Chapter 1

The infinite starry night sky that blankets Valoran cloaks the vast cosmos that holds undiscovered secrets; powers and strengths of unimaginable proportions. Artrix strode proudly upon the divine clouds of the realms of Heaven. The realm was domed by the endless starry stretch of space that glistered with tiny dots of light, each signalling an entire galaxy. Artrix was cloaked in an absolute white, embroidered with gleaming lines of gold, it identified him as a fellow God of Heaven; beings of the highest order in the entirety of the cosmos. As his steps echoed, his pearl cape gracefully drew behind him as though they were his loyal servants. He wielded a silky black hair of medium length that was well trimmed and managed. It was neatly combed and prepared him for any event. He had perfectly symmetrical facial features, each shape and size to the absolute perfect proportion. He would be what anyone would call, the epitome of beauty. A regular mortal would find this entity's beauty to secede anything they've ever encountered, almost to a point where those who are not prepared to witness such grace may be turned to ashes. Artrix approached a massive coruscating cathedral that shone like a beacon across the universe. Countless marble pillars enveloped the structure, bellowing endlessly into the cosmos. As Artrix drew nearer, he was met with a wide sea of steps that led to a pair of colossal gates which were tightly shut.

A young matron dressed in less than impressive white robes gently walked to Artrix with her long golden hair flowing behind. While not of high rank, her appearance is strikingly beautiful amongst the patrons of heaven. She lightly bowed, then gestured towards the cathedral gates. Artrix barely acknowledged her by slight nodding and began to ascend the stairs. The young woman silently followed him. Soon enough, they reached the top of the stairs and faced the double gates which at first glance would appear to be constructed of marble like the rest of the building. However, on a closer inspection one would find that it is actually a metal painted its pearly color. Cold to the touch, Artrix wasted no time and proceeded to push open the gates.

"Artrix," the young matron began, "your father may not want you in there. Remember what he had said about you and the business of heaven?"

Artrix sneered and turned his head to face her. "I merely act to exercise the powers we hold. I'm going to destroy the defilers of this existence, in the name of Heaven," Artrix then returned to his walk forward into the building. "Do not question me."

The matron lightly sighed and continued to follow him. Once inside, they are met with the familiar appearance of the grand hall. To any mere mortal, this hall would've filled every desire, dreams and wishes they had ever prayed for. Its beauty is beyond words, each decoration of the structure hold integrity of the highest level. Ageless décor and art lined the hall which depicts all of the glorious battles and struggles Heaven has ever endured, each of it remembered for an eternity. However, this was all too mundane for an almighty God of Heaven as he paid no attention to any of this and only seeks to reach his destination, a meeting room. After a series of traversing the inner Cathedral, Artrix and the young woman has made their way to another pair of gates, nearly identical but smaller than the ones they first encountered.

"Here is the room," the matron said, "but please, give a final thought and heed my suggestions. Do not go any further."

Artrix paused for a second as if he was considering her words, but then merely shook his head and promptly pushed open the gates open.

"You know that whatever I do is always for the better, do you not?" Artrix asked, "Kayle?"

The young woman turned her head as to avoid the question, she knew she had no power nor the influence to stop him. Then, Artrix left her presence and into the meeting room. Kayle's empty eyes suddenly filled with sadness. She drew back her feathery wings and wrapped them around herself as if they were a blanket. He dipped her head and concentrated in deep thought for a second before leaving.

Inside the meeting room was a relatively small space with a low long table as the centerpiece. Surrounding the table were silver armor clad beings that wielded feathery wings on their back. They were all gathered around and studied what seems to be an animate miniature model of a lush green planet that slowly spun around. Every detail of the model seemed to be as accurate as the real thing, as though the entire planet was just shrunk down. To the other end of the room was a swirling white portal held by up two stone pillars and stretched to the roof of the room. As Artrix entered, the winged men looked up in surprise.

"Lord Artrix!" one of them exclaimed. This caught the attention of all the winged men as they then proceeded to kneel. The other man that didn't kneel was an aged man at the exact opposite end of Artrix. He was dressed in fancier armor than the rest. His wings seem withered but could still hold a flight. He straightened himself from the table and raised an eyebrow. He seemed to not show any respect to the God as the others have.

"Artrix, what are you doing here?" the aged man asked, his voice croaked with ancient wisdom and power. Artrix strode forward, passing the other winged men that were still kneeling.

"To assess the battle on Runeterra, general," Artrix almost spitted the words "general" out. There was an obvious tension between the two.

"It is going as planned, Artrix. There is no need for you to be here at all", the general replied.

Artrix then walked to the planet model and zoomed it with a flick of his fingers. Instantly, it showed armies of winged men battling against otherworldly creatures that ravaged anything in their paths. The armies of Heaven seemed to be on the losing edge, as fall and more of them fell and died.

"That does not look like everything is as planned," Artrix pointed out. "I will go to Runeterra myself and put an end to this charade."

The general shook his head. "There is no need for someone for your status to do this."

