Jarvan looked up at the heavy stone building in front of him. It had a steep roof and chimneys rose up from many different places on the oddly crooked structure, its heavy timbers hanging out over the paving cobbles, rising up from the wide, fat base of heavy stone, built at angles to keep the building sturdy, even with the occasional rumble of tectonic activity from blasting and other natural sources. Even older than the barracks, the stone was heavy, worn and weathered, rough cut from the local quarries, darkened from years of weather. It was easily one of the oldest structures visible on the square, its roof was faded and dark, its wooden shingles crackling, splintered and broken apart, those few that still remained. Many sat around the base of the walls, either shaken or fallen off like debris. There was a rusty bracket that hung at an odd angle from above the door.
Jarvan frowned slightly, looking along the edge of the stone walls, and amid the graying shingles he saw a flash of faded red. He dropped to one knee and pulled the faded sign from the wooden scrap, brushing it off, the wood darkened and stained by something damp and rank. Despite the cracked and faded red paint, the text on the sign read "Phalon's Inn". As Jarvan looked up at the dark inn, he couldn't help but let his mind drift back to the friends he had lost. He sighed softly, the memory weighing heavily on his mind. The building had a grey cast, like the rest of the town. Jarvan knew it probably came from all the dust kicked up by the blasting and drilling, but part of him couldn't help but thought that it was like the lifeblood of the town slowly draining away.
"This was where it all began." Jarvan said softly, his fingers dragging over the raised letters. The journey that Isaac, Forsythe, Shyvana, Quinn and I embarked upon.
"It's sad to see this place in such a state." Shyvana said softly. She slid a hand into Jarvan's and gave it a brief squeeze. "You're thinking about Isaacs, aren't you?"
"Sometimes I wish I was the one who had died." Jarvan growled softly, shaking his head. "He always knew exactly what to do, who to talk to, how to act..." Jarvan's voice faded as he let his shoulders sink. "I wish he was here now."
"You know he'd kick your ass so hard you wouldn't be able to sit for two days, right?" Shyvana said, grinning. "He'd have hated hearing you wishing you had been the one who had died." Jarvan glanced down as the dragoness smiled up at him, squeezing his hand again. "Come on. Buck up." Shyvana gently punched the prince's arm playfully. Jarvan chuckled softly, waving off the dragoness's brutal assault.
Jarvan looked back up at the inn, letting his fond memories fade to nothing. Jarvan looked over the building and grimaced at the structure, taking in all the changes from his memories to now. Dark, greasy black streaks marred the building, rising up from each window. The roof was sagging in places, darkened by fire and crumbling in on itself. The inside was almost a pure black, like a complete void in the heart of Valoran.
"Everything alright?" Tunis asked from behind. Shyvana almost recoiled visibly, pulling away from the prince. Jarvan glanced down at her and then looked over at the lieutenant, frowning. Tunis looked back and forth between the prince and the dragoness before jerking his thumb over his shoulder towards where Garen and Katarina were standing distant, the heated chatter of an argument drifting across the town square. "Captain and the Noxian are wondering why you two stopped. Instead of arguing I figured I'd just come ask."
"Thank you, Tunis." Shyvana said, putting on a smile for the young lieutenant. Jarvan watched as he blushed but nodded. Jarvan tried to keep the grimace from his face, turning to watch his childhood friend and the redheaded Noxian continued to argue, both of them batting and flailing at each other in a wild manner.
What in the world are those two on about… Jarvan shook his head and sighed, turning back towards the inn. "What happened to this place?" Jarvan asked, looking over towards Shyvana but he frowned slightly when he saw that Tunis was standing right next to her, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked up at the building with a concerned gaze. The dragoness glanced over at the prince only briefly before looking to Tunis for answers.
"I think it burned a month ago?" The lieutenant shrugged and tapped a finger on his arm thoughtfully. "If I remember correctly, it was firebombed in the first weeks of the evacuation, right before we had a major presence in the town. Why?" Jarvan set his jaw, handing the sign to the dragoness. She looked up at the prince, frowning slightly at his knitted brow before looking back down at the sign he pushed into her hands.
Shyvana accepted it, slowly running her fingers over it, a sad look settling on her face. "It was my first foray into human culture as anything other than an outcast. Isaacs, Forsythe… they brought me here with the prince. We had a run in with some locals but afterwards, we partied into the late night." She chuckled softly. "I'd never drunk so much in my life. We left the morning after, but it was fun while it lasted. Right, Jarvan?" She looked up at the prince, and noticed that Jarvan was watching her.
"It was, while it lasted." Jarvan said softly, his shoulders tightening slightly as he glanced at Tunis, the corner of his mouth twitching in annoyance. Is this about our argument before over how I treat Shyvana? What does this upstart think is going to happen by getting close to Shyvana?
"I visited the pub here once early on." Tunis said, grinning as he looked up at the build, extending a hand to the dragoness. She handed the sign over as he stepped forward, hanging it on the bracket over the door. "It was nice. Good food, better brew… It was a shame to see it burn."
"It's sad to see it go." Shyvana murmured softy, looking at the sign swaying gently in the slowly breeze. Jarvan watched her shoulders rise and fall in a soft sigh, but when he went to try and slide his hand into hers, the dragoness stepped forward, kneeling before the door, riffling through the shingles. Jarvan grimaced, looking at the dragoness with a slight frown.
Did something happen? Jarvan frowned. "I'm going to speak to Garen." Jarvan said curtly, but Shyvana looked as if she had busied herself with her efforts of riffling through the dirt and trash. Jarvan looked to Tunis who glanced up from watching Shyvana, confusion on his face as he shrugged.
