My vision narrowed and my body pumped with combat induced adrenaline. There was no time to think. Tightening my grip on my weapon I sprang towards the assassin with an explosive leap, sword raised in challenge.
Talon sneered and, with a flick of his hand, disappeared in a puff of black smoke. I felt the whisper of displaced air behind me and whirled as the assassin appeared behind me, swinging his weapons with lightning speed. I spun on my heel parrying his first blow then let my ki barrier absorb the second, and followed up with a 3 part sword scale as his blades scraped past. I started high, swinging down in a quick overhand strike to the head. Talon dodged nimbly, rolling to the side as Lux shot a lance of energy that snapped past him. The assassin rolled to his feet, parrying the rest of my blows with apparent ease.
I pressed the attack, trying to overwhelm him with a ferocious series of swipes and jabs. I felt the thrill of battle well up from within me: a familiar feeling of the past. Combat made one feel alive like nothing else. The adrenaline, speed, and stakes could be infatuating. I had thought I had progressed beyond my old vices, but despite myself I gave in to the feeling. I let the thrill flow through my body, guiding a series of blows towards my foe. My face split with a hellish grin as I pushed Talon back across the rain soaked roof.
The assassin snarled back at me, ducking away from a swing that would have decapitated him, and threw out his left hand. A series of daggers whirled by, one grazing my cheek as it hurtled past. I barely felt it, caught up in the battle as I was. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lux shielding herself from the assault with a barrier of prismatic light.
Lux…
My vision cleared, and I halted mid step, the thrill draining away. That's right. We couldn't stay here. We had to escape. I wasn't on my own anymore; I had someone relying on me.
The last time people relied on me, they were all killed.
I shook the thought from my head violently. Things were different this time. I wouldn't kill for the thrill, and I wouldn't forget about Lux, Ezreal, Drax, or any of the people counting on me.
Seeing my hesitation, Talon lunged forward with unbelievable speed. Too late I realized I had dropped my guard. I brought my blade up to parry, belatedly twisting away from the lethal strike…
Pshhh!
Lux charged in front of me, the twin blades of energy extended from her wrists as they had been during our training battle a few weeks prior. She crossed them, catching Talon's blade between hers as he stabbed towards me.
"Yiaah!"
Lux heaved upwards, deflecting the blow just enough for me to evade. Sweat dripped from my brow at the close call, mingling with the rain as I quickly regained my footing. Talon was not a foe to be trifled with.
The assassin cursed under his breath and slashed out at Lux, who was forced to retreat under his ferocious blows. She dodged one strike, two strikes, but the third one hit home. Lux cried out as the blade slashed across her thigh, and the wooden roof was spattered with a light shower of blood.
"Not this time!" The words came from deep within me. Some primal part of me welled up upon seeing her injured. I couldn't lose somebody else, not after everything that had happened.
I won't let you!
Anger and resolve surged through my body like a physical force, strengthening my limbs and sharpening my vision. My blade pulsed with a bright green glow. I concentrated on it with all the strength I could. For one painful moment nothing happened, and then blast of energy swept from the hilt of my sword as the blade reformed, the runic shards coalescing into a weapon that transcended its former self. The blade pulsed with light, urging me to act.
"Hiyaaah!"
I leapt forward in front of Lux, between her and Talon, and swung with all my might. Talon brought his blade up to parry and I felt a sudden immense resistance as the blades clashed.
I won't give in.
I heaved with all my might and stepped into the swing. There was a flash of light and the earsplitting screech of metal scraping against metal, and then Talon's blade snapped in two. My sword sheered through his as if it were made of wood.
A look of shock and outrage crossed his face under the hood and before I could react, he disappeared once more.
I spun around, scanning the rooftop for my foe. Nothing. The rain was too thick, too loud, I couldn't see—
A hissing noise came from directly behind me, and I instinctively dove to the side. I tensed myself for the inevitable impact…
A barrier of light formed around me and Talon's thrown blades ricocheted off into the darkness. I rolled to my feet and glanced towards my companion. Lux was kneeling on the ground 10 feet away from me, hand outstretched as her baton flew back to her, face grimacing with pain from her wound.
There!
A slight shimmer behind my companion alerted me to Talon's position. The assassin cursed again, swinging his blade down towards her exposed back as his form resolved from mist and shadow.
"Lux!"
