ACT 14
The Institute of War may be one of the safest place in Runeterra and is treated as a form of haven for other champions, but currently, one of the most dangerous places a normal person can be at is the Master Tactician's quarters, which is bigger than the ordinary quarters the other champions occupy.
Well, when is that location ever safe?
Right now, Swain has gathered all the Noxians present at the Institute in his room, intending to discuss the matters concerning the Serpent's Embrace with his fellow faction members.
Draven occupied the whole couch that's located at the side, Darius sat on one of the arm rests of the said couch and Morgana and Katarina settled in just standing beside the Hand of Noxus side. Swain paced in front of his black and red lounge chair, quiet footsteps and the occasional tock! sound his staff caused every time it hits the carpeted floor.
"You four are the only Noxians here in the Institute aside from Cassiopeia and I. The reason why Cassiopeia is currently being trialed is also the purpose of this meeting."
"Where are the others? LeBlanc? Talon?" Darius inquired gruffly.
"I spoke with Evaine before she left an hour ago. She refused to inform me where she plans on going, but she has reassured me that whatever it is she's prioritizing now, it will be able to help us in gaining the upper hand against Demacia." Swain answered, halting his pacing to turn to Darius. "As for Talon, he is currently at Demacia."
Katarina kept quiet about Talon. Their investigation about her father, General Du Couteau, was originally planned by her, Cassiopeia and Talon, that's it. They never intend to have anyone else join the investigation, and Katarina isn't planning on making their circle bigger without notifying the other two.
"What's he doing there?" She questioned, testing to see what Swain knows.
"He has said nothing specific to me. All he had told me before he left is that he is following a lead that may also give us an upper hand, which is why I did not question him further."
"What time did he leave?"
"A few hours before LeBlanc took her own departure."
"Can we just get this over with?" Draven intervened, twirling one of his weapons while lying down on the sofa. "Draaaven wants to eat some snacks after this."
Darius shook his head at his brother's behaviour, while Katarina and Morgana rolled their eyes at the marksman's words.
"What do you know about Cassiopeia's trial?" Morgana finally asked the question that's swirling in everyone's minds. Well, everyone, except for Draven, whose mind is probably filled with thoughts about himself.
Swain sat down on his chair, Beatrice perching above the tall backrest, before starting. "I take that all of you have been informed about the death of one of Demacia's councilors, Horace Warrington?"
The four of them sounded their responses.
"Based from my source, he died due to poison and the Demacians are accusing Cassiopeia to be the murderer of the man."
"What, because she specializes in poison?" Katarina scoffed.
"That, and the Prince of Demacia hired the Sheriff and Enforcer of Piltover to investigate. The two Piltovians found Cassiopeia's blood in the councilor's drink, which is why she is being trialed as we speak. We all know that a single drop of Cassiopeia's blood can poison and kill a person within a few seconds, and when the High Council discovers that, then she will be put in a rather difficult situation."
Swain then turned to Katarina.
"Katarina, did she do it?"
"How am I supposed to know?" She asked back. "She never told me about any stupid assassinations. I mean, for Noxus' sake, I just got back from Freljord."
"Let's say Cassiopeia did not do it," Morgana started. "What if she's innocent?"
"That's a long-shot." Darius said, scoffing.
"The fact that her blood was found in the drink is enough evidence to have her jailed by either the Institute or Demacia." Swain said, frowning deeply.
"Knowing those Demacians, they'll surely petition to the High Council that they'll be the one to imprison Cassiopeia at their nation to have her receive a 'fair' dose of so called Demacian justice." Morgana sarcastically chuckled. "Trust me, I'm begrudgingly related to one."
"This is not good." Swain sighed. "If we are to lose Cassiopeia now, despite her being one lone individual, Noxus will weaken in some way."
"Not to disregard Cassiopeia and her value, but Noxus still has us," Darius gestured around him. "All of us, and many more at Noxus. Why are you so worried, Swain?"
