1. The Warrior

War. It was a term young Garen had grown up hearing. Born to Marcus and Lilia Crownguard, the head of the Crownguard family, Garen always had high expectations for himself. Swordmanship was his passion. He was always destined to hold the SteelGuard, one of Crownguard's most precious heirlooms. He was drawn towards it for some mysterious reason. But Steelguard couldn't be earned or mastered by just anyone. "It chooses it's wielder.", his mom used to say. He had heard tales of people who have tried to forcefully own it , meeting terrible ends.

Steelguard was an ancient sword, whose blade was made from the finest alloy of steel, the recipe of which has been long lost. It's hilt made of a rare gold alloy which was virtually indestructible. SteelGuard had a legacy attached to itself. Every Crownguard warrior who had held the sword had been immensely victorious in even the most one-sided of battles. But the sword now remained dormant on it's pedestal, as not just any Crownguard could carry the sword. Not even Garen's father was deemed worthy of holding it. The sword had a Bright blue gem on its hilt, the origins of which are still unknown. Though he had kept it a secret, Garen had noticed that the gem pulsed blue light everytime he was anywhere near the sword.

Demacia was a human city-state in the magical land of Valeron. It has strived under the leadership of the LightShields, King Jarvan III being the current ruler. Demacia was always prosperous, it's citizens contented. Crime was at a bare minimum as the military had a strong hold over the state. It only had one and only one enemy, Noxus. Demacian military were one of the few forces that could fend off a Noxian attack. Both were city-states, both contrasted each other, and both had conflicts since the time they were founded. Crownguard was one of the pivotal families of Demacia and had very close relations with the Lightshields.

Unlike other teenagers his age, Garen always had a warrior's instinct. He would squint upon hearing stories of the lost battles against Noxus. He would always practice swordmanship with his close friend Jarvan IV, the prince of Demacia.They practically grew up together and were inseparable. They were a team, and as King Jarvan always said, "A Force to Reckon with!".This afternoon was no different, Garen and Jarvan were sparring against each other using swords made of wood and wearing spare armour. "Take that! And That and-- ouch!" Garen yelled. "Jarvan! We agreed not to use cheap tricks!" Jarvan laughed as Garen tried to get sand out of his eyes. "You were the one who set my clothes on fire the last time!" protested Jarvan. That was when they heard the long, loud siren being blown at the sentry towers. They immediately knew what it meant. Demacia was under attack.