So here I am a few days later with chapter 2! I would love to hear from you what your thoughts are so far!


Chapter 2

'' I would like to ask of you to speak only of the future, since the past stays in the past ''

When Karma spoke up she could feel the tension rise. They knew what was at stake; the future of both countries and the well-being of the people. From past experiences Karma knew that the Noxians would try anything, how underhanded and vile it may be, in order to reach their goal. She knew she shouldn't be distracted by Darius' calm façade nor the carefree smile that Draven showed her so often. The woman in her wanted nothing but peace and quiet, the warrior in her wanted war in order to avenge her elders.

'' I see, so you propose a peace treaty of unlimited time? '' One of the Noxian officers said, his large nose cringed as response to the idea. He had no time for speeches about peace, all he wanted was to gain Swain's favor by securing a good deal for Noxus in these negotiations. He had been promised a swift promotion , he would even rival Darius' own position, the most trusted general by Swain.

''Yes, this would bring a lot of advantages for both countries to the table '' An Ionian general said.

'' For example?''

'' Well, the economic state of both countries would greatly improve; the trades between Noxus and Ionia could boost the economy greatly! ''

The negotiations continued, both Noxians and Ionians were fierce when it came to defending their own ideas. Karma and Darius were both quiet, observing the officers. When a few hours passed Karma decided that it was enough for the first day; after all, she wanted to give the Noxians time to consider her propositions before they'd try to dismiss it.

Most of the Noxians went to their rooms, and Karma decided that she'd also take a room in the small hotel. She didn't trust the situation at hand, she wanted to keep an eye on the supposed 'Blood Brothers' and the officers. The fact that Draven had come along made her even more suspicious; this was an official matter, not a vacation to Ionia. Draven was the type of man that would do whatever he felt like, yet he was here. This wasn't a place where he could impress people, nor was it a place where he could enjoy entertainment. So why was he here?

The thoughts raced through Karma's mind; was she doing the right thing by trying to negotiate with the enemy? What if they were plotting an attack? There was no actual need for Noxus to even try to negotiate with Ionia; they could've pressured them into surrendering by cutting of the trading routes.

'' What a tiring day'' She whispered as untied the ribbon around her braid. She ran her slender fingers through her hair. Once she arrived in her room she took a shower to wash the stress away. Instead of relaxing however, she pondered about the fact that it was the general and his officers that came to Ionia in order to negotiate a deal, not Swain. Usually it was Swain who took matters like this into his own hands. Did he trust a general that much? Or was it all just a trick to attack Ionia while the peace negotiations were going on? Was Swain planning to attack Ionia and did he order Darius to conquer it from within its walls?

The stress was becoming too much for Karma. She stepped out of the shower and slipped into a light summer kimono, grabbing her fan as she walked towards the balcony. She slid the door open and sat on the edge of the balcony, trying to relax. Usually she would meditate and consult the Spirits about this, but right now she wanted to find the answer herself.

It was a beautiful midsummer night in Ionia, that she would admit. You could hear all kinds of insects and animals enjoying the warmth. Karma decided to observe two fireflies that danced around the lantern in the garden. She smiled and enjoyed the silence until it was broken. She could hear a certain someone grumble, heavy footsteps were entering the peaceful garden.

'' This hotel is like a maze'' A familiar voice noted. It was Draven. Karma stood up from the edge and looked down at the garden, watching what Draven was up to. He seemed to be lost since he was looking around the garden, spitting a few annoyed expressions here and there.

'' Can you find everything? '' Karma asked. Draven's stance immediately changed into that of a proud peacock.

'' Draven can find everything, it's no problem at all for someone like me'' He said as he flashed her a bright smile while running his gloved fingers through his hair.

'' Okay then I guess I don't need to lend you my help '' she said teasingly, slowly withdrawing herself from the balcony.

'' … Wait up'' Draven said his voice softer than usual. Karma couldn't help but feel victorious as she turned around to look down from the balcony at Draven again.

'' I find this to be , a very refreshing night. Surely you want to take a walk with me through the gardens? '' He offered, grinning ear to ear while looking up at Karma and extending his hand upwards.

She found him odd. She honestly couldn't believe that he was so good at putting up a front, at being someone he probably never was. She could feel it whenever he spoke in that tone that it wasn't him. His aura showed another kind of Draven, a darker kind that even she was afraid to touch.

'' In other words you want me to guide you back to your room? '' She said after a moment of silence later with a confident smile.

'' Well… Yeah '' Draven said, scratching the back of his head. He was bad at admitting things that he didn't want to admit. He also hated it when people could look through him, the only one who was able to do so was Darius, and he absolutely loathed it. He could see it in her eyes; dark orbs that were penetrating his soul.

Oh how he hated it.

Karma simply jumped down the balcony, landing next to Draven. He continued to smile at her as she led him to his room. They were having a small conversation about Draven, Draven and some more Draven. Karma found it slightly tiring, but she wouldn't say it displeased her entirely. She could forget some of her worries at least when she talked to someone. At a certain point on their way the conversation ended; both were eerily silent. Karma simply walked on, not feeling a tad bit awkward, even when she caught Draven glancing at her.

When they arrived in front of Draven's room, he turned to her, his gloved hand suddenly reaching for her hair.

'' You need to let your hair down more often'' He said with a sneer. Karma immediately slapped his hand away and warned him to not do that ever again. He laughed, like usual, they bickered, like usual.