"The Demacians are plotting something, I just know it."Swain stood up and had Beatrice transfer and perch over his shoulder. "We will have to regroup and ponder about our plans. We must act now before the Demacians do."
"What about the Institute?" Draven asked.
"Fuck the Institute." Katarina grunted. "They'll only get in our way."
"Precisely what he's trying to say." Darius growled, glaring at the redhead. "Once the Institute knows about this...-!"
"I have no plans in informing them." Swain cut off. "Now, we must not quarrel with each other, for it is not the time for such acts."
Katarina and Darius may have stopped their fighting, but the glares they gave one another didn't falter. Swain seemed to be oblivious of it, either that, or he's deciding on ignoring it.
"That concludes our meeting for now. Once we are informed of the High Council's decision in Cassiopeia's trial, we shall continue this discussion to plan our next move."
The four of them either murmured or grunted their answers before they all left Swain's quarters. Darius and Draven parted from the two females as soon as they walked out of the room, not bothering in bidding any proper goodbyes.
Katarina was about to do the same thing, when she felt a hand firmly grasp her left elbow. Using her eyes, she traced the limb back to the Fallen Angel, who looked at her blankly.
"What?"
Instead of speaking, Morgana raised a hand and swirled her fingers in the air, conjuring up a white envelope with the seal of the Du Couteau family.
"Talon left this to me before he departed from the Institute," Morgana said, handing the item to Katarina. "He told me to give it to you once no other Noxian or any other champion is around."
Katarina took the flat object from Morgana, and without much awareness, she and the other began to walk down the hall opposite of the direction the brothers took earlier.
"Tell me one thing," Morgana raised a finger. "Whatever it is you are doing... Will it pose as a threat to Noxus?"
Katarina took her gaze away from the letter and gave Morgana a sharp and cautious look. It's clear that she doesn't trust the Fallen Angel that much, and Morgana seems to catch up to her thoughts.
"Oh please, Katarina, if I had wanted to, I could have told Swain about this before I spoke to you. I could have even given him the letter instead of you." Morgana said, laughing mockingly. "Now, answer my question before I go to Swain myself."
...
...
...
"No, it doesn't." Katarina answered with narrowed eyes.
Morgana chuckled. "Was that so hard, Du Couteau?"
Katarina growled, hearing the mockery behind Morgana's question. Morgana just shook her head at the assassin's hostility, not at all threatened.
"That's all I wanted to know."
When Morgana began to walk away, confusion bloomed within Katarina.
"Hey!"
Halting her steps, Morgana turned and looked back to her, a silent inquiry in her eyes. Katarina stomped towards her, glare still intact.
"What, that's it? No more questions?"
Again, Morgana chuckled. "Why, yes, that's it. I am not much interested in whatever detail you may or may not want to share."
"Why bother asking, then?"
"Oh, Katarina," Morgana made a move to pinch her cheek, only for her to slap the oncoming hand away. The damned angel made or said no protest in return. "I only care for Noxus because it is the faction that my oh so perfect sister despises. That, and being in this side of the battle, it will mean a bloody encounter against my sister in the future if a war shall take place."
Katarina finally let Morgana go when the other bid her farewell with a simple wave of a hand, and of course, after Morgana had confirmed that she had not read the letter. Since she's already at the Noxian wing, it didn't take her long to find her own champion quarters. She got inside and closed the door behind her, locking it as soon as door knob clicked close.
Settling on her bed, she ripped the seal off and the envelope open. A neatly folded paper slipped out and landed on her waiting hand, the other tossing the torn envelope to the nearby bin at her bedside table. She swiftly unfolded the paper and began to read the words Talon had written inside.
Katarina,
I followed the trail and pinpointed General Du Couteau's location in the Demacian castle. He may be locked in the dungeons, a fact I will be confirming once I arrive at Demacia.
I will send a message as soon as I am sure.
- Talon
Katarina folded the paper and rubbed her face with one hand in exasperation, the other loosely holding the letter. The letter Talon had written has informed her, yes, but it also confused her.
