Author's Note:

Hello readers! Thank you for decided to read my story. If you were referred here by fanfic author vOceanic, I bid you welcome, and thank you! … Again!

For those that haven't read anything by vOceanic, I recommend you check them out. Although knowledge of their stories are certainly not required, there are certain character aspects and concepts that will be easier to understand with the foreknowledge gained from reading vOceanic's stories.

If you like the story, then PLEASE feel free to follow/favorite or leave a review. All are appreciated! And now I give you chapter 1 of The Road to Redemption!

Chapter 1 – The Institute

Riven was a great many things; Noxian, commander, murderer, deserter…

Exile

… but never before had she called herself an assassin.

She was on a mission, top priority, top secret: "Take care of" the child of the leaders of a Noxian Rebellion. She had observed the target's behavior for the past two weeks. She began her day in the Noxian Quarters, naturally. At midday, she would eat lunch at the cafeteria in the Institute, and then pick flowers in the Main Courtyard, where Riven had decided to set up her hiding spot.

"Set up" was an exaggeration, of course, for hiding in a bush. Due to the target's adolescence, Riven decided that she would never suspect her assailant to be in such a blatantly obvious hiding spot.

The sun was at its full height in the sky. She knew the target would be in the courtyard soon, now she only had to wait. She wouldn't wait for long however, as five minutes passed and the little red haired girl skipped happily into the courtyard, completely unaware of the evil that waited for her.

Riven was ready. She could hear her own beating heart as the target skipped closer. The only thought Riven paused for was perhaps the most perturbing detail of it all. She felt no guilt, no remorse, and certainly no regret for what she was about to do. Well, that would be a lie, as she did feel a pang of regret… regret that her mission would be coming to an end so soon, without having the time she wanted to fully enjoy it.

Closer and closer she hopped, skipped, and jumped, stopping here and there to smell the flowers or swat playfully at a butterfly. She was practically on top of her at that moment.

Now!

She sprang from her brush, Annie never stood a chance. She spun around in shear terror, in shock and disbelief that she had been found.

"Boo!" Riven yelled.

The Dark Child squealed with glee as her assailant pinned her to the ground. Shrieks of laugher could be heard throughout the entire Institute as the successful assassin tickled her target nearly to death.

"Riven!" she cried through her hysteric laughter. The Exile chuckled as she lifted Annie upon her shoulders. "Too easy," she guffawed, proud of her victory.

"Meanie, I didn't see you!" She was still giggling. She hummed playfully as she went to work terrorizing her short white hair.

"Hey!" She laughed. Annie stuck her tongue out and blew raspberries as riven lowered her to her feet. She looked up to the Noxian woman expectantly, eyes sparkling, "Let's play again!" she giggled.

Riven laughed once more, and pat her on the head, "Sorry Annie, but I've got some errands to run before work."

Annie looked hurt, but quickly brightened up. "It's okay, I can play with Tibbers!" she called as she skipped toward the Southern Hall, and most likely toward the Yordle Quarters.

"Oh gods, be careful!"

"Don't worry, Tibbers Won't hurt me!"

"It's not you I'm worried about," she muttered. Annie not seeming to hear her (or care, probably) continued on her way. Riven was sure the Ziggs would enjoy helping her incinerate things, or Rumble would perhaps have a new gadget she could help him tinker with. She shook her head, chuckling at the thought of the Yordle Quarters bursting into flame. Of course, Riven would help extinguish the flames (she certainly had before…), but it was still humorous nonetheless. The Exile turned east, heading toward the Institute's main gate.

The city it led to had no official name, but there where shops, delis, little restaurants, apartment complexes, and even a cathedral. All the things a 'normal' city would have she pondered. She made her way through the large bazaar just outside the gate, and immediately began searching for a side street. She didn't do crowds, or social events/gatherings at all, really.

It was well known throughout the Institute that Riven wasn't exactly a social butterfly, quite the opposite actually. She wasn't exactly shy, but she certainly didn't jump at new opportunities to meet new people, which made her rather awkward in social situations. Wandering 7 years through Runeterra with no home did that to a person, she thought. This did not mean she was impolite; she just tended to stick to herself and her own affairs.

As she entered the crowd her palms immediately became sweaty, the first symptom of her social anxiety. She spied an alley and promptly ducked into it, sighing heavily.

Gods, I hate coming here

She needed a moment to recuperate. She was nearly prepared to brave the crowd again, when a voice made her jump.

"Need a hand?" The voice was calm and cool, but more importantly, it was right behind her.

