"And that's why Spiders are one of the most deadly creatures in the world."

I sighed as I just finished explaining to Guan why spiders are one of the most deadly creatures in Runterra, she figured if he had a better understanding of them then he would be less afraid of them. He nodded his head in understanding but I somehow felt that she had just caused him to be even more afraid of them. It mattered little to me anyhow seeing as I wasn't going to have to put up with him much longer. I had long since made my presence known in this particular section of the shadow isles. It was only a matter of time before Yorick would show.

"So what are we waiting for again?" The boy asked me for about the third time in the past hour. I had to control the urge to strike him right there, taking a deep breath to calm myself. After a few moments I was finally calm enough to answer the boy without yelling at him.

"We are waiting for my acquaintance Yorick. Ask me this question again and I will personally deliver you to your grave, understand Guan?"

"Yes Ma'am," he mumbled in an irritated tone. How dare him! It was I that was having to put up with him and he had the audacity to get irritated with me?!

"You should be grateful that I am even going as far as to make sure you return home."

I crossed my arms and looked away after the little comment, not wanting to tempt myself with wiping the more than likely irritated look upon his face.

Blissful silence filled the cool air between us, the only sound coming from the dark forest itself. I would have happily continued to simply listen to the undead forest hadn't the boy not have spoken.

"I don't have a home to go back to." The boys tone was soft yet hard, His eyes sinking to the ground and threatening to spill tears at any moment.

As much as I wanted to comment I decided not to. It was clear that I was becoming somewhat attached to this boy for whatever reason, but it would stop here. In the arrival of Yorick I shall cleanse myself of this leech.

I closed my eyes and took slow deep breaths. The air tonight felt electric for some reason that I care not to know. Even the otherwise somewhat noisy forest was particularly quiet, as if it knew what just I wanted.

Peace and quiet.

Unfortunately my silence was broken, fortunately the reason due to it was the crunch of footsteps among the long withered grass.

My eyes looked around briefly before locking onto a shadow of something lumbering that could only be Yorick.

"Finally," I whispered merrily. It looked like my savior had finally arrived.

I stood impatiently as Yorick's form came into view, His yellow pupiless eyes boring into mine. The air turned noticeably colder but nothing that would truly affect me. I batted an eye out of curiosity towards the boy, unwanted relief flooding through me to find that he wasn't shivering in the slightest.

Wouldn't want him to die on his way back from chills.

A stray thought surfaced, barely louder than a whisper as it bounced in my head. "Back to where? He has no home to go back to."

I inwardly snarled at the thought, unwarranted anger flowing through my being. I shouldn't care, he was not my responsibility dammit! I had done enough already as it stood! I had saved his life and spared him eternal suffering from the hands of that insufferable spectral ghost thresh.

"Elise."

The deep call of the gravedigger yanked me from my thoughts. I blinked twice, my eyes focusing on Yorick's form before me. He still looked the same as ever, a mixture of disgusting green and what remained of a cloak of some sort. He still carried around that same relic of a shovel, dirt coating it like a second layer. That disturbing ghoul-like lantern of his still loomed over his shoulder, a dirty yellow light spewing out of his maw slowly.

His eyes broke from mine before glancing towards Guan. He heaved a great sigh before shoving his deep within the ground to stand at rest.

"I assume this is why u have summoned me?" His voice was only filled with genuine curiosity.

I nodded my head before I gazed towards the forest. I could hear the soft but steady pounding of the earth. There was only one who would be such a ruckus, and unfortunately that one was one which I particular detested.

"Unfortunately it is gravedigger," I finally say.

Yorick nodded before going on one knee and locking eyes with the boy. I watched quietly in silent surprise as Guan stood his ground to the lumbering. It would seem he was something more than just a crybaby and curious child.

"Elise!"

I let lose a snarl as I whipped around, my eyes narrowing on the sight of blue ghostly fire erupting from the forest behind us. All too soon a monster as insufferable as thresh emerged, his hooves pounding the ground as he charged straight towards us. I held my ground without so much as flinching as he came to a halt in front of us.

"Hecarim," I spat distastefully. It was no secret that we both didn't care for each other's presence, which raised the question as to why he sought me out specifically. It could only have been...

"Elise…" the way he spoke as if we were friends made my eye twitch involuntarily. "I heard you were harboring life that's not meant for your," he scratched his chin in wonder before finishing, "Pet."

"That is none of your concern Hecarim." I wanted him to leave as soon as possible but I knew all too well that he wouldn't leave until he was satisfied. How I would love to discover ways of successfully killing him and thresh, but the lord of the shadow isle's had forbidden killing amongst ourselves unfortunately.

I watched as he twisted his head around me to lay his eyes on Guan. Not too long after noticing the boy did a laugh escape his mouth as well as a comment, "I can see the life as clear as day with this one. It's like a beckon of sweet innocent life…waiting to be snuffed out!"

As quick as lighting Hecarim conjured his spear and drove right between the space between yorick and I, to Guan. Worry invaded every possible corner of my mind as I quickly looked behind me. I silently swore in that millisecond that if anything happened to Guan I would murder Hecarim a thousand times over.

"Dinnng"

The sound of metal clashing against metal hit my ears before the very sight. Yorick had his shovel between Hecarim's spear and Guan, showing no struggle whatsoever as he was withholding Hecarim's thrust back. I didn't hesitate as I grasped Hecarim's spear arm, twisting my body as I threw him to the earth. I stood protectively in front of Guan as Hecarim thrashed about on the ground in a pathetic attempt to stand himself up again. A snarl escaped from his mouth, whether it was embarrassment or denial of taking Guan's life I couldn't tell.

"You Fool! You dare strike at us?" Yorick bellowed threateningly. The punishment for disobeying Mordekaiser was not to be taken likely.