Shyvana dug through the material, finally finding what she was looking for. She brushed the dirt from the chipped corner of the sign, a smile on her face as she clapped her hands upon the metal fauld upon her thigh. She turned, beaming, looking for the prince. "Look, Jarv-… Where did he go?" Shyvana asked, frowning, glancing around. She saw the prince's retreating form as he stopped next to Garen and Katarina. Her smile slowly fell as she looked down at the fragment of the sign held in her hands, slowly running her thumbs over the raised lettering.
"Shyvana?" Tunis asked her quietly, looking down at the dragoness with a frown. The dragoness looked to him with a frown. Tunis blushed slightly, taking a step back and raising his hands in apology and surprise. "Ah! Sorry, Miss Faust." Shyvana blinked a few times and shook her head.
"Wha… no, it's fine." Shyvana muttered as she shook her head, looking back to Jarvan, frowning now. Tunis's face lightened slightly at the thought of getting to refer to the dragoness by her name, but it faded when he saw the worried expression on her face. She looked down at her hand, slowly closing it and pressing it to her chest. "He's never just left me before…" Shyvana's voice had fallen to a low whisper. "I suppose he's noticed… hasn't he."
"Is he mad about something?" Tunis asked, trying to sound comforting. "Did something happen between you two?"
"No, it's nothing." Shyvana said softy, shaking her head. "Well…"
"If you need someone to talk to…" Tunis said softly.
"I appreciate it." Shyvana said, offering his a sad smile. "But it's something personal between the prince and I that I haven't told him yet. I was hoping he wouldn't realize what was happening so soon, but I think he's already noticed."
"Prince Jarvan?" Tunis asked, trying to follow her gaze. "Maybe he knows, maybe he doesn't. Though it might not be anything at all. He is the prince, after all." Tunis said as evenly as possible, shrugging slightly.
Shyvana looked up at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "What difference does that make?"
"Uh… Well, he's probably just busy and has a lot on his mind." Tunis said, watching as Shyvana's hair flared, billowing, as the dust around her feet shivered angrily. "He has many responsibilities and concerns he must focus on right now. Considering the difficult times we are facing here, it's only natural that the stress upon him would be much higher than normal…" Tunis's was talking quicker than normal, but he slowly slightly as Shyvana grunted, gently placing the sign against the door frame of the inn, before taking off after the retreating knight, prince and Noxian. "Besides… rumor is that he lost a bunch of friends near here. He might have just remembered something that's brought back some bad memories."
"I suppose." Shyvana muttered, her expression falling slightly. "I'm just worried I guess." She paused mid step, Tunis glancing down at her as she ground to a stop, watching as her expression slowly fell. Her eyes seemed to grow gaunt and distant for a few moments, her hands quivering. For a moment there were scales just starting to peak through her skin as she shivered in anger, but then, suddenly, as if swept away by a gust of wind, the fire in her eyes died, as is she had suddenly accepted defeat. "It's just like the king said…" Shyvana murmured softly, her shoulders sinking slightly. "I… I should have known better than to be so hopeful that things would be the same…"
"Shyvana?" Tunis asked, worried, placing a hand on Shyvana's shoulder and shaking her gently as if to rattle her from the mood that had struck her. "Is something the matter?"
Shyvana looked up, glancing at his hand, and then looking at the worried expression on Tunis's face. She blinked a few times, her eyes growing cloudy. "Wha-… no, it's…" Shyvana forced herself to turn away, shaking her mane of red hair out and tugging an armored glove off, wiping at her cheeks with her bare hand. She took a slow, deep breath and then exhaled heavily. She fiddled with the scale mail, tugging it on and flexing her hand to ensure it was seated properly, she turned back to the Lieutenant, offering him a wide but false smile. The officer frowned.
"Shyv—Miss Faust." Tunis said, warmly. "If you need to talk to someone, I ca-…"
"I'm fine." Shyvana said, taking a much shallower breath. "Thank you, though, Tunis. And please… call me Shyvana. Faust was my father. It sounds odd when friends call me by that name."
"Of course." Tunis nodded slowly, and though his frown still lingered on his lips for a moment, it turned into hopeful smile. "As you wish, Shyvana." He paused for a moment as if he were enjoying saying the name. "Call me Garrier if you wish." He looked hopeful again, grinning.
"Thank you." Shyvana said, smiling at him. He could see there was sadness in her eyes, but just a little of the pain that he had seen in her eyes before had gone. "Now, let's hurry before we get left behind." Her smile faded slightly. "I'll have to talk to Jarvan about it later. I don't need to distract him any further." Tunis nodded to Shyvana, following after her as they rushed to catch up to the others.
There was little chatter in the group other than Garen and Katarina discussing recent Zaunite blasting when they caught up. While some of it seemed important, much of it seemed to simply flow in one ear and out the other of the prince as he walked softly alongside his childhood friend, his gaze drifting about the once vibrant township, now muddled and seemingly cast with a dull grey blanket. The group paused long enough for Shyvana and Tunis to close the gap between them. Jarvan noticed a thoughtful frown on Shyvana's face, but as he saw her draw near, she only glanced at the prince before stopping behind Katarina. She noticed Jarvan looking at her, and smiled at him, but she glanced away as Tunis stepped up beside her. Jarvan shook his head and forced himself to look away.
As they moved through the streets, the town took a decidedly industrial turn, going from houses, inns, and other structures built for the care and comfort of humans to much more utilitarian structures. There were warehouses, trade offices, smithies, and while the rest of the town had been almost barren, the activity here was as apparent as the League's presence at the Nexus back towards the edge of the town. Miners moved to and fro, coated in dirt and speckled with rock as they pushed heavy carts laden with the fruits of their labors. Some dragged carts of nothing but stone while others carried smaller chests of precious metals, disappearing into heavy looking buildings, built like fortresses as if to stop entire armies.