Why is her father at Demacia?
And, if Talon's theory is true...
Oh, Katarina will surely murder every Demacian that she sees.
She crumpled the letter in her hand and stood up, approaching the fireplace in her room. She had it lit within a minute, and once it housed a stable flame, she threw the paper in the fire to dispose of it.
Katarina paced around her room, thinking of what her next move is. Hopefully, Cassiopeia's trial goes smoothly. If it does go in their favor, then she and her sister will be venturing to Demacia to rendezvous with Talon. If their father is really being held captive by the Demacians, then they will stop at nothing to get him back.
If all goes south, then she better have a backup plan prepared.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Perched on a thick branch slightly overlooking the wide courtyard-like garden of the Demacian castle, Talon kept himself hidden in the shadows as he surveyed the area with a critical eye.
He finally traced the trail he has been following for the past few weeks, and it ended up leading him to the Demacian castle. The only possibility here is that the Demacians must have captured the Grand General of Noxus and kept him at the dungeons located beneath the castle.
There are a lot of obstacles for him to overcome now and the very first thing in that list is that he must find a way inside the castle. Guards roamed out and about, some equipped with swords and some with spears, but they won't really pose a threat to someone as strong and skilled as the Blade's Shadow himself.
He made sure his blade is securely strapped to his right forearm before jumped down the tree and behind a tall wall of shrubs. Once the patrol passed his current position, he advanced towards the open entrance.
With the shadows the extravagant plant sculptures and statues gave, getting through the gardens became not much difficult for him. He knew he made the right decision to sneak inside the castle during nightfall. He grabbed a rock and threw it to a potted plant nearby, causing the pot to shatter upon the rock's impact.
The attention of the two guards standing at the entryway were captured in an instant, and just like what Talon anticipated, the men left their post to check on the recently assaulted plant.
As soon as they had their backs turned away, Talon rushed out of his hiding spot and slipped inside without arousing any attention. He proceeded down the hall with absolute caution, blade ready to kill whoever may see him now.
Much to his surprise, he encountered not even a single guard on his journey in finding the entrance to the dungeons. On his way in finding what he's seeking for, he spotted the Half-Dragon walking into a room. The door was pushed close once Shyvana stepped in, but it didn't reach the frame totally, leaving it mildly ajar.
Talon looked around and made sure there's no one in the hall with him before he crept towards the open door and began to eavesdrop in the conversation happening inside the room.
"Has the Virtuoso left?"
It took a second before he identified the voice. It belonged to the Exemplar of Demacia.
"Just recently, yes." Came Shyvana's reply.
"Good."
"I do not mean to doubt your judgment, Prince Jarvan," Shyvana started, voice laced with uncertainty. "But are you sure that man is capable in assassinating the Frost Archer?"
Talon's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
'The Frost Archer? Isn't Freljord allied to Demacia?' He thought. 'Why would Jarvan have an ally of his murdered?'
"I am quite sure, yes."
"What if he becomes a loose end that we cannot take care of?"
"That is why we will be giving him more than the payment he is asking for this assassination." Jarvan replied, sounding confident with his answer. "Besides, when he succeeds in this mission of his, I promised him protection once the Freljordians start a search for their Queen's killer."
"I see..."
"Do you doubt my plans, Shyvana?"
"Not at all, Prince Jarvan." Was Shyvana's immediate reply. "I have complete and absolute trust in your decisions."
...
...
...!
Talon nearly jumped when a loud screech of a bird came from outside, the loud sound of the creature flooding through one of the open windows of Jarvan's study. The screech was familiar, but Talon paid it no attention, for the next words Jarvan uttered captured his undivided attention.
"Shyvana, check our prisoner at the dungeon. See if he hasn't found a way to kill himself." Jarvan ordered in a strict tone.
"Yes, Prince Jarvan."
