4. As the wheel turns round and round

He was literally born in a rat hole. Dying at early age would have been a sweet release for this boy but, oddly, life always tried to catch him up. Since his first day of life, his mother left him in a garbage bin, hoping for him to die devoured by the rats rather than starving or dying from the cold. But the baby was found and passed from hand to hand until he was old enough to run by his own, choosing the hard life of the streets over being an adult's toy.

Each day was a trial and each day could be the last... Fortunately, the boy was stubborn and refused to submit to such an easy fate. He struggled, over and over, not really knowing if all these efforts was worth this pitiful life, here, in the downtown. His path crossed a boy's named Kavyn, a little older than him but with such a carefreeness... From each other's support, they finally managed to survive, stealing food and tricking the few honest people left, the only way a child could possibly hope watching the next dawn rising in Noxus. Kavyn gave his friend something he never have been given before: a name. According to his talents for stealth, he called him Talon, first more like a joke in between them but, since this was the only name he ever had been given, Talon adopted it anyway.

But Kavyn was an enigmatic boy. He was not as cautious and rational as Talon and was facing each new day like it was a cinch. Talon felt like Kavyn's pranks would be their doom someday but could do nothing but trust his friend's abilities. Because Kavyn was an excellent thief and a good teacher. And so the next day would come and so they would survive...

Until this fateful day when Talon took Kavyn's life. A burst of rage, a cry of frustration, an attempt to have control at last...? He did not know. All he could remember was this moment he slit his friend's throat, a neat and decisive strike, a move he could have observed thanks to the everyday life in the slums. Kavyn had left him behind, almost getting him caught again... to get these daggers he was now holding, bloody... stained by Kavyn's blood. Why he never followed the plans? Why he always put Talon's life in danger? Were they not friends? It did not matter anymore... Talon picked the lighter Kavyn used to play with, over and over... The chattering would no longer bother him at night anymore. All remained was the silence, and blood, spreading like water circles all over his bare feet. Killing... what a strange feeling. Ending a life just like he wished he could have ended his a long time ago. But here he was standing, alive, while everything around fell silent. Dead.

The twelve years old boy walked through the streets, alone again. His new tool in hand, he had only one goal, the same he always had during all these years: find food. He sat by a dark alley, waiting for the day to fade so he could hope finding something left behind. He was too exhausted and too disorientated to steal so for now, luck was the only muse he could summon. By chance, a huge dog was eating the rest of a rabbit. Talon stayed at a safe distance and kneeled, waiting for the animal to finish off. But the best seemed hostile to this idea and lift the nose to growl nastily. Talon watched at the creature who was denying the few shreds of meat melting with the mud, his tongue furred and his hands smelly because of all the blood. He was sick of all this... Finally he stood, handing the dagger firmly. He faced the dog foaming at the mouth, the eyes looking deep into Talon as if he challenged him to try and strike, just like what Kavyn did.

"You're not going to do that"

These words he had heard just a couple of hours ago were still beating in his head.

"I know you Talon, you're just like me."

The boys clenched his teeth. His breathe became louder and faster. Finally he rose up his eyes to the animal. There was no fear in them anymore.

"You're a mistake from life"

The dog jumped forwards, his claws and jaws ready to strike. Talon received him with the tip of the knife, plunging it in the dog's chest before stepping aside and pushing the corpse away. He pumped on the wound wildly as more blood came to stain his hands and clothes. When the heat of fury finally decreased, he sat against the wall, pretty tired. Tired of depending on others, on Lady luck, on what fate wanted him to become. He knew he could kill now; even if he never wished it, he was rather good at it.

So from now, he would take whatever he wanted, striking anyone who would stand in his way. And if death wanted to reap him away, so be it. He never enjoyed life anyway.