A slight gasp, and she turned to see who the familiar voice belonged to. He was almost a full head taller than her, which wasn't saying much as Riven was small for her age. All she saw of his face was a dark goatee… was that all? She noticed a hood covering his eyes. She wondered how he could see her in this dark alley with half his face covered, but she quickly realized by the man's friendly smile and comforting presence the he couldn't actually see at all.

"Lee Sin," she breathed, still startled by his sudden appearance.

He chuckled brightly at her reaction, "Forgive me for startling you, Exile. I noticed you enter the marketplace and I heard your heart rate spike. I thought you might need a friendly face."

"I - uh – suppose… that's… how exactly did you notice me?" she asked, at a complete loss for words. Wasn't this man supposed to be blind?

The welcoming smile never left his face. "Our senses become stronger at the loss of another," he stated matter-of-factly, pausing to take a breath. "Also, I was once a summoner in training."

Riven had forgotten the Blind Monk's past momentarily. Perhaps he was using magic to aid his senses? She shook her head, not fully understanding. The concept of magic and how it was used had always escaped her. She preferred her sword over any spell, and the strength of her will over any magic.

"I see," she stated plainly.

"I don't," he said through the most wolfish of grins.

She actually laughed at this. She had not known the Blind Monk for his sense of humor, but for his strength and unwavering resolve. Smiling, clearly accomplished with his joke, he asked "So what brings you to the markets, Exile?"

"Oh, just groceries. I'm out of noodles, so – " she said smiling lightly, still amused by his joke.

"Mind if I join you, then?" he asked politely. "I'm headed there myself. I need carrots for my carrot stew tonight."

Riven was too overly fond of many champions of the league. As a matter of fact, she was mostly indifferent toward the majority of them, with the exception of a few, Lee Sin being one of them. He wasn't particularly charming to her, he was a monk after all. He was, however, very warm and friendly, always eager to share his wisdom with those who would hear it. Riven looked back at the crows behind her and sighed.

"I would greatly appreciate it, actually" she admitted, half-breathed.

Lee nodded, understanding her predicament. "Thank you. If you would like, there is a much quieter way to the grocer's, through these alleys." He turned sideways, gesturing toward the alley behind him, and also, away from the crows, Riven noted.

The Exile's shoulders must have dropped a good few meters, overcome with relief. "By all means," she said, motioning toward the alleys, "please lead on."

Smiling, he nodded. Hands clasped behind him, he led on, taking turns at every junction. Riven made sure to remember every turn, memorizing details about the new path. If it was this quiet and empty all the time, she would take this path from now on… I was immeasurably better than her usual crowded route.

Lee would break the silence, "How long have you had your social anxiety?"

Riven stopped, her face flushed. Her gaze fell straight to her feet as they always did when she was embarrassed. She did not like to talk about it, people tended not to understand. "I - …" she stuttered.

He turned back to look at her, and eyebrow raised. When he realized his question brought her discomfort, he apologized.

"No, it's fine, really," she replied. "it's just, I – " she paused again, taking a deep breath. The Monk waited politely for her to gather her thought. "Ever since I – well, always really. I don't really like to talk about it."

"Then we need not discuss it anymore, Riven." He smiled, "We are here, anyway." He nodded towards the exit of the alleys, which apparently came out directly across from the food market.

Wow. That didn't take long at all. And my palms are almost completely dry.

He looked at her eagerly, awaiting a response.

"Oh, uh," she stuttered, "thank you, Monk, for all of your help." She mustered up the most sincere smile that she could. She meant it, too.

A faint look of disappointment splashed his face, much to Riven's confusion, before his smile would resurface. "Please, 'Lee' is fine."

"Oh, I – ", she paused, blinking once or twice. Names weren't really her thing. It mostly felt a bit too personal for her, so she tended to call people by their titles, or rank. This was particularly easy since most of the people she ever had to deal with were either summoners or champions. He had, however, shown her great gentlemanly kindness today. Besides, it was only on syllable.

"Thanks, Lee."

He nodded politely. "Would you like company on your way back, or can you remember your way?"

"No, thank you, really. I think I'll head back alone," she said plainly. She appreciated Lee's company, but she was beginning to sweat again now that she was around a crowd again.

Once more, he nodded in complete understanding. "Until next time, then," he said. He waved as he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

She sighed, feeling a mixture of gratitude and relief. She did sometimes wish she was more comfortable around people, but she decided to push the thought away. She was content with her personality for now, at least.

Directly across from the opening of the alley she stood in was the food market. With a deep breath, she made to head to the store.

