Chapter 13
Gareth stared into a mirror and sighed. The face looking back at him was his own, but at the same time wasn't. His normally black hair had been bleached completely white and had been cut shorter. He also sported a scruffy goatee, though it wasn't real. A knock sounded on the door to the small restroom. "Come out already, Gareth," called a familiar voice.
"Ehhhhh I dunno. I look a bit ridiculous," he replied back.
"Oh please, wait until you see what they've done to me."
He opened the door and was greeted by Lux, although it took a few moments for him to recognize her. She was the same size as the Lux he knew and she had the same voice, but that's where the similarities ended. Lux's bright blonde hair was now completely black, with a few crimson streaks running through it. Only one of her eyes retained its crystal blue color; the other one now sported a completely red iris. Her skin was also a few shades darker than usual, but other than that, the girl seemed to be her cheery self.
Because they were going on an espionage mission, both Lux and Gareth had been required to alter their look. "Sweet mother of Malzahar, what the hell happened to you?" asked the summoner, a hint of a smirk on his face.
"Oh please, I can't help the fact that I'm well known. That's why I get a full blown makeover, unlike you. I can tell it took you a few seconds to recognize me, so obviously the disguise works. It may look strange to you, but I'll look right at home in Zaun. Just an average teenage delinquent, that's all."
Gareth shook his head slowly, one hand covering his face. "Forget what I said about me looking ridiculous, because you're in a whole other league."
"You'd look like this too if your face was seen by millions of people every day. In fact, I'm sure more people would recognize you if you hadn't lost that Autumnal Tournament," she poked.
Gareth raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Okay, okay, I surrender. No need to bring out the heavy artillery in a small argument." he said with feigned sadness. "Let's face it though: we both look a bit outlandish."
"Yeah," Lux laughed. "Definitely."
While the mood between the two seemed to be a playful one, it was really just a show. Both of them were nervous, and they were simply trying to remedy their anxiety with laughter. Hours earlier, they had gone together to let Prince Jarvan know that Gareth would be going with Lux to Zaun. The prince had seemed unsurprised, stating that it was a decision he had no issue supporting. He told the pair to get a few hours of rest before leaving. Gareth had gone back to his provided house in an attempt to sleep, but it had turned out to be a fruitless endeavor. He had simply laid on his back staring at the ceiling for a few hours before Lux had come knocking.
Now, the two were all ready to go. Lux had gotten all the supplies they would need, so the only thing that remained was actually getting to Zaun.
"So I'm assuming we'll be teleporting to Zaun?" guessed Gareth.
Lux nodded her head in affirmation. "That's correct. It'll basically be the same situation as when Dominick teleported us. We'll be dropped a little ways out from Zaun and make our way into the city on foot. I know the land around their pretty well, so it should be easy to get into. Have you got everything you need?"
Gareth nodded, placing his hands on the hilts of his blades. "I'm all good to go. How about you?"
"Yep. Armed and ready," replied the young light mage. She reached behind her back and pulled out a wicked looking staff from under her cloak, much to Gareth's surprise.
In Zaun, it wasn't uncommon to see people carrying weapons. In a city-state as dangerous as Zaun was, it would be foolish not to. Danger could be found in every alleyway throughout the city; every corner had to be taken with caution, lest one be ambushed by a hidden assailant.
"That doesn't look like you're usual armament," Gareth noted.
"That's because it isn't," responded Lux with a wink. "This here is a smaller version of the staff I use for my work with the Steel Legion."
"Steel Legion?" asked Gareth curiously.
Lux nodded. "Yep. The Steel Legion is a Demacian task force that was formed to combat the threat that the original Bioforge program presented. When that program fell apart, the Steel Legion was disbanded."
"Ah. I see. So I guess that makes you highly qualified for this task then, doesn't it?"
"It sure does," said Lux. "Anyway, they're ready for us at the teleportation hub. Are you sure you're ready to go?"
