The Passage of Twin Disciplines
Chapter Twenty-Five
Play Fetch
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Akali slowed her stride and came to a halt as her breath came in haggard huffs. Beside her Nidalee stopped as well, her fur coat sleek with sweat and shining in the patches of sun light that broke through the thick veil of the forest trees.
They had made haste upon leaving Demacia, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the stone gates, or rather, the shiney-skins, as possible. Having seen the thundering stampede of the Demacian Knights first hand, Akali had not wanted to be within sight of the great wall that surrounded the capital before stopping.
Now, however, they needed to decide on a further course of action.
While Akali was not guilty of any harm that had befallen Prince Jarvan, and she was not convinced he was dead, still, they could no longer risk travelling on the beaten paths this close to the capital. Word would spread quickly once the chaos died down, and while Akali would hope everything would be sorted out and the Kinkou would not be blamed for whatever had happened to the Prince, she could not trust that the truth would surface. It rarely did without someone there to coax it out, and even then, the version of the truth that was brought to surface depended on whose tongue it was slipping from.
Shaking away her worry that what had happened would somehow make it back to the Kinkou before she had a chance to send word, the heiress turned back to the task at hand: retrieving the cubs.
What she needed to do was obvious, how was the problem.
There was little question that the cubs were most likely linked to a Summoner in some way. It was proven by the scent that underlined the perfume that sprung from most Summoners that Nidalee had identified on Galio as well as the black-cloaked man.
Galio's very make up was magic, a stone golem that had been breathed life by the magic of his former owner that had grown and matured on his own. So while, he was, in essence a living being, he was only so because of the magic that coursed through him as blood pumped through herself.
However, it was still more complicated than that. If all magic had one specific scent, there would be no way to distinguish who it belonged to, but it did not. All magic had a different scent, like people fingerprints. But again, it was not that simple.
From what Akali could tell all magic had a base scent, something that defined it as a certain type of magic but then further changed to a unique mark of the caster. Nidalee preferred to think of it as another type of animal. All wolves smell like wolves, however they can still be told apart by their unique musk as well as which pack they travel in.
With that to go on, Nidalee had deemed Galio as a non-threat. Because while he may smell like a wolf, he did not share the scent of the pack of wolves they were seeking. His magic was similar, but not the same.
If anything the closest magic he shared was with the necklace that Akali wore. The guardian was able to wander on his own, make his own decisions and even when commanded he would feel the strong, almost irresistible urge to heed. However, like the necklace he could ignore it, if his will was strong enough. But again, it was not the same. Galio had never shared the mental or physical connection to any of his owners such as Akali and Nidalee did. His was from a different pack.
The other casters they had run across, Lux and Nasus for example, were again from another pack. Their magic was the manipulation of something that was already there, or more accurately the manipulation of an inanimate object that did not have a will of it's own. For example, Lux's magic was the manipulation of light. Whereas the magic that the Summoners used, was the type of magic that forced a living creature to obey commands, even if it was against their will. It was the type of magic that allowed the Summoners to control their champions on the battlefield.
Additionally, the magic the Summoners used allowed them to take over the consciousness of their champion. It allowed them to summon them whenever they had need, and unlike Akali's necklace which could be told no, the Summoner's magic could not. It was made to control living creatures, to enslave them and as such, became stronger the more you resisted. Until you had no will of your own. It was magic that Nidalee characterized with the darkness of unknown caves. Both of which made her uneasy.
Then there was another problem. All of Akali's theories again hinged on what others had told her, what Nasus and Nidalee's nose had told her. None of it was first-hand or proven so all of it could be questioned or wrong.
Sighing, Akali's hands bunched into fists, trying to soothe the frustration that seemed to run rampant throughout her body. It was little wonder Vayne was blindsided with rage whenever she was presented with the use of magic. It was nasty business that was so easily changed, with a slight nudge in the wrong direction it could level a battlefield or blow away an entire continent. The progression of magic within the wars of Runeterra was the exact reason for the Summoner's meddling to begin with.
Which in turn had only put the country more so under the heel or magic.
Akali closed her eyes and steadied herself, finding her centre as she struggled to clear her mind, even when in the back of it she could sense Nidalee listening to her train of thought silently. The slight contact of the huntress's mind against hers was like setting a warm blanket on a burn.