"My spear was pointed at nothing but the living. If anyone were to be blaming for striking it would be Elise!"

"Like Mordekasier would believe such an accusation!" I spat with malice. There was no way Mordekaiser would whole-heartedly believe me and Yorick would just outright attack Hecarim. The likelihood of the lich enjoying the presence of life was more likely.

"He doesn't have to, rest will become trivial once I tell him of the little bundle of life you seem so fond of," he mocked. How I would love nothing more than to wipe that cocky smile of his face.

"By all means do Hecarim. Do your job as the meekly messenger of the isles," I sneered. I hated Hecarim already, and this outrageous and unprovoked attack didn't help my opinion in the slightest.

His blue flames flickered slightly but that same taunting smile didn't waver in the slightest to my comment, it only seemed to encourage him.

"I cannot wait to hear your screams of pain echo throughout the shadow isles as Mordekaiser rips your soul asunder," he laughed. I couldn't help but shiver from the thought of Mordekasier asserting his pestilence upon me. I had seen it before only once, and I dare not be in his presence again should he do use it again.

"Be gone you poor excuse of a horse." I let a smile settle on my lips as I could see his own smile disappear before it was replaced with irritation. Without another word he charged back from wince he came, probably on his way to Mordekasier no doubt.

Yorick let out a heavy sigh before inspecting his shovel. The way his hand trailed gently down it surprised me. I had thought he didn't care for his shovel at all based upon its appearance.

"Do not fear. Since I have awoken I have not known Mordekaiser to be so brash in concerns with the living." His eyes flickered towards me as he continued. "If anything Mordekasier will be curious to your little friend if anything."

"Why would he be curious about Guan?" I asked, the worry in my voice as plain as day much to my dismay. Yorick immediately noticed as his eyes widened slightly in what I could only assume was surprise. I tried my best to ignore his sideways glance.

"The reason he would be curious..."" He reached down and placed a large green hand on Guans shoulder, much to the boy's discomfort." May I?" Yoricks politeness was something that I could never truly understand. We are monster that rule over other the land of the dead and yet he still acts so well-mannered. Maybe it was something that steamed from when he was once human. Somehow I seemed to accept that answer as it seemed to apply to me as well. Only when I was defending Guan did I realize why I had become so attached. I had thought I had buried it away but…

"Elise?"

I shook my head twice, refocusing on the scene before me. Guans eyes were locked onto me, I think silently asking if I should give Yorick permission to do whatever he needed to do. I nodded quickly while adding, "He won't do you any harm Guan." After Yoricks display of heroism, I had even less of reason not to trust him.

Yorick nodded in confirmation. "Turn around and lift up your shirt child," he asked politely. Guan obeyed without any trouble, turning around with his back towards me before pulling up his shirt.

My eyes narrowed slightly at the sight and I felt the weight on my shoulders only grow heavier. Black ruffles that I could only compare to those of feathers were making themselves apparent among his back, the areas from which sporting a reddish tint. I couldn't help but trace my fingers gently over them for only a moment because I soon as my fingers came into contact he noticeably shivered at my touch.

"Does it hurt Guan?" I asked, my hand hovering over the spot.

"No your hands are just cold," he replied honestly. "Is something supposed to hurt?" The worry in voice was painfully obvious and he had good reason to be. He had been marked, his escape no longer an option. No matter if he left, he would be drawn back like a moth to a flame.

"So what will become of him gravedigger?" I don't even know why I was asking, I already knew the answer. Another hell spawn, another being like Hecarim or thresh to litter the shadow isles if he was lucky. I didn't even want to think what to imagine what lesser creature he could turn into.

"That I do not know," he replied honestly. "All I know is that he cannot leave the shadow isles. The will of the isles will not be denied." It wasn't more of threat as it was a simple statement. No one, not even Mordekaiser himself can alter the will of the shadow isles. The only ones that can in-fact interpret the shadow isle's will is Mordekasier or Yorick, and they weren't the social type. I was lucky enough as it was that I gained Yorick's attention and aid today.

"Why can't I leave?" Guan asked as he let down his shirt and turned to me. His dust grey eyes begged me for an answer that I could not relinquish so easily. How was I supposed to tell him of what will become of him, he is but a child! I simply chose the cowards route and ignored his question, instead addressing Yorick before he took his leave.

"I know I have asked a lot of you today Yorick and I appreciate it immensely." I could have sworn I heard a snort from him. "If u could answer one more question for me." I took a deep breath, my heart beating against my chest as the one solution that I had come up with played in my thoughts like a raging storm. "What if-if..." I couldn't even finish the thought.

"I know not what that will accomplish Elise. The isles does not tell me of what it wants, only of what it has claimed." Those were his last words to me before he trudged off in the same direction as Hecarim, but not before looking back towards me one last time. "Good luck."

"Heh."

Now here I was, left with the boy and having no idea what was in stored for him. I looked into his dust grey eyes and couldn't help but let a weary smile form on my lips. Whatever he may become I would deal with it. He was a gift from a god beyond mine, a gift that Vilemaw could never give me. As much as I tried to push away this want to have a child, I could bear it no longer. Maybe even if I took care of him well he would grow into something more. The thought lifted my spirit a little.

We walked in relative silence back towards my home. He didn't say a word but I could tell from the look on his face that he was troubled, probably from the revelation that he couldn't leave the isles. Only after we entered back into my own personal space did I let my guard down and wrap my hands around Guan, much to his surprise.

"I know this isn't much." I started hesitantly as I tried to form the right words. "But my home is your home."

"Home," Guan repeated softly to himself. "But what about all the other monsters?"

"Don't worry ," I began as I nuzzled his cheek affectionately, "Mother will protect you."