Gareth scratched his chin thoughtfully, before snapping his fingers. "There is one more thing I want to know."
"Oh? And what's that?" asked Lux.
"I want to know how the Dark Will knew that we were coming to Demacia. As far as I know, the only people who knew that I was coming here were you, me, and Sona. At that point, Jarvan didn't know, because I had only just decided that I was going to go. That leads me to believe that someone at the Institute knew what our plan was and informed the rest of the Dark Will."
"You…you don't think it was Sona, do you?" asked Lux cautiously.
Gareth shook his head. "There's no way," he said, his answer adamant. "Besides, if I recall correctly, my lovely little guide hadn't even made up a plan until I had decided to go with her."
Lux crossed her arms. "I told you, I only had an hour's notice," she said, pretending to be annoyed.
Gareth smiled, holding up his hands defensively. "I know, I know. But seriously, if you hadn't even made a plan at that point, how would anyone have known the route we were going to take?" The summoner stood for a few moments, deep in thought. Then, he looked back up at Lux. "When did you contact Dominick to let him know that we needed his help to teleport?"
"When you were saying goodbye to Sona. I talked to him via a scrying orb."
"Where were you when you talked to him?"
"In your room at the Institute. I talked to him right before I left, but I'm positive that there was nobody else in the room. Why do you ask?" asked the girl, cocking her head to the side with curiosity.
"I'm just playing off a hunch," stated Gareth. "Whoever overheard what our plans were must've done so at the Institute."
"Oh? And what do you propose we do to investigate?"
"Well, there's not much we can do right now since we're heading to Zaun, and I'm afraid that sending anyone from the military to investigate would attract too much attention. I do know one person who may be able to help us though. Do you mind if I write a letter?"
Sona drifted lazily down a hallway in the Institute of War, weary after a hard-fought win on Summoners Rift. The match had lasted for more than an hour and all of the effort she had put into keeping her teammates safe had taken its toll. She absentmindedly plucked away at her etwahl, playing a rather random but melodic tune. When she reached the door to her room, her mind had completely wandered off. She wondered where Gareth was and how he was doing. It felt like it had been only yesterday when he had arrived at the Institute, and yet he was already gone again. Still deep in thought, she was just about to slip into her room when she heard someone call out her name.
"Miss Buvelle!"
She turned and saw a young teen running toward her. She recognized the boy as one of the many message deliverers that the Institute employed to run mail and messages around the massive building.
Unfortunately, the boy wasn't a summoner, so Sona knew she wouldn't be able to talk to him. Instead, she simply waved a hello. The boy stopped in front of the Maven and scrounged around in his bag for a second, producing a small envelope a few seconds later. "This letter came for you earlier. It was sent via falcon, so I'm guessing it's pretty important. The falcon is waiting for whenever you are ready to return a letter. "
Sona took the letter and smiled to show her appreciation. The messenger responded by bowing and turning to leave. Sona watched as he went, then looked down at the letter in her hand. This was brought by a falcon? It probably IS important then. Such swift birds of prey were typically only used to transport letters that were urgent due to the speed with which they flew. She flipped the letter over and saw the letter was indeed addressed to her. Her eyes then widened as she recognized the handwriting that was scrawled on the envelope. It was Gareth's. She quickly slipped into her room and closed the door, ripping open the envelope as she drifted over to a chair. Sitting down, she pulled out the single piece of paper that had been held in the envelope and began to read it.
Dear Sona,
Just wanted you to know that I'm doing just fine here in Demacia. I know how concerned you probably are about me, but don't worry. I hope to be home soon, but until then I'm stuck here. I need to ask a favor of you…
Sona read the rest of the letter, her curiosity rising as she finished reading.
What an odd request, she thought. Gareth had been rather clear with what he had requested, yet he hadn't listed a reason as to why he needed it done. Still, she knew the man well enough to know that whatever it was, it must have been important. She got up from her seat and glided over to the hearth in the middle of her room. She tapped a button on the wall and flames instantly sprung up inside of the fireplace. The last line of the letter had been crystal clear.