Allowing that contact to settle over her Akali smirked slightly. There was some good to magic as well. It was what allowed Nidalee to change shape, to heal wounds. It was what has allowed them to share this bond for such a long time. Lux's magic had shielded Nidalee and stopped a fight that could have turned lethal. So while magic was more often used to inflict pain and dominance, it also had its moments of healing and protection.
There were always two sides to every tale, and another for every pair of eyes watching. That was why balance was so hard to keep. If Akali allowed the darkness to take over, to focus on the wrong-doings of magic as Vayne had, how many innocents would die because of it? Because water was no longer able to be purified? Because wounds that cannot be closed by bandages could not be healed? Yes, there was balance in everything. So while magic was used to kill and enslave, it was also used to save lives and protect. Nothing is truly one sided, nothing is completely out of balance.
Silently, Akali leaned down and grabbed a long stick and moved to a small patch of dirt that was showing between the grass and other plant-life. Without a word, she began to draw a map, the soft ground yielding easily to the whims of the prodding stick. Nidalee followed, watching closely as she sat beside the kneeling ninja.
On the west, near the far coastline Akali drew a small tower with a four pointed crown, symbolizing Demacia. On the east she drew a skull with four teeth on the bottom, symbolizing Noxus. Directly to the north she drew an arrow, pointing north, to symbolize Freljord. Finally, directly in the middle of all three, Akali drew a small circle where the Summoner's tower is said to be.
Silently Nidalee shifted closer, as quietly and carefully as she could, the huntress peeked at the prints in the dirt that her mind-mirror was making so carefully.
Nidalee had understood some of the whirlwind of thought that had passed earlier, but was still left hopelessly confused about what had happened over the course of the past two days. She had not understood what had happened between Akali or the great grizzly bear of a man, or why the shiney-skins had aimed their sharp sticks at her. She had been told they were her friends, and yet her mind-mirror had taken the defensive and then fled when the grizzly had roared.
The room had gone dark and then bright, and then chaos had ensued. Had her mind-mirror known that was going to happen? Was that why she had taken off the necklace and seemed to be in so much pain? Was she trying to protect her? While she didn't believe her human would ever do anything to purposely harm her, Nidalee's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and sounds that she did not understand.
The flutter-wing had shown up as well, baring her fangs at the night-and-day man, unleashing shiny sticks of her own that flew through the air like angry birds. Why had the flutter-wing protected them? Or was she simply after the night-and-day man? The last time they had met the flutter-wing had stolen her fur and muted her mind-mirror. She had been left helpless and exposed, unable to even summon her weapon that Akali had worked so tirelessly to train her to use. And yet, when the pack of shiney-skins had closed in, and the grizzly had roared, the flutter-wing came to their aid. It did not make sense to the huntress.
Especially considering that Akali had been in seemingly so much pain afterwards. No blood had oozed from her pelt, but her heart had hurt and her mind was where the tears had begun. Nidalee did not understand what was happening to her mind-mirror but it reminded her of a butterfly in transition. Perhaps it would not be too much longer before she was able to break free of her cocoon. The huntress just needed to be patient and help where she could.
A confused whine rumbled in her chest as Nidalee glowered at the drawing on the ground, watching Akali mindlessly poked at the same spot in the middle over and over. The sound seemed to break whatever trance her mind-mirror had been in since she shook herself and glanced over at the huntress.
"You probably have no idea what is going on, do you?" Akali asked, watching as Nidalee seemed to perk up from the sudden attention. The huntress's eyes brightened and she quickly shifted forms, instantly grabbing Akali's arm with one hand and pointing at where the ninja's stick tapped the ground. The huntress all by wiggled with excitement, it was the first time she had felt like she truly had her mind-mirror's attention in weeks.
Without meaning to, Akali smiled at the contact and watched as the huntress pointed at the spot, practically bouncing on her spot as she wiggled and her prods turned into a gentle grip on Akali's arm. All the while the huntress's mind danced with questions, images and curiosity. Her communication was getting better, but still had a long way to go.
Where before she had used nothing but images, smells and memories to relay her questions and thoughts, now it was almost evenly interwoven with words and phrases she had learned. Instead of showing a picture of a tree, now she would say it, or rather, think it.
