"Oh man, what a day." One of the guardsman exclaimed loudly as he drew towards the iron gate. "Been running back and forth around the city all day searching for that dragon-girl and the prisoner who escaped has got me worn the heck out." He leaned his halberd against the iron bars, yawning as he dug through his pocket. He pulled out a silver cigarette case, taking out a hand rolled cigarette from the case and slipping the case back in his jacket.
"You were searching for them yourself?" The second guard asked, surprised.
"I was." The first guard said, shaking his head. "But I got pulled. Now, my cousin is out searching for dragons and what do I get? Guard duty." He snorted in disgust.
"I hear that." The other said, shaking his head. He sidled forward, looking left and right nervously. "Word is, their gear is what we're guarding here." He gestured into the iron cage with a thumb. The other guard paused, his mouth hanging open, the cigarette hanging on his open lip. He snapped his jaw shut.
"So that's what Captain's so angry about." He chuckled. "He's been outside tearing Alwin a new one for the past five minutes." He patted his pockets down, searching for something, frowning.
"Need a light?" The guard asked, chuckling, leaning his halberd against the iron bars, grinning. He pulled a pack of matches out of his pocket, pulling one from the pack and striking it, holding it out for his friend to light his cigarette. The man took a deep pull, sighing. He held it out, offering it to the other guard.
"Thanks." He said, shaking the match out and tossing it away, taking the cigarette in two fingers, and taking a pull of his own. He held the smoke in for just a moment, exhaling slowly, shaking his head. "Here yo-..." A massive black shadow dropped out of the rafters behind the first guard, arms raised.
"Hey behind you!" The guard shouted as he dropped the cigarette, grasping for his halberd. The first guard dropped to the ground, unconscious. "Aler-..." He started to shout, turning back towards the door. He froze in his tracks, his voice caught in his throat. He gulped.
"I don't think so." A fearsome red-haired woman snarled, a vicious grin on her face. He tried to yell, but she struck out and grasped his throat with her hand. He could feel his Adam's apple bobbing over the top of her grip, his voice caught in his throat. She snarled at him, lifting him up and them tossing him at the wall. He felt a huge pain blossom from behind him and then darkness swallowed the world around him.
…
"You didn't kill him, did you?" Jarvan asked, tossing his man up over the rafters, his breathing heavy. Shyvana walked over to where her target lay in a heap on the ground and put her ear to his mouth.
"He's still breathing." Shyvana said, shrugging. She shivered and blinked her reptilian eyes away, frowning. She hadn't meant to call forth her darker side, not to the surface at least. Am I losing control of myself already? She shook her head, rubbing her eyes with the palm of her hand. Keep it under control, that's all you have to do. She blinked a few more times, and caught Jarvan looking over at her.
"Something wrong?" Jarvan asked, frowning. Shyvana blinked a few times, shaking her head.
"Nothing." Shyvana said. "Here." She lifted the man up, grunting as she tossed him over her shoulder. She stood, handing him off to Jarvan. The prince hefted him up into the rafters, both men hanging over one of the rafters. Jarvan hopped up upon a crate, pulling himself up and onto the rafters. Jarvan hauled the two men up and tossed them out the open window he and Shyvana had come through. He trussed them up with a bit of rope, but they would be fine on the flat roof. Jarvan reappeared sliding through the window and dropping to the ground, looking at the lock on the heavy iron doors.
"There they are." Jarvan said, grinning as he looked through the iron bars. He saw two piles of armored plates on the table against the wall. He frowned though. "How are we going to get the door open?" He grumbled. "Neither of the guards carried keys... I checked."
"I'll take care of it." Shyvana said, smiling as Jarvan tugged on the iron bars, only getting the bars to ring hollowly. He stuck the door with his boot, growling.
"I don't think it's going to work." Jarvan said, shrugging but he moved out of the way.
Shyvana winked at him. "Just leave it to me-..." She grasped her face and doubled over in pain. Horns burst from her head, ripping through her hood. She looked up from behind her hands, reptilian eyes gleaming a brilliant orange in the dim light from beneath her hood. Blue scales gleamed through her skin in places, shimmering in the lantern light. "Step back." She hissed.
Jarvan shivered, but nodded and stepped back, watching her approach the lock. He could never get used to the sound of her voice, the inhuman tones that seemed to underlay the voice he had grown familiar to; it was unnerving.