There was a steady rumble and rattle of something menacing further along the crooked path. The sound of crumbling stone, the staccato roar of metal clattering against metal echoing down the heavily trafficked streets. The group stopped at a set of heavy metal rails as a team of horses brayed, the crack of their driver's whip spurring them on as the labored to drag an overladen cart forward.
"It's odd to see the town so busy." Jarvan muttered, watching as the cart trundled past, noting that there were a number of laborers pushing the cart from behind as well. "Has it been like this since the discovery of the mines?"
"Pretty much." Garen said, frowning, shrugging as he looked around. "Many of the laborers are Kalamandans who slave away trying to make what they can to send to their families, almost all of which have left the city already."
They paused, the knight's voice drowned out by the roar of a monstrously large machine that growled and snarled with angry metal clanging and the guttural roar of a techmaturgy. Wires cracked and glowed with power running along the different stages of the machine's different segments. There was a large hopper at the close end of the machine, and as the group paused on their journey, the prince watched. The rails ran up to the hopper, running just alongside it. The horses brayed and snarled from being so close to the terrifying contraption that rumbled and spewed angry black smoke. There were a number of giant boxy shapes that were all connected by heavy metal rods that spun and rattled wildly, rattling and bucking violently. The worked yanked pins from the cart as it ground to a halt, jamming heavy wooden rods into holes along the bottom of the cart and then levering up the box of the cart. It groaned as it tipped over, emptying its contents into the hopper. The machine moaned and rumbled as it spewed dust and oil, chewing up the rock and lifting it along a narrow conveyer, dumping it into a tall boxy looking machine that rumbled and shook violently as the stone poured in via the top.
The machine growled as more dust spewed into the air, grinding the stone in fine gravel. The machine shook violently, another conveyer belt carrying the gravel up to another massive boxy machine. The laborers shoved the cart further along the track, stopping it below a conveyor belt that started to dump waste material into the now waiting hopper. The rest of the rock, now glimmering with bits of metal and precious gems, was carried up another conveyor belt ran up to another machine. This one was long and heavy looking, with many conveyor belts leading off of it, condensing down to a single larger belt that carried bits of stone and dust back up to the previous machine dumping it inside. There was a final conveyor belt that led off along the back of the machine. There were platforms that ran along both sides of the convey belt as it slowly trundled along. Workers picked bits of metal and gem from the conveyor belt and placed it in holes that led down chutes, carrying the metal and precious minerals to waiting containers below, guarded by men in brutish armor and carrying war hammers they held before them at arms. The rest was dumped down a last chute into a waiting cart with heavy armor that looked as though it were a massive box on wheels.
"Zaunite treasure wagon." Garen growled, seeing Jarvan's gaze. "That machine is used to process the smaller, less dense veins. It's a monstrosity no doubt, and the noise and stink are appalling, but it does the job of a breaker crew efficiently and quickly." He snorted, shaking his head. "But there's only one of those, and the machine can't handle all of the capacity that the Zaunites blast through. They employ a number of breaker crews too. Thousands of men labor in their damn camps, working in pathetic conditions, and most live in squalor. It's appalling."
"I take it that all of the employees of Loadstone are being treated better?" Jarvan growled, looking to Garen expectantly.
"Of course, your highness." Garen said, nodding. "Conditions are far from favorable, but they are much better than average. All employees of the Loadstone Mining Consortium, partially owned by your family, receive the best working conditions in the entirety of Kalamanda. The LMC supplies bunkhouses for all laborers, three square meals, and pays on average thirty percent above other mining conglomerations."
"There are a only few groups here who have higher profit margins," Tunis explained, mostly to Shyvana, but his voice was loud enough for the entire group to hear, though it was only news to the prince and dragoness. Jarvan's attention sharped, though there was an annoyed look on his face as he watched Tunis glance back and forth between him and Shyvana, letting his gaze on the dragoness before continuing. "But the higher morale and large scale operations of the Loadstone Consortium easily surpasses the other groups who are working here in the region." He paused, glancing around, raising his voice over the growing noise. "The Zaunites try and make up the difference with their techmaturgical monstrosities, but they lose almost as much from their horrid working conditions. Only the Piltovans can top us and the Zaunites."
"What of the Noxian companies?" Jarvan asked, looking to Katarina, who immediately shot him back an annoyed expression.
"All of the Mining Companies from Noxus are privately owned." Katarina snapped, crossing her arms over her chest, though Jarvan could see the arrogance in her face as she raised her chin up, closing her eyes and smiling proudly. "However, despite our stunning lack of rules and laws about every little aspect of the mining industry and its regulation, we as Noxians value strength. As such, we also recognize that useless workers, like those who are weak from lack of food or meaningful rest are useless. We might push our workers hard, but we also treat them well, and pay them fairly for their work." There was a swagger in her steps that Jarvan could only interpret at arrogance.
"Katarina…" Garen said her name softly, looking at her and frowning slightly.
"What?" Katarina said proudly, glancing over at him and preening like a cat. "You Demacians are hardly the only ones who have all their ducks in a row. We Noxians are just as capable and just and strong, if not stronger, not to mention perceptive!" Katarina laughed haughtily, giggling to herself as she turned, watching as the others slowed to a stop. She pushed herself along slowly, walking backwards, grinning as she leaned forward, casting Garen a deviously playful grin. "What, not happy if you don't get to lead the way?"
"Kat!" Garen practically shouted.
"What?" The redheaded Noxian giggled, grinning. She spun, looking back to the path, only to see that it had completely collapsed away from under her feet. The knight captain jumped forward grabbing at her wrist, as the surprise played across Katarina's face.
