A Will and a Shadow

A Different Wind

Talon locked eyes with the woman standing amidst the glassy surface of the water. Her icy blue eyes shone even in the darkness. The moonlight framed her face and golden hair. Her face was a beautiful sword of determination not faltered by anything Talon could imagine as "mortal".

She closed her eyes and closed her arms around her chest. Talon realized at that moment that she had no clothing on. Talon hadn't even noticed. Her eyes drew his attention with more sincerity than he was used too. She immediately turned fast and her massive wings unfurled. She snapped them out and leaped into the air. She flew off into the dark sky before Talon even opened his mouth.

He stood there awestruck. The woman was gone. She had left so quickly that Talon was stricken with the idea that she wasn't even there to begin with. Talon stared out into the starry sky and wondered who she was. The pit of Talon's stomach was stirred when he suddenly conjured an image of Irelia in his mind. He felt sick, but also kind of sad.

He missed Irelia suddenly. Yearned for her. Talon turned and quickly walked towards the Institute grounds. His head was buzzing with a strange dull noise and his gut was rolling around on itself. Talon marched through the dark of night towards the Institute of War.

Talon's walk back to his room felt like it only took a moment or two. In reality it probably took almost an hour. Talon kept staring at his feet like he had a spell cast over him. He shook his head violently in an attempt to regain his senses. What had he seen? Where was Irelia?

His latter question was answered when he finally arrived at his room. Irelia was waiting outside his door. She got up from her sitting position and looked at him with a concerned look about her face. She went to him and looped her arms around his waist. Talon took her embrace. She was his height, but she burrowed her face into his chest. Talon instantly felt worse.

"Where were you?" she asked concerned, "You didn't come to dinner."

Had he really been gone that long?

"I, I um, am sorry," Talon whispered, "I guess I lost track of time on my walk."

"Yeah, I guess," she sounded hurt, "I suppose I got worried when you weren't around..."

"I'm fine," he pulled her face to look at him, "I'm sorry I missed the meal. How can I make it up to you?"

She kissed him hard. Talon kissed her back matching her passion. When she pulled away from his mouth she looked into his eyes and smiled innocently. As they stared at each other Talon couldn't help but feel wildly attracted to her. He wanted her. Hungered for her skin. He wanted to claw her clothes off and take her with all the love he feels.

Not just the love he thinks about. But feels all the time. He looked down into Irelia's eyes and he saw instead a pair of determined, icy blue eyes. He snapped himself out with a quick jerk of his head. Irelia was staring at him wide-eyed.

"Hey Knives, you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Talon says reassuringly, suddenly smiling, "Yeah I'm fine."

Talon pushed Irelia away at the shoulders and leaned in to kiss her again. She returned his kiss but feels awkward not being next to him. Talon opened his door and stepped halfway inside before turning toward Irelia and saying,

"I'm sorry Irelia, I need to get some sleep. I will talk to you tomorrow."

He then shut the door. He listened for a few moments until Irelia finally walked away. He slid to the floor. Tears flooded the sides of his eyes. He gritted his teeth hard. He sat there on the floor and wept. He ran his hand through his black hair. Talon wept for Irelia and the lies he told her to protect her. He also wept for the winged woman by the lake that he saw while holding the woman he loved.

Talon wept a long time. He awoke the next morning still on the floor. His face was cracked from the dried tears. Talon got up and groggily walked across the small room and dropped on his bed. He buried his face in his pillow when his door opened and a person walked in.

At first he thought it was Teemo. The Yordle Captain did like to wake him up in the morning. But when he realized the strides where too long he thought it was Irelia. She was probably coming to ask him what the deal was.

But someone sat on the side of his bed next to him and the grating, sharp voice that addressed him made Talon seriously consider pre-breakfast homicide.

"Good morning, Talon," Katarina said curtly.

"Leave me or I will use your spine as a belt," Talon said darkly with his voice ground into the pillow.

"Oh I have no doubt," she chided, "But I'll have my words and then I'll leave you to your pathetic little life."

"Speak them then and leave," Talon said, obviously annoyed.

"I just wanted to thank you for the parcel. Incriminating data, Talon. I'm impressed by your capacity for betrayal of those you apparently want to convince you care about," she said in her usual snide tone.

"And now you may leave," Talon said angrily.

"Alright," Katarina said getting up and crossing the room.

"Oh, and you have a match in ten minutes," she added as she left the room.

As the door closed behind her, a muffled howl could be heard from Talon's pillow.

Talon dressed himself in a hurry and ran at full tilt to the platform chamber. A few other League champions were there. One Champion he knew, Master Yi, seemed to glare at Talon through his goggles. Yi however knew that now wasn't the time so he promptly ignored Talon.

Talon and the others were beamed onto the Fields of Justice. Talon charged into Center Lane behind a wave of minions. Talon began killing the opposing minions in quick droves. A few minutes go by until he suddenly gets hit by a wave of fire.

The wave hits several of his team's minions and him. Talon rolls to the side to douse the flames on his cloak. He spies a winged soldier in plate mail in the air above him. It had a flaming sword and was hurling the fire at Talon.

Talon shadowstepped into the air and gripped the soldier about the neck with his left hand. As Talon reared his armblade back to shove it into this winged soldier's face he suddenly spied a most curious feature. This feature nearly made his heart stop and his bones turn to ice.

The fierce blue eyes staring back at him were familiar, yet more ferocious. Talon had a momentary lapse of ability as he hung suspended in the air grappling with this mysterious soldier. The time passing was less than a second as the winged warrior flung Talon to the ground. She unleashed a blast of flame into his body, incinerating him.

