The steed slowed its steps as they neared the empire. It smelled the air of the putrid odor omitting from the moat ahead. It circles around the empire, stretching as far and as wide as the Howling Abyss. Katarina remembered vaguely the last time she saw her city's borders when she left. Noxians never looked back when they left, not even a quick glance. But now, the eroding walls came into view along with the soldiers perched along the top, ready to strike as they saw her approach.
They were armed and ready to fight this intruder of theirs. One of the guards called off, but the four that blocked her way from entering the bridge stiffened with their swords drawn and signaled her to get off of the steed.
"Remember me?" she said, flicking her crimson hair off her shoulder. They saw the scar etched on her eye and lowered their weapons. One of the men lowered his head in respect as the others stared at him oddly.
"Miss Du Couteau," the man said through his thick beard. "You have someone waiting for you."
Before she questioned it, the hairs on her neck stood. She shot venom as she saw the shady figure move after leaning on the inner side of the gates. A woman whose eyes were amber as honey and lips set with a devilish grin. She raised her staff along with her free hand as if inviting the Sinister Blade into her arms. What a sickening notion. Katarina gripped the reins of her steed which were still held within her hand tightly and stepped back subconsciously. "Why are you here?" she spat.
"The same reason as you, dear." Leblanc said flatly. Her 'friendly' gesture had not come successful to Katarina but transferred itself to a smaller grin of the same nature. "Come along now, you wouldn't want to keep him waiting now would you?"
She obeyed without a word, for now. The men paid their respects to the Sinister Blade as she passed them, knowing her solely by her name within the empire's gates. A feeling pitted Katarina's stomach as she walked along the bridge with Leblanc. She has fought against the Deceiver several times in battle, few times coming back to the fountain with barely enough strength to breathe. She was cunning to the bone, always tricking those less intellectual than herself. Katarina was not so easily fooled but in this position she had no escape. She was no more than a mouse being led into a trap.
Peering down at the murky water, Katarina saw what appeared to be human skulls in the water. They were hardly noticeable but were visible enough to grant chills down her spine. They called to her with such intensity that her mind shot warnings as she moved along but kept her uneasy self-hidden under a mask. Demacians and Noxians fought here before and countless were killed. No doubt those were of Demacian origins, as the remains were ivory enough to have been worn of flesh over the years. She recalled that in the olden days of public executions, they dumped the headless corpses along with their severed body part in the moat to scare off intruders. Their intentions worked obviously, even to a member of the house that approved of this.
With a gulp she continued, her hands to her blades.
"Come along now, it's not safe to travel alone here." Leblanc said, noticing Katarina's slowing pace. The assassin disregarded the other woman's remark, as dumb as it was.
"I should know," she retorted. "I was raised here."
They reached the doors of her old home and upon waiting for them to open, Katarina's nostrils were filled with foreign scents. The mansion –as it was- had large dark wooden doors with brass hinges and creaked open to allow them to enter. There was only one man at the door who stared at the ground beneath his helmet, avoiding contact with them both.
A red carpet met them halfway to a giant staircase that fanned out from the top. Katarina looked about, nostalgia growing within her. Oh how everything changed. The chandelier that hung from the heightened ceiling was darkened by the lack of light only carried cobwebs from years of being abandoned. Paintings of valiant warriors of Noxus were taken down, some still left hung along the walls but torn apart by brutal hands. The very coat of arms of Noxus that decorated the carpet leading to the stairs was stained with blood and cloudy with dust. The air in the room was thick and Katarina best held her nose for one sneeze would have shook the entire house.
Leblanc strutted up the stairs assuming Katarina remained steadily behind her. Instead, the assassin took each step slow, taking in the impact of every forgotten memory now racing through her mind. Her fingers passed over the scarred texture of the stair's railing, once crafted beautifully by Noxian artisans along with the rest of the house. One of the cuts were from her blades when she and Cassiopeia played with their father's knives so many years ago.
She only cracked a small grin that coaxed her a little before being interrupted by a cough. Katarina simply glared at the impatient woman and made her annoyance clear with a few stomps as they reached the main hallway.
She only cracked a small grin that coaxed her a little before being interrupted by Leblanc's cough. Katarina simply glared at the impatient woman and made her annoyance clear with a few stomps as they reached the main hallway.
