Chapter 4 - A Night in the Du Couteau Manor
Irelia and Quinn let out an audible sigh of relief when the gates of the manor closed behind them. Stretching and yawning, the group walked to the building as the moon shone above them. They followed Talon into the manor which was surprisingly well lit and warm as a fire roared in the hearth.
Talon looked at the group as they entered the manor, the members seemed to be giving him a 'What now?" look. "There are a few servants on the property that take of the place, I will have them prepare food and while we set up your accommodations, meanwhile you can relax and bath as you wish." Talon Spoke to answer the lost look of his companions. He lead them down hallway as he talked. "There are two rooms that you can use on first floor and another two open ones on the second." He opened one of the doors to a very simple, but elegant room none the less. A large bed with side tables and a dresser and two seats near the large window on the wall that let the moonlight shine into the room, there was a door to a spacious bathroom as well.
"I'll take this one." Irelia said before dropping her meager belongings in the room.
"What about the one across the hall?" Talon questioned.
"I suppose I will." Zelos stated
Talon clapped his hands and turned to face the Demacian scout. "Sounds good, so Quinn that leaves you a room up-"
"What about this one?" Quinn said opening a third door in the hall. Quinn was secretly hoping to have a room close to Irelia. Talon's open palm slammed the door she was about to open. "Hey what's the big deal?"
"That's...Kat's room." Talon looked a little nervous, Quinn simply replied by making an "O" face and decided to accept the room upstairs.
Irelia let a sigh out as the steam of the bath filled the room. She removed her clothes and gracefully immersed herself in the bath's hot water. The steam from the bath swirled in the air of the room, Irelia watched mesmerized and almost in a trance. Irelia spoke out loud to the air. "You haven't gotten yourself into too much trouble I hope brother, but there must be a reason you haven't comeback. I miss you...Zelos." Her brothers face flashed before her, but there was another face in the back of her mind. The face of a man with short dark black hair and a scar below his eye. Irelia spoke again. "I ran into a man with the same name as you brother." Irelia let out a short laugh before continuing to talk to the imaginary picture of her brother. "He felt bad about having the same name as you, since he knew...that I missed you and hearing his name...your name, makes me hurt. I do miss you brother, do you even remember me? What I look like, what my voice sounds like? I...I can't remember what your voice sounds like. Though I guess it has changed over the years, it has been that long. Please Zelos, brother, come back, I miss you so much, without father, I feel so alone in this world. Please be safe." Her last word hung in the air, the steam had faded and the water had turned lukewarm pulling her back into reality. "Must be crazy, talking to air." With that Irelia finished washing up and dried herself off. She put on her undergarments and pulled on a white tank top, it was a fairly warm night in Noxus so she pulled on a pair of black shorts that, while comfortable, felt a little bit too short for her comfort. Nonetheless, she walked out of the room to get some food, pulling her dark hair in a ponytail. She didn't like her black colored hair very much and had often added blue highlights to change it up, though she noticed her highlights had faded somewhat over the journey. She entered the hallway behind Zelos, who obviously had just finished his bath as well, he was pulling a black t-shirt over his head. Something caught Irelia's eye has he pulled his shirt down over his back.
"Hold on Zelos…"Irelia commanded. Zelos complied and turned his head to look at Irelia with a confused expression on his face. Irelia walked over to Zelos and lifted the shirt off his back and let out a worried breath of air. Zelos's back was covered in several small scars, but in the center of his back was a large scar in the shape of an X. Irelia stared for a little too long so Zelos simply pulled his shirt down again.
"I am...sorry, I did not realize-"
"We all have our scars Irelia, mine just happen to visible." Zelos let out a weak smile. Irelia let her head drop, Zelos started to reach out a hand to comfort her, but decided against it and let his hand drop. "Shall we find something to eat?"
Irelia recomposed herself and nodded and they headed down the hallway. She stole a glance at the man walking beside her. Irelia was not petite and never felt it, in physical build or height. She had a well toned body and stood at a proud five foot ten inches. She was taller than most Ionian man. But standing next to Zelos he seemed much more powerful compared to her. While he was not physically built like Garen or Darius, he was clearly well muscled, the black shirt showed that off a little too well she thought guiltily. Although where he did rival Garen and Darius was in height. He stood at least a good six foot three inches, which was extremely tall for an Ionian, even Shen was only six foot. He had an air about him that inspired awe and strength like a champion. She hated to admit it, but she felt safe around him and her cheeks felt a little flushed as she slyly inched a little closer to him as they walked down the hall. It didn't take long for the pair of them to find the dining room, where warm food had been set and Quinn and Talon sat in complete silence, Quinn with a scowl on her face. Zelos and Irelia turned to Talon, who just shrugged as if saying 'Don't look at me' and hunched over his plate and continued to eat. Zelos leaned closer to Irelia, which made her heart beat just a little bit faster and whispered. "What do you think happened?"
Earlier that night...
Luckily the window in Quinn's room was quite large and Valor chirped happily as Quinn set out a bowl of water for him as he mounted the window sill.
"Planning on going hunting tonight Valor?" The bird's head bounced in response to Quinn
"Well, have fun, but don't get lost okay, Noxus isn't safe, even for a bird as majestic and strong as you okay?" Valor chirped in response and Quinn giggled as if she knew what the bird was saying, maybe she did.
