/AN: Hi everyone, I am rebooting a story I began several years ago. This is rated M for a reason and its not just because sex. It is gory and generally speaking awful things happen to people. Just to clear up some things, Taruk is indeed Talon as a very young child, approximately four years old.
"Taruk," his mother began. "Taruk look at me. This is important. Don't open the door for - Are you listening to me?"
"I am mommy." Taruk promised.
"Do you open the door? Even if you think it is Merkel with his doggy? Or the milkman?" His mother questioned.
"I won't open the door for nobody, ma."
"For anyone sweety. And what do we do if we see the bad men?"
"Uh, we..." Taruk paused deep in thought.
"Your father will bolt the door, where do we go?" She asked him gently.
"Out the window!"
"That's right. And then we are really good and walk slowly to the southwest gate and meet Dad by the real big tree."
"Right!" Taruk proclaimed. He and his mother hugged. She grabbed a book filled with big letters. "Can you tell me what sound each of these letters make?"
Later that morning, there was a slight drizzle outside and little rivulets of water poured along the edge of the street. Taruk was sitting by himself in the living room with his animal book. His mother, Savvia, was in the office. Taruk wasn't allowed in there, but he knew his mom would be practicing with her sword from the war.
She did that when she was anxious. His dad was out by the markets looking for day labor jobs. He had been a soldier too, but the military didn't like him anymore. He didn't play with swords like mom.
The cows in his book were smiling with great tufts of grass sticking out of their mouths. They made him wish he could try to eat grass, but there was only mud in his small section of the Noxian capital.
There was a rapt of knuckles on the door.
Milkman! Milkman!
Taruk tottled back to the training room and knocked on the door. "Mamma! Milkman! Milkman!" Savvia was landing a flip when Taruk knocked on the door. Her feet slapped the gym mat right as Taruk's tiny closed fist struck the door and his voice was hardly loud enough to get through the door.
The knock on the front door was louder this time. That's the last knock! No milk if you don't answer! Taruk tottled back to the front door, reached up and over his head for the door handle. As he pulled down on the handle he plopped backwards cracking open the door.
"Hi, little guy! Are you taking the milk order for mommy today?" The milkman smiled carrying the case of milk into the house and setting it on the coffee table in the center of the living room. "Tell your mum that I brought the newspaper inside, too."
The training room door creaked open. "Did I hear voices out here?" Savvia said smiling at the milkman. "Thank you!" She beamed. "Did you get the omni shilling from under the welcome mat? I hope you don't expect a tip for bringing in the paper!" She laughed as she walked the milkman out the door.
"Of course not, madam." The milkman said bowing extravagantly as he walked the rest of the way out of the door. "Have a good one, I'll see you next week!" He waved as he walked back to his wagon.
After Savvia had closed the door she scooped Taruk up into her arms. "What am I going to do with you, little man?"
"He was going to runaway. I like the milkman." Taruk retorted. Savvia only kissed him on the cheek and set him back down next to his book.
"It's very important we don't open the door Taruk. Promise me you won't do it again."
"I won't. I promise!"
"Pinky promise?"
They linked pinkies and shook on it. "That's a promise you can't break Taruk." Savvia said. "How about you go play in your room while I shower and then we can make your favorite lunch."
"Cookies!" Taruk exclaimed.
"I was thinking something more nutritious, but afterwards we can make some with a bit of the milk if you are feeling up to it."
"Where is your father?" Savvia wondered allowed as she paced up the hallway. "He hasn't been this late to anything since our wedding!" Savvia smiled as the words left her mouth. Takurn had been on time to the wedding, but it was the closest on time she had ever seen from him.
"I am going to drive myself crazy worrying." Savvia knelt down next to Taruk. "What kind of animal is this?" She pointed at a picture of an orange tabby house cat with a ridiculous pink and purple striped vest.
"Its a cat! They go meow."
"That's right! Don't you have a stuffed cat around here somewhere?" Savvia spun around in place and she and Taruk spotted it at the same time. Across the room by the coat hanger, next to the door. Taruk walked over and reached to pick it up when the door handle jiggled.
"Daddy!" Taruk reached up and pulled the door handle down and plopped back on to his bum pulling the door with him.
"Tar -".
The door was slammed open bashing into Taruk's face. His vision exploded with white and his eyes misted. His nose felt as big as a soccer ball and when he sucked in air it smelled like iron.
A large man barged in. He had an enormous beer belly and his jacket was too tight and wouldn't close entirely around him. Two more men, both in much better shape, followed behind Beer Belly. One had a menacing scar and the other was missing his left eye.
"Time's up, Mrs. Ferrus." Beer Belly bellowed.
"Taruk! Run!" Savvia urged.
Scarface reached down to scoop Taruk up, but at the last second Taruk scooted away. Savvia leapt to her feet and whipped the animal book at Scarface. "You wretch!" He roared. Savvia danced away from Eye patch as he lunged at her.
"Out the window Taruk!" Savvia pleaded.
"Mommy!" Taruk stumbled towards the hallway.
Beer Belly remained in the doorway, but Eye patch and Scarface were advancing on either side of Savvia. She faked left before swinging right at Scarface who danced backwards to avoid the two punches. Spinning on her toes she swung back to her left and elbowed Eye patch in the shoulder. He careened to the side, but maintained his footing.
