Chapter 13

"Why not?"

"I hate crowds."

"But my dad said you have to go with us."

"Too bad."

Cassiopeia had a hard grip on Talon's arm and was trying to pull him out of the mansion so they could go to the new year's festival or whatever it was called. She's been trying to get Talon to go with her and her sister all morning, really only because their dad won't let them go without someone to keep a sharp eye on them; make sure they don't get kidnapped by, you know, other Noxians,

"Why don't you ask someone else? Your Dad, maybe?" asked a very annoyed Talon, shifting his weight to one side to prevent Cassiopeia from pulling him over.

"Dad's at a meeting, and all the servants have the day off," She was tugging harder on his arm.

"Can't we just stay here? I think your father would prefer that."

"I asked him earlier. He said we could go as long as you come along," Cassiopeia released Talon's arm and he almost fell backwards. "C'mon, it'll be fun."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"I'd rather hear you say please a thousand more times before I go with you and Kat to the festival."

Cassiopeia took a deep breath, "Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasep leasepleaseplease pleaseplease-"

"-Alright!" Talon yelled, not being able to take it anymore. "I'll go with you to the festival."

Cassiopeia grinned victoriously, "Okay! I'll get Kat."

"Where's she?"

Cassiopeia rolled her eyes, "Throwing a piece of metal at the target outside like always," She walked outside the mansion, but stopped and turned back around like she forgot something, "Oh yeah! You need to wear regular clothes. Like a normal person."

"Why?" Talon asked. What was wrong with his usual clothes?

"You'd stand out, and Dad says that that's a bad thing. Bad things happen to those who stand out."

"Ugh. Fine. I'll change."

Talon went up to his room to make a costume change. He hoped that this wasn't going to turn into an all-day activity. He didn't like going into public places that were overcrowded with strange people. He just wasn't a people person, really. Talon slipped on some faded blue jeans and a plain white flannel shirt. Why the clothes were in his room escaped him, but they must be his if they were in his drawer. He rolled up his sleeves to just under his elbows and decided that he now looked like a regular commoner save for his dark-brown hair, which was a little long and messy. He pulled a sheathed knife out of his drawer and hid it away somewhere under his shirt just in case he needed it. Good enough. Talon made his way downstairs where Katarina and Cassiopeia were waiting for him,

"Took you long enough," Katarina complained.

"So what are we going to do there?" he asked.

"We're just going to walk around and enjoy the festival," Cassiopeia said before grabbing Talon and Katarina's arms and began pulling them out the door.

This is going to be a long day.

The sounds of joyful voices littered the air as the three made their way into the festival. They were walking through the place that had all the tourist's stands and glittering souvenirs. Talon couldn't understand why people would pay the high prices for useless garbage. What will jewelry and art get you anyway? Bankruptcy? Bills? Muggers and thieves?

"Kat! Look!" Cassiopeia squealed. She was pointing to a souvenir stand with high-price jewelry. She ran through the crowds. The other two had no choice but to follow. She marveled at the fine craftsmanship of all the gold and jewels. "Look at this!" she said to her sister, pointing to a golden bracelet lined with rubies and sapphires.

"Whatever Cassy," Katarina replied, not interested in the slightest.

"Can I have it?"

Katarina thought for a moment, "Oh alright," She reached into her pocket, but found nothing. A quick sign of panic shot through Katarina's face, "I... I think I left the gold coins at the mansion."

"Great," Talon mumbled, "Now we have to go back to get it."

"Or," Cassiopeia said, "you can buy it for me."

"What!? No! Why can't we just go back and get Kat's gold?"

Cassiopeia pouted her lips in disappointment, "Someone else might buy it if we don't get it now."

Cassiopeia looked at Talon with begging eyes. Something told him that she won't stop bothering him about it until he buys her what she wants.

"Fine," Talon said, pulling out a bag of gold coins. "Someone owes me."

"Thanks!" Cassiopeia took the bracelet and slipped it onto her left wrist. She traced a finger on the jewels in the gold and almost screamed in cheerfulness, "I love it! Its so pretty."