Shyvana reared her head back and inhaled deeply, snapping her head forward and blowing a thin stream of flames at the lock. She blew out slowly, the lock blackening and then turning red then white hot, the metal sagging beneath her breath. Grinning and barring her viciously long fangs, Shyvana struck the lock with her fist, sending the metal crashing to the floor as the door swung open. She shivered as her draconian half retracted within her skull and she doubled over in pain. She shook her head, standing up, pulling her hood back, and fingering the holes that now decorated the thick woolen material.
"This was a nice cloak, too." Shyvana muttered sadly. "I keep forgetting about the damn horns." Jarvan wore an impressed look on his face and shook his head, chuckling softly. He swung the door open fully and stepped inside, waving Shyvana forward.
"Let's get this stuff and get out of here." Jarvan said, pulling out a pair of burlap sacks. He handed one off to Shyvana, and then busied himself with stuffing his armor within the sack. Shyvana busied herself with her own armor, stowing it quickly inside the sack. He tossed it over his shoulder, and cracked his neck, heading towards the window again. He heaved the bag up into the rafters, the weight of it wedging in between the two of the supports beams where they came together in a 'V'. Shyvana did the same, tossing hers through the window. Jarvan formed a cup with her hands, gesturing up to the window. Shyvana grinned, ducking low and then extending her legs. She sailed straight over Jarvan, landing in the window. She looked back down over the edge, grinning down at him.
"Show off." Jarvan muttered, grinning.
Ice ran through his veins as the doorknob clattered. He froze, watching as the door swung open. He looked left and right, ducking behind a stack of crates. "...so you're telling me that Alwin was asleep at his post again?" A guard growled as he stepped down into the armory.
"Tell me about it." The captain said with a frown. "That's the third time this week." He turned the corner down the main walkway in the armory and frowned, his face going blank. "What happened here!?" He bellowed, running towards the gate.
"What in the world could have done this?" His lieutenant said, examining the lock. He touched it and yelped. "It's still hot. Whoever did this, they can't have gotten far."
"Alert all guardsmen and lock down the area in a three block radius." His lieutenant saluted and sprinted off, out the way they had come, leaving the captain scowling in the metal cage. He roared, striking the metal bars with his fist, the iron humming. He growled, his head hot enough to fry an egg on. Jarvan pulled himself off the crates he had hidden behind and stepped up upon one, and was crouched to leap for the rafters.
"You there!" The captain bellowed. "Freeze!" Jarvan leapt up, grabbing the rafters and pulling himself up. He grabbed his armor and holding it above his head, he dove through the window, landing on the roof. An alarm went off, the bell ringing from the tower above. Jarvan scowled as he tossed the bag over his shoulder and hauled Shyvana to her feet by the collar of her jacket.
"Time to go!" Jarvan shouted, sprinting towards the edge of the roof. He dropped off the edge, swinging the bag above his head, dropping several guardsmen who stood stunned at his appearance. He drew his knife from his belt, striking out at another guard in a diagonal stroke that bisected his belt. The guard's pants dropped and as he scrambled to try and lift his pants, Jarvan simply lashed out with a kick that sent him tumbling over backwards. He grinned as a guard lunged at him, trying to skewer him with the tip of his halberd. Jarvan raised his knee and brought his elbow down over the wooden staff, splintering the weapon. The guard looked surprised, and Jarvan caught him across the face with the flat side of the blade.
"Feel free to join in any time!" Jarvan called, Shyvana perched on the edge of the roof, a grin on her face.
"I'm enjoying watching you fight." The dragoness said, kicking her legs back and forth.
"Right, right." Jarvan said, grunting as he ducked back and forth as men lunged at him with halberds again. He swung left with the blade, knocking one of the halberds aside and then striking the man with an uppercut swing of his bag. It struck the man on his chin, sending him flying. Jarvan grinned as he landed on his back several meters away in a cloud of dust. Jarvan threw himself to the side as the second guard lunged at him, trying to strike him again. Shyvana dropped down on top of the blade, the tip of the halberd hitting the stones and then the shaft snapping as Shyvana shifted her weight to her forward foot, pushing herself up into a short hop. She spun and brought her foot down in a hammer blow upon the man's shoulder, sending him to the ground.