When Talon respawned he immediately went into another lane and begged on of the Champions there to switch with him. Talon played a hard match. He relentlessly fought his opposition with the new tricks he learned from Lee Sin.

Talon drew several kills and destroyed three towers with the help of his team. He even fought alongside Master Yi a few times. Talon led the team to victory making good time on the opposition. However Talon mysteriously disappeared whenever the winged champion came to battle.

Talon was a nervous wreck until the end of the match. While Talon ran back to platforms, Yi stopped him and began an assault of questions.

"Why weren't you in the last fight at the nexus, dog?" he spat.

"I was busy clearing a wave of minions, Yi. Now, step aside," Talon said aggravated.

"I want to know what is going on!" Yi said angrily, stepping in front of him, "Don't tempt me."

"We were fighting as a team and we won," Talon growled, "Now begone from me, I need to get to Irelia."

"Why you.." Yi began.

Talon pushed him out of the way and made his way to the platform. He was teleported back to the summoning room. Talon made his way out of the room and a figure was standing there waiting for him. It was Lee Sin.

"Talon, my friend," Lee said warmly, "How did it go? I would have watched but..."

"Haha, I did well Lee," Talon laughed, "More training in two days, yes?"

"Yes," Lee said proudly.

They clapped hands.

Talon walked away while Lee went to talking to Yi. Talon got to his room quickly and unstrapped all of his armor and blades, leaving only his uniform. He got a change of clothes, and made his way to the showers.

When he got there, the eerie gut feeling he got came back. He peered into the dark room and said,

"If you are in there, come out!"

Silence.

Talon tentatively took a step into the shower room and looked around. Dark and empty. He got undressed and found a stall to shower in. He washed his body quickly as the steam rose up around him.

He remembered back in the days of his childhood, he would sometimes have to bathe in the disgusting moat of Noxus. And when that wasn't an option, sewage gray water. Talon scrubbed harder just thinking about it.

When Talon got dressed and left the showers, the feeling came back again. Talon finally decided he had had enough. He dropped his dirty uniform and produced a dagger he had hidden. He shadowstepped high into the arched stone ceiling and perched there. He quickly scanned the area and saw movement at a corner down the hall.

Talon shot there with lightning speed and turned the corner. Talon got around the corner in time to see a huge sword swing in his direction. Shit. His overeagerness got the better of him and he walked right into a trap. This was it then.

But Talon did not feel a blade so much as a hilt come crashing onto his skull. Talon got knocked out, and all the world went black as a figure scooped him up.

When Talon awoke he was in his bed. A woman in an orange and gold robe sat at the foot of his bed, looking at him. When Talon stirred the woman came to him and hushed his groans.

"I'm sorry I had to hit you," she said, "But you came at me like a madman! I was just defending myself."

Her fierce eyes and calm demeanor didn't compliment each other as much as Talon wanted.

"Who are you, and why are you following me everywhere I go?" Talon asked groggily.

"My name is Kayle," she said quietly, "And I haven't been following you."

"Liar..." Talon whispered.

"No," she smiled like Talon was a child, "I don't lie. I was in the hallway when you came around the corner wielding a blade. I just reacted, still had my sword in hand."

She brushed her light hair out of her eyes and spoke again,

"I was your opponent in the match this morning."

"I know," Talon said, sitting up, "I recognized you from the lake."

Her cheeks suddenly went red and she stood up.

"You must be mistaken," she mumbled.

"I know what I saw..." Talon began when a knock hit the door.

"Knives?" came a muffled voice, "Are you in there?"

"Oh no," Kayle whispered.

She turned to Talon and spoke quickly in hushed tones,

"Meet me by the lake, whenever you can!"

She turned and ran to the window. She lept out the window and soared off into the evening sky. The sun was going down.

"Knives?" Irelia said through the door, "Talon?"

"One moment," Talon yelled as politely as he could.

He went to the door and opened it to Irelia looking at him with crossed arms.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Nothing darling," Talon said smiling.

She grinned and loosened up, "I love it when you call me darling."

Talon and Irelia went to the grand hall for dinner. It was rather empty so Talon and Irelia chatted like crazy. They talked about how well Talon's match went, and his newfound friendship with Lee. Irelia talked about her meditations and how her League matches were better than ever.

When they finished eating, Talon excused himself and said he'd be back to Irelia's room later to sleep. This had been a new thing. Irelia wanted to be near Talon while they slept, but Talon felt uncomfortable with her in his room. Too many blades and not enough charm. He also found out about himself that he was embarrassed because of his clutter.

Irelia departed with a smile and a light kiss. Talon slipped away and found himself outside. He didn't want anything to take long. Talon made his way to the lake and sure enough, Kayle was waiting for him.

...With her clothes on.

Talon approached her and she stopped him.

"I'll make this quick," she said.

"Okay," Talon said, crossing his arms.

She sighed, "Okay. I have been, watching you. For a few weeks now."

"Go on."

"Nasus and I are partners in the resistance. He asked me to check up on you and make sure you were fighting for the same side. After, and before you met him and the others."

"Oh?"

"I'm sorry. I just, I wanted to keep track of you. Keep you safe."

"What do you mean, keep me safe?"

"Dangerous times are coming, Talon. I don't want you to get hurt."

With that, Kayle turned and jumped into the air. Her wings unfurled and she flew off into the sky, out of sight.

"But you don't owe me anything..." Talon whispered.

Talon made his way back to Irelia's room. She was already asleep. Talon laid down on the small lounge next to her bed and closed his eyes. Kayle's image flashed around in his mind. Talon had to keep looking at Irelia every few moments to shake the image of Kayle from his mind. It wasn't going to be an easy night.