Demacia route

"I-I can't do it."

Swain's smile grew as Caleb looked at me horrified.

"See, I told you she'd say no. " Swain said mockingly. "You do know what that means then, right Caleb?

"Wait!" My brother replied. "I-I don't understand. After everything I told you...about how horrible of a place Demacia is...why? Why do you stick by it even after all that?"

I thought about that for a second. Why did I feel the need to side with Demacia after all that time?

"I don't really know..." I replied slowly. "But just because our parents were awful, it doesn't mean that everyone in Demacia is bad. Prince Jarvan is one of the kindest man I've ever met. The Crownguards and I get along well. I guess...I guess I just can't betray my friends after all this time. I can't even imagine betraying them.

"So...so then what about the people like us, Quinn? The poor, the helpless with great aspirations. Do you honestly think they can make it under Demacia's system?

"Yes."

My brother looked at me astoundingly. "How can you say that?"

I shrugged at him. "The ones with true aspirations will always find a way. Even if one seems like they have no chance, if they work hard and keep fighting they will make it somehow." I looked my brother square in the eye. "I am living proof of that."

My bother growled. "You got lucky!"

"Luck? Was it luck that got me into the league?"

"It was luck you had a pet bird to carry you there!"

"Valor isn't my pet. We are partners. And do you know how we met, brother? One year after you got buried, I gathered up the courage to visit your tomb. There I saw him, wounded, dying. I nursed him back to health. I wasn't lucky when I found him, nor was he lucky when he met me. It was a gift from above. For the both of us."

"You're telling me it was fate?"

"You can call it whatever you want. Where we are now, however, is history."

"Pfft. You've got to be kidding. My own sister. Demacia has poisoned you're mind. This is your last chance. Join Noxus and see the light that it has shown me. Or else.

"Or else what?"

"Or else..." My brother gave a small tremble as he brought out his axe. "Or else I will cut you down as you stand.

Swain patted my brother's shoulder. "So you haven't forgotten the deal after all."

I gaped at my brother in shock. "Wh-what? Brother..."

"Don't call me brother! You side with Demacia you're nothing to me! Only an enemy!"

"Wait, Caleb-"

"Unless you join Noxus. But if you don't...I'll kill you myself. I will strike down all enemies to Noxus. So...so-" My brother's voice trembled and his hands shook the axe he held in front of me uncontrollably. "...so what do you say?"

I stared at my brother. Here was my chance to fulfill all the dreams we shared as kids. What we spent every day dreaming of doing. But it was for all the wrong reasons. If I joined, it was without honor. I thought of Jarvan. Garen, Lux, all the Demacians..my friends...no. They were more than that. They were my family.

"I can't."

My brother closed his eyes and shudder. "Then...then fight."

I drew in a shaky breath. "No."

My brother's eyes shot wide open and his mouth curved unpleasantly, a hideous vein appeared under his left eye. He bared his teeth at me, looking like an uncontrollable animal. "FIGHT ME!"

In a quick motion he swung his axe at my head, I managed to see it coming in time and rolled under it coming up behind him. He snapped his head violently with his eyes still wide open, cold eyes. In a swift motion he turned and tried to strike me again. I hopped back.

"Swain!" I called out. "Do something to calm him down!"

Swain kept his eerie smile. "A Demacian...has no place ordering me what to do."

Suddenly I couldn't move. I looked at my feet in horror. I was snared. Swain snared me! And my brother was still charging at me with his axe drawn, with no sign of slowing down. I had no choice...

I brought out my bow and shot my brother.

The impact on his armor forced him to flinch and wince a little in pain. But by no means was it going to seriously injure him, I had not meant it to. My brother yanked the arrow from his armor and fixed me with a sick grin.

"So you've finally decided to fight back."

"No, Caleb I-"

I was cut off as my brother let out an unnaturally high pitched cry and rushed me once more. As he started the swinging motion, I lifted my bow and shot his hand. He yowled and dropped his axe, but quickly reached down to pick it up. As he came close to touching the handle, I shot him in the hand once more, for in him to recoil and cover the injured part. Suddenly, my feet felt lighter. Swain's snare wore out. Without a moment of hesitation I quickly vaulted into my brother knocking him of his feet and pinning him to the ground. He coughed for air and I wondered if I hit him too hard. But then I saw his eyes. Still wild, still empty, and looking...directly at the axe. He was reaching for it with his injured hand...

I stomped on it, effectively forcing him to bring the appendix back to his body and wither on the ground in pain. I then placed my foot on his chest and lifted my bow up, aiming it dead at my brother's exposed face.

"Yield." I gasped.

My brother panted heavily as his eyes looked into mine, but at my words he gave a small throaty chuckle. Then, it turned into a maniacal, deep laugh.

