The Passage of Twin Disciplines
Chapter Nine
The Black Rose's Thorns
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Jarvan stood behind his father's right side. Beside him, behind his father's left shoulder stood his mother, a smile on her lips as she watched her husband, oblivious to the crowd. Jarvan the Fourth smiled and shook his head, one day he wanted a marriage like the one his parents shared. If everything went as he hoped, possibly one day soon.
Jarvan the Third, the Lightening Shield, the King of Demacia; leaned forward to rest his hands on the balcony railing, waving at his cheering subjects. His father was a hair's width shorter than his son, and was reminded relentlessly of that fact. With hair that is a deep, jet black and the darker cousin to his son's deep brown that he had inherited from his mother.
Calloused fingers rolled against the smooth stone of the balcony railing, the Lightening Shield's beard trimmed and full, covering his jaw as he waited for the commotion to quiet down. He wore robes similar to his son's, with the royal insignia on the sleeves and the back. Upon his head sat the crown of Demacia, glimmering in the dozens of mage lights that were thrown skyward.
"Subjects! Friends! Brothers at arms!" The king roared, only to be deafened by the resounding chorus, the ground shook as the hilts of weapons and boots were stamped against the ground. "Tonight, we celebrate our freedom! We celebrate who we are!"
A resounding rally of 'Demacia!' shook the kingdom as every living soul within the borders took up the popular war cry. "How many years, how many decades have we fought against the Noxian scum? How many times have they assaulted our homeland, killed our people?"
The king paused, and the crowd grumbled with a rolling hatred, "and how many times have we pushed them back!" The king roared, pushing back from the balcony as he stood at his full height, clenching his fist and jaw with the last words. "How many times have we conquered them only to have them crawl back out of the ground like cockroaches that refuse to die!"
Again, the proclamation was followed by cheers, and a chant of Demacia over and over as even the stalwart guards began to join the growing frenzy. The prince felt his fists ball up and tighten painfully as he narrowed his eyes, the speech was getting to him as well as he thought back to all the friends and brothers he had watched die at the end of a Noxian attack.
To die on the sword, with glory was one thing! But the Noxian dogs fought with poison and fumes that killed even their own troupes. They were despicable! Worthless, an incurable growth that refused to die no matter how many times the Demacian's tore out their heart!
"No more!" The king roared, silencing the crowd as they waited with a pulsing energy. "Tomorrow, we attack! Tomorrow, at first light a new war will begin, a war led by my son, and your prince! Jarvan the Fourth!"
Jarvan was shocked, he had heard nothing about an all out attack during any of the war meetings. Struggling to come out of his fog, he was pushed forward roughly by his father's hand on his shoulder to be presented to the cheering crowd.
"The Summoners would have us take these attacks and wait until it suits them to retaliate!" The king continued, and every eye and ear was fixed on him, shocked by his boldness. Never before, had anyone spoken out so publicly against the Summoners. "I say, we take matters into our own hands! Tomorrow, we will remind Valoran what it means to be a Demacian!"
The earth shook with the volume of the cheers, fists and weapons being thrust into the air. Everywhere, the streets were filled with screaming children, women and men, fully behind their king and country.
With the cries of impending war still filling the air, Jarvan the Third turned, meeting his son's gaze until the prince let the challenge drop, and walked where his citizens could no longer see him. The prince quickly turned, and followed his father's steps as they walked into the war room.
"Father!" The prince called, followed closely by his mother. "Father, please, wait!" Jarvan pleaded, as the king stopped and leaned over the table in the centre of the room, his eyes skittering from one point to the next as he studied the map that was trapped under a layer of glass on the top of the table.
The map was enchanted to show the position of every deployed Demacian troupe as they travelled, resulting in small red dots moving around the continent. The king touched one of the spots, and the glass shimmered as text became legible, detailing the number of troupes still alive in the brigade, as well as the leader.
The kings eyes widened, and he smiled devilishly before fixing his visage and turning towards his son, hands still perched atop the table.
"Father... what was the meaning of that? I haven't heard-" Jarvan was silenced by a raised palm, his father closing his eyes wearily.
"That is the point, my son. Your cousin is dead, murdered by Noxian spies that should not have known where he was."
