A/N: We're finally getting to the point in the story in which everyone is more or less in the same place. I'm trying to get used to longer chapters so I can accommodate parts of the story that will involve a larger amount of cast being in a single chapter. I hope it's not too off putting. Thanks for reading!
"So let me get this straight," King Jarvan III began, "you knew this whole time? You should have killed him and thrown his lifeless body at my feet the moment you found out! Why didn't you say anything!?"
Quinn winced at the image the king had put in her head. Demacia was a nation of ideals and preached peace, but it held not even a shred of mercy for its enemies. She had assumed something like this would happen, and she had made sure resolve herself to face the consequences of her choice before she let him walk out that door. Still, mental preparation can only do so much. She was facing charges of treason, punishable by death. She didn't know whether or not her actions were truly worth it, but that didn't matter now. What's done is done, and regrets wouldn't change anything.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" King Jarvan III asked.
"I do not, My King," she answered. "The findings in Lady Crownguard's report are, to the best of my knowledge, accurate. The man recently invited to Demacia City under the alias Bertrand Raschallion is actually the Noxian assassin commonly known as Talon. It is also true that I became aware of this before his departure last week."
"No, you didn't just 'become aware of the information'; you invited him into your home!" the king yelled, his voice booming throughout the throne room,a rather unnecessary display of authority considering the only people there were the king himself and Luxanna Crownguard, her close friend. "You knew he was one of the most dangerous enemies Demacia has ever faced, you knew he was here to prevent Demacia from interfering with Noxus's invasion of Ionia, and you knew that this man could very well take the lives of any one of us standing here if you let him go, and yet, you did nothing."
"I-I didn't know about the invasion; he didn't say anything about that!" Quinn protested. Her neck was essentially already in the noose, she may as well make sure she hung for the right reasons.
"She's probably right, your majesty," Luxanna said. Quinn was glad to have Lux back up her statement; she was the reason she was facing trial in the first place. The information that revealed Ambassador Raschallion's true identity was buried within the findings of her most recent infiltration into Noxus. The findings had been at Demacia's disposal for a few months now, but it was likely that someone as inconsequential as the ambassador was deemed not worth the time of looking into. It was only once news of the invasion reached Demacia that they thought to look into his conveniently timed arrival and uncovered his true identity. Exactly how they knew that Quinn knew was something that still escaped the ranger's knowledge, but she assumed that there were spies tailing them during their multiple outings during his stay.
"As far as we know," Luxanna continued, "Talon did not commit any malicious acts during his stay here. He may have neglected to inform us of the Noxian invasion, but that isn't necessarily the same thing as deceit. I would also argue that his presence had a negligible effect on our ability to respond to the Ionian invasion. Even if he hadn't come at all, we would have learned about it at the exact same time. That being said, it is unlikely he bothered dressing up and coming here simply for a free meal at the king's table. His true motives elude us yet."
"Do you happen to have any leads regarding that, Lady Crownguard?" the king asked.
Lux flipped through the papers she had available to her, skimming through them to see if she could find anything that would betray the assassin's reason for coming to Demacia City. "Uhh, no, nothing concrete."
"Why don't you take a guess, just based on what we do know," the king insisted. "I don't care how absurd it sounds, anything will do."
"Well, the only explanation that could be substantiated at this point is that he came to see Quinn. You did say he personally asked after her when he first arrived, didn't you, Your Highness?"
The king's eyes narrowed in skepticism of this claim, but he did indeed remember that Talon had requested Quinn by name. Perhaps this explanation should be lent more credence than he had initially thought. "Quinn, do you have any comments on this? Would you say that coming to visit you would be a sufficient motive to fit Talon's actions?"
Quinn's gaze wandered around the throne room as she tried to answer the question for herself. "It doesn't necessarily seem worth his time to come all the way here just to say 'hi'. But, the circumstances were a bit more complex than that…"
"Enlighten us," the king demanded.
"After the dinner party, he confronted me outside of the palace."
"Was it revenge for your fight in the borderlands?" Lux asked.
"No, it was nothing like that," Quinn answered. "He had a question for me. He wanted to know if the name 'Caleb' meant anything to me."