The Gates of the Institute finally came into Riven's view. They were gargantuan, and made of a mysterious metal. Overcome with relief, she made toward them. The giant doors themselves did not open for just any occasion, only for high ranking officials, envoys, parades (yes, there were parades in the unnamed city), and newly accepted champions. All along the bottom of the gate were doors and miniature gates of various sizes, accommodating for some of the larger members of the League, and also supply shipments.

Riven approached the door on the far left side of the left half of the gate. There was no noticeable difference between this entrance and the many others. Its guardsman was an elderly man, with very little hair remaining and a long gray beard. Corran was his name, and he liked to tell stories.

It was because of this fact that many people seeking to enter the Institute tended to use the other entrances, lest they be subject to the ramblings of an old and lonely Demacian man. Contrary to what her personality may suggest, Riven quite enjoyed her talks with Corran, and truly admired him for his wisdom, despite their rival homelands. They never spoke of Noxus or Demacia though, as they both shared a similar past; a story, as Corran would put it. Both once proud members of their respective military, both blinded by the ideals drilled into them, both guilty of unsavory acts in the name of their nation, and finally both exiled by their own homelands.

But there was no need to discuss their stories today. As the gray-bearded man came into view of the Exile, she noticed a warm smile already forming across his face. He was missing a few teeth, and his eyes were a bit glazed over – had he been napping just now? – but his happiness was sincere, and Riven couldn't help but smile back.

"Why, if it isn't the great and terrible Riven of Noxus!" he called with a comical tone, adding an upward inflection to his joke.

"And who else to vanquish me but the Great Axe of Demacia!" she cried, imitating the tone of a distressing damsel.

He scoffed, licking his lips before he continued. "The best our nations have to offer! Our fight would decide the entire outcome of the war," he mocked. His hearty laughter sounded more like a hacking cough than a laugh, but it was still friendly.

Riven joined him in his fit of laughter as he pulled the needlessly large key-ring from his pocket, 17 keys exactly ornamented it. Riven had decided after her third or fourth visit to him that the only reason for them was to prolong his conversations, as he tried every key before finally coming to the right one last, but only after his story was finished. She watched as he inserted the first key into the lock, cursing at its failure. This act always made her giggle, especially the first attempt. After the third key had failed to open the door, he began his story, "I saw a man today, hair as big as a double sided axe! And believe me when I say that I'm man that knows his axes."

Whether or not Corran's stories held any truth to them, Riven did not know. Most of the time she concluded there was a fifty-fifty chance that it was all hogwash. She humored him, much like she always did. "Oh, yeah? When did he come through?" she asked.

He paused to curse at the fourth key's unsuccess, looking at the woman to answer her after selecting the fifth key, "Oh, it was early this morning, I think. You were likely still sleepin'."

"Most people prefer not to use your door," she replied, "Did he talk to you?"

"Heh, it's 'cause they can't handle my devilishly good looks," he guffawed, feeling accomplished with his whit. He paused again, curing at the lock. Looking back at Riven, he said "Wasn't much of a talker, him. All he said was that he was from Ionia, and was goin' to his judger or somethin' along those lines."

Riven blinked a few times. Judger? Could he have meant judgement? She mused. It WAS about time for the League to be looking for a new champion. It seemed to be a bimonthly occurrence for new champions to join the League of Legends. She tended to not keep up with it.

"A new Champion, huh?" she asked.

"Looked like it," he nodded, still fiddling with his keys. He looked to be on the ninth key now. "Real quiet fellow, cool breezy voice. Carried a long sword, and I don't mean a typical longsword. A really really long sword," he spread his arms apart, nearly dropping his key-ring, and cursed again.

An Ionian with a really long sword, why does that sound familiar? She thought to herself.

A 'breezy' voice…

She could hear Corran speaking to her, but his words bounced off of her ears. She didn't mean to be disrespectful, but she was genuinely taken aback by the details of this new champion. There was a memory there, on the forefront of her mind, but it was fog. She knew that -

*CLICK*

"But don't let me talk yer head off all day, now. Go on, I got more people what needs getting in," he stated matter-of-factly. Riven shook her head, putting aside her thoughts for now. She looked behind her, noticing that the line she expected to see, well, wasn't really a line at all. Because lines were made up of people, and there surely were no people behind her. "I see that," she stated plainly, "well, I'll let you get to them, then!"

She nodded to him as she passed through the gate. "Nice talking to you, oh great and powerful Axe of Demacia," she said laughing. He waved goodbye to her, "Good eve to ye!" He promptly closed the gate-door, and Riven could hear him begin whistling a tune, most likely a Demacian footsoldier's marching song.