"Yield? Yield?! This is a battle to the death! Shoot that arrow! Claim your victory!"

I shook my head. "No."

My brother's wide, dangerous eyes flashed as his laugh grew crazier by the second. "Do it! Do it! Do it!"

"No!" I yelled over him. "I won't! Even if I did, it would never be a victory! It would be a failure." I whispered. "You are my brother."

My brother quieted at my voice and he stared at me in shock. "Quinn..."

And with one fluid motion he swept my foot of his chest forcing me to land painfully on the ground next to him. He rolled on top of me and shoved his knee into my body, pinning me down. Laughing, he grabbed his axe nearby and lifted it over my head.

"You fool!" He cried out hysterically.

I got a good look at the sharp blade the axe, so close to my face. Tears were forming on my eyes from the pain of my brothers weight crushing down on me. Noticing my discomfort, he smiled wider and twisted his knee into my torso, making sure to draw it out as long as he could.

"Ca-Caleb..." I winced. The pain was starting to become unbearable. My entire body was becoming numb. "Wa- wait...ugh.."

My brother's face showed no compassion, no remorse. Only that maniacal smile. That sick, twisted smile. He was actually going to kill me.

"You are not my sister. You are an enemy. A weak enemy, growing continuously weaker." He roared as he brought the axe high above his head. "Noxus has no place for the weak!"

I shut my eyes as the axe came down, surely the last sight I would ever see...

"Die!" The swish of the axe cutting through the air was loud. I braced myself for my death.

BOOM!

My eyes shot open as a putrid smell entered my senses, gagging me I coughed and tried to get away, fanning the stench away from me. There was something wet on my lip, I wiped it and realized it was blood. Did I die?

No...I did not feel the impact of the axe. And my sense were all still working. What happened to my brother?

Through my burning eyes I spotted him, hunched over and coughing a few feet away from me, the unused axe next to him, but he was coughing...he was coughing up...

That blood...it was my brother's blood.

"Caleb!"

"Quinn..." He sputtered as blood poured out of his mouth. Why was there so much blood? "What...what was...that?"

"I don't know!" I panicky rushed up to him.

Swain walked up as well, the smile gone from his face, all signs of amusement vanished, as he frowned at Caleb. "That odor...it smells familiar.."

I paused and took another sniff of that rancid smell. Swain was right. It did smell familiar. Very familiar. What was it that smelled like that?

"As long as you don't aggravate it..."

My eyes shot open in horror. Teemo's shroom.

Swain came to the same conclusion as he calmly closed his eyes, taking in the aroma. "So I see. You're quite clever Quinn...such strategy."

"Wait-wait! I didn't-"

Caleb looked at me with a wide terrified look. "Quinn...you-you planned this?"

"I- no! I'd never-"

Caleb closed his eyes, with a sad smile not listening. "I see...you...outsmarted me...you won...after all..."

"Caleb, wait. I-"

"It's such a shame...I still had so much more to learn...but...I was too foolish.

"No...Caleb."

"Then, I suppose this is where it all ends?" Swain questioned beside me.

My brother let out a final ragged laugh. "I guess so."

The echo of my brother's laugh repeated in my mind, haunting my thought for what would surely be an eternity.

Swain escorted me out the gate later that day, guiding me with a hand on my shoulder.

"You've earned my respect Quinn. Such a brilliant tactic. I won't even kill you. You've all but convinced me to make sure you end up a Noxian and assure that talent doesn't go to waste. We need a replacement for Sir Caleb after all and what better replacement than you?"

"I'll never join you maggots," I growled at him. "Not in a million years. Never!

Swain simply smiled. "We'll see."

As we neared the border, Swain once again spoke. "Your brother will be buried tomorrow in the solder grounds, as he had wished. You're welcome to come of course."

I said nothing.

"...Very well then. I will see you around." Swain left me at the border by myself.

I saw Sona there, Valor on her shoulder. The two seemed...what was that emotion called again? Right...happy. It made me sick.

"Valor. To me. " I spat.

The two looked up, surprised at my forceful tone. Valor seemed to shrug at Sona and lifted off her shoulder to land on mine. Sona fixed me with a concerned gaze and strummed a note on her instrument. I walked past her, not paying attention.

Moments after Valor pecked me on the cheek. I turned to look at him. The poor bird had no idea what I had went through recently. He was only showing concern, as partners always do.

It wasn't fair if he were to suffer because of me...

"It's nothing." I told him. "Let's go back to the league. We have matches we need to win."

Valor hummed in response and we headed toward the league together, as if nothing had ever happened, as partners.

Just as it always had been.

Just as it always will be...