Shyvana reared back, flames coiling about her fist as she landed. She threw her arm out like a punch, towards a building. Flames rocketed out towards the building, exploding as they struck the ground before the building, flames licking at the wooden structure. "Come on!" She said, grabbing Jarvan's arm, sprinting towards a wall of guards. She roared at them, dropping low and spinning upon her heel, flames cloaking her foot, getting thrown outwards like a wall of pain. The flames hit the ground, erupting in a massive wall of flames. Shyvana leapt over the flames, Jarvan yelping as he hopped with her, nearly crashing to the ground.
"Damnit!" The captain shouted, bursting from within the armory. "A and B platoons get the flames under control! C Platoon go after then!"
"B platoon is gone, captain!" His lieutenant shouted. He froze as he looked at the remnants of B platoon scattered on the ground.
"What!" He cried. "DAMNIT!" The officer snarled in anger. "C Platoon, help A Platoon! Then we pursue." He watched as the two black clad figures disappeared down an alley.
"This way!" Jarvan said, tugging Shyvana down an alleyway as she sprinted past. He pulled her down another alleyway, ducking in and out of alleyways as he sprinted through the city. Shyvana laughed, sprinting alongside him, a massive smile on her face.
"This is fun!" She said happily.
"It would be more fun if they weren't trying to kill us!" Jarvan said with a grin of his own, sweat dripping down his face as he followed her as she snaked around another corner. Jarvan followed, his armor clanking upon his back as he turned another corner. Shyvana slowed to a trot, sticking her head out towards the street. She looked back and forth down the street then waved Jarvan forward, pointing down the street.
"The inn is just up ahead." Shyvana said, ducking back down the alleyway. "I recognize the sign."
"We should get higher then." Jarvan said, gesturing upwards with a thumb.
"Can't we just go through the front door?" Shyvana asked, about to step into the street. Jarvan grabbed her by the hem of her cloak, pulling her backwards. He wrapped an arm around her mouth.
"Shhh." Jarvan hushed, quietly. A squad of guards were moving down the street, knocking on the doors, asking residents about unexplained sounds or strange sightings. "We need to move quickly." Jarvan said, releasing her mouth and taking her by the hand. He ducked across the street as the guards talked with residents along the street. They made it across the narrow street without incident, and ducked into the alleyway around the back of the building.
"What are we going to do?" Shyvana hissed, sticking her head out from the alleyway. The guards were methodically checking door by door, and she expected they would do the same thing when they got to the inn. They weren't moving terribly fast, but they had already gotten pretty close.
"I have a plan." Jarvan said, "But we need to get into the room." He tossed his bag of armor up onto the roof of the building, the toss just high enough to get it onto the roof. Shyvana did the same, but tossed it too high, misjudging her strength. The clank of the armor hitting the roof echoed down the alleyway and into the street. She covered her mouth to hide her embarrassment, frowning.
"Hey, I think I heard something." A voice called from the street. Jarvan froze.
"Check it out quickly and then get back here." Another deeper voice called.
"Right." The first voice said, the sound of boots clanking against cobblestones suddenly growing closer.
Jarvan grabbed Shyvana by the arm and jerked her around the corner of the building, pressing her against the wall. The boots grew louder and louder, a man's heavy breathing seeming to echo in his ears. Jarvan sucked in a breath and held it.
"God this is stupid." The guard grumbled, the clank of metal on stone as he shifted from foot to foot. "Building by building checks at four in the morning." He yawned, and turned. The footfalls sounded as he headed back towards the street.
"That was too close." Jarvan said, exhaling. "Let's get back to the room."
Shyvana nodded, peering around the corner and ducked down, leaping up and grabbing the edge of the third story roof. She hauled herself up, and grinned, the deadpan look of surprise from Jarvan more than enough to please her. She winked down at him as Jarvan got a running start, kicking off the stone wall and grasping at the bottom of the second story window. He hauled himself up, clambering up the side of the wall with some effort, finally getting to the roof. He clasped Shyvana's extended hand, the dragoness helping haul him up over the edge, grinning. Jarvan blew out a breath, shaking his head. Shyvana grabbed her bag, moving to the front edge of the building as Jarvan picked up his own bag. Jarvan moved up with her, peering over the edge. Some of guards moved beyond the inn, but two guards knocked on the door.
