Arcane: Red Sands

-------- timeskip, 2 weeks-----------

The faint glow of an oil lamp lit Su'Rhaal's quarters, its soft flickering casting restless shadows over the rough stone walls. The room was bare save for the desk covered in parchment, a few shelves lined with maps, and a rack where his runic blades rested. Despite the sparse surroundings, the space felt oppressive, a reflection of the weight Su carried.

His crimson eyes scanned the report in his hand for what felt like the hundredth time, yet every word felt heavier than the last. These were not the routine logistical summaries or casualty lists he was accustomed to. These reports, compiled by the most loyal of his Desert Raiders, painted a picture of Bel'zhun that was far more sinister than Su had anticipated.

Zanaiya leaned against the edge of the desk, her golden eyes narrowed as she studied another stack of documents. The soft rustle of parchment filled the room as she flipped through page after page, her jaw tightening with each damning revelation.

"This isn't incompetence," she said finally, her voice low but sharp. "It's sabotage."

Su set down the report in his hands, exhaling slowly. "I thought Dorrik was just another fool appointed for politics instead of merit. But this…" He gestured to the piles of parchment. "This is deliberate."

Zanaiya placed the page she'd been reading onto the desk with a snap. "Entire districts burned for 'harboring rebels.' Profits from trade disappearing without a trace. Food shipments redirected, but no records of where they went. It's like he's tearing this city apart from the inside."

Su's eyes flicked to a detailed map of Bel'zhun, its districts marked with red ink. "Half of these so-called 'security measures' aren't just excessive—they're counterproductive. He's turning the people against us, not keeping them in line."

Zanaiya straightened, crossing her arms. "You think it's intentional?"

"I don't see how it can't be," Su said, his tone grim. "Look at this." He pointed to a line in one of the reports. "A grain shipment seized from a district 'suspected of rebel activity.' There's no evidence of any insurgents there, and now the entire area is on the verge of starvation."

Zanaiya frowned, leaning over the desk to examine the document. "What's his endgame? Starve the city until it collapses? That makes no sense."

"It doesn't have to make sense," Su said, his voice low. "It just has to serve someone's purpose."

Zanaiya moved to the window, staring out at the sprawling city below. Even in the dim light of the oil lamps lining the streets, she could see the signs of decay. Bel'zhun, once a proud jewel of Shuriman resilience, now looked like a city on the verge of breaking.

"The people are terrified," she said, her tone softening. "You see it in their faces when we walk the streets. They don't see us as soldiers—they see us as the enemy."

Su joined her, his gaze fixed on the distant lights of the city. "They don't trust us, and they have no reason to. Not with Dorrik bleeding them dry."

He fell silent, his thoughts churning. The reports had confirmed what he'd begun to suspect weeks ago—that General Dorrik's rule wasn't just flawed; it was destructive. But the why still eluded him.

Zanaiya turned to face him, her golden eyes searching his face. "What are you going to do?"

Su didn't answer immediately. Instead, he crossed the room to the desk, retrieving a blank sheet of parchment and a quill.

Su wrote with precision, the black ink flowing across the page in deliberate strokes. The letter was addressed to Captain Rictus, though Su knew the man no longer held that rank. After retiring from the Noxian military, Rictus had taken up a new role as the head of General Ambessa's private militia, tasked with safeguarding her interests in Noxus and beyond.

Rictus was more than just a soldier. He was a tactician, a pragmatist, and—most importantly—loyal to Ambessa. If anyone could help Su navigate this mess, it was him.

When he finished, Su sealed the letter with wax and pressed his signet into it. He turned to Zanaiya, holding the parchment out to her.

"Take this to the ravenry," he said. "It needs to reach Rictus as soon as possible."

Zanaiya took the letter, her brow furrowing. "You think he'll help?"

Su's gaze was steady. "Rictus doesn't make empty promises. If he sees the value in what I'm saying, he'll act."

"And if Dorrik finds out?" she asked, her tone sharp.

Su's jaw tightened. "If he questions me, I'll tell him it's for reinforcements. He can't argue against bolstering the garrison, not with the rebellion still active."

Zanaiya studied him for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she smirked faintly. "You're playing a dangerous game, Captain."

Su returned to the desk, gathering the scattered reports into a neat pile. "If it keeps my men alive, it's a game worth playing."

-----------------------

As Zanaiya left the room, Su leaned back in his chair, his gaze distant. His thoughts drifted to Captain Varros, the man whose failures had cost so many lives in Shurima. Varros had been a coward, a leader who put his own survival above the mission.

Su had ended him.

The memory of that day was sharp in Su's mind—the moment he'd taken command of the Desert Raiders, forging them into the relentless force they were now.

His gaze shifted to the runic blades resting against the wall, their faint glow casting soft light on the floor. They were a symbol of strength, but also a reminder of the weight he carried.

The city of Bel'zhun lay in uneasy silence, its streets patrolled and its people subdued. But beneath the surface, tensions simmered, threatening to erupt.

In his quarters, Su picked up another report, his eyes scanning the words with renewed focus. He had work to do, and the stakes had never been higher.