With strength born of desperation I focused all of my willpower the blade held between my hands. I lifted it above my head and swung down in a vertical chop. The blade tugged on my grip as if caught in an invisible web, resisting the motion. I heaved harder, letting the energy build up on the sharpened steel.
When it finally became too much to bear I twisted my wrists sharply, releasing the built up force as a blast of wind that sheered across the roof towards the startled assassin. The wooden roof splintered and cracked as the wind slash blasted through it, the world briefly illuminated by the streak of green energy.
Caught between the edge of the roof and the slicing burst of energy streaking his way, Talon did the only thing he could: He leapt off the side of the building, cloak billowing in the stormy winds, and dropped out of sight. There was a flash of light and a loud crack as the wind slash crashed through the place he'd been standing a moment before sending severed timbers tumbling 30 feet to the street below with a deafening crash.
I sprinted over to Lux and only narrowly avoided slipping on the dangerously slick timbers beneath me. I reached out, grasping for her arm and hauling the mage to her feet.
"We have to hurry, he'll be back soon. Are you alright?"
She nodded, clutching at her thigh with one hand. Crimson liquid seeped between her fingers. The wound appeared superficial, albeit painful.
"I'm fine." She took a staggering step towards the edge of the roof. Just one more jump to make. I hoped her leg was up to the task. "We have to move!"
I glanced back down at the street below. There was no sign of Talon, but the riders were almost upon us. We were out of time.
Together, we sprinted for the final gap. I sheathed my sword behind my shoulder as I ran; I'd need both hands free for this. Wind whistled and rain pelted the surface of the roof as we closed the distance, taking a running leap over the treacherous gap below.
Wham!
Lux gave a muffled cry of pain and I gritted my teeth as we slammed into the steeply sloped tiles of the next roof over. I tucked one leg under me, leaving the other extended into the incline as I slid down the slick surface with frightening speed.
I'm going to have to time this just right.
The riders were passing by on the street at a canter; it was going to be close. I leaned back, streamlining myself against the wind and willing my body to even greater speed.
One of the mounted warriors glanced up in our direction, and I saw her eyes widen with shock as I hurtled towards them.
Now!
I tucked forward in a roll and jumped with all my strength just as the roof dropped out from beneath me, flying in a diving tackle directly at the woman atop the closest horse as she sped past in a blur.
A spike of pain lanced through my shoulder as I impacted on the warrior at an incredible speed. It felt like I'd sprinted right into a brick wall, but it did the trick. With a surprised cry of shock and pain the woman dropped her sword and together we crashed heavily to the hard cobblestone street, her horse rearing in fear.
I twisted in the air, landing on top of the soldier with a knee on her chest. The dark haired woman let out a whoosh as the impact drove the air from her lungs, and I heard the crack of a bone breaking as my knee drove into her ribs. Reflexes born of years of training had taken over, and with lightning quickness I drew the dagger hidden in my right boot. Reversing the grip so that the blade pointed downwards, I stabbed towards the exposed throat.
An Ionian soldier, eyes wide with fear as I cleaved through his shield on a hellish battlefield. A mage garbed in blue robes, collapsing without a sound as I plunged a dagger through her heart before she could complete her spell. The stench of blood as I withdrew my blade from countless twisted corpses.
Images, sounds, and smells all flashed through my mind in an instant as I stared into the wide, terrified eyes of the woman below me. I froze, dagger inches from her neck as my muscles seized up.
Why?! I thought desperately. Why can't I do it? It's different this time! A hundred conflicting emotions coursed through me: Fear, repulsion, anger, desperation, resolve. It's not the same!
The woman gasped for air, tears of pain welling in her eyes.
Is it so different? I thought, looking down at her. After all the blood I've spilled, can I really justify taking another life just to save mine?
As I stared down at the fear stricken face of the soldier pinned beneath me, one thought echoed through my mind: What am I doing?
This wasn't the League of Legends, where death was merely a temporary inconvenience. This was a living, breathing person. A fellow Noxian warrior.
In that critical moment I hesitated, torn between the cause I was fighting for and repulsion of my own gruesome past. The battlefield was no place for such distractions, and I paid the price of my uncertainty.
In that single moment of inaction, the soldier beneath me drew a knife from her belt and, in one fluid motion, plunged it into the side of my chest. Blinding pain spiked through me as the steel bit into me and I felt a scraping sensation as the blade deflected off a rib. I gasped, eyes watering with the pain, and twisted free of her blade while bringing the pommel of my own dagger down on her temple. There was a solid thunk and her eyes glazed over as she fell into unconsciousness.