It wasn't much, but to Akali, it was monumental and she couldn't understand how she hadn't noticed the progress before. Had she really been so lost in her own thoughts that she had never noticed the leaps and bounds of progress the huntress had been making?
'Akali... Hurt?' The simple question flickered through her consciousness like a flicker of a candle and Akali's smile disappeared. Her sudden relaxation vanished and she rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to once again clear her mind. 'Akali... Knight...' Rang through her mind as she tried to clear it and the ninja froze, the touch on her arm seemed to burn as blood rushed to her cheeks.
Shaking, Akali forcefully pushed away from the huntress and closed away from of the connection between them, trying to ignore the warm pulse of blood that reached for areas she wished were left unreached. It was becoming harder to shut out Nidalee, harder to keep her away when it was so easy to forget and let her in like she just had.
Trying to ignore the hurt and confusion that crossed the huntress's visage, the Kinkou turned and started to walk further away from Demacia. Trying to leave both the capital and her thoughts behind her, knowing that while she was able to put more distance between herself and the capital, the further she walked beside the huntress the more powerful the thoughts were becoming.
"I can't explain it to you... Not yet." Akali thought, leaving it for the huntress to hear or to be left unheard as she pushed herself to continue onward.
Days passed and still the pair trudged on. They had not bothered to stop at any of the villages they passed, Akali fearing they would be recognized. Instead the ninja would silently steal away into the shadows and return with a few provisions taken from those who would not miss them. A simple cowl, with a long cape to help hide her weapons and figure. A rope, an apple.
It was fortunate that Nidalee was so skilled at tracking and killing game wherever they went, and it quickly became the main source of both of their sustenance.
Akali had been able to leave Demacia with her pack, but had not been prepared for the lengthy journey they were making. Just another simple mistake her mother never would have allowed. She was pleased that she did not leave anything of import back at the capital. At least she had been able to manage that much.
On the tenth night, many miles away from the Demacian capital while Akali was walking back to the alley she had entered a small village through, in her search to find more flint, the heiress once again found herself lost in thought.
With the closer they travelled to the swamp like lands that Noxus rested around, the harder it was for them to start a fire and softer the ground had become. At night Akali often worried she would be swallowed into the muck and envied Nidalee as she pawed at the ground until she seemed to find a suitable spot. Normally, Akali would accept her partner's experience in the matter and simply sleep next to them. However, more often than nought, Akali found herself unable to stop her heart from pounding so loud it filled her ears with nothing else, and thus the heiress found herself forced to sleep with her back against a tree, and only half asleep.
The long journey was taking its toll from her, her back was sore and bruised, her muscles and legs felt like rubber. Mostly though, it was her mind that was beginning to wear. With each passing day, with nothing but the quiet hum of Nidalee's mind as it seemed to endlessly find new and exciting things to captivate her attention, Akali found it harder and harder to disconnect herself.
More often than nought, Akali found herself immersed in the musings of Nidalee's thoughts and had to force herself to once again put up her wall and keep at a distance. It was blindingly frustrating, like watching a moth dance around a flame. At a distance you wonder, why the small creature would torture itself so? Flirting with death, burning its legs and wings. And yet, no matter how much it knows it should not keep dancing around the flame, flirting with it, getting so close it is once again scorched in punishment, the moth keeps coming back. Of late, Akali felt like that moth, and Nidalee the flame.
She was unable to resist the huntress and would catch herself looking whenever the huntress would shift into her human form to practise the words she knew. The way she moved, the way the sun shone on her skin or the girlish giggle she had acquired instead of the bubbly croon. It was frustrating, knowing she was staring, feeling her heart pound with her body churning with yearning. And then, just when Akali thought she would burn to death, Nidalee would smile. Not just any smile though, no, it would be a smile directed at her, intended for her and Akali would find herself once again hopelessly drawn to her flame, flirting with it until she found herself burned.
Closing her eyes, Akali tried to shut out the huntress and focus on the task at hand. Her stride slow as she pretended to limp, her back hunched as she pulled her cloak close and pretended to cough. While it was true she needed the flint, there was another reason that her journeys into the towns they passed were becoming more and more frequent. It was so she could regain some of her mental health and heal her burns during her brief respites from the huntress. The journeys away were quickly becoming the only things that kept her sane enough to resist the flame so she was not consumed by it.
