Riven picked up her glass, draining it to the dregs. Her smile still had not faded. The realisation smacked her in the head like a crossbow bolt. For the first time in years, she had a life that could be considered normal. To be cared for and to have others to care for. A tear trickled down her face as they had so many times over the time of her exile; But not one of sorrow. She did not raise a hand to wipe it away, allowing her tears of joy to roll forth slowly. She rose to get another drink, finally wiping the water from her face. With a fresh cup, she relaxed back into her chair and smiled at the world.

Riven watched as Jacob approached and stood in front of her, his arms behind his back.
"Good morning, Riven."
Riven smiled at him. "Good morning, Jacob."
He gave a slight smile back. "Someone's cheery today."
"I wasn't woken up at the crack of dawn today." said Riven wryly, a smirk on her face.
"Well..." muttered Jacob, averting his eyes.
"Oh, lighten up! I was joking!" Riven laughed, rising to her feet.
Jacob gave a small laugh. "Forgive me, it's not been the greatest morning for me. Shall we get moving?" he asked, pushing his glasses up his nose.
Riven gave a small nod, gesturing for him to lead on.

After a small detour to retrieve her armour, she
"So what's up?" asked Riven as they walked, weaving through the usual morning traffic.
"Oh, nothing much. My superiors have been on my back about getting you prepared as soon as possible." he replied, sidestepping a trolley of vials as it wheeled past.
"Prepared?" said Riven, raising an eyebrow slightly.
"As in, prepared to take part in an official league match. Knowing all the stuff required and all that. Ever any good at geography?" he explained.
"I was the commander of a company in the military. You kinda have to be."
"Good point. Ah, here we are." said Jacob, gesturing for Riven to enter.
As she entered the chamber, Jacob shut the doors behind her. "Step onto the platform, if you please."
Riven stepped onto the glowing platform, the walls of light rising around her. She shivered as power flowed through her, increasing in intensity. As the world faded, she noticed the same female summoner from before at an altar across the room. Why was her podium empty? Thought Riven as the world whited out and her conciousness dropped.

This time, Riven landed unsteadily on her feet, shaking slightly as the rush of power left her body. "There are two important things to learn today." echoed Jacob's voice.
Riven silently nodded.
"From the enchanter, I want you to buy a ward along with your normal enchantments. Don't worry, we have given you more 'money.'"
Riven relayed her requests to the enchanter, who worked his magic over Riven's shattered sword, it's edge feeling keener already. He handed her back her sword, followed by a small totem with a dull green gem mounted upon a pair of golden wings that tipped the totem.
"Good. Put that ward on your belt. You'll need it soon." explained Jacob. "Head down to the middle lane again."

Riven set off at a jog, heading for the gargantuan towers that dominated the skyline. "What do I do with this?" she thought.
"You'll see." came the reply.
She arrived at lane, looking around for an opponent. "Not yet." came the voice. "You see that long grass over there?"
"Yeah." nodded Riven.
"Go through it."

Riven forced her way the flora until her boots splashed into water, the cold liquid up to her ankles.
"This is the River. It's the main route between lanes." explained Jacob. "See that cluster of bushes in front of you?"
"Yeah."
"Put your ward in it."
Riven took the ward from her belt and placed it down. When the tip was driven into the ground, the gem lit up with an emerald shine. Riven gasped in pain as her minds eye was torn in two, filling her head with images. She clutched at her head, struggling to readjust. Her breath heavy, she concentrated on the images, realising she could see... herself?
"Think of it like a third eye." said the voice in her head. "Go back onto the lane."
Riven trudged through the thick undergrowth, her wet boots leaving prints on the grass. The image in her head stayed; the river gently flowing. Only, she wasn't in the shot anymore.
"Now you know. We'll be using this for a test later. But now, there's one more thing you need to learn."
Riven nodded her acknowledgement.
"We're going to unlock your true power."
Riven looked perplexed. "What true power, I don't have any..."
"Just trust me on this." he interrupted. "As a Summoner, I can see into the parts of you even you don't know about. I know I, we, can do this."
Riven opened her mouth to argue, but no counter came to mind. "Fine. What do you want me to do?"
"Just hold your blade out in front of you."
Riven obeyed, extending her arms. Silence followed, but for the trickling of the river. "Nothing's happen..." she began, before a surge of power raced through her body, her pulse shooting up from the surge. The runes on her shattered sword began to glow a shade of bright green, contrasted against the obsidian blade. With a flash of light, the broken blade reformed itself to its former glory, a gigantic black greatsword still bearing the scars of its damage. Riven adjusted to the new weight of the blade, marvelling at its miraculous recovery. She swung it a few times, the heaviness of the blade like a long lost friend. As soon as it had began, another flash returned the blade to its shattered state. Riven breathed a sigh of ecstacy as the power faded, the exhilarating rush dimming.
"Now do you believe me?" Jacob said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"Y..yeah." stuttered Riven.