"Taruk! Go to the window!" Savvia begged. Taruk was standing at the entrance to the hallway. "Taruk! Remember what -"
"That's enough talking for you babe." Scarface had closed the distance faster than she had expected. Savvia struggled in his chokehold. Her right arm was pinned to her side in the same grip that squeezed the air out of her, and her left flailed uselessly at the air. Scarface leaned backwards and lifted Savvia off the ground. Her feet kicked feebly against his legs.
"Mom!" Taruk cried out.
"Someone please shut that brat up!" Beer Belly groaned.
Eye patch started towards Taruk. And then, Takurn was there. Beer Belly still in the doorway. Scarface still throttling Savvia. Takurn whipped his elbow across his body and slammed it into Eye patch's temple. He dropped to the ground in a heap.
"Ah shit, of course the great Takurn Ferrous is a mana sucker." Beer Belly sighed. He opened his palm and held it out towards Takurn. The ring on his pinky finger glowed purple and then quickly changed to blue. Blue wisps boiled off of Takurn's skin and his movement became sluggish as he attempted to reach Scarface.
Beer Belly moved his other hand in a roughly triangle pattern, but nothing happened. "I can never remember the pattern!" Beer Belly exclaimed. Takurn swung at Scarface who barely managed to turn out of the way of the blow still holding Savvia.
Beer Belly drew an arrow in the air. A light beam burned through the air in the direction of his extended palm. The beam itself burned a hole clean through the wall of the hovel. The air around the beam was distorted and anything it touched was set ablaze. Including Takurn's coat.
Scarface dropped Savvia in a heap on the floor and turned to face Takurn.
He shrugged it off hardly even wincing revealing the angry red flesh of his left arm. With his right arm he redirected Scarface's strong right. He bobbed his head left to avoid a jab and then another beam of light burned through the air igniting his pants leg, the coffee table, and the floor in front of Taruk.
Takurn groaned in pain and collapsed down to his good leg.
Scarface drew his sword from his scabbard and it glinted in the air as it arced downwards. It sank into Takurn's right shoulder. Scarface ripped the blade free. Another beam of light burned through the air. This time it was directed at the roof. Smoke plumed through the open hole and fire engulfed the walls.
Scarface brought his blade down again chopping through Takurn's shoulder.
This time Savvia screamed and leapt from the ground with a small knife clenched in her fist. She slammed it into Beer Belly's eye. He fell backwards and out of the door screaming with his hands against his face.
Takurn fell forwards dead. Taruk braved the patches of flames and tottled towards him. "Daddy!" He sobbed.
Savvia spun around to face Scarface barely avoiding his sword slash. Scarface punched her with his left palm. The air flew from her chest and she collapsed to the ground gasping. Scarface dropped his sword onto the ground.
He pulled Savvia up by her armpits and stared into her eyes. "You've got a lot of -". Savvia spat in his face. "You better play nice if you want to see another sunrise." He growled.
"Fuck you!" Savvia screamed. "Fuck you! Fuck-" Scarface dropped her onto the ground and and clamped one hand over her mouth pinning her with his knees. His other hand was on the flat of her stomach. Savvia's eyes danced about her surroundings desperately for something or someone that wasn't there.
Scarface's hand lifted underneath her shirt and explored up the smooth skin of her waist following the curve of her body towards her breast. One of his fingers clamped over her mouth slipped inside.
She bit it off. Blood sprayed everywhere. Scarface bellowed in pain and his other hand dug into Savvia's skin before he wrenched it away tearing through her shirt in the process. He punched at her eye, he broke her nose, and then punched her temple.
Savvia's screams were cut off under the barrage.
"God damn it! That mother fucker!"
"Mom!" Taruk sobbed.
Taruk stood between his parents with a broken face. He held Scarface's sword. It was as big as he was and pretty heavy. He could not swing it fast enough. Scarface dodged away before ripping the sword from his grasp by hitting the flat of the blade. He kicked Taruk in the ribs dropping him to the ground.
"Terance are you going to get the fuck up?" Scarface kicked at the collapsed form of eye patch. Terance groaned and slowly got to his feet amongst the smoke and blood.
"What the fuck happened in here? The hell are we going to tell them?"
"That you got knocked bloody unconscious, I lost a finger, and the sarge got facial reconstruction to match you. We have to get what they bloody owe. Nobody gives a shit about a couple of poormen ilk."
"Okay, we can sell the boy. The rat pen's will take him for a couple hundred omni's. That's enough. Is the sarge going to make it?"
"I think he has accidentally killed himself trying to remove the dagger from his eye." Scarface said kicking the aforementioned dagger still in Beer Belly's face. Beer Belly didn't even grunt, so dead is dead.
"Looks like somebody is getting promoted. Grab the kid. I need to wrap my finger up."
/PS Thank you for reading thus far. I would really appreciate any feedback you have to offer. Talon (Taruk) begins his coming of age story now and next chapter will hopefully flesh out the Noxian world and will introduce Riven. The next chapter will be released Sunday, June 30th or earlier depending on my writing zeal :).