Hey there! A thought occured and after some extensive discussion with  Sons00 who contributed much to the idea, I decided to write a sequel to my previous story about Azir: Dawn of a New Empire. So please read that one for context~

Here we get to see, what kind of stuff Markus does on the regular now that he works for Azir~

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Glorious Vision

Several months had passed since Markus’ ‘induction’ into the Shuriman Empire, it was astonishing just how much Azir had accomplished in such short amount of time. Followers from all corners of the desert were gathering at the newly restored Sun Disk to pay tribute to their resurrected emperor. Some still remembered him, while others were simply grateful for the prosperity that his return brought to the land: free-flowing fresh water, flowers blooming and crops growing upon soil that had remained barren for millennia. Markus could scarcely believe just how rapidly the Capital had become whole once again, how quickly the newcomers had repopulated it, shaping it into the city of miracles and splendor that it once was.

At first, Markus was with Azir the whole time: standing at his feet as he weaved the sands, bending and shaping the world around him to his will; riding on the Emperor’s shoulder as he triumphantly greeted his people from atop his dais; sat, tucked away in a pocket, as Azir spoke with representatives of Shuriman cities and appointed new officials to govern the restored capital. Markus made an effort to record all of it – the firsthand account of Azir’s reignited rule.

But with time, being in the Emperor’s presence became somewhat of a luxury. Whether it was official dealings or Azir’s personal travels to places he refused to talk about, Markus would often find himself left out. But he dared not go against the Emperor’s will – he hardly had any reason to, seeing as Azir’s private chambers had a place constructed especially for him for times like these.

It was a miniature paradise sealed within a terrarium of sorts, an oasis built at the young man’s puny new scale: a sandstone palace with aqueducts flowing in and out of it, tiny palmtrees surrounding it, miniature gardens to grow miniature flowers, tiny razor-thin roads for him to get from one place to another… All kept in Azir’s room beside a window, allowing Markus to see the sky, to bask in sunlight during the day and marvel upon the stars during the night.

It was everything he could ever hope for in life and more. He was free to spend his time as he wished, free to maintain his little paradise or simply relish in it. Occasionally Azir would leave him various magical trinkets to study, decipher and catalogue: medallions and weapons, runic stones and prisms – all incredibly huge in comparison, which made the young man’s work both harder and easier at the same time. Each new item presented a challenge all its own, just like the arcane lock on the treasury, the one that opened this new path for Markus to walk.

Despite often feeling a little lonely, Markus always knew that Azir would eventually return to rest from his day, and the young man would always be there to assist in whatever capacity he could. It was often limited to simply servicing the Emperor’s weary talons, but every now and again Markus would get the chance to offer Azir the kind of comfort that he was uniquely qualified to provide; after all, someone in Markus’ position couldn’t exactly go babbling about the secrets of the Emperor’s private life – the insect-sized man’s entire existence was by and large a secret from everyone.

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That day was as any other. Having thoroughly figured out the Emperor’s latest magical trinket a couple of days ago, Markus spent most of the day lazing about in the shade near the oasis. As much as he appreciated having access to direct sunlight while indoors, on days as hot as this he was extremely grateful there was still shade to be found in his little home.

Laying on his back Markus stared out the window – as much as he could anyway, his current elevation only allowed him a view of the sunset sky and some of the taller buildings in the city around Azir’s palace. Eventually he heard heavy footsteps coming from the hallway and a moment later the emperor himself stormed into his quarters, his armored boots clacking heavily against the stone floor with every footfall.

“Foolish foreigners!” Azir exclaimed, seemingly waving off a servant that had accompanied him. “If their leaders cannot see the benefits of joining my empire, then I will have no choice but to show them its power!" He'd vent his frustration into the air, before sitting down on a nearby throne and brooding.

Down below, Markus would feel a little concerned. Rising from his comfy spot in the sand by the oasis, he’d head towards the edge of his enclosure, beyond the forest of palm trees so he would have a clear view of Azir. He’d wave over – a tiny bit of motion that was easily caught by the ascended Emperor’s superior vision.

“Ah, Markus.” The looming figure would call down, irritation still obvious in his voice, yet masked as he adapted a friendly tone. “Apologies you had to see that. It seems not all are ready to bear witness to the dawn of a new era under my rule."