Across the road, a man grumbled as he walked up to a board that seemed to host a score of notices. He was gruff looking, with hunched shoulders and thick arms. Taking the nail that had been held between his teeth, he spat into the mud and began hammering a new notice into the wood. It only took him a few moments to complete his task before he stepped back to assess his work before grunting his approval and walking away, leaving the few curious onlookers to read the new arrival.
As Akali took in the poster her mind seemed to numb and her hands began to shake. Without a sound, or a thought for who might be watching, she began to walk towards the path she had used to enter the town, her limp forgotten as she forced herself not to run. With her heart pounding in her ears, and panic beginning to take over, Akali ground her teeth together.
She had been so focused on getting away from the huntress she had never stopped to consider the downfall of that option. Splitting up in enemy territory, when they were being hunted. Of course they were being hunted, the King of Demacia believed she had killed his son! Yet the days of quiet and inner turmoil had blinded her to that simple truth. This was why the Kinkou were not allowed bonds! So that their thoughts and judgement remained clear. So that they could still think clearly and act rashly when they spotted the first signs of danger! Not so they could blow their cover and all but announce their presence in their panic to find their-
Their what? Akali shook her head as she tried to clear away the raking panic.
It could simply be coincidence that they had travelled this far and happened upon this village at this exact time. But then, it could also be they came after hearing a tip that they were travelling in this direction.
Logically, Akali had assumed that they King would predict her movements to be south bound, towards her home, rather than towards the East and Noxus. He would have to believe that she would aim to return home if he truly believed that she wanted the Prince dead, right? So then what other explanation could there be, other than Nidalee had been spotted?
As Akali turned a corner, her fingers snapped out to grab another cloak that had been let out to dry on a barrel, a plan already forming within her mind.
No sooner had her figure been shrouded by the darkness had Akali taken off at a dead run, vaulting over the fence that surrounded the perimeter of the village and dashing into the trees. Her hand reached for the spot the necklace usually sat and silently she cursed again. It had been her idea to leave the necklace with Nidalee while she went into the villages to scout and retrieve supplies.
She had told the huntress it was too recognizable, that everyone has seen her wearing it. When she had explained it in a way that seemed like she was protecting herself Nidalee had readily agreed to keeping the necklace safe even though the disconnection made her antsy. The irony of the situation was not lost on the heiress.
In truth, in addition to the need for some quiet, although Akali was loathsome to admit it to herself, she did not want to huntress running after her should something happen. She did not want Nidalee to charge into danger, she wanted the huntress to remain hidden and wait, hopefully long enough for the danger to pass before she came out of hiding.
Akali knew she would be confused and hurt by her sudden disappearance should that happen, but it was the better alternative to the huntress being harmed or captured. The heiress knew she would do whatever it took to keep Nidalee safe, even if it meant sacrificing her own safety. It was because of the debt she owed her. Nothing more. She could not allow herself to think of it as anything more.
As Akali broke into the clearing she knew the huntress should be, she whistled and looked around frantically, hoping for once the huntress would not move so silently and would show herself to be safe. She knew she should be more careful, quieter, to conceal herself at least. But even if logically she knew she was being reckless and stupid, especially with the sign of an enemy nearby, Akali could not stop herself as she searched. Hoping, praying that her fears were unfounded.
The poster. It had been of a girl and a cougar, wanted for questioning by the King. While the girl, a picture of herself, had been listed as needed alive with a handsome reward, the cougar was listed as dangerous and offered a reward for alive, and a higher for dead. They had not been careful enough, had not thought things through with a clear enough mind if the reach of the Demacian's had reached this far and had pinpointed them so closely.
There were two other details that were causing Akali to panic as she looked into the darkness and whistled again, louder this time, dark brown eyes searching. Nidalee was the only large cat they had seen since leaving the jungle, and besides that, she stood out like a sore thumb. If anyone were to see her there would be little doubt she was the one they were looking for. Or even if she were not seen directly, with the soft ground and the mud, her tracks would be easily recognizable. Any number of people could have seen her tracks and reported them to the ones carrying those posters.
The final thing Akali had noticed that was the main reason for her concern was the royal seal on the poster. None except one of the royal knights could carry a parchment sealed with the royal seal, which meant that royal knights had been wandering the countryside and Akali had left the huntress alone in the darkness for hours.
