Katarina watched her sister slide across the room, humming under her breath as she adorned her face with a jewelled veil.
"I don't know what you're bothering with that for," she voiced, looking back at the knife she was absent-mindedly sharpening. "Everyone will know who you are anyway."
She punctuated this by pointing at Cassiopeia's tail, clearly evident beneath the elegant shawl and cape she was wearing. Cassiopeia looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes patronisingly.
"Kat, darling, what's the point in going to a masked ball if you're not going to dress up?" she said, admiring her scaled hands and the golden bands that sat across her once delicate wrists. "And besides," she continued, "I'm not going to be the only one with... features to hide."
Katarina snorted distastefully at this comment, and Cassiopeia shot her a look that could have turned her to stone if she'd truly meant it.
A few moments passed before she spoke again. "I'm going to be out late, The party won't finish till the early hours, and knowing the kind of chemists around here, I probably won't be able to settle down until at least tomorrow evening. I wouldn't wait up..."
Now it was Katarina's turn to roll her eyes, though she held her tongue and returned to sharpening the blades she had lain out on the table in front of her. Cassiopeia's hum reached a higher pitch as she finished up her preparations, and opened the inn bedroom 's door.
"I'm going now, Kat. Ciao." she chimed. Katarina shrugged, non-committally, and Cassiopeia proceeded out into the hallway.
The room would have fallen quiet at that point, were it not for the sounds of the streets outside proceeding in through the open window. The cold Zaunite air was filled with the sounds of people rushing home before the darkness fell proper on the cramped streets, for fear of what would become of them as night fell.
Katarina smirked at the thought of anything trying to get the better of Cassiopeia in the dark and winding streets of Zaun. She hated the place, with it's dingy buildings and dirty alleys filled with indescribable sludge, yet Cassiopeia felt almost like it was a second home, partying with the rich and unscrupulous businessmen, corrupt officials and even some of the more humanoid members of Zaun's underbelly.
Moving to the window, Katarina watched as the last few people disappeared from the streets, and the strange muffled gurglings, growls and occasional panicked whimperings that punctuated the Zaunian night began to settle in.
Without turning around or breaking poise, Katarina flipped the knife she was still holding between her fingertips. Casually, she took a breath, before addressing the presence she felt watching her from the back of the supposedly empty room.
"Why are you here, Shauna?" she began, as she felt the figure move from the shadows behind her, levelling a crossbow straight at her back as they did.
"I might ask you the same, Katarina." came the voice of the night hunter, the click of the crossbow's safety accentuating the tension of the statement.
"I am in the business of death, and I go many places in its service. My intentions are my own."
This seemed to satisfy the Night Hunter, and the sound of the safety returning to it's place on the crossbow signalled that her story was acceptable. Katarina turned to face the dark clothed woman who was staring her down across the room.
Vayne stared levelly at Katarina for a moment, although through her crimson-tinted glasses it was impossible to judge her intent. The redheaded woman folded her arms, using the movement to conceal the knife in her bracer undetected. After a moment's silence, Vayne turned away and paced back to the corner she had been concealed in.
"It matters not." she began, fishing something from the dark corner where it had been hidden behind a small table. "It seems that our goals are aligned. As much as it pains me to say so, I require your... assistance."
"You propose a... contract?" Katarina probed, raising an eyebrow.
Vayne turned back to the room, and swept the knives from the table where they sat. With a faint thud, she placed a heavy-woven cloth sack on the table, sliding it towards Katarina's end of the room. She caught the bag, and used the knife from her bracer to slit the ties and observe the contents as Vayne laid out her proposition.
"Thirteen hundred gold. Noxian mint, totally untraceable. All you have to do is get me into the Noble's party tonight. Oh, and you never saw me!"
Katarina flicked one of the gold coins into the air, testing its weight.
"This is a lot of gold for a... Vigilante..." she said, trying to keep the distain from her voice. "I hope you didn't kill anyone I know for this?"