"Those filthy creatures of the Void are openly fighting the forces of Heaven, and winning. If we do not assert out might in this cosmos, we will be shunned and laughed at. Mocked by mere mortals. I will go and end this," Artrix declared.

"Mere mortals eh? Your father has spoken of this already, withdraw now Artrix. Or you must face the consequences," the general said.

Artrix made a sweeping gesture with his hands as to the general to stand aside. The aged man sighed and agreed.

"Very well, I see that you are determined. I can do nothing to stop you, but do not say I had not warned you," with that said, the general stepped aside so that Artrix could enter the white portal. In an instance, a blinding flash exploded in front of Artrix, but that did not deter him. In fact, it had only strengthened his resolve. Soon after, Artrix fell through a chaotic tunnel of space and time that twirled and twisted about. As the holy light of Heaven slowly dissipated, the blackness of space soon greeted him.

In the distant front of Artrix was the planet of Runeterra. It was surrounded by both a physical atmosphere and an aura of heavy magic. The God quickly surveyed the planet, driving his eyes left to right in one quick glance. Then, without hesitation, he dashed forward in speeds beyond limits and soon breached the burning atmospheric shield that protects the planet. The smoky skies that were filled with the rage of battle between good and evil raced past his peripheral vision as he landed onto solid, terra firma. His descend caused a tremendous tidal wave of earth and stones and that rocked the lands. Artrix's armor radiated a heavenly light, deferring him from the mortality around him. He slowly walked out of the deep crater he had created and was met with a wide plain that was burning with pure death and battle. There were the charred strands of evidence that this land was once lush, filled with life and energy. Remnants of the fallen and massacred were sprawled in hideous forms everywhere. The bodies of mutilated humans now lined the farm fields, soaking the soil with blood and gore.

Artrix however did not even flinch in the face of an oncoming Void army, each of its creatures more hideous than the last. From a distance, the armies of the Void looked like a bubbling mess with each of its content constantly spilling forth, hungry for more flesh. The roars and other inhuman sounds that the creatures wielded would put anyone other less than a mighty God trembling with despair and fear.

Artrix then began to step forward, calmly bringing himself towards the hellish legions. He charged his clenched fist, producing arcing lightning that sparked about. Soon, he quickly picked up speed and accelerated towards his adversaries, his great strides could cover entire farm fields effortlessly. As he gained speed, a holy aura of energy began to build around him, furthering his already radiance. Soon, he charged into a ball of pure lightning, with immeasurable amounts of static and bolts arcing from him, destroying all in his path. From a distance, it would've looked like a lone yet valiant comet soaring into an eternal blanket of void and darkness. Only the light from Artrix brightly shone and bathed the entirety of the plains in a golden atmosphere. The charred lands and molten rocks and the once beautiful plains were now all unified under the blissful aura that the mighty God has created, the scenery is now as close to Heaven itself as possible.

Up above at the vertex of the holy battle between angels and demons, a fellow soldier noticed the sudden power surge below.

"What is that!" he asked, pointing at the streaming ball of energy. Then, several more of the men gathered and watched.

"It's… It's Lord Artrix!" one of the men pointed out. Then, a more senior looking winged soldier came. He wore scars and injuries that proved his experience and grit.

"Damn it! What is he doing here," the angelic captain angrily said. "Releasing that much energy in a mortal realm?! Does he want to destroy us all?"

A few of the soldiers now carried a worried expression on their faces. Even the creatures of the Void did not disturb them as much. The captain looked back behind him and saw that his men were still locked in the clashes of steel and knew that ordering a full retreat would be impossible. As Artrix drew closer to the heart of the Void swarm, the captain unsheathed a flaming sword that burned with absolute intensity. He then waved it high into the air and gathered searing energy to it and acted as a beacon amongst the chaos of battle.

"Fall back men! Brace yourselves for impact!" his voice boomed and echoed throughout the angelic ranks. At once, the soldiers disengaged their Voidish foes and quickly flew into a defensive formation and gathered around where the sword of inferno is. As quickly as they arrived, a molten shield seems to have formed around the men and expanded with speed to protect as many as possible. The soldiers themselves huddled tightly and drew their shields, facing both the creatures of the Void and Artrix.

As they gathered, Artrix suddenly stopped his forward momentum and shot upwards, soaring into the skies, breaking beyond the clouds and into the veils of dark space like a launching rocket. A blazing trail followed behind him and as he reached to the apex of the atmosphere, he then immediately plunged downwards with all the energy he had gathered. Artrix had transformed himself into a cataclysmic asteroid, bound to crack open the planet and extinguish all life as he descended with breakneck speed.

"Brace!" the captain hollered one last time, just a split second behind Artrix collided with the seemingly endless mass of Voidlings. From the point of impact, a blinding ball of light arrayed and barraged the expanse. For a moment, all sound seems to have paused. Then, an unimaginably large and searing wave of brilliance surged and consumed all of existence within its destructive path. An expanding ring of energy that hungrily devoured all that it could reach sliced horizontally from where Artrix had landed. It cleaved the land itself into two and severed all ties between them. The armies of the Void were instantly vanquished with all traces of their existence vanished. The soldiers that barricaded themselves behind the flame barrier were barely able to hold on. The wave of light had much dispersed already by the time it had reached the skies but were still able to crack the powerful shield. Fortunately, the soldiers were remained unharmed from the quick reaction of the Captain's orders.

