Rise From the Darkness
Music Suggestion- Bartholomew- The Silent Comedy
Chapter 21: The Raven's Scheme
i.
Power concedes nothing without a demand,
It never did and never will.
-Frederick Douglass
i.
His second in command had insisted on stacking more security. "You know what he's capable of." he had said. "He can get out of anything."
In hindsight, the youngster had been right. Talon had slipped through his clutches once again. He had no clue if more bodies would have actually prevented his escape, but at the least it would've given him some peace of mind.
He had no idea where that elusive assassin was. He could be halfway across Ionia by now.
Of course, someone had to answer for his escape. With so many resources being delegated into capturing The Blade's Shadow, noble Noxian families that heavily funded Swain's agenda wanted to know who was responsible for wasting their money.
Swain watched as his recently promoted second in command squirmed in his bonds. The wooden logs beneath his feet had already passed the stage of kindling and erupted into a steady fire.
His second in command was all too perfect to pin this on. A young, stupid boy that was all too eager to be Swain's assistant. As is tradition, huge military failure results in punishment, whether it be demotion or death always depended on how bloodthirsty the Noxian nobles were feeling.
This time they were especially ravenous, it seemed.
The fire spread up the pole he was tied to as it engulfed his legs and lower torso. His screams and pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears. When the Noxian people wanted sacrifice, they got it.
Swain's mind was elsewhere. The only reason he had attended this execution was to please the public. Those bumbling, drunken nobles would give him money until their pockets ran dry so long as he had someone else to blame his failures on and made a speech at the end about how they all needed to "learn from this".
It was apparent that Talon would never cooperate with him or Noxus again. That much he was absolutely certain of. Why would he, anyway? Noxus had been the point-source for all of the misfortune throughout his life. He had every right to loathe the city and its inhabitants. Logically, it would seem capturing him would prove to be a fruitless endeavor. He was only useful if he cooperated with Swain. It would be a better idea to eliminate him before the Demacians somehow convinced him to enact his revenge on Noxus by working with them. Killing him was a problem in and of itself, however. When he wanted to, he could simply… disappear. Much like a shadow. There was a remedy to this dilemma, however. Swain had been in talks with a skilled cyborg in Zaun that said he could potentially brainwash Talon if he was brought to him in mint condition. That would be his play. If Talon would only be his subject through mind manipulation, so be it.
The cadet managed a final agonized scream before his body went limp and the fire rose above his head.
He would never be able to track down Talon; fortunately, he wasn't alone. And Swain knew just how to draw him out into the light.
With the image of a freshly burned Noxian reflecting from his eyes, Swain managed a small, conniving smile. The gears in his head had begun to turn. A sinister concoction was cooking in his brain.
Run all you want, boy. In the end, you'll come back, whether you want to or not.
For the third night in a row, she had woken him up with her screams.
If you were to look at Riven, you would see a strong, resilient woman. A warrior to be feared in combat and respected in life. Not a single person could imagine that she had nightmares nearly every night.
It made sense, though, considering all the death she had seen throughout her days. Ever since they started sleeping in the same bed, Talon found her to be quite restless while asleep. She was always twisting and turning, mumbling random gibberish, and then, of course, waking up with a bloodcurdling shriek. He was always quick to understand the situation. He would comfort her, reassure her she is safe, and cradle her head against his chest, until she nodded off to sleep. He could feel the pain she held, and, in a way, shared it. Talon had seen more people die than he could ever wish to count. In his earlier days, death had no effect on him, but ever since he started developing his feelings, particularly because of Riven, he found that all those emotions he had suppressed in the slums began to return. It was unsettling.
For the third night in a row, he had barely slept.
The streets had taught him to sleep lightly. He would have normally woken up every few hours off of instinct, but he found himself restless when with her. He would see the faces of those he killed. From women, to soldiers, to children, none had been exempt from his steel. This late maturing he had begun seemed to jump-start his emotional capacity. From sadness, to anger, to regret, all reared their ugly heads with a vengeance. The one that kept him up, however, was neither sadness nor anger nor regret. It was the worst of the bunch.
Talon was scared.
It was odd, he seemed to have everything he wanted right in front of him. He had escaped the clutches of Swain, broken free from those that would use him, and had the girl he believed he was in love with right in front of him. Why would he be scared?
Or, more accurately, why wouldn't he be?
His whole life, he had fought with nothing to lose. From the very beginning, he quite literally had nothing of value. That was what made him strong. The rich man would be thinking of all the gold he would lose if he was slain. The father would be thinking of losing his children if he was slain. The soldier would be thinking of the honor he would lose if he was slain.
Talon would be thinking about the best place to bury the body of the man he was about to slay.
Now, he had everything he wanted, and at the same time, everything to lose. He could lose his freedom, his second chance, his woman.
