Chapter Four

Fiora stalked through the trees at a rushed pace, muscles tense from the rage at the the imbeciles she had the misfortune of teaming with. She didn't care who she was up against, how long it would take… she would be recognized as the best of the best, and no one was going to stop her. Lux's superior tactics could kiss her ass—they were getting her nowhere fast, while most other champions with the power to raise a blade sped to the top of the scoreboard where her spot should be.

Cursing violently and splitting a nearby rock in half with her blade, she pushed further. Not a single enemy was in sight, but yet, with the shadows of the forest reached out for her like nocturne's nightmarish claws, an uneasiness gripped her stomach. Suddenly she remembered how vulnerable she was alone, Sona's words ringing in her ears. Fiora was good, but not good enough to take on a whole team single handedly.

As the eerie sense of being watched got more intense, she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time—fear. Just a little bit, buzzing around her nerves, making her fingers twitch, but in such a way which made her adrenaline rise like a hot fire through her veins.

It felt fucking good.

A snap rang through the thin silence of the woods, making her jump and lift her sword. Her eyes darted every which way, examining every dark corner, every shaking leaf and every shift in the dirt. It was then, just as her pulse settled by the hair of a click, a blur bled into the corner of her eye. Out of pure instinct she dashed backwards, but not fast enough. Something had gotten into her eyes and clothes, stinging horribly and filling her nose and mouth with a suffocating acidic fume.

No sooner had she regained a fragment of her vision, then another blur came from below. More of the same poison, all too familiar, splashed up. She blocked with her arms, but the cloth, torn by Fizz's dragon-shark, left skin exposed and burning from the touch.

Fiora somersaulted backwards, senses overwhelmed, but still able to land perfectly and dash around a tree. Finally ridding her eyes of the poison, she dashed out and leapt toward the source of the vile substance. Faster than Ashe's arrow. More precise than Yi's strike. But not stronger than Garren's swing.

She hit her mark, that was for certain—a screeching shriek told her so. But after pulling back and launching herself a safe distance away again, it became certain by the lack of blood on her blade that it wasn't powerful enough to make a fatal strike.

From the shade of a tree, Cassiopeia slithered forward, eyes of emerald burning with fury and pain. Her scales were ripped and bloody from the stab, however, they were tougher than they looked and prevented major damage. Fiora scowled—had her aim been just a little higher, her thrust would have skewered the venomous woman and taken her out for good.

She whipped her sword to the side, the snake's blood splattering against a stone before it seemed to evaporate to dust, crumbling lightly against the grass below the stone. Cassiopeia met the duelist's intimidation with a hiss of her own, lips curling to reveal sharp fang of a predator. Disturbingly enough, Fiora found it oddly attractive how the Noxian's features were so blatantly feral, yet so elegant, so majestic. Her eyes and scales, so luminously dark, like that of a true wild serpents, but delicate and juxtaposing against her smooth skin, tame in warm lights.

Fiora tightening her grip on the rapier. The fuck was she thinking? This was a battle for fame and fortune, and battle they will.

She made the first move, seemingly disappearing in her speed. However, her move was stopped short as a perceived fang of poison shot forth, forcing her to dodge to the side. It was followed up soon after by the same splash of venom as before, only this time she kept composure and stepped into the snake's guard, jutting her sword through her opponent's outstretch palm. Fiora meant to hit the head, but Cassiopeia was more insightful than she looked, and averted the strike. Then, beating the pain and gripping the blade through her hand, she let loose burst of poison from her opposite palm and onto Fiora's stomach. She grit her teeth angrily and dashed away again, chest-piece now mostly eaten by chemicals, revealing a chain vest, so thin it could hardly be seen.

Wearing the garb hurt her pride, having it visible even more so, but she knew that if it hadn't been there she'd be in far more pain.

"Demacia's Duelist—how disappointing, I would've though such a treasure would put up more of a fight, hmm?" Cassiopeia sneered, the cut on her tail slowly healing . A restorative potion lay empty, balanced on the tip of her tail, before she tossed it away unceremoniously to shatter on the ground. Her hand was laced with dark blood, limp and unmoving, again dissolving as it dripped to the ground. The Demacian, in truth, had never noticed before—not once had she stopped to think about those she killed, and no once had she shown any interest in an opponent who wasn't a master swordsman of whom she thought she could learn from.

