The heart of Noxus
Cold tension filled the room as Irelia twirled her blades around her.
She moved them with such grace it was almost mesmerizing, the lights something was reflected.
Her sword dance awed and scared all in the room.
All but her opponent.
Swain watched the dance with the tiniest of frowns present on his face.
He had seen it before.
In his nightmares and memories.
His greatest failure.
A failure that turned out to be his greatest opportunity.
He didn't know if he should thank her or loathe her for what she had done to him, but to pass the opportunity of getting even with her was just something that he would not pass.
Just as he started to glow with red energy a giant arm grabbed his shoulder with enough force to cause mild discomfort.
"Don't even think about it" a voice told him from behind.
Irelia's blades where shot out of their place.
Piltovers finest had arrived.
Swain suppressed the smirk and raised his hands in surrender.
"I am sorry to cause discomfort I merely was thinking of protecting myself"
Vi, the enforcer, let go of him but scoffed at his comment.
"Sure thing bud, as if a Noxian would ever…"
"Enough Vi"
Caitlyn, he assumed, after all is not like everybody used the… distinct hat that she used.
Irelia looked beyond offended at the sheriff.
"What is the meaning of this!?"
Caitlyn frowned "Out of all the countries and people gathered here I would have thought that the last one to start trouble it would be someone from Ionia, even Bilgewater has been tolerant"
"There can be no tolerance with people like him! Dead would be a fate far too merciful for the likes of a Noxian"
Swain smiled, he liked how this was going, she may have bested him in battle long before but he had the upper hand in the workings of the mind, he would let her talk more.
Trap herself in her own words, to suffer defeat at her own hands.
That was a splendid fate.
Swain felt the tension slowly start to build.
Tensions against him, Noxus and Ionia rising.
But before things could escalate between the present parties a figure walked to the middle of the fight.
"Please calm yourself this is after all a reunion of peace" Karma said worry in her tone.
Seeing that would do no good to calm the present people she decided to elaborate more.
"We are gathered here in order to try and understand each other more, are we not tired of conflict? To give everything of ourselves and the ones we love for a cause we don't even believe in. Ionia believes in peace above all, harmony with nature, the elements and with the people closer to us, please let us forget the conflicts, if it's not forever let it at least be for the duration of this event"
Some eyes where rolled but some other stared with understanding and some looked down in sadness.
Memories of the past could not be so easily forgotten.
Swain knew that, Irelia knew that and Karma knew that better than everyone.
But words lacked a meaning if you didn't do what you preached.
The sword might be the sharpest in all of the world, but if the hand that wielded it was broken what good was it for?
So she would take the first step forward.
Show them she truly believed in peace.
Karma walked forward, put a hand on the shoulder of Irelia as she passed her and faced the Noxian Grand General.
"Would you spend the rest of the evening with us Ionians?"
Irelia gasped, the Ionians tensed, but Swain saw the move for what is was, proving her point to others.
Was she truly so naïve to believe that the past that had been nurtured in hate and resentment could be so easily forgotten?
He had not forgotten of the pain, the humiliation.
But above all he had not forgotten where he once had been and where he now was.
All thanks to a stupid little girl and the people she called country.
"I gladly accept your offer, it would be an honor"
Karma smiled a genuine smile.
Swain smiled, a mask he was using to conceal the storm forming inside of him.
Riven was sweating bullets.
She was not supposed to be found out.
Not by him of all people.
The most powerful man in all of Noxus.
She had just been fulfilling the duties that had ordered to her.
She didn't want to come to this stupid meeting of the snobs and important people.
But she could not refuse and order, not if she truly wanted to find peace and forgiveness.
Karma was the first to return to the group.
Hushed question, reprimands and worries where thrown her way, she simply smiled through it all and said.
"It's fine it is the will of the spirits"
Irelia was the next to return.
None dared talk to her.
She looked beyond furious and confused at the events that had just transpired.
Riven couldn't blame her.
Their greatest enemy was present right there and they had just invited him to spend the evening with them.
Irelia was still young, so she acted out of her gut and instincts, a good way of dealing with battles but she came short when it came to political matters, that's why Karma was also present, to represent both sides of Ionia.
Or at least that's what Riven had heard from the people around her.
She had the most basic idea of who they were but that was it.
She had been just a foot soldier, a gifted one for sure, but she was no Darius.
She didn't command that much people, nor did she didn't need to know all that much of the places they attacked.
Riven looked down.
Oh how she regretted her actions, if only she had known better.
Maybe…
No.
The past was in the past and now she had to deal with the sins.
Sins that were caused by people like him.
She could feel him approaching them.
The people around her tensed, the elders gripped their canes.
She dared not to look up.
Riven was terrified.