Talon quickly yet soundlessly ran up to the wall and hid himself at the rafters above before Shyvana exited Jarvan's study. The Half-Dragon glanced around the hall, proceeding only when she saw no one.
With stealth no one has ever seen, Talon moved rafter after rafter to follow Shyvana, keeping a fair distance away from the said Demacian. At this point, he is determined not to be caught, for he is THIS close in finding the man he has been tracking for a long time.
During his time of tailing Shyvana, she saw the Half-Dragon whisper something to the Lady of Luminosity and the Might of Demacia, words he did not manage to catch, before she continued on to her trip to the dungeon.
After a few turns here, a few halls there and a few minutes burnt, Shyvana finally came to a stop at a large and intimidating door guarded by none other than the Seneschal of Demacia.
"Came to check on the prisoner?" Xin Zhao asked.
Shyvana nodded. "Prince Jarvan's orders."
"Right, well," Xin Zhao stepped to the side and handed Shyvana a ring of keys. "Here. Since you'll be checking on him, can I take a bathroom break?"
"Make haste with it." Shyvana said, earning a nod from Xin Zhao before said spear-wielder left the hall to relieve his bladder.
Shyvana unlocked the door with one of the keys and pulled it open. Instead of following her, Talon stayed in his perch at the rafters. He wordlessly mocked Shyvana's careless decision in leaving the door fully open.
Patiently, he waited. It will be of no problem to him when Shyvana locks it again and Xin Zhao is to come back for him to resume his guarding. Once Shyvana leaves, he can easily knock Xin Zhao out and pick the lock of the door.
After exactly two minutes, Shyvana emerged back in his sights and closed the door, locking it, just like what Talon anticipated. The Half-Dragon looked around, searching for the Demacian spearman.
"Where is he?" Shyvana snarled in irritation, going down the same hall Xin Zhao took.
Talon waited until Shyvana was out of sight before dropping from the rafters and approaching the door of the dungeon. A window has been given to him and he will surely not waste it. Using smaller blades he kept hidden, he managed to pick the lock of the door within half a minute. He nearly scoffed at the weak lock he just conquered, but he has matters that requires his attention more.
He closed the door as soon as he was inside. Like all typical dungeon entrances, there's a dark stairway leading down a shadow-blanketed area below. He grabbed the lone lit torch perched on the wall with his left hand and crept down the stairs with caution, his weapon strapped to his right poised and prepared to either attack or defend.
It took a few minutes until he reached the bottom of the stairway. Lifting the torch above his head level, he shined a dim light at the dungeon. All the cells are either covered with dust or littered with cobwebs or both. All of them were empty...
Except for the one at the far right.
'General Du Couteau!'
He was about to ran towards that specific cell...!
But, something stopped him.
It's a feeling.
A presence.
His eyes widened.
Someone's there with him!
Talon whipped his head to the right, shining the torch's light there. He found nothing but a wall with broken shackles.
'No, I can't be wrong...'
He knows it. He can feel that someone is there with him, close to him.
He kept his gaze focused on the wall where the rust-coated shackles are connected, tracing the feeling of the presence to that specific point.
That's when he noticed it.
An old and dirty puddle on the floor, the contaminated water is rippling.
The person's invisible!
Talon dashed forward and swung his blade at the air...!
"Hah!" A high-pitched shout echoed throughout the eerily silent dungeon.
The bright binding spell that now rooted Talon to his place illuminated the whole dark room, disabling him from moving from his current spot. He grunted angrily, especially when he caught sight of the one and only Luxanna Crownguard, now fully visible and is standing a meter away from him.
"You little...!" Talon snatched a blade from behind him to throw at the light mage, but when Lux waved her baton, it casted another kind of binding.
Cuffs of light appeared around his wrists and ankles, which kept him from lifting any of his arms and legs.
"Don't even try to move," Lux said, satisfied with the restraints she has placed. "You have no match against my magic."
Talon growled lowly, but Lux and her magic is the least of his problems, especially when he heard the quick footsteps from the stairway. Within a minute, he found himself surrounded by Demacian champions.