"Speak for yourself, snake," she spat, the corners of her mouth twitching into an exhilarated smile. "You inflicted no wounds, just the feeble scratches of a weakling."

Cassie hissed, fangs exposed once more into her own grin. Then she coiled like a real snake and practically pounced upon her, sharp, purple nails raking along her cheek. Fiora didn't even blink as the blood was let and a poison rash began to form, but instead returned the glancing hit with two quick slashes to the side, and another stab to the same hand just to inflict pain. Cassiopeia turned and spat searing tendrils of violet liquid over Fiora's shoulder, eating viciously through the cloth. Then, the spot exploded into a more concentrated virus of poison, eating past the cloth and chain both, reaching to her skin and part through it. The pain was amazing but it only fueled her adrenaline, and she once again returned the gift with her own flurry of stabs, feigns and lunges, matched perfectly with footwork which would put Yi to shame.

At last the two disengaged, slick with blood, but as energetic as ever. The wounds weren't deep, as they were surprisingly evenly matches, but it was starting to take too long. Worryingly long. Cassiopeia knew that she didn't have a lot of time left—in fact, Katarina and Talon should already be done with their part of the job. If they returned to find that she hadn't completed her's yet, then surely they'd be disappointed. Well, that, and she would definitely never hear the end of it from Katarina.

"Sorry, Demacian, but It's over now. I've got no more time to waste on playing your game."

Cassie cooled the blood in her veins. She already felt energy collecting in her eyes like tears, only as particles threatening to burst like fireworks. Fiora, noticing the change, narrowed her eyes and shifted her hold to a parrying position, unaware for what was to come. However, at the last moment, Fiora's own eyes widened, a cosmic mix of sky blue bordered to sea green, revealing a hint of surprise.

And then to Fiora's right. A flicker of green, gold and red, before a spear threatened to sever her head. It was every bit of reflex taken to dodge the blow, then back away as usual. Cassie, so confused as to what was happening, cancelled her spell. Then the world spun as lights flashed and pure electric energy collided with her temple, almost knocking her out of play.

When her vision came back, previously stolen by the bright light, she had skid to a wild crouch next to Fiora, and around them, like the mock crew of a movie gang, stood Jayce, Pantheon, Viktor and Nasus, ever the odd team, but ever the point-racking instigators of today.

Fiora looked form one to the other, instantly demoralized. Surrounded by enemies—the worst scenario she could have thought up. Because I alone am just one of thirty champions. I alone am one of many who wants to be the best. Her face hardened. But I alone will be the one to take home glory.

Hesitating slightly, Fiora took the Noxian Serpent's hand, its stab wounds healing under the restorative hidden under her palm, where the Duelist would apply her items' blessings. Not breaking glance from the enemies in front of them, sword ready, watching as the four prepared to strike, she smirked.

"Team up with me. After this, then we'll see who is playing who's game."

Cassie looked at the Grand Duelist, doubtful. But the healing warmth of the duelist's hand on her cold blooded one seemed…so much like her sister's. Trustworthy, at least to an extent, and resolved.

She bared her fangs. "Very well. Just don't fall behind, Demacian!"


It was too late when she saw the shadow.

Too late when she saw a flash of light within in, a ring of steel rubbing against steel.

Far, far, too late when a glimmer of cruel green eyes glowed, and then the Sinister Blade was upon her teammate, the Maven, who looked behind her at the last possible moment. Lux and her brother ran with arms on and ready, but they were too slow—within a fraction of a second, Katarina's dagger slid expertly across Sona's soft throat, face contorted in pain and mouth open in a silent scream. As she fell, her fingers ran over her Etwahl, howling wicked strum of scratchy dissonances. Each note was like a stab to their ears, and all three of them clutched their heads in vain. Katarina, hands soaked in Sona's blood, glared at them spitefully before uncovering her ears, though it was evident that they were bleeding and it was not just the blood of her victim.