Surprise made itself apparent on Luxanna's face. It came as no surprise to anyone that she had thoroughly familiarized herself with Quinn's background before this trial. That being the case, Luxanna knew exactly what significance that name held to her.
"Caleb being your deceased twin brother," Lux noted aloud.
"Yes, but he's not deceased," Quinn corrected. "Caleb is still very much alive."
"How do you mean? What does this have to do with that murderer?" King Jarvan III asked.
"The boy I once called my brother is now the man we all call Talon. Fate has seen fit to turn my greatest friend into my fiercest enemy."
Luxanna and the king fell silent as they processed this new information. This was quickly proving to be a far more nuanced situation than either of them had suspected. A few moments passed in oppressive silence before Luxanna made a suggestion.
"My Liege," she began, "perhaps we should reevaluate our position here?"
"Elaborate," King Jarvan III commanded.
"Of course. I'm suggesting that we conduct the remainder of our investigation in a more… amicable manner. As grave a crime as treason is, Quinn has been nothing but outstanding since becoming a Demacian Ranger. Perhaps she didn't report the ambassador's true identity because she saw an opportunity to get close to him and learn vital information." This was just like Lux. If Quinn played along, she might end up having a reasonable excuse for her crimes. She would, of course, be lying through her teeth, but this was the gallows she was facing…
"Is this true, Quinn?" the king asked. "Did you use the opportunity to learn more about the fiend?"
"Well, I did learn quite a bit about him, but I'd like to make it clear that I did so because I was curious about my brother, not because I wanted to take advantage of our relation as siblings to bring him his demise."
"Fair enough," the king said, "but you did learn about him."
"…And I'm willing to share everything I know. I can tell you who he is, how he lived, how he learned to kill… I can give you his entire life story… None of it will make him easier to take down."
There was a shift in the air around the Demacian King. He seemed as though he had transitioned from scolding disobedient children to conversing with reasonable adults. "Then speak. I'm curious to see if I will come to hold the same respect for the man that you seem to."
For the next hour, Quinn recounted Talon's story as well as she could remember, the king's interest in the tale increasing with every word.
"I'm sorry to inconvenience you sir, but you have no summons, and no one within the guard has been told to expect your arrival."
Talon stared the guard down before realizing the futility of his insistence. It was true that he did not have permission to enter the main tower of the Immortal Bastion, and giving this guard grief for doing his job would ultimately prove to be a waste of both of their time.
Talon turned away from the guard and walked a fair distance away from him, searching for a decent view of the structure. Upon reflection, it seemed to be the case that he wasn't allowed into a large majority of the places he had been in his line of work, and the ability to circumvent that issue was part of his primary skill set. The main tower was arguably the most intimidating structure in the entire empire. Its height dwarfed some mountains and its architectural complexity could not yet be replicated by modern technology. Thanks to the vast amount of knowledge that could be found within the Du Couteau manor's library, Talon knew that the Immortal Bastion was not built by Noxus, but instead found. This tower was well older than the empire, and was likely constructed with the aid of ancient magics. Luckily, whatever elder power that created this was not aware that there would be a street urchin dumb enough to try to climb it, and had left a somewhat difficult, but very doable, climb in Talon's path. After finding a fairly secluded entry point, the assassin broke into a brisk jog and made his first move up the colossal obstacle that lay before him.
Jericho Swain sat in his throne, his mutated raven Beatrice perched upon his shoulder as always. As much as he valued the Black Rose's newfound proactive approach to influencing government affairs, LeBlanc's visits were becoming far too frequent for his tastes, especially during a time of war. Marcus's most recent report indicated the loss of nearly a third of the vanguard force in a single battle; if that was true, then the war needed far more attention that domestic affairs. Noxus was more than capable of surviving without being babysat. Each city had a governing lord that was more than familiar with how their own land worked, and the Black Rose would act as necessary to maintain Noxus's strength with or without his approval. Surely LeBlanc understood this. Then why… why… was she in his throne room droning on about some petty lord's gala? Why was she even here? This behavior was incredibly unusual for her, new Leblanc or no.
A sudden break in the sorceress's constant stream of trivial nonsense brought Jericho's attention back to the conversation. Had she asked him a question? He sincerely hoped she hadn't asked him a question.