She never should have been so careless. Allowing distractions to eat up all of her thoughts. Forgetting about the tracks, without thinking about how recognizable Nidalee would be in a land so far from her home. There were so many small details, details she had been trained to watch for, to always cover so that she could not be tracked. It was as if when it came to the huntress, she once again became a fledgling child who was as useless as a blind pup.
It was becoming glaringly obvious that she needed to find her balance again, even if she had to make a few changes to how she viewed herself and her priorities. Because as things stood, she was not worthy to call herself Kinkou.
Behind her a branch broke and Akali whirled, her hand already sliding down the shaft of her concealed weapon, bringing it up with the blade bared as she came to a stop.
Nidalee crooned quietly, lowering her head as she watched her mind-mirror stand panting in the darkness, her face etched with panic. As her eyes seemed to focus, Nidalee was surprised when her mind-mirror dropped her fang-stick and ran to her, instantly tearing the necklace that hung around her furred throat.
With shaking hands Akali adorned the necklace and choked out a command, "Shift! Change! Smite you!"
Unable to resist the frantic command, Nidalee found herself on all fours in her fur-less form as the wind died down, her fingers brushing against the damp underbrush of the forest floor. Confused, she moved to sit on her rump, looking at Akali with wide eyes from her odd behaviour.
Before Nidalee could form the confusion into the proper words to ask what had her human acting so strangely, Akali had taken her own cloak and wrapped it tightly around the huntress, her arms shaking as she completed her task and let them fall to her sides.
"Do not return to your other form unless you find you have no other choice." The heiress looked up and Nidalee felt her breath hitch, her heart hammering as the feelings coursing through their bond were that of worry, fear, relief and then... something more. "That's an order," Akali finished, letting her head drop as her entire body shook. "Do you understand...?" The last words whispered out, a question following the string of commands, begging for conformation that the huntress would heed her.
Nidalee felt the guilt Akali was radiating, she knew that her mind-mirror felt that guilt every time she had used the necklace to force her to do something. Ever since Nasus had explained to her exactly what it was the necklace did, Akali had refrained from using its magic except when she had felt there was no other choice.
Nidalee watched silently, unmoving, feeling like stalked prey as the still warm fabric of the cloak brushed against her bare shoulders. The garment smelt deeply of her human, and made her feel safer than any armor or disguise ever would.
She still didn't understand what Akali had rushed to her so frantically about, or what had spooked her so thoroughly, but of late it seemed the huntress understood less than a newborn cub.
With a soft croon Nidalee moved closer and wrapped her arms around the shaking girl, resting her chin atop Akali's head so that her neck was fully exposed to her mind-mirror, attempting to show just how deeply she trusted, and cared for, the other woman. Whatever it was that was hounding the ninja, snapping away at her heels like a pack of ravenous wolves, she need not face it alone.
Time passed slowly as Akali closed her eyes and once again allowed her selfish desire to be comforted by the huntress take over, breathing in deeply to take in the scent of the other woman. The warmth that surrounded her was addicting, and as much as she longed to stay there for as long as Nidalee would allow, Akali knew she should push away, to once again become dependant on herself. But as she looked over to the rustling grass, peering past Nidalee's shoulders, her hand unclenched the second cloak she had grabbed on her way of out the village. She peered over to her discarded weapon, looking at it with and cringing as it seemed to taunt her.
Never before had she thrown away her weapons. Her mother had always told her that her weapons were her lifeline. Without them, she had no way to protect herself, and thus do her duty. Without them, she was as good as dead.
All her life she had been trained not to be disarmed, the quickest way to rearm herself and how to care for her weapons as though they were living, breathing creatures that must always be tended to. And she had simply... dropped it, tossed it aside as soon as she had spotted Nidalee.
There was no other way to look at what had happened Akali realized as she continued to gaze at the shimmering metal that rested on the forest floor. She had dropped her weapon, disarmed herself and essentially abandoned her defences in her rush to reach the huntress. For all her thinking, all her careful scrutinizing over every last detail, tirelessly trying to convince herself that her bond with the huntress was nothing more than duty... She had abandoned her weapon, and in essence, had abandoned herself. Her own safety, and everything she had ever been taught, for the other woman. And she had done so, so fully, that she had not even paused to give it a second thought.
