The Black Rose Letters

Analyzation

5 October, 20 CLE

It isn't an often occurrence when someone at the Institute of War is summoned by a champion. Normally it was the other way around for us summoners, but today was an enjoyable break to routine considering I had an idea of who it was requesting my presence. I was by no means the most infamous summoner at the institution, but my warpath on the fields of justice caught the eyes of many. I knew who our newest member to the institution was today. To my astonishment, I received a missive requesting that I meet him at his quarters not a moment after he had joined. I didn't know what to make of it all. What would he need from me? No one ever contacted me unless they needed something, but nevertheless I was excited to make his acquaintance.

Every champion had a living space tailored to their needs/likings, Ryze had copies of most of the books and scrolls the league possessed, Karthus had an exact replica of his marsh as per his discretion, and Nunu had some sort of glacial caldera to enjoy with his brother. But his room was the most distinct, as I approached it I could see for myself what it was. Upon inspection, one could easily see how his room was a perfect interpretation of the person living within. However simplistic the door, what remained inside was anything but. I knocked 3 times. I paused momentarily, then 3 times more... and as I knocked only once more; he opened it. I stared at Jericho Swain, the master tactician and a General of Noxus. He stood proudly (despite using a cane) with his raven, Beatrice, on his shoulder; wearing his famed attire of green and gold. Beatrice was a mysterious sort; I didn't know of any other birds who happened to have six red eyes. Both of them took half of a second looking up and down at me as if to evaluate me in an instant.

"What is it? I have important business to attend to."

"Y-You requested my presence. I-" He cut my words off as he took the letter from my hand. Taking little time to review the letter he had sent me.

"Yes, I remember you now. League summoner Irannius, you were present at my... 'judgement'." He said with such disdain it made me question whether he did not like my name or that he had to be evaluated to join the institute. "Come inside, quickly." I did exactly as he commanded and wondered if he had asked the others who were present at his judgement to meet him too.

"I did not ask anyone else to meet me besides you." He said as he closed the door behind me.

"How did you know-"

"A simple man could look at you and know the question on your mind given the same context as me." Swain's expression hadn't changed since the moment he opened his door, calculating and unwavering. Could this be one of the reasons his soldiers feared and respected him? I assumed as much.

"So why did you ask me to come meet you?" Swain changed his expression to that of slight disbelief while keeping remnants of his previous demeanor intact as he turned his head toward his bird.

"Summoner, you are close to making me regret having sent you a letter to begin with. I was under the impression that someone of your caliber and prestige in the league would understand my intent... especially having witnessed my judgement."

The thought had crossed my mind in fact, that he would be asking me to help him with that reason.

"Well, I guess I could help you with-"

I paused, seeing that his hand was now straining in choking the grip around his cane's handle. It appears I had spent the last of the patience he deemed appropriate to deal with me.

" 'Guess I could' or 'know I can', summoner? I can't afford to have any mistakes made, not by me and especially not by some incompetent abuser of magic, none!"

Beatrice's feathers ruffled to mirror her master's distress. After a couple more seconds, which felt like an eternity, he became slightly less irritated with me and said...

"Do you have the aptitude to summon me on the fields of justice?"

"Yes."

"Then it is settled. You will be my prime summoner. All official quarrels of Noxus on the fields, which I am a part of, will have my summoning under your explicit jurisdiction."

"It would truly be an honor to be your-"

"There are conditions that must be met. You must always monitor your actions; they have a direct reflection upon me. Your allegiance is to me and to Noxus, you may no longer summon champions allied with that of Demacia, Ionia, or Piltover. Our ties to Zaun remain, so you may resort to their utilization for... recreational purposes. And as for other allegiances, I could care less for what you would do, as long as them and their politics do not negatively impact me. If your opponents choose to summon for Noxus... you have my expressed permission to defeat them, as well as their unbeknownst permission to do so. And one final thing..."

I already knew what he was going to say, that if I failed to meet the conditions.. the consequences would be less than kind.

"Good, if you weren't at least that insightful then I would never have even considered you." I knew my thoughts must have been apparent on my face again.

"This is quite the undertaking. Might I ask why you selected me? You never mentioned why it was important that I be your prime summoner."

"You're right... I didn't." He said as his bird cawed at me mockingly. "That is all for now, when I need to contact you again the means will be as prior."

He turned his back to me as he gazed at maps of Valoran that were sprawled on his back wall, as if to motion it was time I made myself scarce. I understood that a man of his position would have to keep up his image and that is the only reason why he considered me to be his summoner; it just would have been courteous of him to acknowledge that outright. When I opened the door to leave, I realized something that made my spine shudder... his bird had never blinked once.