"Shyvana, if you'd please." Jarvan glanced at the remained to be lit torches found at the sides of the cells.
Shyvana lit both of her hands with her flames before thrusting them to the direction of the torches, lighting them up with her fire. No sooner than that, the dungeon was lit, not only with Lux's magic, but also with the torches that offered an orange-colored hue of light.
"Noxian," Jarvan spoke again, the word 'Noxian' coated with hate and disgust. "Did you actually think all of us were not prepared for your unscheduled visit?"
Talon clenched his fists.
"We instantly knew you were in the premises with Valor's assistance."
Valor, who is perched over Quinn's shoulder, screeched once Jarvan gestured to him. The screech the creature released, it's no doubt a perfect twin to the screech Talon had heard earlier. He felt like a fool for not analyzing the situation as much as he usually does.
The light magic was dispelled, but before he could put up a struggle, Garen and Xin Zhao instantly grabbed his arms to restrain him. Fiora now stood in front of him, sword pointed directly to his face, the tip of the blade inches away from grazing his nose.
"Try to squirm and see what will happen to your face." Fiora taunted, her words sounding smug and heavily coated with her accent.
"You are here looking for General Du Couteau, are you not?"
Talon released a low snarl, a growl following it when Xin Zhao yanked his hood down.
Jarvan crossed his arms. "Why would you look for a Noxian in Demacia? It makes no sense however you look at it."
He refused to give up hope. He knows the Noxian general is somewhere in Demacia. The lone prisoner at the cell at the far right corner of the dungeon, that must be him. When Talon glanced at that direction, Fiora took notice of it and laughed mockingly in return.
"Oh, don't bother worrying about that." Fiora said. "That's just a mere training dummy. A bait to lure you in that specific cell."
"But since you discovered Lux earlier than expected, she had to take action." Xin Zhao continued. "And you fell right into our hands."
"Put him in a cell." Jarvan ordered with a wave of a hand. "Chain him."
Garen and Xin Zhao dragged him towards the cell where the dummy is, clasping the shackles around his wrists and ankles before he could even blink. His weapons was soon discarded, even his cloak and other garments were stripped from him. He became alone in the cell only when he was left with just his cloth pants and boots, both articles of clothing also searched and emptied by the two Demacians of the weapons that were once hidden within.
The loud cell door being closed and locked echoed around the dungeon. Talon raised his head and glared murderously at the Exemplar of Demacia.
"The trail you were following? Well, that has always been a fraud." Jarvan then glanced at Quinn. "Quinn made sure of it."
"You Demacians think you can get away with this?" Talon growled lowly. "My disappearance...-!"
"Is just the beginning." Jarvan finished differently for him. "Once the Du Couteau serpent is jailed for her murder of Councilor Warrington, the next Noxian we shall target is the Sinister Blade."
"The Sinister Blade is under the protection of the High Council as long as she is in the Institute. How do you plan on eliminating her?" Talon questioned.
"You're exactly right about that, but," Jarvan said with a nod. "I'm sure I'm not the only person who has noticed the fondness she developed towards the Frost Archer and vice-versa."
Talon became still. The assassination order for the Queen of Freljord's death is a bait, something to bring Katarina out of the Institute of War. Once she leaves the safety of the walls of the Institute, she is immediately considered a dead man walking.
"I don't have to explain to you any of my plans for the upcoming future. For now, I advise you to be comfortable in this cell of yours, for it will serve as your own home for the rest of your life." Jarvan turned to Xin Zhao. "Xin Zhao, I expect you to guard the prisoner well. Galio and Poppy shall assist you once they arrive from the Institute."
"I won't let him escape, Prince Jarvan." Xin Zhao said with a nod.
Talon grunted and roughly tugged on the shackles, while the Demacians disregarded him, walking up the stairway and leaving him to his dark solitude. He felt like he's the most idiotic human that has ever set foot in Runeterra.