Akali smiled sadly, knowing that no matter how much more she tried to convince herself, or tried to reason or argue her way out of what she had done, there was no more denying it to herself.
She cared for the huntress, more than she had ever cared for another being, and if it came down to it, she would sacrifice herself for the huntress. But not out of any sense of duty as she had previously convinced herself. Akali knew, she would sacrifice herself because above all, it was Nidalee she wanted to protect. Because she knew that if she were to ever lose the huntress, she would lose a large part of herself as well, a part of herself that she doubted could ever be rebuilt or filled. Because in the end, while she was so desperately trying to once again find her balance, the reason she had been unable to find it, was because Nidalee had become her balance. Had become her anchor when everything else seemed to break and crumble away, she was still standing there, waiting. Her one constant, and the one truth of her life that had not changed.
No matter how she looked at it, she needed the huntress in more ways than she could count.
Snorting, Akali mumbled, "What a fool I've become." As the ninja shook her head she closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax, to listen to the thrum of the huntress's heart and take in the heat of the other woman's body. For the first time Akali resigned herself to her feelings and fly towards the flame, trusting that even if it consumed her, that it was perhaps, not a bad thing.
As Akali sat there, leaning against her companion, she became aware of how tense the huntress had become, how focused her mind appeared. "What is it?" She asked, momentarily embarrassed that Nidalee may have been listening to her inner confession.
When Nidalee didn't respond Akali tried to twist away, to put some distance between them, but found the huntresses grip painfully tight as her teeth became bared and her hair seemed to stand on end. Completely silent, the tanned woman seemed to be listening, her nostrils flaring as a soft rumble emanated from her chest. Something was stalking them.
Akali felt the necklace begin to burn at her neck and the pressure of Nidalee's mind against her own as the huntress struggled to shift into her teeth and claws.
'Release me,' Nidalee rumbled in her mind, 'danger.'
Akali opened her mouth to reply, only to be silenced as Nidalee pressed her down, attempting to hide them both within the thick underbrush of the forest. Danger,' Nidalee's mind thrummed again, her entire body tense and ready to move at a second's notice.
Cursing silently at being pinned and with the necklace burning at her neck, Akali once again looked to her curved fallen weapon that seemed to be smiling at the ironic twist events had taken. She had tossed her weapon away in her hurry to make sure Nidalee was unharmed, and now she was helpless to stop the real threat that seemed to be approaching. Helpless to stop the real danger that was threatening the one she had rushed to protect.
Akali slowly began to open her mind, attempting to ask the huntress directly what it was that had spooked her so, but recoiled out of fear that her sudden realization might leak through. Cursing silently at her own weakness, Akali instead tried to listen in on Nidalee's thoughts, in hopes that they would give some sort of clue.
Nidalee's mind swam through faces as she tried to place a certain scent with a certain human. Akali could tell she was beyond frustrated as her ears strained to hear what her furred form would catch easily and her nostrils flared, also hopelessly outmatched by what her animal form could accomplish. The huntress was becoming angry with herself as her muscles become taut and her eyes flicked back and forth scanning the darkness enshrouded treeline.
Nidalee let slip a frustrated snarl and Akali made a small sound of pain as the necklace began to scald the skin at her neck. As Nidalee fought the magic, and the necklace struggled to keep her in check, the amulet slowly became hotter and hotter to the point where Akali reached to pull it away before it burnt her too badly.
"Smite you!" Akali snarled, trying to hold the necklace away from her as the twine around her neck began to radiate the same heat. "Stop! Get off me!"
With those whispered words everything seemed to change in a flash, Nidalee pressed her down with a heavy paw as her body shifted and the necklace was knocked from Akali's grip. Behind Akali, a loud snap was heard as a fallen branch was crushed beneath a steel boot and Nidalee sprang at the attacker.
Akali cursed again, rolling and pushing herself up and instantly going for her fallen weapon.
'Mountain Man! You shall not harm her!' Nidalee's mind bellowed, reverberating within Akali's own as the cougar before her opened her jaws wide and roared.
Blood boiling and fangs flashing, Nidalee plastered her ears down against her skull, lips pulled back to show her teeth as the hair on the back of her neck and spine stood on end. Her tail whipped back and forth, careful to place her bulk in between the mountain man and her mind-mirror. Why the shiny-skins were after her human she was still not sure, but what she was sure of was that they would not have her!