"I thought he was only a training mission?" Jarvan breathed, eyes wide as he took in the news. His cousin had been\ only fourteen, but had been promising to become a first rate general.
"Exactly!" Roared the king, slamming a closed first against the glass. "There is a spy within our court, which is why we must strike before word can reach Noxus, we must strike back before they are able to set up any defence!" The queen reached out to touch her husbands arm, trying to offer some comfort to the grieving, old man.
"Tomorrow, my son... you will show them the might of Demacia, you will strike with the hammer of her wrath." The prince nodded, accepting his charge.
"As you wish, father. I will lead the charge."
"Leave me." The king ordered, looking at the table top with a fierce intensity. Jarvan offered his arm to his mother, and walked with her out of the war room, letting the heavy wooden doors close behind them.
As soon as the door closed, the king began to laugh. At first, it was a quiet rumble in his chest, signature of such a large man. Then it changed, his voice became higher as he threw his head back and laughed a shrill laugh.
Slowly his fingers changed, losing some of their girth as they became slender and the skin became smooth, losing their previous callouses. In a matter of seconds, the king transformed and the fortune teller stood grinning and laughing over the map that told her of every Demacian troupe in Valoran.
It was all so easy, and soon... so soon, they would have the prince.
"Are you ready to leave, or do you need more time to cackle like a rock addled idiot?" A cloaked man stepped out of the shadows, his hood pulled up as his cape danced around his feet. The King, now female sorcerer that stood scantily clad over the table, smiled.
"We cannot leave yet," she snapped, glaring at her partner. "You still have your obligations to fulfil." The assassin glowered at the sorceress, debating on simply killing her rather than suffer her fantasy of controlling him. The only person he would permit to command him was the General Du Couteau, not this Black Rose illusionist.
"Remember, Marcus requested you specifically for this." She cooed, pressing her front flush against his chest, fingers running over the rough stubble on his jaw. Her comment seemed to silence his inner debate for him and he brushed his partner off.
"Fine."
With a triumphant twinkle in her eye, the illusionist walked around him, drawing runes and mumbling to herself. Strings of magic erupted from her fingertips, weaving around the assassins muscled frame and changing him into the exact image of the King, Jarvan the Third. Even his clothes had changed to match the robes that still hung off the sorceress's much smaller physic.
"Do you need any help in... other areas?" She asked, a giggle on her lips as he turned to leave.
"The only thing I am struggling with is your continuing existence, I will meet you outside the Tardy Soldier pub in three hours. If you are not there, I will leave without you." With that, the assassin left the war room, hidden in plain sight as he passed saluting soldiers.
Shaking her head, Leblanc looked back at the mysterious table in front of her. It was... magnificent. She had never seen anything so detailed, and at the same time, so very arrogant! Did the Demacians truly believe that building such an enchanted item was a good idea?
While she agreed it would come in handy knowing where every posted soldier was, and the state of their troupe as soon as things changed. What if someone were to sneak inside, and somehow managed to copy the magic? Someone like the matron of the Black Rose.
It was all too easy. Sneaking inside, well if she could match such a title to what they had done. The guards hadn't even searched them with the multitudes of peasants and soldiers trying to pierce the gates for the festival. Then that foolhardy prince.
He should learn to guard his 'treasures' a bit more closely. That mage had been so easy to dispose of, her and her pet gargoyle. The King had been just as easy, set in a trance so he would remember everything that had transpired as if he himself had done it.
Tomorrow, they would have the Prince, and the executioner would bring him to the Noxian council where they would decide what to do with him. Mount his head for his loving subjects to look upon in abject horror would be more accurate if Leblanc's guess were accurate. Her only regret is she herself would not be gifted with the blow that silenced the royal brat. No, if he wound up dead within his own borders the Summoners could possibly cover it up.
But, if the he were to die explicitly at the hands of Noxus, the King would see red and all reason would leave him. The war would be eminent and unavoidable.
Which leads to Talon's finishing touch. Impregnating the queen with a Noxian prince who will take over the throne with his older brother slain, and the king to have an untimely death once he is old enough to assume the title. The best part was, Talon was so close to the Demacian King in his physical aspects, no one would suspect a bastard child. Not until his darker nature took control.