"Kat!" Garen shouted, extending his hand to her. Katarina glanced back at him, but where the prince expected surprise or fear, he could see that her entire demeanor had changed in an instant. Gone was the playful expression. Her hand jumped to one of the blade carried across her back as she tucked her knees into her chest, flipping about. She disappeared for a moment as she spun the blade in a glittering circle before slamming it into the slide of the cliff, reappearing as she landed nimbly on the tip. She lingered there just long enough for the knight to looked over the edge before kicking off and sending herself leaping back over the edge of the cliff, grabbing Garen's arm to turn her vertical motion horizontal, cartwheeling across the knights shoulders. She landed on both feet behind him, a smirk plastered across her face as if nothing had happened at all.
Garen stood frozen for an instant before dropping his hands to his side, hanging his head and sighing softly. He dropped to one knee at the top of the cliff, leaned over the edge, and worked Katarina's short sword out of the side of the cliff. He pushed himself up to his feet, his expression stony as he turned and presented the weapon to the redheaded Noxian. "That was a dirty trick." He scowled, shaking his head, watching as the smile seemed to grow Katarina's face. She struggled to contain her laughter for a few moments before finally tossing her head back and letting herself go.
"You should see your face right now!" Katarina finally stammered out, practically coughing she was laughing so hard. "You look like you've just seen a ghost!"
Garen grimaced, straightening up, tugging on his chest plate and smoothing his scarf slightly before turning his glare on Katarina. "I simply didn't want you getting injured. If you were under my watch, it could cause an incident!"
"An incident?" Katarina mused, grinning at him, wearing a cat-like smile as she pushed him for more info. "Oh yeah? You sure it wasn't something else?"
"Perceptive." Jarvan muttered, shaking his head as he watched the two of them start to argue again. "Yeah, as a rock, maybe." Garen refused to meet the assassin's gaze, his face a deep red, but there was a preening smile on Katarina's face as she bounced around him, trying to get him to look at her.
Shyvana giggled, stifling the laughter with her hand. "I get the distinct feeling that if June or Del were here, they'd have a stinging remark about how much they're like we used to be." Jarvan's mouth hung open for a moment but he felt a grin growing on his face, just imagining the two of them laying into him and Shyvana for judging the others.
Jarvan exhaled sharply, shrugging and nodding. "Yeah… probably."
"Are they always like this?" Shyvana asked. Jarvan looked down to the dragoness, but he noticed that Shyvana was looking at Tunis, leaning in towards him slightly and whispering, her smile wide. Jarvan forced himself to look back to the knight and Noxian, though he felt his mouth fall open again as he watched Katarina hanging off of Garen's arm like a monkey hanging from a limb. The prince shook his head in exasperation, sighing again as Shyvana looked up to him again, laughing.
Tunis grimaced, watching the show, shaking his head. "No. I've worked with the Noxian before and she's usually pretty collected and competent, if maybe a bit distracted." Jarvan glanced at Shyvana, both of them sharing a knowing look that spoke of their experiences with her. "The Captain seems to be fine though, maybe a bit more jovial than normal." He shrugged, leaning back and crossing his arms across his chest. "He's usually pretty terse with her, though recently he's been more and more relaxed around her. Together they're a bit of a moving argument. Apart they're both fine." He shook his head, watching as Katarina tossed her head back, bellowing a loud laugh as Garen blushed.
"That sounds like two of our friends, Garrier." Shyvana chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Del and Forsythe, yes?" Shyvana said, looking at the prince. A memory of how the prince's bodyguard had met a former soldier under his command and friend and the disastrous results that had followed came to mind. Jarvan snorted, but nodded, letting a grin spread across his face, though he didn't laugh, his eyes watching Tunis with a frown as the man smiled, looking at the dragoness.
Garrier? When did he become Garrier? Jarvan shook his head, trying to ignore the nagging thought that there might be something between them he didn't know about. He turned back to the cliff, looking out over the deep chasm that seemed to split the top to Kalamanda in two parts. "That is one massive hole." The prince muttered, leaning over the edge and looking down the cliff. It was a steep descent almost straight down into a monstrous crag that seemed to split Runeterra asunder.
"Welcome to the mines of Kalamanda." Tunis said, kicking a rock into the pit, watching it clatter down the side of the chasm. It started a small landslide of rocks and mud that grew bigger and bigger the deeper it descended, finally ending in a cloud of dust at the bottom. "Deepest open pit mine in Kalamanda." He paused, scratching his head as a grin spread over his face. "Probably the deepest in all of Runeterra."
"This is amazing." Jarvan muttered, looking out over the crevice that had be cut into Runeterra as if by some giant weapon. Even in the dim midday light, he could see the glimmer of crystal deep below. He cast a glance at Katarina, wondering just what the hell she was thinking to let herself get playful around something like that.
"They call it the 'Crystal Scar'." Garen said ominously, finally done with his argument. He had a smile on his face at fell slightly, but Katarina was looking cross, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her cheeks a nervous bright pink. "She's claimed a number of lives already."
"How many?" Jarvan asked, looking to the knight.
Garen frowned, thoughtfully. "A dozen, perhaps." He shook his head, shrugging.
"Garrier?" Shyvana said softly, drawing the other's attention to him. His fists were clenched at his side, shaking as he forced himself to take a deep breath.
"Fuckin' Zaunite scum don't know how to blast safely, and they keep causing landslides." Tunis growled, looking to Shyvana, though he was speaking loud enough so all of them could hear. "They're trying to mine as much as they can before the rights are given to a single nation, and they're sloppy. They simply guess with amounts of explosives that could kill hundreds."