"This is gonna be close." Jarvan muttered, groaning quietly.
"Open up, innkeeper!" One of the guards said over a yawn, looking over at his men as they moved up the street knocking on doors. "Come on, open up!" The creak of the door resounded from below them, the short, fat innkeeper waddling to the doorway, his mustache twitching.
"What do you want?" The innkeeper snarled, hiding a yawn with his arm.
"We're searching for escaped prisoners." The guard said, puffing out his chest. "We need to check your records against people in the rooms." The innkeeper scowled.
"Surely you jest?" The innkeeper said, stepping back, astounded. "In these wee hours of the morning?" He looked as if he had been rocked by a punch.
"It's happening all across the city. Do it." The guard growled. "Or I'll see to it that you get your business rights removed."
"Damnit." The innkeeper said, with a frown. "Fine, come on." The guards followed him into the building.
"Now's our chance." Jarvan said, ducking over the edge and dropping onto the balcony. He held his gear in one hand as he lowered himself down onto the second floor balcony. He pushed his gear through the window, Shyvana lowering her own bag down over the edge to him. He pushed the bag through the window and then clambered through. Shyvana followed him, a grin on her face. Jarvan kicked both bags of armor into the far corner, behind the door, and then shoved his lance and Shyvana's gauntlets under the edge of the bed. "Quick, strip down."
"What?" Shyvana squeaked, blushing. Jarvan had already dropped his cloak on the ground, stripping his tunic off over his head. He was undoing his belt, Shyvana looking at him, astonished.
"Hurry!" Jarvan hissed. "I have a plan." Shyvana blinked a few times, then undid her own cloak, the brown cloth dropping to the ground like liquid. She dropped the scarf as well, then had to peel the leather tunic off over her head. Jarvan kicked his boots off and nearly tripped as he tugged his trousers off. Shyvana had kicked off her boots, but was having trouble unlacing her own pants, the sound of knocking coming from down the hallway. Jarvan froze, looking over his shoulder, towards the door. The sound of muffled voices echoed up the hallway. He kicked their clothes under the bed and then scuffed his hair up, making sure it was a sweaty mess.
"Damn, damn, damn." Jarvan hissed, frowning from behind some sweat drenched locks of hair. He turned to Shyvana, who was still struggling to undo the lacing on her pants. "It's fine, just hop in the bed!" Jarvan ripped the covers down, dropping his drawers and slid in next to her. Shyvana looked utterly stunned, as she sat bare chested next to Jarvan. A sharp knock came at the door as Jarvan pulled the covers up over them.
"Jarvan?" Shyvana whispered, looking over at him. The knock came louder at the door.
"Sir, Ma'am, I need to speak with you a moment." The voice of the innkeeper called. Jarvan looked over his shoulder. The sound on the door came again, this time a banging rather than a polite knock.
"Open up!" A hard voice ordered.
"Do you trust me?" Jarvan said, blushing furiously. Shyvana met his gaze, smiling nervously and nodded. Jarvan's heart was pounding in his ears, his mouth dry.
"Open up or we will kick the door down!" The guard ordered from outside the door.
"Sorry about this." Jarvan said, blushing, rolling over Shyvana, holding himself above her with his arms. She looked up at him with wide eyes, the blue moonlight shining down on her face, her magenta eyes shining brightly, her pale cheeks flushed a bright red. He ran a hand back through her hair, drawing it out of her face and grabbed her chest gently, a squeak of surprise coming from her as Jarvan pushed in, kissing her fiercely. He brushed his tongue against her lips, asking for entrance. Her lips parted and he snaked his tongue in, enjoying her spicy taste as their tongues tangling.
The door was kicked in, swinging back around and bouncing off the bags of armor. Jarvan sat, up, a fierce look on his face as he wheeled about.
"What is it?" Jarvan nearly shouted. Two guardsmen stood in the doorway, their mouths hanging open in shock.
"Apologies!" One of the guardsmen said, his face pale as Jarvan rolled off of Shyvana as she pulled the covers up over her face. She screamed. Jarvan rolled off the bed and onto his feet, searching the ground for his drawers. The guards looked down and blinked a few times before turning and backing towards the door.
"What do you want!?" Jarvan growled, standing up fully, staring the guards down. They glanced down against and shook their heads, backing away.