"Right, now to see what you've learned. Time to go back to spawn." said Jacob.
A blue light began to rise from the floor, swallowing Riven whole. Her body lost all weight as the light covered her, blinding her for a brief second. As it faded, she found herself back on the starting platform, the enchanter smiling placidly at her.
"Here's your challenge. You see that forest over there?" explained Jacob. Riven found her head compelled towards a certain section of forest. "In there, somewhere, is Aatrox. I've filled your purse. Use what you've learned; Only one of you can win this challenge, after all. Good luck."
With that, Riven felt the presence in her head disappear. She was alone. She stocked up, with wards and an enchantment that was a vampire... something? She hadn't really claimed to listen to its name, only that dealing wounds would heal her own. That was something she could get behind.

After a brief jog, the forest loomed, its inky blackness seemingly immune to the light of the day. As she stepped into the forest, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched from the shadows. She advanced further in, when the sun went out. The canopy completely blotted out the light, the only source being from a few meagre torches. She spun around, the place where she'd entered out of sight. She froze on the spot, terror coursing through her, like a little child afraid of the dark. She took a few deep breaths, calming herself. She pushed forward, finding a small clearing. A large mossy rock golem watched her with its single stone eye from its sitting position at the edge of the clearing. She cautiously approached it, the eye never leaving her. A stroke of inspiration struck her and she passed the golem a large stone from the ground. Like a child, the golem began passing the rock back and forth between its hands, the stone on stone echoing. Riven jogged through the jungle, placing wards in choke points. The sound of the Golem playing drew her back to the clearing, where she stopped to catch her breath. She stood up to her full height and rolled her shoulders. She was ready.

Aatrox watched from his hidden ward as Riven scurried back and forth in preparation. Like vermin stuck in a trap. He slowly crept through the undergrowth, his near silent movements in juxtaposition to his size and girth. His real eyes spotted Riven, her back facing him. He knew where she'd warded; It was childs play to avoid them. With a grunt, he thrust himself into the air, falling sword point down. His victim narrowly dived away, the serrated edge of his sword biting into the flesh of her arm. Blood poured from the tear, flowing towards his glowing red blade. Her arm hung loosely, the muscle severed. With a haunting laugh, he walked slowly towards her, dragging the point of the blade of the ground, scraping a mournful din. To his surprise, she rushed forward in a headlong sprint. He raised his blade and bought it down in a vertical slice, the blade whistling. She raised her blade above her head, blocking the blow with a cry as the reverbations shook her bones. She bulldozed into him with her body, sending him stumbling back. From the momentum, she spiralled and aimed a swipe at him, the point of her blade breaking the skin on his flank. Aatrox winced ever so slightly and leaped back, creating some distance. As he watched, the cut on her arm closed, the flowing blood ceased. She rolled her once-wounded shoulder, before grasping the hilt of her blade with both hands.