"Has their blasting killed anyone, yet?" Shyvana asked frowning.
"Not directly." Tunis shrugged. "But the aftermath? Definitely." There was anger in his voice that seemed to speak of the loss of someone he cared for. "Too much rock and too little skill if you ask me. You remember that gigantic monster of a crusher? The one spitting all the dust and crap into the air?" Shyvana nodded. "That's their automated processor. Techmaturgical marvel, yes, but its causes them to be sloppy. They dump all they mine, crystal, rock and all, into a big hopper. It chews it all up and then they smelt it all down. The crystal floats on the heavy rock slag, so they filter that out. Then they skim what precious metals they can off the top, form it into ingots which gets shipped off to a factory somewhere in Zaun where they smelt it down again and process it into workable materials."
"Sounds efficient." Shyvana remarked, wrinkling her nose slightly as she sniffed the air. There was a distinct stench in the air from the molten rock and some of the stone that had been harvested from belly of Runeterra.
They moved past the crystal scar and moved on towards a shallower cut that wound off and around the main open pit mine. There were derricks lined along the edges of the shallower pit, stretching high over the gash, dropping down towards a small hole that was carved in the ground, the cables disappearing inside. There was a deeper cut just before the hole, where an entrance was collapsed. There were number workers moving about along the entrance, working with shovels and teams of horses to carefully pull rock out of the way before hauling it off.
"Welcome to Loadstone Mining Consortium mine number one." Garen said, gesturing towards the mines below. The bowl of a pit was deep with mine tunnels reinforced and splayed out around the pit like There were a number of tents set out below them like a small city, workers and different people moving about, working on one thing or another. One of the derricks coughed to life and there was a shout of action the turned into a dizzying buss of excitement below. The derrick started to rumbled, the winch slowly drawing the cable out of the hole. "And it looks like they about to rescue the last of the trapped miners."
Jarvan nodded, letting his eyes roam the mining facilities spread out below him, interspersed with heavy equipment and tents upon tents that were littered about, practically consuming every spare bit of space that was flat enough to be used. Garen paused at the edge of the cliff, looking down into the pit below. There was a gradual road that curved around the entire width of the pit, a cart driven by horses slowly laboring up the last turn, quickly approaching the prince and his entourage. Garen frowned, looking at the road, then glancing down the steeped ledge that fell away into the pit. There was a steep staircase carved out of the wall that descended straight to the edge of the camp.
"This way, everyone." Garen said, waving them forward, gesturing down the narrow and rather precarious looking steps. He paused watching as a pair of men rose through the small hole, lifted high by a derrick. "They've already got the last miner out! Here's a shortcut we can take. If we hurry we can get there right as they're taking him to the
"Don't you think we should go around?" Katarina asked, glancing over the edge, looking down along the cliff, her voice hesitant.
"What, you afraid of a little fall?" Garen chuckled, grinning imperiously as he looked down at the redheaded assassin, her arms crossed uncomfortably. Garen crossed his arms over his chest, his grin growing wider as he watched the Noxian squirm. "As limber as you are and as much as you like to jump around, this is surprising, Kat."
The Noxian looked up at him, her cheeks burning a brilliant red, her arms tightening across her chest. Garen glanced down at her, his cheeks tinged pink as something dangerous flashed through her green eyes as she glanced up at the knight. She reared her arm back and jabbed Garen in the side, right below the breast plate, hissing in anger as she lifted her nose up, turning away. "Idiot."
"Sh-hall we?" Garen groaned, gesturing towards the camp, halfway bent over, his smile screwed up in pain. He hobbled a single step towards the steps, his hand shuddering as he gestured towards the camp beyond.
"Hold on a second." Tunis said, frowning as he stepped forward. He dropped to a knee atop the highest step, driving his knife into the ground and wiggling it slightly. "The ground is soft from all the blasting and the rain. I don't want anyone getting hurt." Jarvan saw his gaze dart up to Shyvana, a charming smile on his lips.
"Let's stop wasting our time." Jarvan grunted, shaking his head. Now he's starting to get on my nerves.
"After you, cap." Garen perked up at this, pushing himself up to his full height as if nothing had ever happened. Katarina's mouth hung open in surprise as she looked up at him in confusion. He took a step down, testing the ground cautiously, frowning slightly. "Like Tunis said, just watch the ground. The mining creates a lot of mud." Jarvan grimaced, noting that there was quite a bit of mud, and at the bottom of the steep hill there was a field of heavy boulders, pulled from the ground and now sitting along a long drainage ditch that ran into the larger pit.
Jarvan nodded absently, stepping forward onto the path that descended down into the pit and the waiting camp. His boot struck mud and his foot immediately skidded out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground. He dropped hard, the ground seeming to part, cracking and rumbling underneath, cracks zigzagging out from where Tunis had jammed his knife into the ground. For a moment the hillside was perfectly still, Jarvan glancing back at the others. He started to push himself to his feet, but the rumble started again as the entire section of the cliff side shook, shifting away from the cliff, seeming to part and fall away from beneath him.
"Jarvan!" Shyvana lunged forward, grabbing the collar of the prince's armor, holding on desperately, but as she planted her feet to try and stop his descent down the hill, she simply sank into the mud, the ground crumbling around her, sinking her nearly to the top of the ankles. She snarled, losing her footing, toppling forward behind the prince as more of the mud came loose beneath her panicked attempts to try and regain her footing, eroding around her, starting to consume her, the mud turning into a rolling, toiling mass of darkness. Shyvana snarled, wings of flame and heat billowing around her as she tried to get her feet underneath herself, but the ground seemed to be rolling around her, keeping her turning and writhing on the wild landslide. "Get me upright!" Jarvan shouted, clinging to his lance.