But time passed by and death slowly shifted his gaze from the young boy while this last chased after the Grim Reaper, first for survival and finally... for the challenge. As soon as he discovered he had a talent with weapons, he sharpened his skills, spending every hour of the night to get closer to perfection. Finally, the threat of his shadow became so huge that several assassin guilds sent their agents with an offer: joining them or getting killed. Talon took them down, each one of them. His cockiness grew wilder as he realized nobody in Noxus could match his sword-mastering, so he started provoking his attackers, taking several opponents in a row and getting from fights without a scratch.

Until the day he finally was defeated. Disarmed, the sword of his opponent pointing at him, he thought that this was the end of this successful travel. But instead, the man presented himself as the General Du Couteau and offered him a choice: serving under the High Command or dying here and now. Before such strength, Talon had no choice but to admit he had found a better assassin than himself. So he chose to follow the General to one condition: he would serve him and him only. the only orders he would receive could only come from the one who defeated him. On this day, he renounced to the stray dog's life to become the Blade's Shadow.

"Katarina!"

The young woman opened an eye when she heard her name. The many blades she had used were lying all around her like corpses after a battle. The nasal sound that disturbed her break was coming from her sister's mouth. Cassiopeia was standing in front of her, fists on her hips.

"Father is coming back home earlier today. You shall wear something appropriate for once" she scolded, caring little about the age difference that made of her the little sister.

She was a grown-up teenager now and looked like the ladies of the court. No beauty was like the youngest Du Couteau at these times. Her well-developed body brought many bachelors to the mansion's doors but, as soon as they met the father, they strangely reconsidered their choice. Marcus was extremely protective with his little jewel and, even if many of these boys had made honest proposals, the General was not ready to give his precious daughter to anyone yet.

He was not as worried concerning Katarina. Her temper was enough to dissuade men from asking her favors. This was not easy to approach a woman who dedicated her life to knifes and blades. Since she decided to follow her father's footsteps, Katarina trained everyday in order to become a renowned assassin. Struggling until her hands bleed, until she felt unconscious because of the lack of sleep or until her father commanded her to simply rest a little, she pushed her own limits day after day to be her father's pride. And she succeeded somehow. Her trainers were the best swordmasters of Noxus, her weapons from the most prestigious blacksmith of the town and the advises she was given were simply from the best teacher she could have hoped: Marcus himself.

But even with all what life provided her in this quest, Katarina was a free spirit. She was really different from Cassiopeia who always did what she was told. These differences drove them apart and slowly turned into hostility for Cassiopeia and indifference for Katarina. the lovely sisterhood was no more and all the promises were almost gone. Now, Katarina could only see an annoying spoiled child in Cassiopeia while this last was still competing to get the attention she deserved over her undisciplined sister.

The red head got back on her feet, rubbing her forehead to wash away a bad start of a headache.

"Father is not going home until next week" she mumbled with a tired glance.

"This is what I thought too" Cassiopeia replied, swinging her hips as she turned off, leaving the courtyard like a princess and without more explanation.

Katarina sighed but followed. She wanted to be there when Marcus would step in, probably for a good reason if he had interrupted his reconnaissance to drop by the mansion. And surprisingly, Cassiopeia had told the truth: here he was standing, his clothes in sharps as always. Katarina would have ran to him if an unknown figure was not standing nearby, the gloom of his eyes staring at the surroundings with a mix of mistrust and fascination. Finally, the stranger rose his eyes as her and silently stared at her from the first floor where she was standing. Meanwhile, Cassiopeia was bowing and presenting her respects to her father and the new comer, even if she stayed rather cold towards him. Street rats were not among her favorite visitors but respecting he father's guest was part of the good manners she had been taught. This one, she turned her back and left the halls, the smell of the stranger quickly invading her delicate nose.

Marcus noticed Katarina's presence as well and commanded her to get downstairs. Katarina frowned and, instead of obeying, she carefully stepped back until she reached the end of the corridor before turning back and leaving the halls.

Marcus shrugged and turned to Talon, the features of his face not showing anger or annoying but a renouncing attitude, just like he expected that to happen.

"Treat my daughters with the same respect you'd treat me", he advised with a strong voice before dragging the young man in his office for the first instructions.