The young man shook his head. “No need to apologize, your majesty. I am happy to be your confidant.” With a slightly worried smile, he took a seat. “I assume a peaceful solution is out of the question then?” He asked, frowning at the thought of his Emperor becoming an instigator of war.

A haughty grunt escaped the Ascended as he eyed his servant intently, if he could still smirk, he very well might have. "Would you care for a demonstration of my plans?"

Markus would hesitate for a moment, not entirely certain what Azir intended to do. Even so, sheepishly, he’d give the looming hawk a nod.

With a wave of his hand, Azir called forth a flurry of sand that lifted the terrarium off its podium by the window and gently floated it down towards the floor, just in front of the throne. A flick of his wrist would cause the sandy ground beneath Markus to bulge and shift, knocking the human over and – like an incoming tidal wave – carrying him towards the steps up to the miniature temple he inhabited. “Very well.” He said. “For our little demonstration, you shall play the part of our enemies’ leader.”

Another wave of the giant’s hand and countless soldiers would sprout up from the sands in front of Markus’ home, similar in size to the young man, yet carbon copies of the very soldiers he had seen Azir command before. Spreading out in front of the temple was a legion, an army the size of nothing Markus had ever seen, yet barely covering more than half a meter to Azir.

"And after opposing me." Azir continued. "And denying my outstretched hand of friendship and cooperation." The intensity of his voice would rise with every word he spoke, airing out the emotions he was expected to keep in check as a ruler. "You shall now learn the folly of your ways!"

And with those words, the Emperor would lift a single armored boot that surrounded his talons, raising it high into the sky and bringing it forward until it eclipsed the light coming from above. Markus would bear witness to a terrifying view of Azir’s sole, littered with specks of sand and a few tiny, crushed bodies of insects this godlike being had trodden upon without notice. It would loom overhead for a few seconds that seemed to stretch out into eternity as Markus felt himself frozen in place – not by magic, but by fear.

Without remorse, the titanic Ascended would firmly bring his twin-toed foot back down, leaving Markus helpless to do anything but watch as entire battalions of his army were squashed flat underneath the weight. Waves of sand spurting out from beneath Azir’s foot as it landed firmly on the ground. A moment would pass and the godly being would lift it up again ever-so-slightly, demonstrating the foot-shaped crater that formed where the soldiers had stood a mere moment ago.

Markus would gasp at the sight, coughing as the air around him filled with floating grains of sand. His heart beat rapidly as he looked around. What was Azir doing?! He knew that the Ascended could grow in size, but is this what awaited those who opposed the Emperor of Shurima?

“Watch as your greatest warriors are reduced to nothing beneath a single step!” Azir yelled, anger clearly seeping into his voice. “A mere shift of my talons is enough to eradicate your armies!” And as if to prove his point he’d curl his toes inwards, the gold-tipped boots digging swaths into the ground before rapidly unfurling, sending enormous globs of dirt and stone flying into the air, crashing down over the now-fleeing battalions.

Logically, Markus understood that they weren’t sentient, that Azir was acting out their movements with his own will, but the sight of thousands fleeing in fear from the man he revered so much filled the young man with dread.

The warriors would not get far however, as the foot would swivel on its heel and crash down to one side only to drag across the sands, burying all in its path.

Knocked over by the quakes, created by the merest movements of Azir’s foot, Markus would quickly back off, crawling away from the massive appendage, feeling sheer, primal terror – the fear of being buried beneath the sands along with those soldiers.

“Like dust to the wind!” Azir exclaimed, rising a hand up in a fist.

Within moments the wind around the young man would pick up, growing stronger and stronger by the second.

”As you panic and tremble before my might, you may seek escape, but I will not permit it, for even the elements themselves bend to my will!”

The young man would watch as the sand that surrounded his home was blown about, swirling up into the air with a horrifying howl; light gusts turning into a mighty hurricane. Within seconds Markus was lost deep inside a sandstorm, trying desperately to shield his eyes as it consumed the temple. The world around him became obscured by violent veil of sand, blotting out everything except two burning, furious eyes. Their azure glow intensified as the puny man and his ravaged army were battered with debris.

”AND THEN, ONCE YOU HAVE FINALLY REALISED THE FUTILITY OF YOUR STRUGGLE, YOU WILL CRAWL FROM YOUR PATHETIC CASTLES AND KEEPS, PROSTRATING YOURSELF BEFORE ME AND BEGGING FOR FORGIVENESS AND MERCY!”

