Lore[]
- This story is from Realms of Runeterra. The whole story is featured in the physical book. Due to legal reasons, only the story summary can be added on this page.
Summary[]
The young girl Khari walks through Saikhal, her cousin Anhay is having a baby and she has to get water for the baby. She is heading for the Cut, an old riverbed that dried up when Shurima fell. However in the last few years, the water began to flow again, and it is cleaner and much better than the water from their wells. Khari carries a bowl from her Bibi (Grandmother), she had dropped it once and crudely repaired it to hide her mistake instead of admitting it. Once she arrives at the river, she marvels at the flowing water and feels like royalty, since this must be what kings and gods drink. She drinks and pours water over her head, before she is interrupted by a 
golden figure, which almost makes her drop the precious bowl.
The golden-clad warrior says he is not dangerous, and they chat. Khari asks if he doesn’t feel hot in this armor, and he answers he rarely feels anything. She realizes he is one of the legendary Ascended. She asks why he is here, he answers he is here to think. She nods and says she does that too. Then she notices that he called her “Khari of Saikhal”, and asks if he knows Saikhal. The Ascended answers he knows Saikhal well, from its beginning as settlement, to when he came here as a guest. Khari wonders how old he is, and he reveals he is Azir, the Hawk Father. She keeps asking questions, about his past, how he brought back his city from below the sands, until she notices she has to go. But Azir commands her to stay, and asks if she knows what makes Saikhal special. She does not know, and he reveals 
Xerath was born here. Khari says she doesn’t know who that is, and Azir falls silent.
Azir is shocked to learn that Xerath is not remembered, that only legends remain of their deeds. He explains that Xerath had caused all of this, all the ruin brought over Shurima, by betraying him at the moment of his greatest triumph. He now realizes that it was not his greatest triumph, but his greatest hubris as well.
Khari says she doesn’t understand, and Azir explains the entire story:
That the 
Shuriman Empire once had stretched from coast to coast, had been incredibly wealthy and mighty. They had spoken in a hundred languages, with art and music from many influences. But the empire had been built on slaves.
Azir now recognizes how cruelly they treated the slaves: They had been denied any names but those given to them by their masters, and had to work under threats of death.
Khari correctly guesses that Xerath was a slave. Azir goes on and explains that Xerath was taken by the host of 
Renekton at Nerimazeth, but born here in Saikhal. Xerath had met him in the great library, and both Azir and Xerath bonded over their shared love of history and mathematics.
Khari interjects and says that this sounds like they grew up as friends.
Azir responds that this might have been true at the time. But they could never have been equals. He had always held the slave's life in his hand, and Xerath had known that. Even if he would have never done so, it was enough that he could have gotten him killed. So Xerath had begun to plot against him. At first, he had put Azir on the Throne, which Azir had let happen, but then, on his most glorious day, when he planned to free all slaves, Xerath had stolen his Ascension and ruined Shurima.
Khari says that she feels sorry for Xerath, and Azir gets angry. He reveals his true intentions: To purge Xerath from history, and destroy Saikhal.
Azir summons an army of 
sand soldiers that marches up the path to the town.
Khari does not know what to do, and throws the bowl from her Bibi at Azir. It smashes to pieces on his armor, and Azir and some of the sand soldiers turn toward her. She has the idea to keep him distracted and asks about how he came back. He begins to tell her of his revival: That a 
daughter of Shurima had been betrayed and left bleeding in the sand. Her blood had brought him back as a phantom of ash and dust, and he had brought her to the Oasis of the Dawn. And once she had opened her eyes, he had ascended.
Khari says it must have been his kindness that had sparked his ascension, and asks him not to repeat his mistakes. After a short period of silence, Azir agrees, and the soldiers sink back into the sand. Before he leaves, he picks up the broken bowl and repairs it with his sand magic, sealing the cuts with golden sand. Khari marvels at the restored bowl as she scoops up water and heads to the village to greet the newborn baby.
Characters[]
Featured Characters[]
- Khari
Azir
Mentioned Characters[]
Trivia[]
- The repaired bowl resembles Kintsugi, the Japanese art of “golden repair”.
- It is unclear when the story happens in the Timeline, the only indication is that it happens after Bloodline.
- Khari is 8 summers old, her eyes have the same sapphire blue color as Sivir's.
See Also[]