Lux too felt something trickle down her temple and over her cheek. It dripped onto her neck and she touched it, her fingers coming back scarlet.

Her baton returned to her hands—she didn't remember throwing it, though it was probably instinctively to protect Sona. All in failure of course—the musician's corpse had already dissolved into a bright blue light, and she could feel her soul hovering above in the musk of the temporarily deceased.

Garen charged forward, yelling angrily, sword above his head in a power stance. He brought it down to slice the Noxian, but she wove to the side before disappearing in a cloud of red. Instantly the two siblings positioned themselves back to back, in complete commando-combat mode. Knowing Katarina, she probably hadn't just run away. Or that was what Garen thought. He had stood toe to toe against the assassin in multiple instances, and never had she made an appearance and then fled, no matter what her assassin code of conduct decreed.

Assassin only by heart, she was—the fire of a warrior controlled her mind.

And Warriors never fled.

As if to punctuate the thought, her signature dagger shot from the shadows—he parried it with his blade. However, he didn't expect her to come from below and offer a sharp jab, one with more power than accuracy, biting his forearm. He knew she was aiming for something better.

Lux, her back previously to Garen's, flipped around him and shot a twining concentration of magic from her baton. Realizing its intent all too late, the magic smashed square into her chest, enveloping her in a cage of arcane bars. The duo wasted no time in barraging a combo of strikes and shots, but they had underestimated her.

Katarina smirked from her position of blocking and taking attacks. Behind Garen she made split second eye contact with a deathly ominous figure, and took one last hit, grabbing Garen's sword with both arms. Though pain shot up her as the edges sliced through, it was dulled by the bloodlust rushing from her wounds, spurring and pumping and bursting.

The sword limpened in her grasp.

The Might of Demacia spluttered, blood spraying from his lips. He looked down mutely. Lodged in his middle, Talon's three razors were stuck, fountaining with the black-red stream that Katarina loved so much. The penetration of the blades was amazing as always, but he hadn't recognized the strength of the armor, which hugged the blades and preventing movement. However, it wasn't as if it mattered much—with his body practically bisected, there was nothing he could do.

Garen fell to his knees. Then, with a sudden strength she thought impossible to posses in such a situation, he tore his sword from her arms. In a whoosh of heavy metal slicing through the air, it was embedded in Talon's shoulder before either could blink, Garen collapsing with the summoners' blue magic flaking around him.

Lux, stock still moments before, unleashed a hurricane of anomalies, one combusting after the other. Katarina attempted to Shunpo away, but found with a knot of dread in her gut that Talon would have no such luck. Though the Demacian girl was clearly terrified and not in sharp wit, her attacks were hitting him with such power that he remained utterly disabled. Struggling between the task of removing Garen's blade, dislodging his own blades and defending himself from the vengeful sister's attacks, he was having no luck and got weaker by the second. Katarina considered helping him until yet another binding shot caged Talon to the spot, and then hit her right after. With both of them pinned down, things were not looking up.

Lux looked from one to the other wildly, straining to calm down. Okay. Okay. Sona's dead. But coming back. In…in….a whole minute. Same with Garen.

But…but but but! They are bound and I am totally in control. I'm in control… right? Yes. Control. That's it. All I have to do is…

She tossed her baton to the side, collecting a spike of all the magic she had left. Frantic, Talon struck the cage relentlessly to escape, but for naught. A bright light engulfed both assassins, burning the grass and sweeping away trees, leaving behind the charred and dissipated remains of Talon. Katarina had better luck and wasn't hit straight on, but her whole right arm had ceased to exist.

That bitch. She's so…fucking dead!

Lux froze, rooted in fear at the look in her opponents eyes. they were of a demon's—no, a devil's—and screamed bloody murder.

And then, the very thing of nightmares was upon her, knife ready to decapitate.

And, with a soft 'eep', everything went black.


BEHOLD MEH LAME ATTEMPTS AT ACTION AND DEATH AND ALL THAT COMES WITH IT! Yes, feel free to criticize. I wish to improve my utter lack of skill regarding action scenes and writing in general. BYE!