Azir’s voice would thunder, shaking the very foundation of Markus’ home.

”ONLY TO FIND THAT EMPEROR AZIR DOES NOT FORGIVE THOSE WHO WOULD BETRAY HIS VERY VISION OF A NEW DAWN! FOR SHURIMA HAS NO ROOM FOR TREACHERY AND IGNORANCE!”

Each word would echo painfully in the young man’s head, nearly deafening him, leaving his ears ringing.

"AND IF YOU WILL NOT JOIN WITH US, THEN YOU WILL SURELY JOIN THE SANDS BENEATH OUR TREAD, AS WE MARCH ONWARD! EVER CONQUERING! EVER GROWING!"

Markus would fall to his knees, screaming, looking up and begging for Azir to stop only to see a terrifying silhouette through the storm above, darker than the rest of the skies – a familiar twin-toed foot, looming right over the temple.

"ALL. UNDER. MY. RULE!"

With terrifying speed the massive sole would come down, parting the storm and revealing light once more as it crashed through the roof of the temple, causing giant sandstone bricks to break and collapse as the whole structure simply crumbled to pieces.

Markus was left whimpering just outside of it, having witnessed the full extent of the wrath of an emperor while up above Azir collected himself and scraped what remained of his servant’s home off his claws before turning those sharp blue eyes towards the little man.

“Ahhh, permit me to thank you for indulging me in this... demonstration, Markus.” His voice domineering, but nowhere as threating as what the little man had just witnessed. Even so those simple words shook Markus to his core as he tried to catch his breath.

Without any hesitation or – seemingly – concern for the puny man’s well-being, Azir would crouch down, reaching a massive hand forward and easily plucking Markus from the ruins of his home. Two claw-tipped fingers would lock firmly around his sides, lifting him up and resting him on Azir’s shoulder as he stood up.

Markus felt as though he had just woken up from a nightmare, covered in cold sweat. But the grains of sand, stuck to his body, and the tiny cuts and bruises all over his skin were real. “You… You scared me there for a moment.”

“Fear not.” The Emperor said, leaning his head ever-so-slightly closer to the tiny. “I will see to it that your wounds are healed.” He assured. “And I shall have your home rebuilt quicker than the sands shift.” A confident claim, but one Markus knew Azir would make good on.

The heavy footfalls down below would carry them out of Azir’s chambers and out into his throne room, past the pillars and out onto his dais, overlooking his city.

"And it is not you who need fear my wrath, but all that would oppose our rule."

Feeling a little more at ease, Markus would move closer to the emperor’s neck, leaning against it to relax and process the exhilarating experience he had just survived. The prospect of the same thing happening to actual people was terrifying, but he supposed Azir’s rule had never been known for compromises with those who openly opposed him – the ruins of Icathia were a stark reminder of that. “So…” He whimpered. “Are you going to wage war?”

“Not yet.” Azir shook his head. “There are many more ways towards my goal. I intend to restore the borders of my Empire one way or another, but I do not wish to rule through violence and fear alone.”

Markus sighed, it was… somewhat relieving to hear such a thing. After witnessing the kind of terror this monstrously powerful man could put entire continents though, he found the possibility of war less than desirable. But at the very least Azir’s ambition was nowhere near as cruel as that of Noxian invaders, even if it was a pretty low bar to clear. “But then… What was that ‘demonstration’ for?”

Azir’s deep, bellowing laughter echoed through the empty throne room. “Nothing more than a way for me to clear my thoughts. Think nothing of it.”

“That seemed… pretty convincing.” Markus offered hesitantly.

“I imagine it did!” With a much quieter chuckle, Azir would reach a single finger over to pat his little servant on the head. “Do not fret, Markus, I am not the callous monster many historians believe me to be.” His gaze darted off to the side for the briefest of moments, as if a memory surfaced in his mind. “I refuse to be.”

Directing his eyes towards the city below as he walked out onto the Dais, Azir clacked his staff against the ground, indicating for his people to assemble. “But I will bring Runeterra to its knees if that’s what it takes to lead it to glory. And those foolish enough to oppose my vision will become nothing than dust beneath my heel as we march onwards to an ever-brighter future.”

“And this world will enter a new golden age under my leadership!" Azir said, gazing upon the cheering crowds as the immaculate surface of the Sun Disk bathed his form in bright golden light. "Whether it wants to, or not."