"Hold on!" Shyvana shouted back, waiting only a brief moment before rearing her fist back and slamming the larger gauntlet of her pair into the ground. She poured flames out through her gauntlet, the mud hardening as steam exploded upwards. Shyvana screamed, though it turned into a vicious snarl as the prince's weight practically threatened to pull her apart. Jarvan jerked about, ending right side up atop the writhing, muddy mass.
"Release!" Jarvan shouted, and as if my instinct, Shyvana immediately released his collar. Jarvan, now upright, slammed his lance around his body, driving it hard into the ground behind him, slapping the trigger, blasting a standard deep into the soft ground. He looked up just in time to Shyvana snarl as the hardened mass of mud she had anchored to hit something and bucked, tossing her into the air. Shyvana flailed as Jarvan flipped his lance about, triggering the lance again, the lance exploding below him, launching him into the air. Jarvan crashed into Shyvana midair, wrapping his arms around her as their trajectory turned horizontal, arcing down towards the mud again.
"Hold on!" Shyvana snarled, pushing Jarvan away. Jarvan rolled slightly, watching as fire consumed Shyvana's form, her body starting to expand, her skin hardening from a dark, leathery blue to hardened, armored blue grey, scale gleaming along her skin as she snarled, tossing her head about, roaring angrily. Horns burst from her head, curving up and back around her head as her nose elongated into a snot, her teeth lengthening and sharpening into vicious fangs. Her body exploded outwards, expanding into a terrifying monstrous creature, smooth leathery flaps stretching along her massive wings, razor sharp fangs and talons and powerful muscles that flow along her heavy frame. Shyvana roared, tossing her head about as the sound echoed across the entire valley. Shyvana folded her wings back along her body, rolling and diving sharply, extending her legs forward, snatching the prince out of the air and tossing him up as she rolled again, pulling up along the ground. Shyvana snarled, spreading her wings wide, flapping hard and fighting for altitude as they dropped towards the ground. The prince's boots skimmed along the ground as Shyvana flapped, finally getting some lift as she slowed. She hovered, flapping for several moments as she looked down at the prince.
"Nice catch." Jarvan remarked, grinning, looking up at the dragoness. Shyvana grunted, jetting steam from her nostrils, as she flapped, hanging in place. Already, there were hundreds of onlookers gathering as Shyvana listed slowly downwards towards the ground where the last of the rescued workers were now waiting. Shyvana set Jarvan on the ground, letting him stand as she pushed herself up with several mighty flaps of her monstrous wings, dropping down next to him, the ground shuddering under her heavy frame. The gathered works all stumbled backwards from around her, their eyes wide in a mix of fear and amazement. There was silence around the group as Jarvan shuddered, shaking his shoulders off, feeling the strain of having Shyvana's claws wrapped around his shoulders so firmly. He grimaced, looking up at Shyvana, stretching his neck. "Thanks for the save, but next time, try and be a little gentler, yeah?" Shyvana snorted, blowing steam over the prince. Jarvan chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"Next time, don't do something so careless." Shyvana rumbled, snapping her fangs derisively at the prince. She glared at him for a moment, but there was a smile on the prince's face as he rested a hand against her snout, patting her gently.
"Thanks, Shy." Jarvan whispered so only she could hear him. The dragoness bowed her head to the prince before tossing it back and roared, snarling. As she lowered her head, she looked upon the gathered workers, medical staff and miners circled around her massive form and the prince, but all of them kept their distance, fear and disbelief on their faces. Many of them looked to the prince in awe and disbelief, as if they expected her to snap him up and devour him in a matter of moments.
"Your highness!" Garen shouted from atop the wall, peering over the edge, looking down to where Shyvana and Jarvan now stood. Jarvan turned and waved up at the knight, who was already quickly descending the road at a road.
"Bloody hell, your highness…" A gruff, dirty looking man in coveralls took a half step forward, breaking from the crowd, his eyes wide as he looked on after the dragoness. "You sure know how to make an entrance… shit, sir, I want a mount like that. Where do I sign up?"
"A MOUNT LIKE THAT?!" Shyvana snarled, lunging forward and snapping at the man. He shouted in terror, dropping down to the ground as Shyvana loomed over him, her snout mere inches from his face. "I'm not a horse." Shyvana hissed angrily, blowing steam at the man, watching as he cowered, trying to push himself deeper into the mud in terror. Shyvana slowly raised her head, looking slowly around the group. "If anyone but the prince here tries to so much as touch me, much less mount me, I will burn them with such heat that their ashes will not be able to fill up a fist!" Shyvana shivered, shaking her body violently as she dropped down onto the ground, shrinking slowly as she returned to her bipedal, human-like appearance. Steam boiled from the ground around her as she shivered, slowly pushing herself up to her feet, her armor steaming. Shyvana shook her body, casting dust and dried mud from her body as she looked out over the group, seeing each and every one of them looking on in stunned surprise.
The half dragon looked down at the man who was crumpled in the mud. She took two long strides, her leathery skin a deep blue grey in the dim light, flashing oranges as sparks and motes of flames danced beneath her armored soles. She leaned down and grabbed the man who had fallen by the collar, lifting him to his feet with a single hand, looking squarely into his eyes. She could see her golden orange orbs reflected in his small dark eyes. "You had best remember that." She snorted, shooting steam at him before turning back to the prince. Jarvan stood watching with a grin as Shyvana blushed lightly. The dragoness closed her eyes and hissed as the horns slowly retracted back into her head, She shook uncomfortably, her hands grabbing at her head as she shivered violently, groaning in pain. The onlookers all seemed to sink back in surprise. The area was perfectly quiet for several long moments.