What if her recognized her?
She had seen him in the battlefield.
Had he seen her too?
What would he do?
Did he even care?
Riven start to breathe faster and faster.
Hoping that her bangs concealed her face from this man.
No one was talking.
To nervous, angry or shocked to say anything.
But that did not bother Swain.
"Greetings to all, I was invited to spend the evening with you, I hope that our time together proves to be… enlightening"
His voice, was so calm, melodic and deep it made her shiver.
There was no malice in his tone, but rather a sense of amusement and curiosity in it.
As if this whole situation was nothing more than an experiment to him.
Some bowed out of fear, respect or manners but other refused.
And with good reason.
Noxus had made Ionia bleed.
And he was the leader of Noxus.
A brave soul spoke up.
"Gran General, may the spirits bless your day, I am the leader of a small village in Ionia, I hope that you don't mind answering me some questions?"
"Anything that is in my knowledge will be answered, so long as the topic is not so… sensitive"
The man scoffed, some anger starting to show on his voice "Is war sensitive to you Noxians?"
Riven dared to look up for a moment just to see the expression on Swain.
She assumed shocked, angry or maybe even amused.
But he remained neutral.
"No, ask away"
"The invasion what porpoise did it serve you? You hadn't even begun your advances on other countries why Ionia?"
"Ah, that would be a question only the dead can answer I suppose, the late Boram Darkwill did not share the reasons of his actions"
"I see, I see, this is last question I assure you, but I wanted to know of the Noxians you killed, why did you have to lose your own soldiers in order to advance?"
Riven paled and could help but to look anxiously at the general.
"The last days of the war are a little foggy to me after all, I was bleeding out for most of that time"
Irelia smiled just a little bit.
"But I do know that out of their desperation the generals asked a Zaunite chemist to manufacture some deadly toxin, they wanted to win no matter the cost"
"I see"
"Would you mind answering me a question?"
The elder looked surprised but nodded.
"Why ask me such trivial things, are they not common knowledge"
The leader looked offended.
"Common knowledge?! You monsters attacked us without reason, killed our people, destroyed the land and left with minimal casualties, offering no explanation nor apology, you came you killed, simple as that!"
"Ah I see" Swain mimicked with a slight smile.
The elder's face became red in anger and Riven could have sworn she heard Irelia grit her teeth.
"Then my sincerest apologies to all of you, I never thought of contacting you because I thought that diplomatic negotiations would be futile and we left without warning because of the change of leadership, I recalled all Noxians as quickly as I could"
"Mere apologies will not bring back the dead!" Irelia said, a mix of anger and sadness in her voice.
"Nor will mine my dear, but is the only thing I can offer, what Darkwill took I cannot give it back"
Irelia looked at the ground anger present but fading.
Some of the others nodded their heads.
"But that's why we are right? To make things better" Karma added, her voice full of hope and optimism.
"Indeed but it will not happen tonight, maybe not for a long time, but in due time maybe, just maybe" Swain replied, tone neutral as always.
The elder Riven was protecting brought a hand to his chin "And why should we take your word general, you have butchered our people before, why not now"
"Trust me if Noxus wanted revenge we would have conquered you a long time ago, but I am not Darkwill, I know my enemies and Ionia is not a target… unless I am proven wrong"
A sigh of relief let the people present.
Riven smiled a little too.
They were not coming back.
A part of her soul was at peace now.
"Peace with you seems like a far fetch dream, but I do hope we can achieve it"
The elder turned to look at her, Riven froze in place, a smile formed on his face; that was not a kind smile, it was a mask to hide his true feelings.
"I think we Ionians might be taking steps into that direction already, accepting one of your own into our village"
What was he doing?!
"Oh really?"
"Why yes, she is right here, now don't be shy Riven come say hi to our new friend"
Swain raised an eyebrow, was she a dog to be called like that.
Riven was shaking in her boots, to terrified to speak.
Some people moved out of the way and now she was exposed.
She could not run.
"H-hi" was all she could manage.
Swain stared and said nothing for a moment.
Tension began to fill the air again and Riven shivered.
"I know you"
Dread filled her entire being.
"They gave a giant sword as gift, I was there"
Riven swallowed.
But Swain did not continue to direct his attention to her, instead he turned to look at the people who were moving to another room.
"It seems we should follow, unless we want to miss the activity"
And with that he walked away, followed slowly by the Ionians, some who looked at the future with hope and others with uncertainty, but only one was angered, the elder she was guarding.
He had wanted to get rid of her, or to get some reaction out of Swain, but he got none.
Riven could only sigh, the day had just gotten longer.
Swain sat comfortably in the chair that had been provided to him.
He was at peace, even if he was surrounded by all of his enemies.