As an assassin who had killed various people, have experienced more of his fair share of bloodshed, have finished countless assassinations without being caught, he should have known all of this was a trap. Like a silly mouse, he was caught by a sly cat.
Clenching his fists, he dropped to his knees and bowed his head in shame. Marcus Du Couteau, the Grand General of Noxus, saw potential in him. It's the main reason why the man spared him and took him in. He vowed to himself that he will serve General Du Couteau and his family family for the rest of his life. Respect them, protect them, sacrifice his own life for them. Being in a cell, it prevents him from doing any of those and it fills him with shame, knowing he has broken the vow he had made.
Due to him being captured, he could only hope that Katarina does not fall victim to the lure of the Demacians.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
The darkness that always filled her mind has returned. Katarina floated in the pitch black sea, her body unmoving. Her eyes remained blankly staring at the dark, not seeing anything worth her attention.
She shouldn't mind this at all, yet she found herself seeking for dreams. It's such a thing she did not seek in the very beginning, but with all that her dreams had showed to her, it made her desire to dream again. Why does she want to dream again? Well, that certain desire is caused by an archer she had grown... an infatuation for. An attraction that she refused to completely acknowledge.
The shadow-filled environment of hers shattered once she heard the sound of tapping.
Katarina's eyes opened, blinking the remnants of sleep away before sitting up and turning to the window. There, on the other side of the closed window, is Swain's bird, Beatrice, all perched on the ledge and beak tapping against glass.
She groaned and slapped a pillow of hers over her face. "Go away, you damn bird."
The tapping became louder and more rapid than before, irritating the redhead. When a whole minute passed with Beatrice not at all stopping her pecking on the glass, Katarina took the pillow off her face, groaning as she tossed herself off the bed and approached the window.
Pulling the window up to open it, she grabbed Beatrice before the crow could protest. She was about to crush the life out of the bird, when she noticed the small rolled paper attached to one of the legs of the creature. Steeling herself from doing what she originally planned on doing, she snatched the paper away and threw the bird out without a care in the world. Beatrice squawked angrily but didn't fly away like she expected the bird would have done.
Katarina unrolled the paper and started to read whatever it is Swain had written.
"News of Cassiopeia's trial."
She ripped the paper into two and threw it in the flames the fireplace presently housed, burning the message. She turned back to the bird flapping just outside her window, glaring at her.
"I'll be right there." She grunted to the black-feathered creature.
Beatrice squawked before finally flying away. Katarina turned and decided to just change into a fresh but identical set of clothes, leaving her room as soon as she had all of her blades strapped to her body and sheathed in its rightful places. She walked past just a few doors, stopping in front of one specific door and pushing it open.
Swain, Darius, Draven and Morgana turned to her once she strode in, kicking the door close behind her. She ignored the looks she received from the four and decided to get right to her point, looking to Swain as she spoke.
"Well, your stupid bird woke me up for this, so out with it." Katarina said, clearly impatient.
"Actually, before we get to the outcome of Cassiopeia's trial, Morgana has something to say." Swain gestured at the Fallen Angel, who captured everyone's attention in the next second.
"What is it?"
"I overheard a few... murmurs from people here and there, which leads me to ask all of you now if every one of you have noticed the disappearances of children in, not only in Demacia and Ionia, but in Piltover and Noxus as well?"
"That's what LeBlanc had been prioritizing before she halted her investigation to take care of the current matter she's handling right now." Swain answered.
"How is this important right now?" Darius asked, exasperated.
"I assisted LeBlanc with her investigation when I had my free time, and earlier, an... anonymous source had told me that Councilor Horace Warrington is actually the mastermind behind it all."
"Wait a second," Katarina took a step forward towards Morgana. "Are you saying that this Warrington guy is the one who's responsible for the children becoming missing?"
Morgana nodded. "Correct. This source of mine, which LeBlanc also trusts greatly, found the main headquarters at a secluded area a fair distance away from Freljord, which is where Warrington's men are keeping the missing children."