"Now, Jericho," the woman began, playfully scolding the High Commander, "you didn't tell me you had invited other guests. This was supposed to be a private meeting."
Beatrice cawed in affirmation of LeBlanc's accusation; she too sensed another presence. "What are you talking about?" Swain asked.
"Oh, you'll see," LeBlanc answered. The matron of the Black Rose dusted off her left shoulder with a cocky grin spread across her face. Within seconds, a hooded figure appeared behind the sorceress, right hand rested on her left shoulder.
Jericho shot out off of his throne in preparation to do battle, his cane slamming into the alabaster floor. LeBlanc raised her right hand to signal Swain to calm himself. Upon seeing that he had complied, LeBlanc spoke up.
"You know, Talon, it is awfully rude to just teleport into people's private meetings like that. If I were in a less forgiving mood, you might have dire consequences to pay."
Jericho narrowed his eyes at the figure behind LeBlanc to get a better look at him. His cloak was a faded blue, adorned with numerous blades hanging off of the back via long leather straps: a truly absurd outfit. It was indeed General Du Couteau's sewer-rat protégé.
"You have my sincerest apologies, Madame LeBlanc; I had no way of knowing you were present," Talon said with an exaggerated bow. He stepped in front of the sorceress to speak directly to Swain. "Though I have to say, it would have been much easier if the guards allowed me through the front gate."
Jericho sneered as he returned to his throne, utterly dismayed that he used so much energy over such a trifling matter. "How did you even get in here?" he asked.
"I blinked."
"From where? I thought you weren't allowed inside?"
The assassin motioned to the ledge that jutted out from the base of a nearby window that began from the floor and stretched nearly to the ceiling, one of many that lined both walls of the throne room. "I wouldn't have to climb if you just let me in."
Jericho sighed at the youthful recklessness that seemed to possess the young man before him. "You do not answer to me, boy; you have made that abundantly clear. What business could you possibly have at the Immortal Bastion if you are naught but House Du Couteau's lapdog?"
"I have come to see if I am needed," Talon responded. "I don't know much about the situation in Ionia. I thought you might have orders that couldn't wait until I got there. So I'm here, just in case."
"Hmm… In that regard, I suppose you did well," Swain noted. "There is one matter that requires the attention of someone of your… caliber, though I wouldn't exactly call it a pressing issue. First, I would have your report. Does Demacia know of the invasion?"
"I left before the news reached them, but by now, it would be wise to assume they are aware. I would expect full mobilization of the Demacian army within four days."
"I thought you were instructed to smooth over the news of the invasion in Demacia," LeBlanc said. "How in the world did you manage that if you left before they even found out?"
"My instructions were to kill Zelos, and I think you will find he is very much dead," Talon answered. "Anything beyond that was understood to be nothing more than a suggestion. Besides, I was compromised. I doubt I will be able to return to Demacia under that alias ever again."
"Goodness, defiant and incompetent," LeBlanc noted. "Whatever will we do with you?"
It was not often that Talon had to exercise his powers of restraint, but this LeBlanc woman seemed to know exactly how to bring him to the edge.
"Enough, LeBlanc," Jericho insisted, "He has done his duty and returned to us alive, I fail to see any incompetence in that. I'm sure you are eager to be quit of this place, so I will give you your assignment. You may recall escorting a Shuriman mage to Noxus Prime some time ago."
"Taliyah?" Talon asked.
"Yes, Taliyah," Swain confirmed, "She is reported to have rebelled against her commander and taken refuge in Ionia. We suspect her to be behind the disappearance of a small platoon near a village at the base of Tevasa Mountain. Your mission is to locate and neutralize her, be that peacefully returning her to Noxus or driving a blade through her skull."
"Understood," Talon acknowledged. "I'll depart at once."
"Before that, you should be informed of our progress in Ionia; you will need to know which provinces you can move freely through and which will require more subtle means to traverse. Shon-Xan in the South-East is the only province completely within our control. General Du Couteau's vanguard army if currently fighting to take the province of Zhyun, but resistance has been fierce. He's already lost a third of his army to the Ionians there, including your comrade within the Crimson Elite: Riven."
"What!? How!?"
