"Too slow!"
As Fiora pulled her rapier from his arm, she wondered why this boy thought he stood a chance. The stunned look on his face as he tried to cover the wound was one she saw far too often. After her father's disgrace, her family had been under heavy supervision by the governing bodies in the dueling world. Challengers were pouring out thinking they could finally defeat her if she wasn't using trickeries. She wasn't her father, she never would stoop to foul means to win.
Fiora's second wiped her blade clean as she walked past. The shock of the quick finish was just starting to sink into the mind of her opponent's second. She heard the cries for a doctor as the crowd parted in front of her. He would live, but would not be dueling in the future. The boy had been too rash, lunging at an opening she had feigned. A quick sidestep and she was able to pierce straight through his bicep.
"Come Ridolfo, I have wasted too much time here. I meet with emissaries from the Institute of War in a few hours. I want to have my blade thoroughly shined before then." Fiora was visibly frustrated. She hadn't had a decent duel in years. Most lasted less than a minute. It wasn't long enough to even get the blood flowing. She had heard there were great fighters in the League of Legends and the thought of meeting a challenge filled her with knew she was the best and could not be stopped.
When she arrived at her home, she saw her brothers practicing hopelessly. An overextended lunge here and a failed parry there. She could finish either of them effortlessly. It was sad to think only she had inherited her family's talent. Even though her father had disgraced the Laurent name, he had been extremely talented in his youth. She often wondered if he would have been a decent match for her.
Fiora changed into lighter clothes. She felt the need to go for a run before preparing for her meeting. Upon returning from her room, she sees Ridolfo already hard at work polishing her rapier. She throws him her dueling shirt on the way out.
"Once you are done with my blade, make sure to remove the blood stains on my sleeve. It looks like there was a little more spatter than I had planned."
"Yes ma'am. I already have the wash basin prepared." Ridolfo replied without looking up. Fiora valued his attention to details and hard work, but often felt he did not give her the respect she deserved. Ridolfo had been hired by her family to assist with household chores. After Fiora had seen his natural quickness, she had him trained in fencing when he wasn't working. She hoped to have a sparring partner that could keep up with her. Though he would never be at her skill level, he was a much better fencer than her brothers.
As she left, she wondered what the League would be like. She had heard stories about many talented fighters but never really paid attention. Many of them resorted to trickeries and magic to help them win. She knew Luxanna and Garen Crownguard were both favored in matches for Demacia. While she tolerated Garen and his blind devotion, she couldn't stand Luxanna. Lux's personality was too bubbly and irritating. Fiora was glad she wouldn't have to be fighting against Lux. She had seen Lux use her sorcery to freeze opponents in place. For a fencer, not being able to move was death. Duels could be over in a fraction of a second because of a slight mistake. She had shown many that truth.
Before she realized it, Fiora had already finished her typical three mile run. She stood in front of her door reflecting on her decision to meet with the Institute. Her family's honor was certainly important, but how much of the decision was about her need for stronger opponents. As she walked back in, she saw her rapier sitting on the table. Ridolfo had learned that she always wanted to inspect it before it was considered clean, but it had been years since she had needed to have it cleaned again. She still heard the haphazard clanging of steel from the yard announcing her brothers were still "practicing" their bladework.
She made her way to her room to take a quick shower. She saw her dueling shirt lying on her bed fully cleaned. Any evidence that it had been used that morning washed away. She took a quick shower and changed into her now fresh uniform. She made her way downstairs and put on her rapier and parrying dagger. Fiora looked at the time. Only a minute before her meeting. She wondered where her morning had gone. She made her way to the sitting room. Riolfo would know where to guide her guests once they got there.
As she entered the doorway, something didn't feel right. She felt like she was being torn apart and her vision grew blurry. The sounds of her brothers sounded muddled and faded away. Fiora panicked. She felt defenseless and weak, confused about what was going on around her. She closed her eyes in hopes of orienting herself and when she opened them, she was no longer in her home.
"Welcome, Fiora Laurent, to the Institute of War. Please take a seat." Fiora blinked a few times and looked around trying to figure out where the voice had come from. The light was dim, but she could make out figures across the room. There was a chair in the middle of the room that was bathed in light. She made her way towards it cautiously. She noticed her hand was firmly grasping the hilt of her rapier. It was a comfort in the middle of her uneasiness.
As she sat, the voice spoke up again. "You can relax. We sent a message this morning that we would be summoning you directly here, but it looks like you never received it."
"Who are you?" She demanded. She was not liking the fact that she could not make out the others in the room. The light that was concentrated on her chair made it hard to pick out any details other than the fact that there were three others in the room with her.
"Calm yourself Fiora. This meeting is not about us, it is about you. Typically we do visit prospective champions in their own settings, but we made an exception for you. Prince Jarvan Lightshield IV spoke highly of your ability and assured us you would be a welcome addition to the ranks of our champions." He continued, "What you have experienced is a summoning. We do this to ensure that the first time you are called into a match, you are prepared for it. We will also have you perform in a mini-fight to get used to the summoning process. We have noticed many first time champions aren't used to the reduce in power that comes after the initial summon or the process of 'death' in the Field of Justice."
At this Fiora was upset. To think that someone would suspect her of being able to be defeated was outrageous. She did feel a little slower and weaker than normal, but there was no one capable of defeating her. "Is this supposed to be a challenge? You clearly do not know the power of the Laurent name." The center figure stood up and walked towards her. "You will be fighting me, so yes it is a challenge. I hope you provide a good match for me." Fiora noticed he wore a hood and carried a large object. As he got closer, she saw it looked like a lamppost. She stood up and backed out of the light in order to level the playing field.
Just as Fiora cleared the circle, he jumped at her. Fiora tried to parry the blow but it came too hard. She jumped backwards and started circling this masked figure. How had he gotten past her defenses? How had he jumped in so fast? Her brain was reeling. She almost missed him lowering his guard. She lunged in for a blow and just as she was about to start the next attack, he started swirling his weapon above his head. Fiora lunged at him again missed. She started making quicker attacks but couldn't land anything. Just as she was about to back off, this hooded figure brought down his lamppost on Fiora's head. The attack stunned her and left her open for a flurry of blows. She felt herself collapsing under the relentless attacks. Then everything went black. A few seconds later, she was standing at the entrance of the room. She felt refreshed, as if none of the attacks had actually happened.
Her assailant rushed her and jumped at her again. This time she was prepared for it. While he was midair, she lunged at him and followed up from every direction hoping to take him out in his confusion. Just as she went for the final blow, a second loud voice boomed out, "That will be enough. Thanks for providing the orientation for Fiora. You may leave now." The hooded figure reached out a three-fingered hand as if to shake Fiora's. "Name's Jax. Next time I know not to go easy on you. You might even get me to use a real weapon." She shook his hand bitterly. He made her feel like a fool. He hadn't taken the fight seriously and still bested her. She would pay him back for this humiliation and in a big way. She scowled at him as he walked towards the door.
The other two figures remained in their seats and studied her. The voice that stopped her before then said, "Welcome to the League of Legends, when we feel the need for your services, we will summon you back. Until then, please make sure to take care of yourself and present yourself in a manner fitting of one of our champions."
The world started blurring again and, before she knew it, she was back in the entrance of her sitting room. She wondered if it was a daydream brought about by nerves. "Mistress Fiora!" She looked and saw Ridolfo running towards her. "Where have you been? I saw your sword went missing hours ago but no one knew where you were!" Fiora looked him in the eyes, smiled, and said "I need to start training, I found a worthy opponent."