With a guttural snarl, Nidalee lunged, snapping her jaws and ducking down to slash at the monstrous man's shining feet.
Behind her, Nidalee sensed her mind-mirror trying to get around the pair and she shifted, lowering herself as she lunged again at the man.
In response, the mountain-man took a step back, raising his massive sword and brandishing it like a shield against Nidalee's swatting claws. She knew what those pointy sticks could do, how they tore at her pelt and she had no intention of allowing the nasty poker anywhere near her or her human.
"Stop!" Garen yelled back at the attacking cougar, face flushed as he tried to regain his failing footing within the soft forest floor. With every shift his armored feet were sucked into the floor, and he was finding it increasingly difficult to stay away from the enraged huntress.
The knight was running out of ideas fast but allowed his gaze to shift to Akali who was prowling around behind Nidalee like a large cat, waiting for her opening to pounce, fingers shifting along the grip of her weapons.
"Kinkou! I only mean to speak to you! I do not intend you or yours any harm!" He called, sweat running down his jaw and dripping down to the front of his armor. Swallowing, he attempted to take another step back to dodge the next swipe of claws only to find his boot being sucked further down into the mud.
"Noxus be damned!" He muttered, losing his balance and falling awkwardly to rest on a bent knee.
Nidalee's eyes flashed and she needed no better opening. Releasing the pent up energy in her legs, she sprang for the falling man, crashing into his chest as he dropped his sword and grappled his plated arms around her furred body. Their combined weight the final drop on the scale that sent him over, crashing down onto his back as he struggled against the attacking feline.
Nidalee's claws raked, bouncing off the thick armor encased man, doing no damage as her back paws struggled to get a grip. She snapped her jaws, aiming for his neck only to find it too enshrouded in armor.
Undeterred, Nidalee pressed on, aiming instead for the only exposed skin she could spot, his jaw and eyes.
Grunting, Garen released his hold on Nidalee's squirming body and instead grabbed hold of her snapping jaws, struggling to hold the three-hundred pound cougar at bay.
Nidalee's neck and chest muscles burned as she twisted and continued to claw and kick at his body, her hot breath bathing his face as snarls and growls rumbled out and over his hands.
"Help me!" Garen grunted, his arms shaking as he was struggling against a losing battle, just the weight of the huntress alone against his arms while pressed onto his back was enough force to make him break if it didn't let up soon. Her sheer muscle mass on top of that was putting the knight into a precarious spot. "Please! I am here on behalf of my sister! Lux!"
Nidalee's ears flickered forward at the familiar name and her pressure faltered for a moment. That moment was all Garen needed to turn the tables, with a quick twist and a raise of his knee he was able to dislodge the cougar, sending her onto her side as he slipped his arm down and hooked it around her neck. He tightened his hold, holding her jaw shut with his other arm as he looked up to where Akali had been only to instead feel the sting of cold metal under his jaw.
"You don't want to do that." Akali warned, nudging his head back with the tip of her weapon digging into the rough skin of his neck. "Release her."
Garen instantly complied, releasing Nidalee who rolled to her feet and shook herself, panting heavily and pacing, her tail swatting the air as mud rolled down her coat and she spat threats from a distance.
"Please, I only ever wanted to talk. I mean no harm." Garen tried to explain, making no move to get away from Akali's stinging weapon or daring to glance at the spitting cougar.
"Then speak."Akali snapped, ignoring the sheer rage and the uncomfortable itch that was coming from Nidalee's end of their bond. The huntress was thinking of every way possible to move her mind-mirror as far away from the man at the end of her weapon as she was able.
"I know you didn't kill the prince." Garen rumbled out, his voice deep and befitting of such a large man. Even covered in dirt and mud, and lying on his back with a droplet of blood running down his neck, he still commanded respect and radiated confidence. As if on a moment's notice he could slip free of his prison and defeat them both if he so wished.
The sudden confession set Akali back and startled her. Nidalee snapped and snarled, taking the sudden shock as a sign of things going sour and took a step closer. With a comforting thought, Akali halted her before turning back to the yielding knight.
"Then explain the posters being posted in town. That was your doing, was it not? Or are there more of you?" Akali pressed.