He had lied most of the time, but he had enjoyed it to some extent.
Seeing their fears being placated was something he had not expected but nonetheless it had been a good thing to see.
It would be all the more satisfying to crush it when Noxus returned.
The only thing that had bothered him was the noxian girl.
He was slightly surprised she had survived and not only that but she had somehow ended up all the way over here.
It didn't matter honestly she did not matter.
A soldier with a big toy.
Nothing more.
His eyes were on the stage ahead, some instruments where being moved around.
A musician would start the event?
How quaint.
He cared not for music honestly but nevertheless he had agreed to come here and leaving early would just look bad on his part.
And besides all of the Ionian where to scared to sit next to him, so all was good.
Just as he finished that train of thought someone sat next to him, someone annoying.
"I hope you don't mind if I sit next to you?" Karma asked.
Swain shook his head "It is fine I appreciate the company"
A lie, but she did not need to know that.
Karma gently sat on the chair on his right and someone else sat on his left.
Someone who didn't annoy but made him wary.
"Make one funny move and you are dead" Irelia told him as she twirled a knife between her fingers.
Intimidation would not work on him that easy.
He simply smiled at her.
"Wouldn't dream of it, not with you here anyways"
"Are you hitting on me?"
"I am being wary, I think neither of us wants to let their guard down at the moment"
Irelia smirked "What you miss your arm?"
"If anything girl I should be thanking you, after all you did me a favor"
Irelia raised an eyebrow.
"Favor? Please don't make me laugh, I sent you and your men running with your tails between your legs"
"And that running led me to become the leader of Noxus, so in a way I should be grateful"
Irelia glared.
"You brought nothing good to my country even now we suffer because of you"
"Then maybe a change is do in your country, we recovered fairly quickly from our losses, we cannot bring back the dead that much is true but we can honor their dead's by not stopping moving forward"
Irelia did not answer, she looked at the stage and then back at him.
"And you think I have not tried to change it? I love my people but they do not change, they don't want to"
Swain hummed in agreement.
"Noxus was always a country that evolved and changed, it wasn't until the war with Ionia that something changed, we no longer conquered for expansion and resources but because of the whim of a mad man, picking the pieces was not an easy task"
"I hope he died horribly" Irelia said bitterly.
Swain chuckled, making Irelia look at him confused.
"Trust me, he did"
Swain's arm flared red for a second before disappearing back into his robes once more.
Before Irelia could question him more, someone walked into stage.
A maiden of blue hair and brilliant smile.
"What a peculiar instrument" someone from the crowd commented and Irelia couldn't help but to agree.
It was like nothing she had ever seen in her life.
This woman floated with such grace.
It looked like her feet weren't even touching the floor.
She said nothing but instead started to play her instrument.
A soft melody she had never heard before, it started slowly but it got more emotional the more it continued.
She felt the ups and downs of the song.
It was as if she was being transported to another world.
The instrument was simply magical, it reminded her of home, her family.
All of it made her start to feel emotional.
The pain and loneliness she had felt for so long, to feel the whole world on your shoulders.
The song reached a peculiarly sad note and Irelia but her lip.
She would not cry.
Not here, not next to him.
A small tear escaped her eye and the melody ended.
The crowd erupted in ovation.
She found herself clapping, her emotions till a mess.
She sneakily stole a glance at Swain he was clapping, a small tear too running down his face.
Both of them knew pain.
She realized that maybe there was more to the general than she realized.
"I hate working like this, do I look like some cheap security to you Cait? Don't answer that"
Caitlyn ignored her partner as she guarded the front gates and checked that everybody was doing their job.
"I really wanted to hear that Sona girl too, they say her music is magical"
Caitlyn turned to look at her friend and eyebrow raised.
"Since when do you care about music?"
"I don't, which is why I wanted to be there, see all those soft babies cry because some moved a string or two"
"Im sure there will be time for that later in the future"
Vi remained quiet for a moment, a small miracle that Caitlyn appreciated.
But like all good things it didn't last long.
"Man, who would have thought that the Gran General of Noxus would show up, I almost thought the sword lady was going to turn him into sushi"
Caitlyn snorted.
"I suppose it could have escalated more, thankfully that woman was there to calm things"
Yeah, I mean now that that's over what would be the worst thing that can happen"
A large explosion shook the ground they stood.
"I hate you"
"I didn't jinx it!"
As the smoke started to clear Caitlyn gasped.
A large machine had destroyed the gates and was approaching the gran hall.
The machine opened and a man stepped out.
Caitlyn had only know of him because Jayce talked sometimes about him, but it was unmistakably him.
Viktor scanned the place, his cold unflinching lights landed on Caitlyn and Vi.
"Move, I will not be stopped"