"Then, he's doing human trafficking, then?" Draven asked, twirling his weapons out of boredom.
"Yes. He sells the children as slaves and earns a great deal of fortune out of each child. He doesn't kidnap any Freljordian children to make sure he doesn't arouse any attention from the King and Queen."
"Are there any more confirmations than just your source's info?" Katarina questioned.
"Mundo brought three children from Warrington a few days before his death to serve as his experiments, therefore confirming it all."
"How does this involve Cassiopeia's trial?"
"Cassiopeia has been found guilty, for the only evidence present is her blood being in the councilor's drink." Swain answered the question.
"Is she even the one who did it?"
"No," Swain shook his head. "I managed to speak to Cassiopeia before she was taken to the Institute's prison. She told me that she has nothing to do with it."
"This is where Warrington's human trafficking comes in," Morgana cuts in. "Us Noxians aren't the only ones who would want Warrington dead, especially once the people uncover the truth about one of Demacia's most respected council members."
"Demacians, Ionians, Piltovians..." Darius listed out. "The killer could belong to any of these nations. Noxus isn't the only possible origin of the murderer."
"Whoever the murderer is, he or she probably wanted Warrington arrested for his crimes," Morgana stated, adding, "But jailing a man that has the full trust of the nation he serves is more difficult than it sounds."
"Cassiopeia's being framed?" She asked, glancing between Morgana and Swain.
"Whoever did this, the murderer used Cassiopeia's blood to direct the blame to her when the scene is uncovered and investigated on." Swain said before saying, "Which explains why Mundo was asking Cassiopeia for another vial of blood the other day."
"Didn't each of us give three vials of our blood to Mundo to satisfy his need to experiment on our genetics? Why is he asking my sister for more?" Katarina questioned, crossing her arms.
"I spoke with Mundo when I was at Noxus about it and he had said that one of Cassiopeia's blood vials had become missing." Swain explained. "At first, I thought he may have been just an idiotic oaf that he may have only forgotten about it, but now that I look at it this way, it completely changes my perspective of such matters."
"What do we do with Cassiopeia, then? We can't just let her be jailed. Someone planned this!"
"Unless you know who the true killer is, then all we can do now is conduct our own search for the person that framed your sister." Swain told Katarina, his expression looking quite troubled.
Katarina could only rub her face out of pure stress, not knowing what else to say but the next words that came out of her mouth.
"This is just fucked up..."
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
The sun was just shining in the horizon, but the Barbarian King was already and uncharacteristically awake and out of bed. Tryndamere donned his usual armor, minus the helmet, while he stood at the entrance of Rakelstake, using his sword as a stand as he waited for Ashe's arrival from her trip to the Institute.
He isn't blind. He knows Ashe developed feelings and has fallen in love with Katarina, and it's clear that he cannot do anything about it. To be honest, he doesn't even have any intention in arguing with Ashe about that. That's not the only problem he's been thinking about lately. His head is preoccupied with something else right now.
At the ball they had hosted two days ago, he had overheard Jarvan's conversation with Jhin. The sniper had just joined the League two months ago and Tryndamere has yet to decipher the man's attitude, which made him wary towards the said man.
During the party, he unintentionally eavesdropped in Jarvan and Jhin's conversation. The Exemplar of Demacia wants to have Ashe killed by the Virtuoso, and once he had heard those words, he had the guards doubled and more alert. He also informed Ashe about it as soon as he got the chance.
It's actually the same reason why he's awaiting for Ashe's arrival. He wants to make sure he escorts Ashe back to the Avarosan castle safely.
Aside from all that, the Avarosan council, which has grown more afraid to Ashe rather than him, has been bothering him about an heir to the throne. It's already blatantly obvious that Ashe has a lot on her plate right now, and the matter concerning an heir to the throne is the least of her problems.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing as all the problems swirled stressfully in his head. He and Ashe will be having a long discussion about all of this once she gets the rest needs.