The two circled eachother, both waiting for a moment to strike. Riven ground her teeth, her eyes steely. Aatrox looked on, his eyes as calm as a sea of blood. With stunning agility, Aatrox lunged forward, the tip of his sword aiming for Riven's throat. She barely managed to get the flat of her blade to intercept, the force slamming the flat of her blade into her forehead. She staggered as Aatrox seized his chance, unleashing a vicious crescent sweep. She ducked the swipe and readied for the next blow. Another sweep came, sparks flying as metal bit metal. The relentless attack continued, the staggering blows raining down. The air echoed with the sound of battle, the noise swallowed by the things that lurk in the dark. A blow hit the armour on Riven's shoulder, driving her to one knee. She raised her blade to block the swing, but it never came. He backhanded her sword hilt, knocking it away. He pulled his arm back, the slash aiming for her neck. She let loose a cry of desperation, unleashing a pulse of energy from her sword. The blast knocked Aatrox back, creating a dust cloud as he slid on his feet. Riven stood, rising to her full height. She screamed in rage, the runes on her blade glowing. A bright flash revealed the full length of the sword, green energy crackling down the blade. She swung the monstrous weapon in a crescent, the clash of steel booming. A return swing from Aatrox collided with Riven's sword as the two traded blows, unable to gain ground on eachother. Both took opposite angel swipes as their blades collided, sliding until both hilts were locked together. Both pushed with all their might, desperate to gain an advantage. Aatrox's overwhelming strength began to force Riven back, her feet scrambling for grip. She closed her eyes. She could almost feel the blade sinking into her already.

Aatrox grinned a maniacal grin as he pressed forward, her pulse sounding in his ears, her blood almost visible to him through her skin. He watched as her eyes flashed open, filled with green energy. "YOU ARE BEYOND REDEPMTION!" she bellowed, her voice echoing with power. She forced him back with newfound strength, forcing him to jump away to create distance. She swung her blade, a wave of green energy bursting forth with the force of a hurricane, slamming into him. Aatrox staggered in the resulting dust cloud, wounded, when he froze. The dust cleared and Riven stood before him, her sword buried up to the hilt in his stomach. With a grunt, she withdrew the blade as Aatrox slumped to his knees. She caught him by the head, drawing her sword back with her other arm. With a single swipe, she severed his head from his body, raising it high in the air, whilst his body crumpled. He did not bleed.

Riven dropped Aatrox's head, stumbling backwards, her breath comign in ragged pants. She fell into a sitting position, clasping her head between her knees with a sigh. Her head lightened as the light swallowed her, plunging her into the void. The light was replaced with the shadow of the summoning chamber as her legs buckled, dropping her to her knees. With considerable effort, she pulled herself to her feet, the adrenaline slowly fading. She looked across, to the monstrous red eyes staring into her. He walked closer and Riven froze, the energy not there to resist him.
"You..." he whispered, his voice sending a stab of fear through Riven. "Do not live meekly. Your strength is too great." he continued. He turned and left without another word, seemingly deep in contemplation. His summoner looked over at Riven with a combination of awe and fear in her eyes. "Just who... Are you?"
Riven shook the dust from her clothing and straightened herself to her full height, looking the woman straight in the eyes. "I am Riven, the Exile."
The woman looked perplexed. "I thought you were from Noxus?"
"I was." replied Riven.
The woman shook her head in awe, before leaving the room.
Jacob watched the woman leave, before patting Riven on the shoulder. "You did well. All the research material has been placed in your room. You are free to leave."

Riven left the room, her mind distracted with thoughts of the piles of books she'd have to read. She shook her head. She loved reading stories, but non-fiction had always been like a sedative to her. As she walked, a tiny movement caught the corner of her distracted eyes. She stopped, scanning the corridor she was in. She moved cautiously forward, keeping her footsteps as quiet as possible. She reached the corner, putting her back to it and peering around. An empty corrdior greeted her, bathed in unoccupied silence. Her suspicion remained and she near-squinted, scanning the hall with the eyes of a tactician. She felt her eyes drawn to a curtain and as she stared, she noticed a slight between the curtain and the floor. A gap filled with the soles of shoes.