Burn this letter when you are done reading.
Sona tossed the paper into the blaze, watching it burn away to ashes. She then hurried out the door, intent on following the instructions that Gareth had left her. She flew down the hallway and turned the corner, calling out telepathically to the first summoner she saw.
"Excuse me. Have you seen Heimerdinger around lately?" she asked.
The young female summoner ran her hands through her hair thoughtfully. "I think I saw him just leaving the post-match lobby. He looked pretty miffed though, I dunno if you wanna—"
"Thank you," replied Sona, hurriedly floating away. She quickly navigated her way through the halls and toward the post-match Lobby. She hoped to catch Heimerdinger before he left the Institute, but in her haste she became a bit reckless. As she rounded the next corner, she nearly flew into a rather unique looking yordle, who spun out the way just in time to avoid getting laid out by the speeding Maven.
To call this yordle different than most others would be an understatement. The only thing he really shared in common with other members of his species was his small stature. He wore a coat that went nearly to his feet and had a belt around his waist that supported numerous pouches. On his mustachioed face he wore a set of thick, red-rimmed goggles, and the hair on his head could only be described as a wild, tangled mess; it made his head appear to be nearly twice the size of a normal yordle's.
"Oh my!" he cried out. "Miss Buvelle, you appear to be in quite a hurry."
"Professor Heimerdinger. You're just the yordle I was looking for," said Sona telepathically, relieved that she had managed to catch the professor.
"Well it would appear to be quite urgent as is apparent by your haste," stated Heimerdinger as he straightened his goggles. "How may I be of assistance to you? Do you seek knowledge? Or perhaps you require my techmaturgical expertise?"
"No no, nothing like that. I just need to borrow something, please."
"Really? And what is it that you would like to borrow?" asked Heimerdinger, crossing his short arms.
"Do you have a Sweeping Lens?"
"A Sweeping Lens, you say? Let me take a look…" The little yordle quickly began rummaging through the several pouches on his belt. Sona was unsurprised when a mechanical appendage suddenly popped out of the professor's massive mess of hair and began to help him search. Heimerdinger was well-known as a leading developer of techmaturgy, so seeing him with a robotic arm made sense. She waited patiently as the man searched through each pouch on his belt.
"Hmm. Unfortunately, it seems that I'm not in possession of a Sweeping lens at this moment," said the professor apologetically. He paused to think for a moment before snapping his fingers. "There is one place I haven't yet checked."
Sona watched on with amusement as the professor dipped his head to one side and stuck his hand into his mass of hair. He fished around for several seconds before producing a small metal object. "Eureka!" he exclaimed. He handed the spherical object over to Sona. "I do assume you know how to correctly use such a device?"
Sona nodded. She had used a sweeping lens multiple times before during her matches on the Fields of Justice.
"Excellent," said the professor. "Please do be sure to return it when you're done with it."
"I will," assured Sona. "Thank you very much Professor." She slipped the trinket into her pocket and hurried back through the hallways, this time toward Gareth's room. Besides Gareth himself, Sona was the only person who had a key to his room. She unlocked the door and entered the room, relocking the door behind her. She quickly fished the Sweeping lens from her pocket and activated it, watching as the little object sprouted a propeller and flew to the center of the room. It then began emitting a cone of red light onto the floor. Then, it slowly began to buzz around the room, methodically sweeping the room from one end to the other with its light. Sona watched on carefully as the little drone continued its search, although she wasn't quite sure what it was she was looking for. As the little Sweeping lens flew by the door, Sona's eyes narrowed as she spotted something sticking out of the wall. She reached out and plucked it off, instantly recognizing what it was. It was a tiny ward, a magical device that allowed a person to see and hear anything that was around the ward. They were normally invisible to the naked eye after they were placed down. Once they removed from their anchor point however, they became visible once more.