Moreover, he was scared of Riven. Never had he let someone get this close. In fact, he had never let anyone inside before. He was scared that Riven would seem him for what he truly was: a monster. An ugly, murderous, bloodthirsty monster. Riven wanted a man that was caring and cunning, and while he certainly was one of those, he most definitely was not both. It was true, she knew of his past. She knew of what he had done, and accepted him nonetheless. "You're only human." She would say.
Human. The one thing he firmly believed he was not.
How could he? How many children had he taken from their parents? How many parents from their children? How many brothers from brothers? Sisters from sisters?
So at night, he lay awake, pondering over what she would think if she knew the real him. Pondering over when his life would fall apart again, as it had done so many times before.
A tired groan broke the silence in the morning.
Riven stretched her arms and slowly made her way out of bed. Her body was sore.
Another restless night.
She looked over to the right expecting to see a sleeping Blade's Shadow, but instead found an empty bed.
She noticed the door to the balcony was half open. She made her way out to and found him sitting in a chair, sipping his favorite drink, black coffee.
"Morning." He said without turning around to face her.
"You know, it really freaks me out that you can always tell when I'm behind you. I even made a point to walk silently this time."
He stifled a laugh. "It's a habit."
"Where'd you even learn to do that?"
"Tricks of the trade, Riven. Tricks of the trade."
She sat down on his lap, which came as a surprise to him, but a pleasant one at that.
"You're gonna' have to teach me sometime." She teased.
"You're gonna have to earn it." He teased back. She leaned in and kissed him, and for a few seconds, they enjoyed each others' mouths, but Talon retreated.
"I have to go to the store to pick up some groceries. I don't know if you can tell, but we're all out of milk and bread." He said.
She pouted. "Can't it wait?"
"It can." He smiled and took her in her arms before carrying her back to bed.
Hours later, Talon made his way throughout the labyrinth that was one of the many downtown districts of their temporary home, the city Mareen. Food vendors called out to the crowds, attempting to entice any potential customers. He had tried samples from a few different stands, but the one ahead of him had a particularly entrancing scent.
He approached the woman vending it. "Whaddya' got here?"
She looked up and smiled. "Only the best fried sesame balls in all of Mareen."
Talon eyed her carefully. She was in her mid forties, he guessed. Her dark black hair was complemented by piercing blue eyes and pale skin. She was an attractive woman, without a doubt, but he pondered why one such as herself was out here working this shitty of a job.
His eyes fell to the product she was trying to sell. Small, brown little balls covered in sesame seeds were displayed all over her table. They smelled otherwordly. Before he bought, he had to make sure they tasted as good as they smelled.
"Mind if I have a sample?" He asked.
She took one of the many treats she had on display and handed it to him. "Not at all, sir."
His first bite was with caution. The sesame ball was small enough to easily toss in his mouth, but he wasn't going to eat it whole without testing it first. What his taste buds experienced was something completely new and delicious. Soft, chewy, and sweet cake was found on the inside of the little balls. They were just soft enough to be easily chewable, but not so much so that they stuck to the roof of his mouth. For a few moments, he closed his eyes and took it all in, then within two seconds proceeded to inhale the rest of the little treat.
"You're gonna' have to tell me how you made these." He demanded.
The woman laughed. "I would, but then you'd never come back!"
"Fair enough." He pulled out a few pieces of silver. "How many will this get me?"
"12."
He smiled at her. "That's a steal. I'll take them."
Talon returned back to their hotel room with a few bags of assorted foodstuff. Once he unlocked the door and made his way inside, Riven was nowhere to be found. He called her name a few times, but after no response came, he figured she must be out doing something. He began putting the groceries on the counter whilst whistling a tune he had heard an Ionian man whistling earlier.
He turned around to go to the bathroom. That's when he saw the blood on the floor.
Immediately he unsheathed a dagger he kept hidden in his cloak sleeve. His eyes scanned the floor, following the trail of blood from the bathroom through the hallway and into their bedroom. His heart was nearly beating out of his chest, and he could feel the foreign feeling of nervousness creeping up his spine.
The blood stopped at the foot of the bed, and he found a note laying upon it. He swore his heart stopped when he noticed it had a Noxian crest. He quickly opened it and read it silently:
Hello, Talon.
We haven't talked in quite a while. Have you been avoiding me?
Do you wish to see Noxus again? Come and see.
I feel like there has been tension building between us. I hope that is not the case.
Do you wish to see the streets you've bled on, or the people you've butchered? Come and see.
I don't want you to misunderstand my intentions. I've always wanted the best for you.
Do you wish to see all the people you've met along your path that I've killed to get information on your whereabouts? Come and see.
You've been running your whole life. It's time to stop.
Do you wish to see Riven tied up in one of my dungeons? Come and see.
She's corrupted you. I'm trying to make you who you were meant to be. The perfect weapon.
Do you wish to see me let my soldiers each take a turn with her until there's nothing left but a hollow shell of person? Come and see.
We were always meant to work with one another. Eventually, you'll see things like I do. Together, we'll be unstoppable.