I stood up and staggered over to the now rider less horse I had tackled the soldier off of. My chest throbbed with pain as I swung my leg over the saddle, but the wound didn't appear to be immediately life threatening. First aid would have to wait.
Lux cantered up beside me and I saw a motionless body lying in the street ten yards back, a crimson pool slowly spreading around his collapsed form. Blood still stained the armor around her thigh, but apart from that she seemed relatively unharmed.
She's more capable than me, at least. I thought with disgust, holding my side with my offhand as I gripped the reigns and urged the horse forward. We had to get away before the other two riders got over their surprise and gave chase.
"Riven-" Lux began, a look of concern crossing her face as she saw me clutching at my chest.
"I'm fine!" I cut her off. "Follow me! We have to get out of the city!"
She hesitated, and then nodded sharply. Together we galloped through the mostly empty streets, rain pooling in the gutters. As we flew past a series of small storefronts, I heard horns blaring in the distance.
"They've sounded the alarm!" Lux shouted from beside me.
"I know!" I called back, teeth gritted against the pain in my side. Every bounce of the saddle sent a fresh jolt of agony through the wound. "They'll be closing the gate. Can you stop them?"
"I'll do my best!" She shouted as a fresh bolt of lightning split the sky above The Citadel. "Just take care of anybody in our way!"
"Will do!"
We rounded a bend in the road and hurtled towards the outer wall of the city. Ahead I could see the main gate, and elation filled me as I saw the portcullis was only a quarter of the way lowered.
We still have time!
There was another problem though: A line of spearmen crouched in our way, pikes planted as if to repel a line of charging cavalry. Atop the wall above the gate, several men worked the winch lowering the barrier as archers readied crossbows.
Beside me I heard Lux begin speaking an incantation, and a warm glow began enveloping her baton.
Fear fought to well up in me, but I pushed it aside. Several months ago I would have called this situation hopeless, but things were different now. I had a partner, one that I could rely on.
One that I trusted.
Any lingering reservations I might have had about my companion vanished in that moment amidst the pouring rain and galloping hooves as we charged the enemy line. I put my faith in her skill, spirit, and resolve.
Ignoring the archers on the wall, I focused on the spearmen lined up 30 yards ahead. Reaching back over my shoulder I drew my blade, spurring my mount ahead of Lux's. The sword pulsed with a green energy, its full form beginning to flicker as its power waned.
Not yet. I thought, pouring my energy into the enchantment. Hang in there just a little longer!
I stood in the stirrups, one hand gripping the horse's mane as I swept the sword out in an arc in front of me with a roar of defiance. I felt the familiar tugging sensation as the energy built along the blade, and then the wind slash leapt outwards towards the line of soldiers. At the last moment I shifted my aim, releasing the energy in a downward arc to strike at the cobblestone street beneath their feet. There was a series of cracking sounds as the street buckled and cracked with the blast, sending the spearman stumbling and crashing to the ground as their formation disintegrated into a mass of tangled bodies. The few that remained standing just managed to dive out of the way as our horses careened through the gap at a full gallop.
My sword flickered and the full blade dissipated, the green runic energy rapidly fading away. My vision swam as I sat down heavily in the saddle, swaying at the immense exertion. It had taken everything I'd had to summon a second wind blast that powerful, and it was all I could do to remain mounted. The rest was up to Lux.
Behind me, I heard Lux's voice rise in volume to a shout as she finished her incantation. There was a blinding flash of light above me and a searing heat as a five foot diameter beam of cohesive light blasted through the air above me, slamming into the wall atop the gate. The archers cried out in panic and scrambled aside as the explosive burst of energy rattled the wall, cracking the stone and sending masonry falling in a cascade of dust and stone. The portcullis halted in its descent, only a third of the way closed.
She did it!
Together we rushed through the gap, galloping across the drawbridge and onto the plains outside the city. Several wild arrows were loosed our way, but they were poorly aimed and none fell within 5 yards of me. I took a deep, shuddering breath as we turned onto the western road leading towards the Institute of War, rushing away from the city at breakneck speed. As the adrenaline slowly faded, the sharp pain in my side and arm returned. We would have to see to our wounds as soon as we put some distance between us and the city. I glanced behind me to verify Lux was still with me, and then turned my attention to the path ahead.