In a heartbeat, everything was over and the Voidlings seemed to have never even been there. The piece of land that was severed was still affected by Artrix' power, slowly drifted away from the mainland towards the northeast, becoming its own island and one day a proud nation. The ocean water quickly rushed in and filled the gaps between the two, soon to become a barrier that will isolate the island for centuries.

Soon, an eerie silence, save for a few gusts of wind, covered the battlefields. Artrix cracked his fists triumphantly, quickly admiring his work. The Captain quickly descended until he was on the scarred ground and level with him.

"My god!" the Captain reckoned. "What have you done?!"

Artrix turned to him, vexed.

"First of all, you shall address me as Lord," Artrix nastily said. "Second, I just saved all your men, and stopped you from shaming Heaven any further."

"You almost killed all my men!" the Captain bitterly replied.

"Almost, but I didn't. You should be proud of their strength, to be able to withstand a god's might," Artrix smugly replied.

The Captain shook his head with dubiety and speechless. Suddenly, just as the soldiers were reeling from the battle and enjoying the quick calm that followed, an ear-splitting screech tore through the lands. In the skies, a crack ripped through nothingness, like fabric being torn. Soon, the screech was followed by a massive earthquake which forced both Artrix and the Captain back to the skies. The Captain gave orders for his men to resume their battle positions as they reformed their broken ranks, swords and shields ready.

High in the skies, the increscent tear spilled forth vile purple energy and mass as though it was the mouth of a dark giant. The very skies itself darkened and was defiled with the infamous amethyst color of the Void. Even what little life remained on the land slowly withered and died. Creatures of the Void poured out and quickly hovered to surrounding the putrid gateway. Then, a loud horn sound echoed and shook the lands, and a dark, purple orb which seemed to pulse with life entered. The soldiers stared in awe as the gargantuan mass emasculated them in size.

The orb seems to command the mindless husks, their uniform swarming and motion matching the orb's hovering. Then, a demonic and inhuman voice echoed from the being.

"I see, that even the gods of Heaven have intervened. Perhaps your tyrannical rules have now caused you to change your own ancient law?" it rasped. An eerie sign of ancient intelligence had followed it.

"The law which states that all mortal beings, even us, are free to follow our own will?" it continued. "If this is so, that we shall respond with full force. We cannot let, such brutal, cruel, vain beings be above us, can we."

Artrix' contorted his face with disgust.

"Coming from you? Vile creature, you dare mock Heaven?" Artrix bellowed, his voice matching the massive size of the Void adversary. "I have waited long for this, now that you've come, the Void will be no more."

Without hesitation, the god hunched and launched himself towards his foe before the Captain could even try and halt him. To any observer, this would seem absolutely insane, as it were to look like an ant trying to crush a giant. However, Artrix was not deterred, lightning once again arced from his body and forwarded his relentless assault. The orb however, remained still. Each time it pulses it resembled an unsettling heartbeat.

As Artrix came closer, suddenly a pillar of energy descended from above the skies and made itself an obstruction for Artrix' path. He quickly halted as the pillar slowly dissipated, revealing an elite squadron of winged guards adorned in prestigious armor. They were accompanying an elderly man who was also dressed in armor, however his was more practical for battle. He sat tiredly on a flourishing Pegasus, its hood scrapping the non-existent ground. Artrix immediately knew who he was as everyone but he kneeled with great respect.

"Father! You've come! Together, we shall vanquish our foes!" Artrix hollered with pride. However, he was only met with scolding.

"Silence boy, and be still," the King of Heaven immediately said, surprising his son. Then, he turned his attention to the ever pulsing orb from the Void.

"These are but, the foolish acts of child. He did intervene in the battle, yes, but he has not matured enough to understand. I will apologize, personally," his voice had a certain tiredness to it, his age catching up.

The orb continued to pulse. "Your son broke an ancient law, that you've created yourself. Such hypocrisy coming from so-called "perfect" beings? Such contradictory, I cannot stand for it," the orb said.

"Then, I see no other way. If you wish to unleash the full of the Void, then I will have to do the same," the king responded.

"We shall see…" the orb said with its voice slowly disappearing back into the portal, along with the numerous husks and beasts that came with him. Then, all was silence.

The King's head swayed with heaviness as his strength slipped, his concentration only broken by Artrix.

"Father, I don't unders-" he was cut off by the king.

"You have forsaken all, boy. You have just brought another great evil to this realm," his father wearily said. The king then gestured for the Captain to handle the remnants of the earlier battle.

"You have… done too much this time," the king added, then he along with his guards summoned the identical pillar and returned to Heaven, leaving Artrix to ponder.