Vayne stared her down again, glasses glittering in the torchlight.
"Just get me in. And don't ask difficult questions."
Katarina idly felt the knife edge with her thumb, precisely cutting away a layer of skin without drawing blood.
"I already know all the answers. Let's just go already."
The journey to the great gates that stood before the First Noble's manor was travelled in silence, neither woman desiring to enter into conversation. As the house loomed up out of the darkness, Katarina felt a hand on her arm. Vayne looked at her, grim faced, and melted into the night like smoke. Pulling up her thin jacket around her shoulders, Katarina surveyed the entrance to the house, where the main door was flanked by a pair of well-armed and heavily armored guards.
As she approached, the guards stood to attention, and a butler emerged from a small side door with seemingly no bidding. Knowing the prowess of some of Zaun's inhabitants, Katarina surmised that it must be some sort of magical or hextech security system built into the place. It was little wonder that the night hunter had needed help.
The butler reached her in a few short strides, and bowed low, His long, tasselled robes bobbing reverently.
"Lady Katarina," he announced, in refined tones, "We were not told to expect you, but it is needless to say that you are welcome."
Looking the robed manservant up and down, she could see that he was not just a simple doorman, but also an ornament of the noble he served. He was a few inches taller than felt right, and other examples of magical and techmaturgical alteration were apparent across his body. One ear was replaced with a series of brass tubes and conical receivers wrapped around a large and ornate gem, and his fingers seemed to glimmer with an essence that implied power beyond his wiry frame.
"You appear not to have brought a mask, my lady," the butler continued, respectfully "It is no matter, my master has a wide selection from which you may choose, if you so wish..."
"No." Katarina interrupted, assuming command of the conversation. "That will not be necessary. I come with an urgent message for my sister, though I do not wish to disturb the party whilst I deliver it."
"I could deliver it, if you so desire?"
Katarina tilted her head back slightly, looking down her nose at the manservant, despite his augmented height.
"A message of this importance must be delivered in person."
The butler looked nervous, before bowing once more. "If M'lady would accompany me, we could enter the side rooms through the servant's entrance."
He moved away with measured stride, gesturing towards the side door that he had appeared through. Her strategy was being executed perfectly, and he began to open the door, Katarina removed a tiny wooden wedge from her belt.
"Ah, but I am forgetful!" the butler chimed in, suddenly, taking her a little by surprise. "My master would ask that all weapons are left at the door, M'Lady."
"You would attempt to disarm ME?" she chuckled.
"Of course not, M'Lady, but out of respect for your Host, I trust that you would."
Katarina sighed, palming the wedge out of sight and removing her belt to reveal the knives strapped underneath.
"Do you ask all your lady guests to undress like this?" she said, teasingly "I feel so... exposed."
The butler attempted to retain his composure as the belt clattered to the ground. The guards were not so refined, as one of them dropped his spear in his haste to pick up the belt. She smiled, watching them turn red as they stored the belt away inside the guardhouse. She was certainly putting on a good show. It was up to Vayne to make use of all the distraction she was causing.
And it seemed to be working. The butler's listening device glowed softly for a second, and he made to raise his arm to his temple. Quickly intercepting it however, Katarina grabbed it softly, latching on and pulling the attention back to her.
"Shall we? This message won't wait all night!"
Distracted for a moment, he hesitated, but etiquette dictated that attention remain with her. Stiffly, he escorted her to the door, where a little sleight of hand allowed her to silently drop the wedge and slide it carefully into place with her heel. As the door swung shut, it seemed to secure itself in the frame as normal, but at the slightest shove it would open again.
As the ascended a staircase towards the upper level, the sound of music and frivolities grew in volume. A small breeze seemed to waft up the stairs behind them, but Katarina knew better than to look. As she was lead to a small music room to wait, she smiled to herself. Any night where she could make a thousand gold in less than an hour was a good night, in her book.
Before she could congratulate herself properly however, a shrill scream pierced the air. The night wasn't over just yet, it would seem.