"Aunt FIO!" the voice rang through the halls of the Institute but there was no reply. The voice was not rushed or scared, it traveled with a certain elegance which everyone in the league had come to know. The soft and gentle sound had graced the halls of the institute for years, and the commander of the sometimes squeaky voice was a small girl of only 15 years. Her silver hair fell down past her shoulders, and her bright blue eyes had a tendency to roam wherever they saw. With no discrimination towards any champion of the League the young girl had grown up amongst a culture vast beyond a single city, learning the truths of each champion first hand.
Isame's small frame walked the halls, she seemed confused as she peered around at the plethora of doors surrounding her. As she opened her mouth to call once more a door opened abruptly, a splash of red hair emerged first. As more of the body emerged from the doorway the subtle curves of her body could be seen, and as she looked towards the young girl she sighed. Isame looked at the dark red scar across the woman's eye. It was one of the first things she ever remembered seeing when she was young. The woman was not a stranger and infact had played a part in the upbringing of the child, although her parents were not proud of the woman's contribution.
"Aunt Kat. How are you doing today?" Isame's voice projected forward warming the ears of the woman who now looked at the girl with a blank expression.
"Why do you always have to call me aunt? It makes me feel old." Katarina spoke with no particular emotion in her words.
"How could you ever feel old after performing so well in the match today?" Isame smiled as she approached the woman, "And with all the training and working out, you won't ever get old Aunt Kat."
Katarina stared at the girl with the blank expression for another moment and then grinned happily at the praise.
"What're you doin squirt?" her voice turned slightly more cheery as the signs of lack of sleep became visually apparent to the young girl.
"I'm just looking for Aunt Fio. Why do you look so tired?" Isame smiled happily as she came to a stop only a few feet from the older woman.
"Oh… uh… no reason. She just left, said she was going into town for a while." Katarina's face turned slightly red at the question that had been posed to her.
It wasn't uncommon to find Katarina or Fiora at the other's room as they tended to train together quite frequently. Isame smiled as she remembered what Fiora had joked about only a few days prior. "You see what you don't realize about your Aunt Kat 'ere is that she is like a child, and I am her babysitter." She struggled to hold back a faint chuckle, but Katarina had already spotted her changing expression."And what's so funny pipsqueak." Katarina's face contorted into a suspicious gaze.
Isame laughed as Katarina made the face. "Nothing at all."
Eyeing the girl suspiciously for another minute Katarina's face once again fell blank as her apparent fatigue caught her. Letting out a low yawn she lazily walked back into the room closing the door behind her, leaving the young girl outside the door. Isame eyed the door for a second considering if she should go inside to wait but decided she would go into town looking for the other woman. As her soft footsteps made there way across the floor of the institute she hummed quietly, a song which her father had used to hum when she would fall asleep.
Fiora's form walked through the streets looking for something that never seemed to be in sight. Going from one shop to another she always came out empty handed and as she began to lose hope she spotted what she had been looking for. Making her way through the bustling crowd she came to the stall riddled with weapons. Hanging from one of the small posts that held the stall together she spotted an dagger. Wrapped in a black sheath intricately decorated with gold. As she reached her arm out to take hold of the item however the shop owner grabbed her wrist. Examining the man her expression turned aggressively.
"Might I suggest something more befitting." his voice was laced with a heavy Shuriman accent, his attire matching the accent.
"And what would you suggest." Fiora's expression did not change as she posed the question.
The man looked under the counter retrieving an identical dagger, the crimson sheath flowing into the same gold designs as the other. There was a certain ferocity to this dagger not seen in the identical one hanging from the corner of the stall. As she eyed the sheath more closely her reflection shown in the bright crimson. It was almost like blood as she traced the outlining gold as it formed into a sinister tribal pattern.
"It's a rare crystal found only in the desert. The locals of the area call it the blood of the sands. Many have died in the pursuit of finding the few remaining deposits of the stone, and for a woman of your," the man stopped eyeing the woman, "caliber," he continued, "it would accompany you nicely."
"I was not looking for myself." Fiora told the truth as she eyed the dagger further. "How much for the pair?"
"For you I will sell it at the price for only the one. 200 gold pieces." the man's eyes locked onto hers.
"Do I look like a common fool to you?" Fiora's voice turned violent at the price.
"Do you know how many men died in the pursuit of enough of that stone to make that sheath. 200 gold pieces is equal to the amount of gold that adorns both daggers." the man smiled plainly, "I know who you are Miss Laurent, and I wouldn't offer that price to any person, I can assure you of that."
"Very well. I will take them both." As she reached for the other dagger the man handed her a small leather belt adorned with 2 gold clips. "And what is that for?"
"It comes with the daggers, you'll be needing something to hold them will you not?" the man accepted the 200 gold and motioned for her to leave.
Isame footsteps wandered aimlessly through the streets as she dumbly navigated the crowd. Spotting the straightened slash of red hair she attempted to push through the crowd.
"Aunt Fio!" she yelled
Hearing the voice Fiora turned to see the small girl making her way through the crowd, or at least attempting. Among the bustling streets her small frame shifted dumbly through the crowd as Fiora made her way towards her. Grabbing her hand softly she pulled the young girl towards her.
"What are you doing here? Don't you know it's easy to get lost in the streets?" Fiora scolded the girl subtly
"Aunt Lux was looking for you. She said something about dinner. I can't remember the rest of it, she seemed embarrassed when she answered the door. I think that I woke her up cuz she wasn't wearing anything but her underwear." Isame's innocence was apparent as Fiora began to chuckle softly.
"Oh is that so. I'll have to go and talk to her. As for you, what time did you talk to her?" Fiora asked casually.
Isame's face turned blank as she thought back. "It must've been at 7 this morning or so."
Fiora chuckled once more placing her hand on the young girls back. "Well alright, lets get you back home before you get lost."
Isame's gaze locked onto the Crimson Sheath that hung from Fiora's belt. Her eyes reflecting off the glossy exterior. In the sheath her eyes appeared red. Fiora looked at the girl and smiled.
"Don't tell Aunt Kat. It's a gift for her." Fiora said as she began to lead the youth through the crowd.
As the emerged at the large staircase leading towards the Institute Fiora looked at the young girl with a smile. "Get back home. Your mother is probably worried sick about you."
The sun was just going down over the hills as Isame realized how late it was getting. Without another word she turned and began skipping down the path to the small cottage where her parents resided. Fiora looked once more at the staircase remembering the first time she had ascended. Taking each step she thought of the daggers which were now secured to her waist. The crimson seemingly soaking in the light of the now reddened sky.
Author's Notes: So I'm back with another story. The one that you've all been anticipating since Shadow of the Maven ended lol. This is just the first chapter in a story that could very well be the longest one I've written to date. I have quite a bit planned for this story and am hoping that you'll all join me for the ride. Hope the first chapter is enjoyable. Second chapter will be released next week most likely. I'm currently preparing for finals but I promised a swift release to this story in conclusion to my last story so I found the extra time to finish up this chapter.