"I don't see what's so great about a piece of gold around your wrist," Katarina sighed, obviously not understanding the value in jewels.

"It's a girl thing," Cassiopeia said. "You have to be a real girl to understand stuff like this."

"Whatever. Now that this is done, I want to go see a show."

"What kind of show?"

"You'll see. It's over this way," Katarina pointed in the direction that led further into the festival.

"Then let's go, I guess," Talon said halfheartedly.

Katarina led Talon and Cassiopeia through the crowds and stopped in front of a small fence. The fence went in a huge circle with several targets inside the closed space. Plenty of other people crowded around the ring, waiting for the show to start,

"What's going on in here?" Talon asked. Cassiopeia was still eying her new bracelet.

"So there's this executioner that's really famous in Noxus, and he's putting on a show in the ring."

"A really famous executioner? I only know of one person that fits that-"

The crowd's sudden cheering cut Talon off.

"Look!"

"It's that guy!"

"Can't wait to see him in action!"

"He's soooo dreamy."

"Why can't I grow a mustache like that?"

Out of nowhere, two very familiar throwing axes were spun into the air and caught by exactly the ego-maniac Talon was thinking about,

"Hello ladies and gent's. It's time for the event all you zeroes have been waiting for!"

The cheers grew louder and the executioner's crazy grin stretched wider, "Usually I'd be killing someone up for execution, but the director of this washed-up fest says that it's too violent for the kiddies, so I'll just be throwing at targets... YOU HEAR ME KIDDOS?! YOU'RE CRAMPING DRAVEN'S STYLE!"

Draven. Talon was supposed to be executed by him, but he made the mistake of giving him a chance to escape. He would've left right then and there, but Katarina seemed really into it. He couldn't just leave her there by herself, so he decided that he'll just have to live through the boring show.

"Prepare to be breathless!" Draven yelled.

Draven started off by simply throwing an ax at a target. It hit a bull's eye. The crowd clapped. Draven then took more axes and threw them all expertly with incredible form. The show lasted a good hour of target practice. The crowd of people went wild when he did his finish of throwing two axes behind him and hitting the targets thirty yards away. Some of the crowd even fainted from the awesomeness known as 'Draven.'

"YEAH!" Draven yelled, "That's what I'm talkin' about! Now if you want to see me in real action, come to the execution grounds and I'll put on a- huh?"

Draven was looking in Talon's direction. Talon froze, thinking that Draven recognized him. The executioner made his way over and took a hard look at the kid, "Do I know you from somewhere?" Draven asked.

"I- uhh," Talon backed up a little. He would've ran right then and there, but again, he couldn't just leave the two girls here by themselves.

Draven snapped his fingers and pointed at Talon, "That's who you are!" He yelled.

Dammit. He remembered.

"You're one of my adoring fans!"

"Umm."

"Don't be silly," Katarina butted in. "Talon has never been to any of your executions."

...Thanks for the help, Kat.

"Hmm? I could have sworn you were always in the front row, fainting whenever you saw me," Draven stopped thinking about it and began laughing, "Doesn't matter though! I have fan-girls breaking down my door everyday! Now those are the real fans. The ones that are just begging for some of this," Draven gestured to his whole self.

"Draaaaaaveen!" came the voices of many fan-girls. Draven turned around and cracked them all a smile.

"Hate to be a mood killer, but Draven's got girls waiting!" Draven ran into the crowd of die-hard fans. Talon thought he saw a couple guys in there, but maybe they were just girls in disguise.

"He's weird," Cassiopeia said.

"Yeah. Makes me think why Kat wanted to see him so badly."

"Sh-Shut up! I like his style of killing! That's all!"

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"Anyway, what now?"

"We could-"

"Hey!" a voice interrupted.

Talon looked in the direction of the 'hey'. He recognized the voice, but not the person it belonged to, "Riven?"

"Hey, Talon. Strange, seeing you here," Riven said. She wasn't in her Crimson elite uniform, so that's why it took Talon a bit to recognize her. She was wearing a regular green T-shirt and light gray pants. Talon didn't notice before, because she had a headpiece covering her head, but she had clean-white hair that went down to the top of her shoulders.