After a few minutes, I turned off the road into a small copse of trees. I led us in far enough to be out of sight of the path and then pulled my mount to a standstill, looking back at Lux. In the dim light of the evening storm I could see her small frame hunched over the saddle, chest heaving. Her baton still flickered slightly with a pulsating light, and I marveled at the immense arcane power she commanded.
We wouldn't have made it out without her.
"Nice work with the gate." I told her, dismounting onto the damp earth beneath the shifting canopy of leaves. My side protested the motion with a new lance of pain. "Let's see to our injuries, and then be on our way before anyone can organize a hunting party."
Lux didn't respond, and as I took a closer look I saw her eyes were unfocused, hands still gripping the reigns tightly.
"Lux?" I asked with concern, stepping closer.
My companion swayed in her saddle and then slid off the side, collapsing to the ground with a soft thump.
"Lux!" I shouted, running over and kneeling beside her. With horror, I saw the arrow shaft protruding from her back. It had pierced through her shoulder, the tip of the arrow emerging from her front and glinting in the dim light. Years of combat experience had taught me a thing or two about battlefield medicine and I leaned closer inspecting the wound, using one hand to prop her head up.
The arrow had punched straight through her, but it seemed like it had missed any major organs or blood vessels. If it hadn't, she'd already be dead. Lux mumbled something indecipherable, her head lolling in my grasp.
There's something wrong. I thought, taking a hand and feeling her forehead. She was hot to the touch. My eyes narrowed and I leaned closer, sniffing the tip of the arrow. A familiar sickly sweet scent rose up from the cool metal.
Poison!
Hunters arrow, it had to be. I'd seen it used before. It usually resulted in a slow, agonizing death. Luckily the arrow tip had passed through and exited Lux's body instead of becoming lodged in her back. There couldn't be much of it in her system. But even a little…
I need to get her to the Institute as soon as possible!
"I'm sorry Lux, but this is going to hurt. A lot." I said while looking down at the shaft sticking out of her shoulder. I had to remove it, or every time the tip rubbed against the wound it would work more of the poison into her. Once again I was relieved that the arrow had passed through her; it made the process of removing it much easier.
I pulled the mage up into a sitting position and, in one motion, snapped the shaft in two. Lux's eyes cleared as she gasped in pain, and before she could react I had pulled both halves of the arrow out from her shoulder. I tossed them way, reaching into my pack for the roll of bandages I kept for emergencies.
After this, I need to stop my own bleeding. I was starting to feel light headed. The wound in my arm was light, but the one in my chest could kill me if I didn't see to it soon.
"Ri...en." Lux gasped as she shuddered in my grasp, her breath coming light and fast. A line of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.
"It'll be ok." I told her, wrapping the wound tightly. Warm, red blood began soaking through the bandages almost immediately, and I applied another layer.
"You… you didn't…." She gasped for air. "kill… them…"
"What?" I asked, not sure I had heard correctly.
"Those… Noxian soldiers…"
"No." I whispered, wrapping a third layer around her. "I couldn't."
"You're…. a better…. person…. than I…. am."
As I struggled to think of a response her eyes rolled upwards, and she passed out in my arms. Now wasn't the time to get distracted, so I pushed all other thoughts out of my mind and set her down gently. Working as quickly as I dared, I finished dressing the wound.
Now for mine.
I hurriedly cleaned and bandaged the wound on my chest, and then my arm. It was a sloppy job that anyone in Fury Company would have reprimanded me for, but I didn't have time to do it right. Lux's life was on the line. I had to get her to the healers at the Institute before the poison worked its way through her body. My side still felt like someone had stuck a burning coal inside of me, but it was more manageable now.
Please let me be in time. I thought while hauling Lux into the saddle. I climbed up behind her, wrapped my good arm around her to hold her steady, and gripped the reigns in my off hand. The horse snorted in protest at the extra weight, but it would have to live with it. I kicked the mount into motion and guided it back to the road at a trot. As we moved through the darkening trees Lux's head rolled back against my shoulder, her breathing light and rapid.
I can't lose someone else. Not now. Not ever again.
I wouldn't let that happen.
A/N: Our intrepid heroines have escaped a terrible fate in fleeing from the Noxian ambush, but now Lux's life hangs by a thread. Will Riven find aid in time, or will she be too late? What of her own injuries? Now that The Exile has finally found a trusted companion in Lux, how far will she go to secure her safety? Find out in the next chapter! If you are enjoying this work or have feedback of any kind, please leave a review!