She slowly crept towards the curtain, pausing just before it. Out of instinct, a hand went to her sword hilt as she reached for the curtain. She yanked the curtain to the side, revealing a small child who cowered at the sight of a muscled woman wielding a sword. Riven was shocked for a second, before she realised she was holding the hilt. She released the hilt and placed her arms above her head. "I'm not going to hurt you." she said softly. The child dropped her arms from their guarding position in front of her face, brushing her red hair out of her face. "A..are you gonna take me back?" she said, staring down at the floor.
"Take you back where?" said Riven, kneeling down to her level with a smile.
"Back to the man... and the woman. They look after me." the Girl replied, rocking her body back and forth slightly, the stuffed bear in her hands rocking with her.
"Don't you think you'd better get back to them? They're probably very worried about you." said Riven, softly but leadingly.
"They were talking to some man, they called him Sir." explained the Child, hugging her bear to her chest. "I wanted to go play with Tibbers." she said, with a small pout.
"Is Tibbers your bear?" asked Riven.
The child nodded happily.
"Why couldn't you play with him with the man and the woman?"
"Mr Tibbers isn't allowed to play inside." she replied, matter of factly.
Riven looked confused. "Why not?"
The childs eyes lit up with a fire that made Riven uneasy. "Follow me, I'll show you!" she chimed, beckoning for Riven to follow.
"Wait. Before we go, What's your name?"
The girl turned back. "My name's Annie."
Riven stood up and followed in the childs wake as she skipped through the halls.

She led Riven to an open courtyard, the earth dry and cracked. It looks like a war zone, thought Riven.
The girl turned to Riven, the same glow still in her eyes. "Do you wanna see Mr Tibbers? He likes to play hide and seek."
Riven nodded, a nervousness growing in her gut. She couldnt shake the feeling that there was something not quite right.
Annie dropped her bear in the middle of the courtyard, before walking around it, making a childs show of searching. "Mr tibbeeeers, where are yooooouu?" she called. All of a sudden, a huge explosion rocked the courtyard, knocking Riven off her feet. When the smoke cleared, the girl stood in front of a gigantic bear, one crackling with magical fire. "There he is!" yelled Annie, before falling on the floor in childish laughter. Riven's pulse raced as the bear simply stood there, staring at her. She barely reached its waist; She wondered if she even registered as prey. Annie sidled up to the beast, wrapping her arms around one of its legs in an affection hug. The bear almost seemed to smiled, patting her gently on the back with one of its huge paws. "Do you want a hug too, Miss?" giggled Annie.
Riven remained silent, her eyes wide with fear of this small girl. Annie gestured and Tibbers advanced sluggishly, still "Smiling." Riven took a step back as he approached.
Annie pouted. "Don't be a scaredy cat!"
"He really won't hurt you, you know. She is in complete control." said a familiar voice behind her. Riven turned her head to see Nasus' towering form standing with arms folded, smiling at the scene.
"How long have you been standing there?!" asked Riven indignantly.
"Long enough." replied the Dog, slyly.
Riven froze as she felt two giant furry arms envelop her with surprising dexterity. The heat emanating from the bear was strong, as if its heart was afire. She looked up at the bears face, its smile revealing rows upon rows of razor teeth. The bear released her, stepping back to Annie's side. She wrapped her arms around him again, burying her face in his fur. "I love you, Mr Tibbers." she whispered, softly.
Nasus walked over to Annie, kneeling down. "Your carers are looking for you, Annie. Do you wish for me to take you to them?"
Annie nodded excitedly. "Only if I get to do the thing!"
Nasus sighed. "If I must."
Annie turned to Tibbers. "Bed time, Tibbers!" She said, holding out a hand. Tibbers put his paw in her hand, before shrinking down into the stuffed bear he'd been before. She turned back to Nasus with a huge smile stretched across her face.
Nasus rolled his eyes, before lifting Annie up and placing her atop his shoulders.
He stood up and Annie whooped with Joy, staring around in wonderment. He shot a sideways glance at Riven. "Till next we meet."
Riven visibly sniggered, averting her eyes. Nasus rolled his eyes again and left the area with his charge.

Riven folded her arms, looking at the burn marks where Tibbers had been summoned, the memory of the bears huge muscles enveloping her, able to snap her spine with a squeeze. She dreaded to think how powerful that girl was. How powerful she'd be when she grew up.
"Riv?" said a surprised voice from behind her.
Riven span on the spot; She recognised that voice.
"Long time no see." continued the voice, brushing its crimson hair away from its face, revealing a long scar across its eye.