"Shy…" Jarvan said, worriedly, wrapping an arm around her waist as her stance faltered, threatening to send her tumbling to the ground.
"I'm alright." Shyvana said softly, shaking her head, though she held onto the prince's arm. "Just a bit winded is all. It was easier near the nexus." She laughed softly, looking up at the prince and blush. "And that feeling…" Shyvana stood up, rising to her full height at the top of Jarvan's shoulder, shaking her head. "No matter how many times it happens, I can never get used to it."
"You've made quiet the show, Prince Jarvan." The voice was amused, light in tone and cheerful. The sea of onlookers parted as an older looking man with a bushy mustache, a heavily receding hairline, brilliant pink cheeks and a glowing nose. His mustache twitched excitedly as he looked at the dragoness and the prince, looking back and forth between the two of them, a growing smile on his face. "Though, I never thought I'd see the day where the dragons soared over Kalamanda once again." Behind the man stood a blonde woman with soft features and piercing blue eyes. She carried a sword upon her belt, but that was hardly the most remarkable feature. Massive white wings were folded behind her, and as she looked over the prince and dragoness with interest, there was a shiver of excitement that run up and down her wings. Next to her stood a woman armed with Demacian armor and plate, a smile on her face. She had snowy white hair, red eyes, and extremely pale skin. She looked out of place next to the others.
"Gunny Juniper." Jarvan said, surprised by her appearance. "I thought you were back in the town?" Jarvan felt the dragoness go rigid next to him, and all of a sudden Shyvana stepped away from the prince. Jarvan looked down at her frowning, wondering what could have caused the change, but before he could ask, Alicia had stepped forward and bowed to the king.
"No sir." Alicia said, shaking her head. "My apologies for not communicating with you, but I was directed here by a constable at the barracks."
"Oh." Jarvan muttered, shaking his head, prying his gaze away from the now rigid, blushing dragoness, as he looked for Garen and Katarina, wondering if Tunis had arrived, but he could see the three of them only getting close to the bottom of the hill. Jarvan looked back to the gunny, trying to shake off his confusion, noticing that all eyes were on him. "I…. I hadn't realized we'd wasted so much time."
"I don't know if you'd call it wasted, but it was certainly remarkable." The balding man said, nodding slowly, a smile starting to spread on his face. "Miss Juniper, perhaps introductions are in need?"
"Ah, of course." Alicia said, her cheeks going a rosy pink. "Where are my manners?" She paused for a brief moment, looking between the balding man and Jarvan, and while it was clear that both knew the other, there was still protocol and courtesy at stake here. "Prince Jarvan IV, may I present Mayor of Kalamanda, Anson Ridley, and Lady Judicator Kayle."
"How interesting a treat to finally get to meet you…" The mayor chuckled softly, his eyes noticeably darting towards the dragoness. "Though, if you do excuse my prying eyes, your lady dragon has caught my attention. Dragons have always been a… ah, menace we've faced as a small border town. To welcome one so readily…" He chuckled, nervously, wiping sweat form his tremendous brow. "You'll excuse me if I'm a tad bit jumpy."
"My apologies." Shyvana said gruffly, her voice faint. "If my presence disturbs you..." Jarvan glanced back and saw annoyance written on her face. He suppressed the urge to laugh.
"No, it is no worry." The mayor said, his eyes hovering on the dragoness. He glanced up at the hill where an angry, dark streak marred the mud where the landslide had occurred. The rocks at the bottom of the hill had done their job to keep the mud at bay though, breaking its momentum and diverting the forward motion of the landslides sideways and onto itself. "You really did a number on the hillside though." He mused, shaking his head. "What happened?"
"Get out of the way!" There was a murmur of excitement as several people pushed their way through to the front of the crowd. Garen was massive compared to many of the workers, in both height and width. "Your highness…" He panted, glaring at Jarvan. "I… I had no idea the path was so dangerous or I would have never suggested it…"
"I'm fine, thanks to Shyvana." Jarvan said, looking down at him. "Just a few cuts and-..."
A sudden warm sensation descended upon the prince, as if all the blood in his veins had suddenly been turned to magma. There was a searing pain that consumed his body, as if he were being cooked, inside and out. He blinked a few times, his eyes watering as he tried to shake off the pain, but the area before him grew woozy and fuzzy, as if his vision were fading. The workers, the mayor, and all the gathered onlookers seemed to fade into a single, distant blob of darkness
I need to speak with you. It is urgent.
Jarvan shivered, taking a slow, deep breath. The voice cut through his mind like a red-hot knife. Jarvan looked up, scanning the crowd. Only one form stood out to him, possessing brilliant golden armor as he looked into their pair of piercing blue eyes.
I know that voice…
I'm glad you remember. Kayle's lips twitched as if she were about to smile. Dispense of your comrades for now. I shall take care of the rest.
As suddenly as the sensation had struck, it was gone again, receding from Jarvan's mind like a snake, slithering from his ears. Jarvan shivered, suddenly feeling cold in the absence of the fiery presence.
"Jarvan?" Shyvana was bent over him, a worried look on her face. "What happened? Are you well?" Jarvan held his head for a moment and groaned, grimacing, trying to blink away the burning pain he felt.
"I…" Jarvan glanced to the judicator and grimaced. "I think that fall took it out of me. Mayor Ridley… Is there someone who could look over my injuries and that on my companion?"
The mayor, portly as he was, looked dumbstruck for several moments, however he slowly nodded. "Yes of course." He glanced around. "Foreman, can spare the men?"
The cross looking man in coveralls who Shyvana had sent to his tail before nodded, shaking his head slightly. "Yeah, we've got a few tents open. My men are dealing with the landslide for now, but I should be able to spare a few now that we've got the last of the miner's free of the mine."