"She and a fair portion of the vanguard army were cut off from the main force and ambushed by Ionian soldiers. General Du Couteau decided to sacrifice his men to bring down the enemy forces around them with a large scale chemical attack. I must admit, it is a most inconvenient loss."
A foul aura washed over Talon as he finally registered what he'd been told. Riven was dead, but she hadn't been felled by a greater warrior, she had been killed by her own commander. This was absolutely ridiculous. What kind of empire casts aside the lives of its own loyal soldiers like that? He wanted to speak out, but he remained silently in place, trying desperately to find a justification for his friend's death, but he could find none.
"You said it was a chemical attack, is there any chance there are survivors?" Talon asked.
"It is extremely unlikely," Swain replied. "It is my understanding that the fallen troops were completely trapped between the terrain of the area and Ionian forces. It would be best to put this matter behind you and focus on your new target; immersing yourself in a new assignment should take your mind off of things."
Talon hated to admit it, but he was right. There was nothing to be gained from moping about in denial. He was above that. He knew he was above it, but why then did he hurt so much? They hadn't known each other for very long at all, and still the weight of her loss pulled his spirits into a thick black abyss.
Little by little, Talon coaxed himself into a fuming rage. She didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve to go like that. Why did this meaningless war have to take one of the only people he held dear to him? Hadn't Noxus already taken enough from him? His innocence, his childhood, his freedom, Kavyn, none of them satisfied this accursed land, and now it had taken Riven, too. His father had killed Riven, and Noxus had killed everything else. Their Noxus… the Noxus of Jericho Swain and LeBlanc's Black Rose… that Noxus had taken everything from him.
"Did you care for her?" LeBlanc asked, feigning a genuine interest. Talon didn't answer, but she was more than able to infer his feelings. "I thought you would be smarter than that, Talon. You should know better than anyone that everything you try to hold onto will end up slipping through your fingers so long as you live this life. Be it a casualty of war or a hostage used against you, such connections do nothing for you. They will only serve to whittle away your constitution, just like this."
Talon knew she was right, he had told himself the very same thing his entire life. Ever since he slew Kavyn, he shut everyone out. He never knew who he would have to kill to see tomorrow, and it was best not to have any attachments to them when he sent them to the next life. But things were different now. Now he was safe, now he had a house to return to and a bed to sleep in. He was no longer vulnerable, nor where his companions defenseless. Was he to believe that his bonds with Marcus, Katarina, and Riven made him weak? Utter nonsense. The three of them brought him farther in this life than he ever imagined he could make it as a guttersnipe. Even his brief time with Quinn had solidified his past and afforded him a greater understanding of himself. No, he would not tolerate being preached to about his own life by some puffed up hag from a bygone era, no matter how important she thought she was.
"If you knew what was in your best interest, you would spend less time chasing skirts and more time honing your blade."
It took everything Talon had not to lash out LeBlanc at that very moment. He could tolerate brainless insults from just about anyone, no matter their station, but insult his skill… she may as well be mocking his very existence.
Talon turned to face LeBlanc, staring her dead in the eyes. "If you doubt my blade, perhaps you'd like to test its edge for yourself?"
LeBlanc instantly burst out in laughter, apparently finding humor in being challenged by someone she viewed as lower than her.
"Was that a threat?" She asked through her laughter, still baffled that such an absurd situation was truly taking place. "You had best remember your place, boy. I am the matron of the Black Rose; my words sway the very course of the Empire itself. I will not be disrespected by a street urchin with delusions of grandeur!" The sorceress slammed the base of her staff into the floor to emphasize her point.
Something about this situation just seemed so familiar. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he could swear he had experienced a similar argument before. The assassin continued to trade glares with LeBlanc for a brief second before it finally hit him. The tiara that sat atop LeBlanc's head was exactly the same as the one Evaine carried with her when she arranged his entry into Demacia. Was it magic, then? Talon reflected on this encounter to try to confirm his theory. Their mannerisms, their speech patterns, their arrogant smirks, all of them were identical. The characteristics shared by Evaine and LeBlanc locked into place like pieces of a puzzle, and Talon knew his hunch was correct.