Sona had never seen a ward as small as this one; it was barely any bigger than her index finger. Judging by its dulled out crystal, she concluded that it had run out of power long before she had arrived. Still, it obviously had no business being in Gareth's room.
This must be what Gareth wanted me to find, but what in the world is it doing here? She wondered. She reached up and gently nabbed the still-buzzing Sweeping Lens out of the air, deactivating it and pocketing it. She had promised to return it to Heimerdinger, but right now she had a more pressing matter.
I need to tell Gareth. All she had to do was go back to her room and write a letter back to the summoner. As she opened the door to the hall up, she was surprised to find Carlyle standing there. She chose to ignore him and tried to go around him, but he stepped to block her path. "What are you up to, Sona?" he asked gruffly.
"Nothing that concerns you, Carlyle. If you would please excuse me, I have something very urgent I need to attend to."
"Oh, is that so?" asked the bearded summoner, peering over Sona into the room behind her. "What were you doin' in Gary's room there?"
"Nothing that concerns you," repeated Sona.
"You didn't happen to…find anything, did you?"
Something about the man's tone of voice didn't quite sit right with Sona, and she narrowed her eyes. Something didn't seem right…
She backed into the room and attempted to close the door, but was abruptly stopped by Carlyle. To her shock, the man then forced his way inside, easily pushing back the much smaller Sona.
"What are you doing!?" she shouted mentally, her hands on her etwahl.
"Just takin' care of business," replied Carlyle with a smirk. The man quickly drew a knife from within the folds of his robe in a flash of steel and lunged at Sona. The move was quick, one that had obviously been practiced many times. Any normal victim would have likely been caught by such a move. Sona, however, was not by any means average.
She spun swiftly out of the way and strummed a chord on her etwahl, sending a blast of several blue magic bolts at her attacker. They collided with the man and sent him crashing to the ground.
"You would dare attack a champion of the League?" she asked angrily. She kept her distance, unsure of what other surprises the man might have in store.
"I had been hoping to get the jump on you, to be honest," replied Carlyle, still on the ground. "Unfortunately, that seems to have failed, so I'll be on my way out now."
Before Sona could react, the man jumped to his feet and bolted for the door. The Maven fired off another volley of musical bolts at the man, but they missed. Sona quickly gave chase, flying out into the hallway. Carlyle already had quite a good head start on her, his long legs propelling him quickly down the hall. Sona watched as the man rounded a corner a few yards ahead, but heard him shout out a curse that was quickly followed by a thud. As she drifted around the corner, she saw just what it was that that had happened: Carlyle had run right into poor Heimerdinger, tripping right over the little professor. The bearded summoner had already gotten back to his feet and started sprinting away again.
"Twice in one day?!" shouted Heimerdinger as he got to his feet. "Surely such odds are astronomical! I would calculate them right this instant if I wasn't so furious!" He looked up to see Sona zipping toward him. "What is going on here, Maven?"
"That man attacked me!" shouted Sona mentally as she flew by.
"What!?" exclaimed the professor in shock. "No no, that simply won't do! Attacking a lady is unforgivable. Such animalistic behavior must be punished!" The little yordle ran after her, although it was evident that he would never be able to catch up at the speed he was running. Undeterred, the professor pulled a small disc out from one of his pouches and pressed a button on the face of it. The disc quickly expanded outward, growing into a flat, oblong board. Heimerdinger threw the board down in front of him, where it hovered a foot or so off the ground. He jumped onto it, riding it down the hall and quickly catching up to Sona.
"Professor, what are you doing?" asked the surprised woman.
"Helping you apprehend that criminal, of course!"
Sona nodded her thanks and continued after Carlyle, all the while calling out to anyone within range to summon the Institute guards. Their pursuit led them to the dining hall, which at this point was mostly empty. A few summoners in the far corner looked on as Carlyle vaulted over tables and chairs, trying desperately to get away.