Soon, Demacia would crumple from the inside out, and the Black Rose will rise from the ashes wrought.
~o~
'Because, you are the closest thing to family she has left.' Nasus told the young Kinkou warrior. Akali bit back a retort, closing her eyes as she let out a sigh.
"If this doesn't work, is it permanent?" Akali asked, the pang of guilt she had felt earlier refusing to leave. Why wouldn't that stupid cat just raise her head and act like her usual stubborn self? That at least, Akali could work with.
'No, if you were to give back the necklace, and truly did not want it anymore, the bond would be broken.
'However, like I said before, this will only work if you learn to trust each other. This bond is only as strong as the one you form between each other. It is already growing as we speak, if you had never encountered me, eventually you would have reached the proposed state. Theoretically at least. All I will be doing is strengthening the bound that has already begun to grow.' Nasus paused, waiting to see if his impatient audience was going to interrupt. Seeing her silent, for once, he smiled thoughtfully and continued. Perhaps, there was some hope.
'Likewise, if you two were to grow to dislike or distrust each other, the bond will weaken and eventually break. At that point, I believe Nidalee would regain ownership of the necklace once more.'
Looking at her companion, Akali pushed aside the uneasiness she was feeling. It was breakable, she could choose, at any point in time, to break the connection to her mind. This wouldn't be at all like when the Summoner invaded her conscience without any regard for what she may or may not have wanted him to see.
With a steadying breath, Akali found her inner balance before replying to the ancient. "As long as Nidalee agrees as well, then I accept your offer. I think it would be helpful to understand her if we are going to be working together for a while."
Nasus nodded at the young warrior, turning to Nidalee as he relayed her message silently. As the cougar turned her evergreen eyes on her companion, she held her gaze for a few silent minutes before jumping off her chair and padding over to sit in front of Akali.
With one abrupt movement, Nidalee pressed her pink nose against Akali's stomach with closed her eyes. As a blush crept up Akali's neck, and she opened her mouth to question the odd motion, Nidalee pulled away and looked up with her, head cocked to the right.
"I don't..."
'The stomach is the most vulnerable spot on the body. By your allowing her fangs so close, it showed her, without a doubt, that you trust her and it was also her way of saying she would never hurt you. From where she comes from, it's a sign of affection and trust. It is an action mates often use, but it is also an action mothers use on their offspring.' Nasus explained evenly, watching the exchange with an unreadable expression.
Akali was speechless. As her cheeks continued to burn, and she watched the large cat and her emerald greens, she found the peace she needed to take the next step.
"I guess that means she accepts," without breaking her connection with the cougar, she continued. "Alright, let's see what goes on in that thick head of yours." Nidalee snorted, a smile crinkling the corner of her eyes.
~o~
'Are you both ready? As I explained earlier, I do no have enough magic at my disposal to complete this spell alone, so I am using an emerald a friend of mine used to use to storage excess energy. Once I tap into it, there will be a lot of energy released, which I will be using to send you to the Demacian borders once the ritual has been completed.' Nasus explained once more to his waiting test subjects.
Akali was garbed in her usual attire, with her cloak pulled over her shoulders to hide her gleaming weapons. Hanging against her back, is a pack Nasus had given them, filled with food and provisions, as well as a few books Nidalee had puppy-eyed the ninja into taking as well.
Beside her, Nidalee was sitting on the floor, tail tapping the smooth stone in a rhythmic pattern. Which was doing nothing to settle the flustered horse that Akali had all but forgotten. She had assumed that he had been left tied to the tree where she had last seen him, it had been a shock to find the animal munching on supplied hay in the corner of a cleared room.
With supplies in hand, Akali looked down at the rune circle she was standing in the centre of with the huntress. Helpful or not, it was creepy. She felt as if she were simply allowing someone to take a shot at her and she was walking right into it.
Nidalee's chest hummed with excitement, already the air was singing and pulsing. It was like when she would shift forms, everywhere magic was coursing. Not just through the air, but rolling over the ground and slithering over her skin. The fur on the back of her neck stood on end and she shivered, it was delightful.