Hearing a neigh from one horse, he raised his head and finally caught the sight of Ashe's carriage, which approached his current location in a moderate pace. The horses turned and passed him, the coach pulling on the reins as soon as the was carriage parked right in front of him.
Tryndamere gestured for the guards on stand by behind him to secure the area, and they nodded and followed his orders without any question. Once he received their confimations, he gave his consent to the coach with a nod.
The coach of the carriage, who patiently stood and waited beside the door of the carriage, bowed his head before grasping the handle of the carriage's door, pulling it open for the royal passenger. Tryndamere flashed a small smile as a greeting, when Ashe stepped out and offered him the same gesture.
"Missed me already?" Ashe teased lightly, causing him to chuckle.
"The paperwork is getting to me." He said with a small grin.
"Oh, please, the paperwork is just...-!"
BANG!
Something had whizzed past him from behind, nearly grazing his ear. He could only blink. It was just one blink, yet when his eyelids lifted again, his eyes could only focus on the hole in Ashe's chest, where blood dripped out and stained her dress and pale skin.
His heartbeat thudded loudly in his ears, every beat was deafening for him. He rushed forward with speed that he didn't know he possessed, his sword falling to the snow, completely forgotten.
"Ashe!"
He caught Ashe in his arms, but when he knelt down the floor and shook Ashe, all he could look at was the pair of dead blue hues that was once filled with life. Ashe laid in his arms limply, her chest not at all moving, indicating she breathes no more.
Rage began to pour inside his body, infecting him with fury and anger beyond all angers in Runeterra. His body shook and his grip around Ashe's lifeless form tightened significantly. Tryndamere could feel the Undying Rage within him blaze wildly and thrash in its confines, wanting to be released.
The arrogance...
The audacity...
The murderer has the nerve to nestle itself at the Avarosan castle just to terminate the Queen of Freljord herself. Tryndamere wanted nothing but to find the killer and to slaughter whoever it is until all there is to be seen are mangled limbs and blood splattered all over.
He stood up, Ashe's body in his arms, and yelled at the top of his lungs.
"FIND THE SNIPER!"
...
...
...
...
...
...
In the shadows of the trees, two enigmatic figures watched the scene unfold in front of them. The guards scrambled all over the whole village of Rakelstake, some of them heading around to cover the possible exits the killer could go.
The stranger at the left chuckled, finding amusement at the chaos transpiring a fair distance away from them, while its companion remained stoic as they both watched the people of Rakelstake search for the person who killed their beloved Queen.
"Do you have everything you need?" The entertained asked the indifferent.
Instead of answering the question, the second stranger just stared at the corpse of the Frost Archer in the Barbarian King's arms, eyeing it with an unreadable emotion. The first stranger scoffed and lightly laughed when it noticed where its companion's gaze is focused at.
"Well, based from your lack of reply, which I consider a 'yes'," The stranger turned away from the scene and ushered the other to follow. "We can finally move on to the next stage of our plan."
"Hmm." The second unknown person hummed flatly, gaze flickering between the dead royal and the Avarosan castle before turning around and walking away with its associate.
The strong and arctic wind of Freljord blew and shook the frost-coated leaves of the trees, and once its polar breeze vanished, so did the two cloaked figures.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Author's Note: I probably should have put at the summary the "Character Death" notice, huh? :3
Okay, um, I'm pretty sure some of you (or possibly most of you) wants to kill me now, and I totally understand that! XD
Although, this twist isn't really THE twist I was talking about in Chapter 12, so yes, there are more twists that's waiting to be revealed in this story.
I also understand if I lose, like, half, or maybe more than half, of my readers with just this chapter. You see, Ashe's death is something to get the ball rolling in the story, so hopefully, you readers understand that. ^^
ANYWAY! If you want to tell me anything, feel free to leave a comment. You readers can even insult me and my writing skills, and I won't even give any rants about it, because I know that I'm not perfect. :)
Hopefully, I 'see' all of you in the next chapter! Byeee~ :D