"Nothing! We didn't mean to intrude." The guards backed out of the door as Jarvan scowled, the innkeeper apologizing profusely as Jarvan slammed the door behind them. The lock had been broken, ripped from the doorjamb. Jarvan hit the padlock higher up the door, and leaned against it, breathing deeply as he pushed his ear against the door. He listened silently as the innkeeper fumed at the guards.
"You men are going to pay for the damages!" The innkeeper hissed. "I hope they don't press charges for your sake!" The guards continued to apologize as the voices faded away down the hall, the sound of boots on the stairs. Jarvan breathed a deep sigh of relief as he leaned his back against the door, his feet sliding along the floor, slowly sliding to the ground, his head falling to his hands as he tried to slow his pounding heart.
"That... that was way too close." Jarvan muttered, letting his head fall back, chuckling nervously. He blew out a sigh of relief. He struggled to his feet, and was surprised when he found his knees shaking. He sat on the edge of the bed heavily, scrubbing his hands over his face. He lay back, still breathing deeply, his chest rising and falling as he let his heart rate slow.
Jarvan felt a soft hand against his shoulder and he looked over, the dragoness still blushing furiously.
"That was..." Shyvana murmured, glancing down. She hugged her legs to her chest, resting her cheek upon her knees, her nervousness despite what Jarvan had just done to her causing him to blush. He glanced away, shaking his head, closing his eyes as he ran a hand through his hair, trying to straighten the mess he had made before.
"That was really, really stupid." Jarvan said, laying his arm over his face. "And I can't believe it worked." He chuckled nervously, still breathing deeply. "I think your scream clenched it, though." Jarvan said, peering up from under the edge of his arm, grinning at her. "You saved us." He winked at her.
Shyvana watched him and blushed, smiling. "I was genuinely surprised when they burst in." She said, glancing away. "I may be only half human, but even dragons have their modesty." Jarvan blinked a few times and groaned. He had been so busy trying to distract the guards he hadn't even thought about Shyvana's feelings.
"Sorry about that..." Jarvan muttered, sighing, letting his arm roll back over his head. "I just... I couldn't have them remembering our faces." He blushed. "I needed to give them something else to think about. I should have warned you about what I was planning." Shyvana shook her head as she chuckled softly, some of her locks of long red hair bouncing back and forth over her chest as if fell down from where Jarvan had run his hand through her hair. Jarvan glanced down her body and then blushed, looking away. The dark leather posed as a massive contrast between the paleness of body, the milky texture of her skin glowing with the moonlight silhouetting her from behind.
"I was surprised..." Shyvana said softly, glancing at the floor. "But I enjoyed it." Jarvan could barely hear her voice as he turned a bright red color. He sat up, blinking, watching her with a dumb look.
"I..." Jarvan began to say as Shyvana smiled cheekily at him.
"Just don't forget your promise." Shyvana said. Jarvan turned bright red, his confidence draining as his mind began to wander. Shyvana lay back, laughing, smiling happily at Jarvan. He met her smile and started laughing, the entire situation becoming massively hilarious to him. He laughed away his nerves, Shyvana doing the same, giggling happily. Jarvan felt his nervousness drain away. He lay back, still chuckling, the stupidity of his plan suddenly hitting home. Shyvana yawned, stretching her hands above her head, pressing against the headboard. Jarvan yawned as well, shaking his head, and chuckling. He looked back at Shyvana, still blushing, just taking in her body. She blushed but smiled, glancing away nervously.
"Sorry..." Jarvan said, blushing again, starting to wonder just what the hell he was doing. He was fearless upon the battlefield, willing to dive into the ranks of the enemy, willing to face down beasts and predators that even the bravest hunters would shy away from. He had faced the worst that Noxus had to offer and he had survived. He had faced down entire armies and it hadn't phased him. Now, he found himself trapped in a small inn, in a room with a young half-dragon and he was nervous! His nerves just seemed to drain from his body as he shivered. He wanted to taste the fruit, he wanted to explain the world to her, but he couldn't stop blushing. He held his hand out before him, his rough, calloused hand shaking like a greenhorn staring down a charging Strider beast. Jarvan shook his head, trying to figure out what was wrong. He felt butterflies in his stomach as he thought about the dragoness' embrace, shivering with excitement.