But things weren't like usual. When Karma walked back to her room, she could feel that she was being watched. She felt a strong energy that was following her around for a few minutes now. She couldn't sense any identity, meaning that this person or being had gone through severe military training.

She stood still for a few seconds, concentrating on her spiritual power. Her eyes started to glow as she turned around to the spot where she felt the energy spike; but it was gone.


The next morning, at breakfast, Karma sat down with the entirety of her guests. They were conversing politely, only talking about the weather and the Ionian scenery. She somehow felt saddened by the picture before her. If the concept of war and conquer didn't exist, they would've been eating in peace together.

She sighed softly, grasping the attention of a certain general next to her. He was observing her for a while now. He found her expressions to be interesting, she was easy to read, which was rare in politics. When she turned around she noticed his green eyes which were locked on hers, for a few seconds which felt like an eternity to her. He realized that staring might not have been the best decision in his life since she obviously seemed uncomfortable by it.

'' The tea… it's good '' He figured that saying something might be a better choice for now. She acknowledged the compliment with a nod and an uncertain smile. Draven noticed his brother's behavior and sneered as he elbowed him underneath the table. Darius dangerously leered at his younger sibling.

'' I never knew you liked tea '' Draven snorted. He knew that his brother was a total failure when it came to politics and conversations. His brother was made for war, not for talking. In other words; Darius spoke with a weapon instead of his mouth most of the times.

'' Don't worry bro, I got this '' Draven said as he turned to Karma.

'' So, my brother is interested in your tea, he would love to have some more'' Draven said with a suggestive tone, his eyebrows raising while he grinned. Darius felt a vein pop as he heard his brother talk. He knew it was a bad idea to take him along with him. The only reason why he did, was because Swain told him to take Draven out of Noxus in order to gain some experience. Swain told Darius that Draven could be one hell of a politician because of his smooth ways of talking.
Darius couldn't see any of that, plus he didn't believe Swain's explanation entirely. Usually, Swain would have a great reasoning behind every action that he executed, yet Darius couldn't grasp it just yet.

Karma couldn't believe her ears. She raised her eyebrow and decided to ignore the suggestive remark and turned away from Draven. Sometimes it was better to ignore him instead of giving him the attention he yearned for.

After breakfast and the daily meetings, Karma decided to visit the grave of her elders. She wore a white kimono, an Ionian tradition, to convince the death of the purity of your visit, and a red ribbon in her hair, which stood for the intensity of her grief.

When she arrived at the gravestones, she sat down on the grass. She prayed for their peace first before laying down her concerns;

'' Dear elders, monks, soldiers who sacrificed themselves for our village; eight year later here I stand with the fate of Ionia in my bare hands. I'm not the little girl that broke the vow I made to you, I stand here as a woman who will break all the vows she made in order to protect her country. When I pass on, don't be too harsh on me'' She chuckled softly. She had great memories with the people in her village. They taught her how to develop her abilities, such as communicating with Spirits. She was forever in their debt whether they were dead or alive.

When Karma returned to the hotel, it was already evening. Dinner was served and once again people had small conversations about things that actually didn't matter to them. Karma grabbed her chopsticks and started eating her curry rice. When she was almost done she could hear Draven grumbling, fiddling with the chopsticks in his hands. Yet he wasn't the only one; even Darius was looking at the chopsticks as if they were made out of alien material.

'' Might it be that you don't know how to use chopsticks? '' Karma said, she seemed amused. Draven tried to ignore the obvious and clumsily tried to stab a carrot with the chopsticks. Karma couldn't help but chuckle , causing the Noxian officers to look at her. She seemed eerily relaxed even when she was in the presence of Ionia's greatest enemy. They didn't want to admit it but her relaxed state caused their confidence to shake. They knew of course that military-wise Noxus was greater, but the Duchess of Ionia wasn't someone to take lightly. The Noxian soldiers still remember the day of their 'grand failure' at Karma's village.

Darius however, was observing Karma as a hawk. He wasn't the type for politics, yet he got sent in order to negotiate a deal by Swain. He still didn't understand the reason behind that, the officers would've been enough for a country like Ionia. There was something Swain was hiding or was he just being careful? Karma was known in Noxus as a demonic leader who subdued the entirety of the Noxian army in one night; though that was nonsense. Swain was a master at manipulating the people, but since this was for the good of Noxus, Darius couldn't help but support his doings.

'' Bro, are you still gonna eat that? '' Draven said with an impish grin, pointing his now-slightly damaged chopstick at a grilled piece of meat. Darius looked up at his younger sibling, stabbing the meat with a chopstick and pushing it into his own mouth whilst grinning. He loved teasing his younger brother, even after all these years. He knew what buttons to press in order to crack Draven's usual egoistic façade. This caused Draven to pout, giving his elder brother a kick against his leg underneath the table, gaining a slight growl from Darius in return.

When dinner was finished, everyone returned to their own rooms; the tension had seemingly lessened.

Until Darius received a letter from Swain himself. Upon opening the letter, Darius' usual stoic expression broke. His eyes widened slightly when the content of the letter was thoroughly read.

'' Sir, is there something the matter?'' One of his officers questioned.

'' Assemble the officers..'' He said, a smirk appearing on his face.


There is only one reason why our sexy dunkmaster would even smirk, can you guess the reason? Stay tuned!