The deceiver reached for a door to the left of the wall and opened it widely to allow Katarina to enter. She stood for a moment, hesitating to step further as she recognized the worn out frame and markings upon it. Her father's office.
As a child she never dared to go in there by her father's word. Cassiopeia…she was an only exception because she never followed rules to begin with. She would tell Katarina all about their father's office and all the cool and extraordinary items he had in there. Artifacts from previous wars, ancient findings and some weapons Noxian forgers would have taken years to make. It all seemed so wonderful to take the time to look around but she knew better than to disobey.
At first glance she saw everything she had heard of. There were giant axes and swords hung on the wall along with Noxian banners separating them. The artifacts; some of which were displayed in a glass case filled with dusty helmets and jewels of raided tombs. They were notably from Shurima since the artifacts carried the sun disk symbol.
Towards the center was Swain. He undid his fingers and with eagerness, motioned her to sit down in the low cut chair in front of her father's mahogany desk. "Ah, Katarina. Please sit! Make yourself comfortable."
She brushed off his fake smile with a wrinkled nose and sat down onto the old chair. It squeaked uneasy and tapped the floor with one of its unleveled feet.
"What did you want, Swain." She began, her tone on edge. The door closed behind her and soon enough the Deceiver rested her back to the wall behind the grand general. Every movement Katarina made was reflected in her eyes, even her breaths. She made sure to keep her breathing calm as always but it became more difficult the longer she stared.
Swain spun a stack of paper then pushed it towards the assassin. She looked at what was passed to her and saw the familiar headline of the news not too long ago. Her eyes glanced below the lettering and her skin turned white. There, amongst the people within the photo was Ashe smiling brilliantly with her at her side.
"What a beauty. The Queen of the Freljord. She's quite the catch isn't she?" he said, selective of his words. Katarina cringed inside, forcing a laugh to escape her lungs. She was trained to withstand such scenarios but this one deemed more difficult than previous trials.
"I'm sure you know that everyone in Valoran has heard of your brawl in those lands a few months ago. It was…a noble act indeed. Much to say I've seen good things spawn from it. People of all over acknowledge your efforts and see you in a much better position than before."
Katarina observed his tone. It was speculative over the topic, he did seem to care, however. That was something she didn't want. She must keep Ashe away from this and away from anything even relating to Noxus. Clearing her throat she commented coldly. "What do you mean?"
"No one can successfully do what you did." He spoke low, leaning closer. "The Winter's Claw backed down. No one can bring tolerance to nations that have fought for centuries. Even our sworn enemies, the Demacian scoundrels, respect you. "
Swain paused and let the seat roll back as he stood. He took the time to gather his cane and walk around the desk, careful of his heavy attire. "That is...impressive."
Katarina sat on edge. She felt Talon's presence closer to her in fact, right above her.
"You have power, Sinister Blade. Power that Noxus needs."
Squinting her eyes she analyzed what he was trying to say. Power?
Looking down as if taking a thought for granted, the grand general clarified the confused assassin. "We have always been a troubled nation. Ever since the fall of our first general to me, our nation has always took a turn to the shallow side. We never received credit for any of the good we did or what we have accomplished. But now," Swain smiled and brought her eyes to his. "Now we have an opportunity. You. You're the champion our nation needs to bring us back."
Katarina thought about her home. Noxus never had a truly 'good' reputation. It was an empire build upon the raw strength of its inhabitants and that is what brought their nation to power. The thought of Swain 'rebuilding' the nation, and for what? To delve into the same problems he had caused for years? That was not the society that she would want to rebuild. Never alongside him.
"I want you to join me, Katarina. Let us show the world what Noxus is capable of."
Talon shook his head. What madness made up this man? Just hearing the splendor overtake the grand general's voice made him sick. Noxus was never the joy of others. In fact, the empire was a nuisance after he stepped up to power. First, he framed Riven as the first 'champion' of Noxus, then after her self-exile Sion came to be reborn through demonic magic constructed by the Black Rose.
Was Swain not pleased with the effort to bring back the Juggernaut?
Not to mention, it was Katarina who retrieved his body parts. He was constructed years ago, a noble man before and after. But now with the dark magic that coursed through his decayed veins Sion was corrupted and destroyed. Now, he become nothing more than a tool of war for Swain. Luckily Riven fled and with that her sanity was preserved.