"I could say the same for you," Talon greeted.

"Talon," Cassiopeia started. "Who's she?"

"We're friends," Riven said. "And Talon, I didn't know you had younger sisters."

"They're not my sisters."

"He's our best friend!"

"That lives in the same house as us," Katarina added.

"I see."

"Riven!" a couple girls yelled a few yards away, "If you're done talking to your boyfriend, we need to go."

"Ah," Riven said, slightly blushing, "I have to go now. I'm here with friends."

Riven left to rejoin the girls she was with. Cassiopeia looked at Talon with amusement.

"What?" Talon asked.

"You never told us you had a girlfriend," Cassiopeia teased.

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Really? I heard that the first step in a relationship is denial."

"Ahem," Katarina interrupted. "Cassy, if you're done trying to get into Talon's personal life, I want to go eat something."

"Where do you two want to eat?" Talon asked.

"Sinful Succulence!"

"Sinful Succulence doesn't serve food," Katarina said. "It sells sweets."

"And that's exactly why we should go."

"Alright, we'll go and have a little snack," Katarina looked around. "Umm, who knows where it is?"

"I think it's that way," Cassiopeia pointed in the direction of the lower city.

"Are you sure it's over there?" Talon asked.

"Positive."

"Then let's go I guess."

The three of them started in the direction Cassiopeia pointed to. Talon didn't understand why someone would open a sweets bakery close to the lower city. He had to admit though, the sweets from Sinful Succulence were delicious. Even if they were a cruel trick to obesity.

They were getting closer to the lower city now. The crowds started to thin out and the noxious smell of the sewers started to set in,

"I'm not sure Sinful Succulence is really this way," Talon said.

"What makes you say that?" asked Cassiopeia.

"The fact that there are significantly less people and the few that are here could be dangerous."

"That's crazy. No one here looks dangerous."

"That's what you think, until you find out that all of your belongings have been stolen."

"Talon has a point, Cassy," Katarina said. "There's no bakery down this way. Let's head back."

"But-"

"There's no bakery here."

"...Okay."

The three of them turned around and started heading back to the upper city. Talon should have been smarter than to let Cassiopeia lead them this far down. To everyone who lives here, the three of them looked like a pot of gold, just waiting for someone to claim it. Talon knew it. If he saw three people from the upper city make their way down here, he would've stole from them on the spot.

Three men jumped at them. Just as expected. Talon stepped out of the way and grabbed onto one of their arms. With a twist, the man wailed in pain as he felt his arm break. Talon ducked under another man and delivered a fist to his jaw. The third swung a metal pipe at him, but Talon dodged and grabbed the pipe to yanked it out of his hands. He unsheathed his hidden knife and stabbed one of the attacking muggers in their side. Blood started to gush out of his wound.

"Talon! Help!" Cassiopeia yelled.

Talon's eyes widened. Two of the men were holding Katarina and Cassiopeia hostage. Katarina was thrashing her limbs at her capture, but he was able to restrain her in his arms,

"Let me go!" Katarina yelled, trying to wiggle out of the man's grasp.

The third man, the one that Talon stabbed, backed up from the boy and looked at the two girls, "These are Ducouteau's girls all right."

"Let them go!" Talon yelled. He ran towards the three men, preparing to attack.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" said the bleeding man. He pulled out a knife and pressed it against Katarina's neck. "Unless you don't care about these two."

Talon stopped himself. If he moved any closer, Katarina might have lost her throat.

"I have to thank you for leading Ducouteau's daughters to us, though. It saved us a long trip."

A fourth man came from behind Talon and delivered a hard punch to the back of his neck. The punch was hard enough to knock Talon to the ground. The man continued to kick him in the stomach.

"Talon!" Cassiopeia yelled.

"Shut up!" the still bleeding man slapped Cassiopeia across her face. She started to cry from the pain on her cheek and the torment of watching Talon take a beating.