This isn't good. We're getting close to the exit, thought Sona. She directed her thoughts towards the yordle flying beside her. "Do you have anything that can stop him, professor?"
"I may just have something that will do the trick. I have yet to test it though, so the results may be unpredictable," replied the yordle, pulling a grenade from one of his pouches. "FOR SCIENCE," he cried, lobbing the grenade through the air.
Sona watched in dismay as the grenade landed woefully short of its target, but was surprised to see it bounce as soon as it hit the ground, letting loose a burst of electricity as it did so. It continued bouncing, landing right behind Carlyle and catching the man with a full blast of crackling energy. The tall summoner cried out as the electricity coursed through his body, instantly locking up all of his muscles. Unable to control his body, he fell to the ground in a stunned heap.
"Well then, it would appear initial tests of the CH-3X Lightining Grenade have been successful," stated Heimerdinger triumphantly.
By now, several guards had entered the dining hall and quickly moved to surround the downed man. "What's going on here?" asked one whose crest signified that he was the captain.
"This man attacked me with a blade for no reason. Luckily, the professor here managed to stop his escape."
"Alright," said the captain. He motioned to the others. "Move in and apprehend that man!"
Sona breathed a sigh of relief. She now had strong reason to believe that it was Carlyle who had placed the ward in Gareth's room. She still had no idea why he would do such a thing, but she figured that it was important to let Gareth know. She turned to leave, but turned back when she heard an odd noise. Her eyes were greeted by an unusual sight: inside the ring of guards, a man now stood over Carlyle. He looked human, although his skin was blue and covered in black marks that looked almost like tattoos. He was dressed in light armor and in both of his hands he held what looked like small balls of fire.
"What the hell?!" yelled the Captain before quickly regaining his composure. "You there!" he shouted, addressing the blue skinned man. "Unauthorized teleportation into the Institute of War is illegal! Get down on the ground!"
The armored man didn't comply. Instead, he looked down at Carlyle, who seemed to slowly be regaining control of his body. "Come, Carlyle," said the man in a gruff voice. "We are leaving."
"This is your last warning! Get down on the ground or we will apprehend you using force!" commanded the guard captain. The blue-skinned man seemed unfazed as he helped the bearded summoner to his knees. He then glared at the captain.
"You're beginning to irk me. I suggest you back off."
"Absolutely not!" retorted the captain indignantly. He took a step forward, making it clear that he was not going to back down.
"It's your funeral…" said the mysterious man.
Sona watched in horror as the two balls of fire seemed to spring to life in the armored strangers hands, taking the form of two blazing swords.
Some of the guards shouted in surprise, unsure of what to do. Unfortunately for them, they were fully unprepared for what happened next. The mysterious man quickly spun in a circle as the flaming blades in his hands suddenly doubled in length. The circle of guards was quickly decimated by the whirling firestorm, with every man falling before even being able to scream. Sona backed away, fearing for her life. Whoever this man was, he was a fearsome foe. Next to her, Heimerdinger was also in retreat.
Now standing in a ring of fallen bodies, the mysterious stranger looked straight at the retreating Maven and smiled. "You're lucky I'm in a hurry, dear Maven." With a flash of purple light, the man disappeared, along with Carlyle. More guards instantly flooded into the room, making sure that everything was secure. Several healers and nurses followed closely behind them, spreading out and tending to the fallen. Confident that everything was under control, Sona quickly turned and left the chaotic scene.
She dearly hoped that whatever had just happened didn't have anything to do with Gareth, but deep down she knew that she was probably wrong. She knew that she needed to write back to him right away to let him know what had just happened.
Oh Gareth, she thought. What on Runeterra have you gotten yourself into?
Authors Note: Hey all! Wow, I managed to get a chapter out for both of my stories in just two days! Hope you like this one, although it is a bit different from the rest, being Sona-centric and all. As always, please drop me a PM if you see any errors. Thanks for reading!