Quinn pulled out a change of clothes for the night and laid them on the bed. She entered the bathroom and started the water. The bath seemed to relieve all the stress from the travels and she cleaned herself happily. When she was done she drained the bath and started to dry off as she looked around. Quinn realized she had left her clothes on the bed in her room, slightly annoyed, she wrapped herself in a towel and exited the bathroom leaving a trail of water as she walked. She felt a cold draft in her room, but continued over to her bed and reach down to pick up her clothes when she there was a cough. The cough was more of a choking cough which was weird and even weirder when she realized it was not her who had coughed. She looked to her right to see that not only had she forgotten her clothes on the bed, but also shut the door to her room. Talon who had already bathed and changed into simple clothes, had been drinking a cup water as he walked down the hall and was confused by the open door. He was now trying to recover from spitting his water out after seeing the image of the half naked Demacian girl dripping with water who was only covered loosely with a bath towel. Quinn and Talon stood frozen for what seemed like eternity before Talon started to shake his head in disbelief as he leaned over to close the door to the room. Quinn heard him let out something along the lines of "Demacians". Quinn quickly finished drying and clothed herself and opened the door to the room. Talon had just finished wiping up the water he had spilled earlier.
Talon cleared his throat. "Are you ready now? Dinner is ready."
Quinn who was clearly also uncomfortable nodded. "Good, I'm starving...actually on second, let me close the window. Quinn turned on her heels quickly to go back into her room to close the window where Valor had been, but as she took a step she slipped on some of the water that had dripped on the floor after her bath. She let out a gasp of air as she fell back. Luckily she felt a hand catch her arm and another arm wrap around her waist catching her before she hit the floor.
Quinn let her breathing slow down. "...Thanks, Talon."
"Forgetful and clumsy, how do you manage to get by." Talon said as cold as ever, although Quinn was facing away from him so she couldn't see the pink tinge that filled his cheeks.
Quinn broke free of his grasp and straightened up, visibly annoyed. "This is your fault."
"Mine?" He questioned
"Yes, yours! You...make me flustered." And with that Quinn walked past him and left the room, leaving Talon alone confused.
"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?"
After a filling meal and the table was cleared the group decided to discuss their next course of action.
"We will be able to leave around mid-day for Ionia, our ship should be ready by then, we shouldn't run into any issues with government or military forces from Noxus or Ionia. When we arrive in Ionian we can resupply with food, weapons and the like and head out to my home village, from there we will make our journey to the temple and begin our mission." Zelos finished his overview as the group nodded in agreement.
"So, Zelos." Talon spoke up. "Tell me, you are an institute guard, a council guard at that which means your not a pushover for most. How do you fight, if we get into a confrontation with the enemy I want to know how you fight and if any of us need to worry about you."
Zelos collected his thoughts before responding, Irelia thought it seemed odd, but said nothing. "I would describe my fighting style to be similar to yours Talon, I use shuriken, similar to your knives, but also martial arts, so much like master Lee Sin. So a mix of you and him...I suppose"
Irelia thought Zelos's voice seemed a bit stiff, as if he was making it up as he went, Talon also seemed unimpressed.
"Hmm, I'm not convinced and I'm in no mood to babysit someone weak."
"Do you disagree with the council's choice to put me on this mission Talon?" Zelos's voice seemingly getting frustrated.
"Maybe not, maybe so. How about a spar? If you are standing after two minutes, I'll believe you. No knives or weapons, simply use your martial arts skills you say you have." Talon rose out of his seat and motioned for the group to follow him.
"That puts you at an extreme disadvantage Talon, no shadows to hide in and no knives or blade." Zelos rose out of his seat with the rest of the group as they walked towards the manors courtyard.
"Don't look down on me now Zelos, I may use daggers, but I know how to fight without them as well."
Zelos and Talon stood opposite each other now in the courtyard. Quinn and Irelia watched, both a little worried, from the side. They both knew it would most likely end in Talon's favor. Talon's strength in battle was recognized to all in Valoran and to all those connected to the institute. While Zelos, well Zelos was simply a guard.
"A much taller and more muscled guard." Irelia thought, but kept it to herself, size wasn't everything in a hand to hand fight.
"Two minutes, i'll be counting" Quinn said "If Zelos is still in good condition at the end of two minutes, Zelos wins." Quinn looked to Irelia.
Irelia simply sighed and cocking her head slightly and spoke. "Begin"
Zelos took his stance as he watched Talon pace before him, waiting for him to strike and strike he did. Talon twisted his whole body bringing his foot crashing down towards Zelos. Zelos took a step back dodging the attack, slightly surprised by Talon's agility. Talon continued his relentless assault. Planting his foot he swung hard with his fist, twisting his waist as he aimed at Zelos. Zelos ducked low and forward, moving into Talon, he grabbed Talon's outstretched fist with both hands and turned his back to Talon. Pulling Talon's arm down Zelos launched Talon through the air attempting to slam Talon on his back over his shoulder. Talon, quick to react, brought his feet down just in time, breaking his fall instead of with his back. Breaking free of Zelos's grasp he twisted quickly, launching another kick at Zelos who blocked it with his own. The two stepped back, Zelos crouched slightly and when on the aggressive this time. Pushing off the ground, he quickly dashed forward launching a roundhouse kick at Talon's head. Talon tried to dodge, but was to a little bit to slow, taking the kick to the shoulder. Talon skidded back, but Zelos quickly followed up, closing the distance once again and landed a hook kick onto Talon's temple which landed him on his back a few feet away.
After a few breaths Zelos managed to talk. "Looks like you won't have to babysit me."