The hooded man stood up from the ground and stretched his back silently, still overhearing their conversations below. He walked around the loosened wood of the flooring and onto the carpet towards the edges of the bookshelves. The old smell of his sister's fathers study enthralled his senses and made him yearn for more. Like always, Talon had a catch. He agreed to spy and keep his older sister guarded as she confronted the grand general now but on his own time, he searched for more clues. As he scanned the shelves of endless books and novels, his ears picked up the faint talk that was heard below them.
Talk of joining Swain in his endeavor to rule over Valoran. Pathetic.
Katarina retorted his proposal immediately. It wasn't even without question, he thought.
Among the shelves lied the books written in the times of Boram Darkwill, the grand general before Swain. These files were retrieved from the hidden room beneath Demacia's prison, the place once used for secret meetings between Noxian infiltrators during the old wars as he knew it. He took one of them and inspected it after cleaning the dust off. It told facts from Kalamanda and how Darkwill was assassinated on his way there. Some stray papers fell from the book and Talon clumsily tried to keep the book in his hand whilst retrieving the fallen notes but instead placed it flat on the floor in annoyance. He unfolded the aging notes diligently and recognized the writing. It was General Du Couteau's. Talon's chest lightened. His eyes scanned thoroughly and read only transactions and orders that contained a list of names leading nowhere.
Sighing to himself, he unfolded the others less animated but stopped short to read the compact cursive penmanship.
My eldest Daughter,
Time is short- there is not much I can do now but say that with all that I am you are my legacy. I have taught you everything that you need to know and it is up to you to hone your skills wisely. There is darkness in Noxus, I feel it coming.
If it weren't for you and your sister and mother I would not have been the man I had come to be. It agonizes me that I fled at such short notice, but I had no choice. But heed my words; I have not done it as a coward.
You are a strong woman. I have left you to become even more so. There are things that will be revealed in time just as the sun rises to show what the night has hidden from our eyes. Focus, and do not let fear take you over. That is what he wants. Do not let him have it from you.
-Marcus Du Couteau
Talon's hands shook as he read the note over and over again. He couldn't believe it. After all these years of searching and failing to find any evidence, he had finally grasped it within his scarred hands. Snapping the joy that protruded from his chest, the Blade's Shadow knew he shouldn't let it overtake the warning it held. It was written to Katarina specifically, giving her instruction of what is to come. He vowed to give it to her at first notice, for this was news she needed to know about.
Careful from disturbing the tense peace of reality, he sidestepped and fled from the study, back down the hidden cellar passage to the side of the room. He tucked the note deep within the pocket that rested on his heart and sprinted quickly down the familiar streets, allowing the night to forget his presence.
"No," Katarina retorted, sending the general's eyebrows to the center of his face. There was no need to repeat himself nor deal with the Sinister Blade's stubborn ways. He sat upon the desk right by her and placed his cane on his lap.
"Very well." Swain muttered. His face did not hold what his tone revealed. It was placid, as if Katarina's response did not affect him in anyway. "I will allow two days for you to decide, Miss Du Couteau. Such an offer shouldn't be passed by so inconsiderately."
The way he spoke her name brought fire upon her eyes. It was mockery that she sensed coming from his vile mouth. "Such an offer from you I would never accept. I take my leave now, do not expect me to return with the answer you want."
Upon reaching the door handle, Swain's guttural voice echoed about the room and into her mind. "Defiance will torment you, Sinister Blade. I suggest you consider my offer a blessing."
Curses were spat under her breath as she slammed the door behind her. Katarina made her point clear as the dust that nested the chandeliers above rained down to the gritty floor. She would not submit to anyone of Noxus under any sort of persuasion and would not become another weapon the general desired.
Thank you all for waiting! I have been writing more stories recently and have been reading on Wattpad a lot. There's a new story coming along side this, its a story about the modern day lives of both Kata and Lux ;)
The song used for this chapter is: Tris meets the Box - Insurgent Score
I wanted to take out a bit of this 'third person' frustration and add in a first person perspective into my writing style. I've done it in my first ever story (Kanojo no Hime) which is accessible on here or Wattpad if you all are interested in reading a terribly written story ;v;
I'd also like to mention my editor, FrozenLotusOTP in helping me correct all the foul mistakes in this new edition of Sinister! You can go check out his page in this link to check out his page: u/3595200/
Until next time~