Shyvana pressed herself against Jarvan's back, wrapping her arms around his chest. "You can look if you want." She said softly, leaning her head against his back, breathing deeply. "There is nothing wrong with that." She shook her head gently. Jarvan could feel her chest pressed against him as he closed his eyes contently, smiling to himself. He started to feel at ease, the nervousness he felt draining away.
"Thank you." Jarvan said, reaching up and stroking her arm gently. Her skin was smooth as silk and warm to the touch. As the cool night air flowed into the room from the open window, warmth flowed from Shyvana into Jarvan, warming him to the core. He just sat there for a few minutes, stroking Shyvana's arm and smiling softly to himself. Her chest began to rise and fall and her breathing deepened as she drifted off to sleep.
Jarvan chuckled as he shook her shoulder. "Hey there, I'm not a bed." He smiled as Shyvana sat up, rubbing her eyes with a balled up fist, yawning. Her chest swayed as she did, causing Jarvan to stare. She smiled, looking up at him.
"Sorry..." Shyvana murmured sleepily. She lay back and struggled with her pants, finally managing to get the waist unlaced and then peeling them down her body, kicking the pants away to the side of the room. She ducked under the covers, shivering. She peeked over the blanket, a pixie grin on her face as Jarvan smiled at her. He shook his head, chuckling, looking back at the far wall. He felt happy being able to laugh about nothing, a simple glance enough to cause a chuckle. It was something new to him, something... amazing. The feeling was fleeting as he tried not to think about what the future coming towards them was bringing. He shivered, a haunting image of his father and Kampf looming over him. He sighed heavily, his shoulders rising and falling as he did.
"You know that things aren't going to be easy from now on." Jarvan said quietly, leaning on his knees, staring intently on a spindly pattern in the wooden walls across the room from him. "We have to stop Kampf before he causes any true devastation. And I don't think it will be easy when we return to Demacia either." Jarvan glowered. "...I don't know what will happen there." He leaned back, looking over at the dragoness as she huddled under the covers, pulling them up under her chin as a gust of air swept into the room.
"I know and I don't care." Shyvana said quietly but definitely, fire burning in her magenta eyes as she looked intently back at him. "None of it will be easy but when I'm with you, I know we can do it." She glowed, smiling as Jarvan found his mouth hanging open. He clicked his jaw shut as he scoffed, grinning. "I don't know what tomorrow will bring, nor the day after that, but as long as I am with you..." She sighed softly, her chest rising and falling. Jarvan laughed, causing Shyvana to blush, glancing away nervously.
Jarvan shook his head. "I don't know what I would do without you." Jarvan dropped his head to his hands, sighing deeply. He looked over at Shyvana from behind his hair and hands. She stuck her tongue out at him playfully.
"You coming to bed or not?" Shyvana asked, the mischievous, pixie like smile returning. "This bed is cold, and with what might happen in the coming weeks, you should enjoy it while you can." Jarvan found himself staring, open mouthed with an abashed expression on his face. Shyvana was adapting to human society faster than he could have ever expected, memories of a dirty, defensive young dragoness attacking him atop the watchtower in Mogron Pass coming back to him. He shook his head, chuckling.
"This isn't some 'Sleep with me tonight, cause tomorrow we may die' speech, is it?" Jarvan asked with a snort. Shyvana smiled, but broke into a yawn, hiding it behind the covers of the bed.
"What's that?" Shyvana said coyly. Jarvan paused but chuckled. He doubted she actually knew what that was, but the completely innocent way she said it was just funny to him.
"Something else for me to explain someday." Jarvan said, shaking his head. He crawled into bed, hiding a yawn with his own hand. He lay on his side as he pulled the covers up, staring at Shyvana, her sleep laden eyes looking back at him, gleaming in the darkness. She moved towards him, brushing hair from her face and over her shoulder, pressing her lips to his briefly. She took his hand and rolled, pressing her back to him, wrapping his arm around her, across her chest. Jarvan breathed in her spicy scent, the warmth of her body flowing into him again.
Shyvana's breathing grew deep and rhythmic almost immediately, the excitement of the day just having completely drained her. Jarvan smiled, burying his nose in her hair, breathing in her scent and sighing contently. He could feel her smooth skin pressed against him all along his body, and Jarvan felt happy, as if nothing could bother him.
His eyes fluttered shut as he drifted off to sleep.