Five days later.
Along a road leading to the royal capital, an old horse pulled a carriage at a leisurely pace. At the front sat two figures: a blonde-haired girl in work clothes, and beside her, a cloaked woman whose purple skin occasionally peeked out from beneath her hood.
On the roof of the carriage lay a young man in a white lab coat, hands behind his head, staring up at the endless blue sky.
"We're almost at the capital, right?"
Duke suddenly asked from above. Lux glanced up obediently and replied, "We'll be there soon, Teacher."
"Our next stop is Edesa. We'll rest there for a day, then by tomorrow we should reach the capital."
"That's good. After rushing on the road for five straight days, we're finally close!"
Duke sat up in one swift motion, propping his chin on his hand, his eyes lingering on Shyvana beside Lux.
Five days earlier, once the apprenticeship ceremony had ended, Duke had left Mithril City behind and begun his journey to Demacia's royal capital.
Camille and Dakor had already been sent back to Piltover the same night the ceremony concluded, too many matters still demanded their attention there, and they could not waste time lingering.
As for Duke's party, they departed Mithril City the following morning, heading south. They had passed through Veros, Lissos, and Pinara. Once they crossed Edesa, the heart of Demacia, the royal capital, would be within reach.
The reason the half-dragon Shyvana accompanied them was simple: she had someone she needed to meet in the capital. She never said it aloud, but Duke knew exactly who that was.
None other than Jarvan IV.
After all, he had been the first to accept her. That left Shyvana with a deep and indelible impression.
And besides, she couldn't stay at the Manor of the Crown Guard forever. As the Dragon-Blood Warrior, her healing ability was extraordinary, by the second day, most of her injuries had already recovered.
Eager to return to the capital, she readily agreed to travel alongside Duke and his companions.
Originally, Duke had planned a detour through Ervindale, the City of Raptor Beasts, then head toward Greenfang Peak to investigate the Forbidden Petrified Forest, and finally take the river upstream straight to the capital.
But now, with Shyvana in tow, he had altered the plan. First the capital. Once those matters were settled, he would take the waterways to the Forbidden Petrified Forest.
From there, he would follow the river to the coast near Borleham and sail east back to Bilgewater.
Running over his plans in his head, Duke suddenly arched an eyebrow. "Speaking of Borleham, if I remember correctly, Veigar should be there!"
"That's where his lore is tied, isn't it? I wonder if he's driven out the black mage causing trouble there, taken over his tower, and, under the excuse of 'unifying all things', started playing the hero?"
Duke smirked at the thought of the Yordle who, in the game, reigned with terrifying power, yet in the lore was often portrayed as… rather ridiculous. The prospect of meeting him face-to-face was unexpectedly exciting.
He could still vividly recall those days of stacking three thousand AP on Veigar, wiping out an entire team with a single button.
As they neared Edesa, Duke suddenly noticed his inventory flickering. Something seemed off.
"Hm?"
He opened it immediately, only to see the Beast Crate trembling violently, as if something inside was desperate to break free.
"Oh right, the husky I stuffed in there…"
Only then did Duke remember the dying husky he had once sealed inside.
"Is the modification finished?"
His brows rose in interest. He leaned over the edge of the carriage roof and shouted to Lux and Shyvana, "Pull over! Quickly, pull over!"
"But Teacher, we're almost there!"
"Remember that husky from Freljord?"
Lux instantly recalled the wolf-dog that, even on death's door, had lunged at her with unbroken ferocity.
"I remember, I nearly got bitten!"
"He's finished his transformation. I'm going to let him out!"
"Really?" Lux's face lit up, and she glanced at Shyvana. Though still puzzled, Shyvana flicked the reins, guiding the horse to the roadside.
Duke leapt down from the roof. This husky, discovered by Tahm by chance, had once filled him with anticipation, though other matters had soon driven it from his mind.
But now, the timing was perfect.
Before Duke could even place the Beast Crate on the ground, it burst open with a deafening crack. A shadow shot out, landing atop the carriage roof, glaring down at the three of them with feral eyes.
Duke quickly checked the Beast Crate, still intact. He sighed in relief.
"Good, no problems. Otherwise, I'd have had to make you into a specimen."
When his gaze returned to the roof, his eyes widened in shock.
The husky had changed.
"Why do you have… two heads?"
The once half-dead husky now stood as a fearsome two-headed wolf. Duke's astonishment quickly gave way to excitement.
"You really don't disappoint! Could it be… you also carry Shadow Wolf blood?"
Shadow Wolves were mutated gray wolves, twisted by arcane energy. Some were born with two heads, along with unusual changes in their size and color. They were mid-tier predators lurking deep within the forests.
Tahm had once said this husky carried both Winter Wolf and dog blood, and Duke himself had detected traces of flame and magma magic in its veins.
And now, Shadow Wolf bloodline as well.
"Winter Wolf, canine, and Shadow Wolf, all in one… you're full of surprises!"
"Grrr…"
The head with brown eyes bared its teeth, growling with hostility. Meanwhile, the other head, with icy blue eyes, tilted curiously as if studying Duke.
Fascinated, Duke realized each head seemed to have its own mind.
"Like Ghidorah, huh? Each head with a different personality?"
Before he could think further, the two-headed beast suddenly sprang from the roof and bolted into the forest.
"Running away?"
Duke narrowed his eyes. "That won't do. I gave you new life. Your fate is mine."
"Pride!"
He released Pride. The moment the construct landed, it turned toward the fleeing husky. "Father!"
"Catch that two-headed pup. Don't hurt him!"
"Yes!"
Pride transformed into a roaring motorcycle and tore after the beast.
The sound of the engine made the husky glance back. The blue-eyed head looked warily, but the brown-eyed head pressed forward, forcing the body to run faster.
"Woof!"
The blue-eyed head barked sharply, and the brown eyes flicked toward him. With a sudden skid, the beast wheeled around to face Pride.
"Roar!!"
Both heads bellowed in unison, eyes flashing with murderous light.
The blue-eyed head inhaled deeply, pulling in streams of air through its fangs. At the same time, the brown-eyed head spewed forth a torrent of fire.
When the compressed air met the flames, they fused into a blazing fireball that hurtled toward Pride.
"Zzt!"
A beam of energy split the fireball cleanly in half, and in the blink of an eye, Pride soared through the gap, landing heavily on the ground, eyes flaring from blue to red.
"Come back with me."
"Rrgh!"
The two-headed husky crouched low, tails dragging as twin glows of red and blue shimmered across its body.
"Awooooo!"
The wolf's howl thundered through the forest. Even Lux, Shyvana, and Duke, waiting by the roadside, heard it clear as day.
Duke raised a brow. "Seems full of energy."
"That creature… did you create it?" Shyvana asked cautiously. The beast looked like a Shadow Wolf, but its scent told her otherwise.
"Sort of," Duke shrugged.
Just then, a violent explosion rocked the forest.
Amidst the rising smoke, the two-headed husky stared warily into the crater ahead.
Heavy footsteps echoed closer. Pride emerged from the haze, steam venting from his body. He let out a cold snort. "Naughty."
"Rrghhh!"
The husky growled defiantly, backing away, but Pride raised his leg high and stomped the ground.
Boom!
Crystalline spires erupted upward, encircling the husky, branching rapidly to form a cage.
The beast slammed against the crystal walls, shaking both heads wildly, but it lacked the strength to break free.
"Come with me."
Lifting the crystalline prison with ease, Pride took to the sky.
"Father is waiting for you."
End of chapter....
IRONBOUND PATRON
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