"Fucking let go!" Katarina yelled. She bit the arm that was wrapped around her. The man yelped, but retained his grasp on the girl.

"Tell Ducouteau that we, the Fraytoo brothers, have his daughters, and if he wants to see them again, than he needs to meet our terms," the bleeding man said to Talon, before smacking him in the head, knocking him out.

Talon awoke on the cold ground. Strangely enough, nobody took his belongings while he was unconscious. In front of him was a trail of blood that led even deeper into the lower city,

"A trail of blood...?" Talon whispered. Then, something in his brain clicked, "Katarina! Cassiopeia!" he yelled. He stood up too quickly, and felt a massive headache as he got up. The trail of blood must have been from the guy Talon stabbed...and he was the one who kidnapped the girls! They must have gone in that direction. Talon checked to see if he still had his knife. It was on the dirty ground, so he picked it up and sheathed it, sure that he'll need it later. He started to follow the trail of blood on the ground, knowing it will lead him to the attackers.

Katarina was tied up to a skinny wooden pillar with her sister tied up on the opposite side. Her kidnappers were sitting around a table, too busy feasting to notice her if she tried anything,

"Cassy," She whispered.

"What?" Cassiopeia whispered back.

"Could you reach the dagger on my right?" Katarina was talking about the dagger she always carried around with her. It was strapped to her right side.

Cassiopeia figured out what Katarina wanted to do. She stretched her arm and felt the metal on her sister's waist, "I got it."

"Cut the ropes around your wrist. Then mine, but leave the one tying us to the pole."

Cassiopeia nodded, and started to slide the dagger back and forth on the ropes around her wrist.

Talon came upon a fairly small shack. The trail of blood ended just in front of the door. They must be inside. Talon pulled out his only weapon and kicked open the entrance,

"Talon!" Cassiopeia yelled, relieved that he's here to save them.

The four brothers jerked their heads over to the entrance while they were eating,

"He found us!?" said one of the brothers.

"H-How?"

"It doesn't matter. We'll just kill him here."

The four brothers picked up their forks and knives they were using to eat with. They all ran towards the intruder, aiming to kill. The brother with a broken arm tried to stab Talon with his fork. Talon grabbed his good arm before it connected and kicked the man's knee. He felt it break, and Talon pushed him over onto the ground. The other three brothers attacked together. Talon dodged a knife swipe while deflecting another aimed for his skull. He pushed the blade out of the way and swung his own knife across one of the brother's torsos, creating a deep gash into his chest.

While the four brothers were busy fighting Talon, Cassiopeia finished cutting the ropes. Katarina took back her knife and lifted the ropes tying them to the pillar above their heads. The two were free now,

"Stay here Cassy," Katarina ordered.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to help Talon."

Talon swept out the legs of one of the brothers. He fell back onto the floor and felt cold steel slip into his chest. One was now dead, and the other was unable to move. Two brothers left. The brother with the bloody gash in his chest slashed with his knife. Talon rolled out of the way. He jumped behind one of them and wrapped his arms around his neck, choking him. The other brother attempted to stab Talon in the back, but he swung the man he was choking behind him, redirecting the stab to the choking brother. The last one became enraged at the deaths of two of his brothers, one that he indirectly killed. He screamed in rage, and ran at Talon. He got ready for a tackle, but the last man suddenly stopped mid-run and fell over with a dagger stabbed into his back. Katarina was standing behind the now dead man.

"He's dead, right?" Katarina asked.

Talon pulled out Katarina's dagger and wiped the blood from it, "Dead."

Cassiopeia continuously kicked at the only brother still alive, "Take that, bad guy!"

"Thanks for saving us," Katarina said, not really knowing what to do next.

"It was kind of my job to," Talon cleaned off his own knife and sheathed it. "We should go back to the mansion now."

"Uh-huh!" Cassiopeia stopped kicking the broken man, "but first, pizza!"

The three left, going back to the upper city.

"Let's just keep what happened between ourselves," Talon said.

"Yeah," Katarina agreed, "Dad would have your head if he found out what happened."