Seemingly out of nowhere, the hostile expression that rode Talon's face was quickly replaced with his usual stoicism. He began confidently walking to toward the throne room's exit and called out to Swain. "Make sure you let the guards know I'm leaving; I'd prefer not to have to climb back down the tower." He stopped by the door, pausing for a moment to confirm that he wanted to continue with his planned course of action. He had to be right. Emilia LeBlanc was as old as Boram Darkwill, and even with the necromancy they were rumored to have been using to prolong their lives, it would certainly be plausible for her to have passed on. This would be far sweeter than sinking a blade into her flesh. "Oh, and congratulations on the promotion, Evaine."
Within seconds, numerous ethereal chains linked themselves to Talon's wrists and ankles, threatening to bind them in place should LeBlanc will it.
"High Commander," LeBlanc began, "Surely you're in agreement that we can't allow this man to live?"
Swain sunk into a more relaxed sitting position and pondered her statement for a brief second. "This is a conflict between the Black Rose and a private agent of House Du Couteau. I don't see how Noxus or its High Commander fit into that picture."
Talon did his best to hide the relief he felt upon hearing that. If Swain had decided to get involved, getting out of this alive would have been nigh impossible. Evaine on her own… he'd find a way to manage. Talon examined LeBlanc's face to try and get a read on whether or not she would continue her assault. The sorceress held her chains in place, still indecisive.
"I don't have all day, Evaine," Talon taunted.
"THAT'S IT!" Sent over the edge, LeBlanc initiated the second phase of her spell, but before it could complete, she felt the link break. The sorceress looked around the room to see where he could possibly have gone that was far enough to cancel her spell. To her surprise, he was not in the room at all. Perhaps he had fled…?
Talon hung from the ledge of one of the many windows that lined the throne room by his blade hand. Doing his best not to think about how long the fall would be if his hand slipped, Talon took his free hand and reached into his cloak. Waiting just inside the fabric were three oddly shaped blades. Talon readied the blades and internally praised his cleverness. His decision to blind back to the outside of the tower served many purposes. The first was to break free of LeBlanc's chains, which would have ended the confrontation then and there if fully activated. The second was to allow him time to tap into the enchantment of the three blades he now held. Talon had a general distaste for enchanted items, mostly based out of his general inability to use them, but these were different. He had sacrificed months preparing and placing an enchantment on each of them himself. Being as inept in the magical arts as he was, he had to resort to a simple enchantment… simple, but damn useful. The enchantment on these blades allowed them to return to him after being thrown a certain distance, making them far more diverse than a simple throwing knife. Talon felt the enchantments in the blades respond to his will after another few moments, and he prepared to make his move.
LeBlanc continued to scan her surroundings, refusing to believe that Talon would just leave after all of that talk. Eventually, a strange sight pulled her gaze to a nearby window, inviting her to look closer. She could see what looked like the tip of a rather large blade protruding up past the bottom of the window, and sticking out like a sore thumb. She quickly realized what it was, but by then it was too late. The blade had disappeared, and LeBlanc could only assume she was about to be attacked. She was right. Were it not for a reflexive distortion away from her previous position, she would have been impaled upon Talon's massive arm blade.
Talon was surprised the sorceress had the reaction time to avoid taking a hit in that instant, but he was prepared for that outcome. The assassin readied his enchanted blades and, in a well-practiced motion, threw the three of them simultaneously in LeBlanc's direction. Seeing an opening, LeBlanc reappeared at her original position, dodging the wave of projectiles entirely. Talon could see the fear in his own eyes reflected in the crystals of LeBlanc's staff, which was now mere inches away from his face. She had given him that moment and that moment alone to register his defeat. Refusing to give him any more time to act, the matron of the Black Rose unleashed a blast of pure arcane energy directly into Talon, sending him hurtling a fair distance until eventually tumbling into a nearby wall. His face burned as though he had dipped it in some kind of acid, but he was above letting pain interfere with combat. It was clear to him he had vastly underestimated Evaine, but he wasn't about to turn tail and run; he had come too far for that.