The huntress watched with avid fascination as the wolf-man took the tiny, shiny rock in his hand, chanting in a quiet tongue. It was odd, hearing him speak out loud... his voice was deep and resembled a wolf's growl with its hackles up.
As the words began to direct the energy around the room, Nidalee felt Akali press her palm against her forehead, as instructed, and closed her eyes, willing herself to feel for the human. The energy that swam around the room began to rise and fall, like the steady rhythm of the river by her home. She could almost picture the water as it bubbled over the rocks and splashed against the riverbank.
With her mind's eye, she took an unsteady step forward, and the grass ran up and tickled the pads on her paws, finding the crevices between her toes. With a happy skip she landed on the rocks, sending them scattering and rolling. Another skip and she splashed down into the shallow water of the river when something caught her attention. She watched as a large buck burst out of the trees, forelegs reaching for the far bank as the muscles of his hindquarters surged and sent him forward.
Akali's palm began to sweat against Nidalee's golden fur and she clenched her eyes shut tighter.
Without warning, she could not longer feel the cougar and turned, eyes snapping open as she looked around. It was dark, so dark and sweat clung to her frame. She looked down, and her heart began to hammer at what she saw. What was going on?
Above her, a bird screeched and she jumped, looking around. Where was she? Nothing seemed right. She reached for Nidalee's necklace on reflex, but it was gone.
"No..." She breathed, frantically searching herself before turning to the ground and looking through the grass and fallen leaves. "Where is it! I-" Akali screamed as a roar startled her, and a large feline strode out of the darkness, watching her with hungry intent.
This wasn't Nidalee, Akali didn't know this predator. This predator resembled Nidalee, her frame and the way her ears flickered were the same. But.. her coat was dark, almost brown rather than golden, and her eyes were darker.
The teeth however, were real enough and her lips were pulled back to revealed her weapon of choice. Akali reached for her kama, prepared to defend herself, when she was again met with a fruitless search. They weren't there, she was completely defenceless against the large cat.
Without another option, Akali began to run. Leaves slapped at her skin, and slippery grass gave little grip for her feet to push off of as she tried to keep out of the feline's maw. She could hear the crashes, the branches snapping and the loud growl that charged after her.
Just like before, Nidalee shifted and prepared to throw her spear when her brother sprung out of the brush, claws latching down onto the bucks flank as they crashed into the river. The buck cried out in terror just once, before it was silenced by a broken neck.
Nidalee felt tears welling up, tears of pure joy as she looked at her brother pulling his prey out of the rushing water. Rushing over, she tackled him in a rib crushing hug, tears free falling as she ground her face into his wet chest.
Her brother looked down at her and licked her cheek, successfully ruffling the huntresses hair with a cow lick. He was okay, everything would be okay. That strange snake-striker hadn't killed him after all, everything could go back to how she remembered it.
Akali continued to run, a scrape running up the side of her leg as she stumbled. Ducking under a high root of an old, gnarled tree, Akali hid. Her tiny, childlike frame easily fit into the tight space. She listened, keeping her panting breath as quiet as possible for any sign of the predator. Maybe she had lost her in the dense underbrush.
Just when her heartbeat began to settle, a branch cracked and she held her breath. A low rumbling was just behind her, on the other side of the tree where her back was protected.
She could hear the cougar as she began to search, paws pushing aside leaves and twigs.
Akali squeezed her eyes shut, pulling her knees against her chest... she didn't want to die. But how could she possibly fight the cat, or escape without her weapons or gear? She was alone, and she had no one to help her.
Her mother wouldn't help her, she would just look upon she with disgust. How could the Kinkou heir fall to a beast? Shen would not help her, it was her own fault for leaving the estate, alone and without telling anyone where she was going.
Akali felt tears rolling down her cheeks and she sniffled, opening her eyes to see a large saucer like paw pause in front of the tree trunk.
Nidalee paused her joyous reunion, something wasn't right. Pushing away from her brother, she sniffed at the air, Akali? But, what was the human doing around here?
Her brother bumped his head against the back of her legs, purring as he rubbed against her, his weight nearly knocking the huntress off her feet. Mindlessly, she ran her fingers over the fur on the top of his head, scratching at his favourite spot behind his ears.
