t die, do they? That’s another thing that’s strange.”

“That is also true,” Akali said. “Though Shen told me that this forbidden knowledge could lead to something that ends up in disappointment or disillusionment. He asks me what I’m going to do with that knowledge.”

“Ah, Shen,” Thresh said. “He suspects something, but he’s an obedient dog to the Summoners. No, I needed someone with a little…rebellious streak in them.”

“You could’ve simply picked someone else,” Akali said, wondering why Thresh chose her of all people.

“Your skills as a shinobi will come in handy here,” Thresh said. “And I have confidence in your skills."

"i'm glad that you have confidence in me," Akali said. "But the Summoners also have abilities that we don't know of. Theyr'e veyr powerful yes, but if theyre' able to contain gods like Xerath or you...what does that say about the rest of us?"

" I can't say for sure," Thresh said. "But this is something that w'll discover together. I know that you seek answers, and you've been restless and unsatisfied after the Summoners told you that your mother was executed for not obeying their will. I'm not sure how all this connects together, but I've got a sneaking suspicion that I need to have confirmed...all of this ties into how Champions die on the Rift but come back as though brand new, why your mother looks so much like you, and everything else. I'm puzzling things together, but they're not quite fitting yet."

"I need to reflect on this as well," Akali said thoughtfully, before she appeared solemn. "But this means not telling shen anything? I hate keeping secrets from him; surely you must know that."

"If this is to work, then you will not tell him," Thresh warned. "I suppose that I will be seeing you off then. However, there is one more thing that I need to tell you,"

Akali paused, listening. She wondered what else Thresh had to say. He left her ponering things that mde her herd hurt with exertion, and Akali usually could grasp things easily. But she wans't sure how this all made sense. Dying on the Rift had something to do with her mother, didn't it? And it all had to do with dying in general; what answers did she seek, and what would she do with that knowledge when she found out?

Could Shen know something that she didn't? Was he keeping secrets from her as well? She didn't think that Shen would do that, but then s the Eye of Twilight, Shen was a being of enlightenment and must keep impartial in all matters. But love was the greatest force in the wrold, or so she thought, and not even a man as stoic as Shen could resist its temptation when he found someone that he believed in and someone who believed in him. Akali shook the thoughts aside.

Pehraps he didn't know anything after all. But then Akali knew that Thresh told her not to tell Shen anything. As much as it hurt her to keep secrets from Shen, Akali's curiosity got the best of her. She needed to find this out, and even if it cost her soul to do it, she would do it. She needed these answers, no matter what.

"I'll keep it a secret," Akali promised. "But Thresh...be careful."

"I should be expressing that sentiment to you," Thresh said. "I would do it yourself, but as you can see, I'm a spectral being that no human being would find attractive. Therefore, you need to seduce a Summoner named Kai."

"Kai..." Akali said, wondering for a moment. "I know about him. He's the green Summoner, right?"

"Just got inserted among the Summoner's Ranks after studying in an Academy far away from here," Thresh said. "That's the one who will be easy to coax, I think. You only have once chance."

Akali looked down. "Even though I lost the match...you still have faith in me, Thresh?"

"That doesn't matter now," Thresh said, before saying. "This is more important."

"I will do my best," Akali said. "I solemnly swear."