Do you wish to see me flay the skin off of her, one inch at a time, as she begs for death? Come and see.
I suspect we'll be seeing each other very soon. You know where to find me.
-J
The Blade's Shadow crumpled the note in his hand and reached under the bed to acquire his arm blade. He donned a black cloak and trudged out of the hotel. He retrieved Kiwi from the stable and rode off to shore.
Riven's arms felt like they were going to fall off. She didn't know how long she had been in these chains, but it felt like days. It was hard to be sure, though, as there was no sunlight in this cell. Just cobblestone wall and a single torch for dim lighting. Her chains began at the ceiling and reached down a short distance to latch around her wrists. They weren't long enough to allow her to full be on the ground without having to hold her arms up in a straight position. If there was one thing Noxians were good at, it was torture.
Her cell door opened and in came an unpleasantly familiar face.
"Evening, Riven." Said the infamous general known as Swain. He observed the long gash down the barely clothed woman's side. "I hope my pet didn't hurt you too much. I told him to bring you alive."
"He would be dead if I wasn't blindsided." She noticed that the Noxian general wore an armored robe fit with a spiked helmet. "Preparing for a battle?" She spat.
"Most definitely. I imagine Talon won't be too happy about this. I'm taking all the precautions I can."
She laughed. "He'll kill you all, you know. You're dead men walking."
"You know nothing, girl." Swain walked closer. "You have no idea what I'm capable of."
"Maybe not." She said. "But even if you win, even if you manage to defeat him and kill me, you'll still lose."
"Why is that?" He inquired.
"Because you can't control him. You never could." She wore a shit-eating grin and stared up at Swain defiantly. "You'll never get what you want."
A cruel hand struck her face, causing her head to rear to the left. Her vision blurred for a moment and her ears rang.
Swain smiled at her. "As I said, I've taken precautions. He will be mine." The Great Tactician kneeled to meet her eye-level. "As for you… Your last few days will not be pleasant. I'll let every man, woman, and child have a go at you… Then when they're done, I'll let the horses have their turn."
She knew that showing fear would only give him more of an upper hand. She had to resist.
"You think your soldiers can handle me? I doubt it."
"It matters not. He'll be here soon." Two guards dressed from head to toe in black armor came in the room. "You're coming with me."
The underbelly of Noxus' sewer system was not a pleasant place.
Bandits, failed science experiments, and monstrous sewer rats roamed it. On top of that, the smell was un-fucking-bearable. Talon did not care. He made his way through the labyrinth of piping and drainage systems as if he had lived in this rotting place his whole life.
For the last two days, he had only one thought on his mind. Murder.
The voyage to Noxus was painstakingly long. When he had first discovered Swain had somehow captured Riven, he wanted to rescue her immediately. Unfortunately, it took time to get to Noxus. A ship was needed, which didn't prove too difficult to obtain considering he slaughtered the entire crew save for the navigator.
He was here now, though, and that's all that mattered. He didn't have to figure out where she was being kept; he already knew.
It was called the Bloodstone. A massive, protruding skyscraper that had been built shortly after he joined the Crimson Elite. It seemed to stretch endlessly in the sky, and it was compiled of blood red bricks and jet black beams. All military matters were conducted in this building, making it the central hub of Noxus. It was its beating, bleeding heart. Packed to the brim with the brightest and most skilled soldiers.
And he was going to walk right in.
No, really.
He knew how to play this game. Exiting the sewers, Talon made his way through the streets until he arrived at the Bloodstone's large, metal doors.
They were wide open, as if they beckoned him to come inside.
He had no choice, so he stepped forward and made his way into the first floor. He was expecting Swain to be elaborate with his choice of where this fight was going to take place. He wouldn't put it past him to be holding Riven on the top floor just to fuck with him.
Imagine his surprise when the first sight he was greeted with on the Bloodstone's first floor was a gigantic, hollow room, void of anything but two other people.
On the opposite side of the room was Riven bound to a gigantic metal "X". Her clothes had been stripped away; her naked body was littered with cuts and covered with blood. Standing beside her was the man that started this all.
"Greetings, Talon!" He exclaimed, opening his arms as if to invite him in. Suddenly, hundreds, maybe thousands, of soldiers funneled in from entrances on all sides of the room and surrounded him. They donned black armor and held a variety of wicked looking weapons.
Swain's eyes gleamed and he smiled a wide, crazed grin. "Welcome home, Blade's Shadow."
Author's Note:
As always, sorry for taking so long to update. Fortunately, I find myself to be very motivated, so *hopefully* I can crank out the next few chapters relatively quickly.
How was the chapter, guys/gals? After what felt like dozens of rewrites, I'm pretty happy with how this came out.
FYI: There's probably only two to three chapters left in this story. Pack up, steel yourselves, this is the home stretch.
Next chapter will definitely hold the largest scale battle I've ever written. Blood is gonna spill :D Let's hope I can rise to the challenge.
-Ronald del Reagan