She could smell it, fear. Her heart was pounding in her ears, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. With narrowed eyes, Nidalee looked around, why was she filled with so much fear? Such... despair.
Nidalee reached out, closing her eyes, reaching for anything that would help guide her to the answers she sought. At last, she opened her eyes and saw a silvery trail leading across the river into the brush. The trees were so dark, it didn't make sense... the fire was up, it should be bright, not dark.
Without another thought, she shifted and plunged into the river. Once she had reached the other side, her brother let out a plaintive yowl, his head lowered submissively.
Nidalee looked at him, and flicked her ears towards the trees. There was no reason he could not come as well. In reply, he lowered his head further and sat down, his eyes sad as he watched her.
Confused, Nidalee paused and took a step back towards him when the panic she had been feeling picked up again. Her ears locked in the direction it was coming from and she tried to see into the darkness that refused her entry. With one last look at her brother, she closed her eyes and dipped her head to him in an apology, taking off at a dead sprint into the darkness.
Akali let out a tiny whimper and pressed her back against the rough bark, scrambling and pushing dirt towards the entrance as her feet churned. The hunter, realizing where his prey was hiding, looked into the tiny crawl space and roared, reaching a paw inward with claws extended before she suddenly disappeared altogether.
A flash of gold, followed by a pair of roars, signalled the beginning of a brawl. Paws scraped over the mud in front of her hiding spot as the cougar was pushed back before the ground shuddered and a pained howl sent a chill down her spine.
Moments later, a light wind pushed a couple bashful leaves inside her hovel, convincing them to dance before settling atop her feet. As Akali watched the display, she looked up to see a pair of green eyes looking in, with a hand offered to her.
Reluctantly, she took the offering and allowed the older woman to pull her from her hiding spot as the cougar disappeared with the wind, like ashes being blown on by a curious child.
Instantly, Akali pressed her head against the woman's stomach and began to cry, shaking and sobbing while accepting the offered comfort that rushed over her body like a warm shower on a cold day. As her crying intensified, a warmth radiated from the older woman that washed over her and pushed out the fear and the hurt, steadily calming her.
Akali looked up at Nidalee and sniffed, who smiled and cocked her head, filling the girl with a sense of safety and she couldn't help but trust her.
Moments later, everything cleared and Akali blinked, looking up at the trees and sunlight. She recognized the area she was in, she was standing on the borders of the Demacian farmland. Which meant... the spell had worked.
Scared, but at the same time, curious; Akali tried to find Nidalee without looking for her, instead, she felt for the cougar-girl and was instantly aware of her presence directly beside her. It was, odd to say the least, to be able to feel Nidalee's presence rather than... see her, or...
Akali shook her head, it was like... she couldn't describe it. The feeling of being connected to someone on a level beyond physical. It was both incredibly exciting, and at the same time, frightening.
As she was contemplating her newest conundrum, a picture of a bird flashed in her mind, stark blue and sitting... just to her left. But how? Beside her, Nidalee made an impatient noise and the picture of the bird flashed again, this time with purpose, curiosity.
Her eyebrows coming together in confusion, Akali looked down at the sitting huntress who had once again regained her human shape. "It's a bird, what about it?" With shocking volume, the word 'bird!' Rang through her mind over and over again. It was Nidalee, her voice was inside her mind happily rattling off bird over and over as pictures fluttered through her self-conscious.
The hutresses voice took the warrior's breath away. It was so light, and soft, the exact same as she remembered it from when she was a child. With a small smile, Akali watched the girl turn her attention to her mount. Instantly, a picture of the horse was relayed into her mind.
Realization dawned on Akali as she figured out Nidalee's newest discovery and probable game, this was going to be a long trip.
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Alright, end of chapter ten! So, I was looking at the stats on this story, and I realized something rather odd. This story has the second most story alerts out of my four posted fics, (behind Missing Puzzle Pieces which is substantially longer.) and yet the least reviews.
I hate to whine, but I would like to ask you to take two seconds and let me know what you think so far. What do you like, (I'm assuming something if it's on alert) what don't you like? What, if anything, would you like to see happen? Any feedback would be welcome, thanx in advance. -Kiravu
Ps, yay for doubling chapter lengths?