"Good." The mayor said, nodding as the foreman turned towards the onlookers and started dispersing them back to their tasks. A few men dressed in white fatigues approached, some of them moving about and gathering up materials as the rest moved off, soft chatter among their numbers.
Jarvan scanned the crowd for a moment, grimacing at the thought of the instructions, and there was an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, but he needed to meet with Kayle in private. Standing behind Garen, he found the soldier he was looking for. "Lieutenant Tunis." Jarvan said softly, glancing to Shyvana, and back to Tunis, watching the surprise play over his face. "Can you see to Shyvana's wounds?"
"Sir?" Tunis said, surprised, but he nodded slowly, his eye narrowing at the prince. "Of course sir. I'll see that she is well tended to."
Jarvan grimaced, not liking the tone of the man's voice, but what was done was done. I will sort out what's going on with him later. Jarvan felt a surge of pain cut through his skull, the warm heat dulling his vision for a moment.
The dragoness turned and glared at the prince, a frown growing on her face. "Jarvan, but what abou-…" Shyvana started to protest, but the surprisingly calm look that Jarvan gave her silenced her protests.
"Get yourself taken care of." Jarvan said, trying to smile at Shyvana, but the gesture faded slightly as winced against the pain. He took a slow deep breath, his temple pounding as he looked up at Shyvana and took a slow breath, offering her a weak smile. "I won't order you, but do this for me. You already saved me... look after yourself now."
Shyvana remained next to the prince for a moment before taking a slow breath. She looked at the prince as if she wanted to throw her arms around him and tell him to shut up, but Jarvan watched as the light in her eyes faded slightly. She pushed herself to her feet, just barely letting her fingers brush against Jarvan's hand as she stood up. "Alright." Shyvana said softly, turning to the lieutenant. Tunis smiled at her, and she tried to return the gesture, but stole a look back to the prince. He wants me to go with Tunis? Why does he not want me at his side?
A man in a white coat kneeled next to the prince, setting and opening a bag upon the ground, digging through it, finally pulling out a light source. "Doctor, I can tend to the prince's wounds." Kayle said, gesturing to the prince, bowing her head. "Perhaps you can tend to Miss Faust?"
"Very well." The doctor said, eying the judicator. "As you wish, ma'am." He turned to the dragoness, looking at her with a frown for a moment as id sizing her up and then glanced at the prince before turning to Shyvana and Tunis. He nodded, picking up his bag. "Right, then. Lieutenant, Gunny, if you want to follow me, we'll see if we can't clean you up a bit."
"Okay." Shyvana said softly. She looked to Jarvan, and frowned. His shoulders were tight and tense, but it was more than possible that it he could have just been shaken up. She tried not to let it bother her, but the king's warning to her came back to mind and she had to fight to keep her composure. She took a deep breath and exhaled again slowly. Perhaps it is for the best if we're separate for now. She looked to Jarvan offering him a sad smile, but the prince looked lost in thought. She watched him for a bit, "Let's go Tunis." The two of them followed the doctor away.
"Garen, can you see to the miner who was just rescued?" Jarvan asked, grimacing against the pounding headache. "I'd like to speak with him and those who rescued him when my wounds have been tended to." He paused, glancing to Katarina. "Were there any Noxians among them? I'd like to thank them first hand if there were."
"Of course, Jarvan." Garen said, glancing down at Katarina. "Do you know?"
"I don't, but I'll go with Garen and check." Katarina said, eying Jarvan and the turning to watch Shyvana's retreating form with trepidation, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"Thank you." Jarvan said, hissing as he pressed his hand to his head.
"I need to tend to the prince now." Kayle said, glaring at Kat and Garen for a moment until Garen nodded.
"Of course, Kayle." Garen said, almost too excitedly. He turned to Jarvan and bowed his head. "Again, Jarvan, my sincerest apologies…."
"Just go before you make this headache worse." Jarvan groaned, glaring at his friend, getting a sheepish grin back from the knight.
"Yes sire." He turned to Katarina and gestured away. Katarina muttered something inaudible under her breath as she glanced at Garen, casting him an annoyed look. However, her expression softened for a moment and she blushed, shaking her head and following after her.
"This way." Kayle said, gesturing towards a tent as she helped the prince to his feet. Once Jarvan was standing, she turned to the mayor. "Mayor Ridley, if you'll excuse us? I believe you needed to finish your business with Miss Juniper, correct?"
"Ah, yes." The mayor said, clapping his hands. "Thank you for reminding me. With all the excitement, I'd completely forgotten." He turned to the young Demacian soldier, beaming, as if he were a child who had just received a wonderful Snowdown gift. "Now, where were we? I was just showing you the demolition bunker, yes? The foreman here can show us more. Where did he go…" He wandered off with Juniper in his wake, continuing to talk to himself.
Kayle moved past the prince, ducking her wings inside a tent, turning and holding it open for the prince. Jarvan eyed her with trepidation but stepped inside, glancing about. There were a few empty cots and small tables, a lantern flickering on a larger central table atop a map.
"There's much I need to speak with you about." Kayle said as the flap fell shut behind her. She waved her hand along the prince's face and immediately Jarvan gasped, the relief flooding over him. "My apologies for the reckoning… you apparent need of medical attention only strengthens our cover while we speak."
"Seems unnecessary." Jarvan muttered, rubbing his temples as he dropped down onto one of the cots that lined the walls. He sighed softly, finally looking up into the winged being's azure eyes. "I figured you'd come calling."
"There's a dark plot looming over Kalamanda, prince." Kayle said ominously. "And you, are right at the center of it all."