LeBlanc watched with a sadistic smile as Talon struggled back to his feet. It was amusing to her how the magically inept such as him thought they could compete on the same level as one such as her. If he refused to learn then it couldn't be helped. She would have to show him the error of his ways the same way one instills behaviors in a wild beast: pain. LeBlanc readied another casting of her ethereal chains, but something unexpected happened. The sorceress cried out in pain as three blades tore into her back from behind her, thoroughly disrupting her concentration and foiling her spell. She was far less accustomed to pain than her adversary, and as a result, was finding it difficult to concentrate through the pulsing agony that rippled through her body. The feeling of the warm streams of blood trickling down her back was enough to bring her to the edge of fainting.
Talon, finally to his feet, charged at Evaine, desperate to bring the fight to a close. Evaine caught a glimpse of her opponent's approaching form, and in an adrenaline fuelled moment of clarity, deployed the ace up her sleeve. Talon skidded to a halt as his opponent vanished into thin air. Before he could even begin to wonder where she had gone, two identical copies of the woman had appeared on either side of him. Seeing that both of the LeBlancs' staves were alight with magic and ready to discharge a spell, Talon moved forward with the only plan he could deem viable: the Shadow Assault. Unfortunately, he had no time, and he soon found himself bound by two different sets of chains. Even if he could blink, there was nowhere he could safely go that would manage to break the link. This was it.
A surge of magical energy lit every nerve in his body aflame as the spell entered its second phase. Talon would be writhing in violent spasms if he had not been robbed of his ability to move. Instead, he was stuck here, a puppet upon which LeBlanc could release all manner of arcane horrors. The two copies of Evaine steadily circled around to his front and reveled in the moment with matching grins.
"You know, being on the brink of death suits you," one LeBlanc began. "I'm glad I got to see your face twist with fear before I erase you from this world," the other continued. The two LeBlancs charged their staves one more time and simultaneously fired balls of energy, knocking Talon well out of her sigil and into the far wall, all over again.
Talon wasn't sure how far that blast would have sent him had his flight been uninterrupted, but if his impact against the stone wall was anything to go off of, he would say quite a bit further. The assassin fell to the ground, unsure of how much of his body was broken. Swain was looking at him as though he was already dead, and he could tell why. His vitality was all but gone from his body, and the LeBlancs' posture as they approached reeked of confidence. It was clear that this fight was decided in everyone's minds, but Talon didn't get where he was by playing to people's expectations. In what seemed like a panic-induced flailing, he confirmed the condition of his various limbs and body parts and prepared to make his last-ditch effort. He waited, allowing LeBlanc to settle into a stronger sense of security and mustering his remaining mana for his yet unused Shadow Assault. This was 'do or die'; if he took even one more spell during this, he would most likely perish. Talon took a deep breath to calm himself and blinked. The instant he verified that he was in between the LeBlancs like he intended, he sent out his blades and shrouded himself in darkness. Both were taken aback by the attack, but both used their teleportation spells to escape with minimal damage. It was unfortunate, but ultimately salvageable. He looked at both of their positions and found that one of them had unwittingly placed herself dreadfully close to one of the man-sized windows that lined the walls of the throne room. Under the veil of stealth, Talon made his way to her and delivered a devastating kick to her hips, sending her through the window. He had lost his stealth, but he had secured the advantage he needed; the false LeBlanc had disappeared amid its fall, leaving Talon alone with the real thing. He didn't need to see her to know he was in her sights, so he entered a ready stance and blinked once more, dodging an incoming magical projectile.
LeBlanc read his body language well, and assuming he was about to blink to her, reverted to the original point of her distortion… right into Talon's hands. Before she could even realize what had happened, she was disarmed and thrown to the ground; the cold of one of Talon's steel sabatons pressing against her face. She rolled onto her side to relieve some of the strain on her neck, wincing as he increased the pressure on her head as she moved. In the moment of silence and adrenaline crashes that followed, she was able to gain a hold on what had led up to this point. Instead of blinking to where she was standing, Talon must have blinked to the place he remembered her teleporting from, predicting she would return there should he make a move. It was a fifty-fifty gamble, but it had paid off tremendously for him.
Talon reached down to and began removing the enchanted blades that were imbedded in LeBlanc's back, making a point to wiggle each one before pulling them out. Once he was done, he looked at LeBlanc's face, his gaze unreturned. Most of his body felt like it was on fire and he was likely only a couple minutes away from losing consciousness, but he would not get any of that get in the way of this moment.
"You were so talkative before, I was expecting you to say something from down there," he said. She persisted in her silence, clearly out of spite for him. "Come on then, speak up!" he commanded. "I want to hear your voice." Still he received nothing. "Alright then," he began, removing his foot from her face, "I'll have to make you speak." The assassin pulled back his leg and struck her abdomen with his sabaton repeatedly, each earning a progressively louder grunt of pain from the sorceress. The sheer brutality of it was something that was a great deal out of character for him, but he needed to ensure she didn't have the strength to continue fighting. The feeling reminded him of the first few times he took a life. He didn't know how to end someone swiftly back then, and his violent encounters would routinely end with him repeatedly stabbing his victims in non-vital areas, desperately hoping that they would just stop screaming. They were unpleasant memories that he had hoped not to return to, so he decided to end this encounter quickly.
Eventually, one of his kicks shook Evaine enough for her to demand that he stop. "Please, stop," she pleaded the blood loss finally sapping her strength away from her. "Just stop."
"Very good," Talon said as he once again pressed her face into the ground with his foot. "With that out of the way, I only have one thing to say to you before you run." It was difficult to tell if he had her attention through her dazed expression, but he continued nonetheless. "In Noxus, the strong rule the weak, regardless of whatever shitty club you're in. You should remember that the next time you decide to fuck with me."
With that, Talon released the sorceress and kicked her crystal staff to her. He readied himself for retaliation, but in truth, there wasn't much left he could do if she decided to finish him. Both Swain and Talon watched on as LeBlanc used her remaining strength to open a distortion sigil for herself and vanish. Talon sighed a breath of relief and relaxed his posture; it was over.
"Well fought," Swain noted in the aftermath of the battle. "I haven't seen such a… mobile conflict in quite some time."
Talon would have thanked the man, but his pride as a DuCouteau, or perhaps just as Katarina's brother, didn't allow him to appreciate anything Jericho Swain did.
"Come here, boy," he ordered. The assassin complied and limped to the throne, eager to be done with his time at the Immortal Bastion as soon as possible. Once he was within reach, Swain reached out his hand and placed it on Talon's forehead, channeling magic through the young man's body.
Talon could feel himself being rejuvenated as the magic coursed through him. "A healing spell?" Talon asked. "Why?"
"Necromancy, technically," Swain corrected. "This is but one of the many results of my studies into Boram Darkwill's life-prolonging rituals. As for why, I thought I was abundantly clear about that; I need you to neutralize the Shuriman. I don't have the patience for you to spend weeks in bed recovering while she runs amok in Ionia."
"I see," Talon responded as the healing spell came to an end. "I'll be on my way as soon as I pick these up," he said as he approached the nearest of his dispersed blades.
Jarvan III leaned back into his throne, contemplating the story of the assassin named Talon. He was a far different character than he had imagined, but that did not make him any less dangerous to Demacian goals or lives than he was before. Even so, while not entirely excusable, he found Quinn's sympathy for the man to be understandable. He could not imagine what one must have to go through for their own life to forge them into one of the most notorious killers in Runeterra. In that way, he too was a victim of Noxus's foul ways. He turned to Luxanna, who was silently awaiting the king's ruling on the matter of Quinn's involvement with Talon.
"Lady Crownguard," he called, "is it not true that General Marcus Du Couteau currently leads Noxus's forces in Ionia?"
"From what our sources gather, yes," Lux replied.
"And would it be safe to assume, Lady Crownguard, that as a result, Talon will likely be heavily active in the area so long as that remains so?"
"Assuming he's there at all, yes, I believe so."
"Very well," Jarvan III concluded, "Quinn, as punishment for your crimes, you will be charged with tracking Talon's movements in Ionia to the best of your ability, and more importantly, preventing his interference with Demacia's operations once our forces reach Ionia. Am I understood?"
"Yes, your highness," Quinn responded.
"Excellent. You leave immediately. I expect to be receiving reports on the man well before my army reaches the archipelago."
"I understand," Quinn confirmed. A wave of relief washed away her anxiety. She had made it.