"Yes, that was my doing, but I am alone. Please, let me explain." The knight slowly raised his gloved hand to tap at the weapon pressing into his jaw and Akali reluctantly pulled it away, taking a step back as Garen pushed himself into a sitting position.
Nidalee instantly moved, never turning her back to the mountain-man as she put herself once again in between him and her human. For all she was concerned, the shiny-skins had never been kind to her or her human.
"I have come on orders of my King, who has ordered you captured and your... 'pet', detained." Garen began, wiping the underside of his jaw with the back of his glove. "It is under those orders that I do my duty and give those posters to any towns I happen across. Not because I believe you are the reason for the Prince's disappearance."
"Killed, you mean." Akali snapped, correcting him without giving him a chance to sugar coat anything. She did not care for his excuses, or his reasons. What she cared for was the truth, and the truth was she was being hunted, and there was a bounty on Nidalee's head. It was why she had been so frantic to have Nidalee shift into her human form, why she had insisted she stay that way. Because none in the capital had seen her human form besides Lux and Vayne, and according to the poster, the King did not know of her abilities yet.
"...Yes, that is another option." Garen admitted reluctantly, shaking some of the mud from his gloves as he opened his mouth to continue, only to once again be interrupted by the impatient Kinkou.
"It is the more profitable option." Akali insisted, the grip on her weapon tightening as she began to lose her patience with Garen's side stepping. Why would he not simply state the truth of things? She had never understood the need to dance around the truth the way those in Demacia seemed to do. It was a waste of time, and often the truth was lost within the sugar-coating.
"Yes." Garen admitted, his eyes moving away from the Kinkou and the cougar as he seemed to fight within himself, his jaw becoming set. "My sister came to me after you disappeared-"
"After we fled before we were killed for a crime we did not commit." Akali spat from behind clenched teeth.
Garen looked up to meet her eyes, mirroring her anger with his own impatience. It was not easy for the knight to betray his King by talking to someone marked as a criminal but he was doing it out of trust for his sister. However, with every interruption his patience was wearing ever more thin and he would not be able to retrain himself if Akali did not find some restraint herself.
Akali glared right back at the defiant knight, and after a moment of strained silence they both huffed and looked away.
It was many moments after that Garen tried again, and this time Akali would make a better effort to hold her tongue.
"When you left, the King was furious. His son, my prince, is missing and none know where he has gone. Shortly after, we also discovered that a dozen of his personal guard have disappeared as well, each of them seem to have been carefully chosen as none have any spouse or offspring.
"Additionally, with the attack from the man who we have identified as the one who had issued the threat in the first place, and the sudden disappearance of the crossbow vigilante, my King is beside himself to find out what has been going on." Garen paused, rubbing his brow and smudging the mud deeper into his pores as he seemed to collect his thoughts.
"My sister approached me as soon as she was sure she would not be overheard. She showed me the letter that Jarvan had left her and apologized for being too weak to come to your defence when you needed her most. She asked that I passed that apology onto you should we meet."
Akali nodded her acknowledgement, not trusting herself to speak, taking in the tid-bit of information with a bit of shock. She had not known anything about the letter, or about Jarvan's disappearance. But at least, with the letter in play, her name and the Kinkou could be cleared of any wrong-doings. Assuming, at least, if the King ever learned of its existence or if he chose to believe it as real.
"She told me about your quest to recover your companions stolen cubs and was convinced you would be heading east while the King is convinced you are heading south, back to the Kinkou. Honestly, I am surprised she was right.
"It was assumed that you would attempt to return home to confur with your mother and the rest of the Kinkou. The King is still entertaining thoughts that your objective all along was to assassinate the prince. That the Kinkou believed that Demacia was becoming too powerful and by killing the hair to the throne you would be bringing your 'balance' to the world."
"That is absurd!" Akali snapped, "The Kinkou are not the hand of the divine! We do not decide who dies, we protect those who cannot protect themselves, not kill those we believe need killing!"
Garen raised his hand as he waited for Akali to calm herself. "I understand that, but you must understand that my King believes his son dead and is not in his right mind. That being said, I was able to convince him that we should not count out the possibility that you might not be returning directly home and that we should send at least a couple knights north and east. If only to spread word of your guilt. He agreed and allowed me to travel east alone, under the assumption that I was the best suited for solo combat should I encounter any difficulty."
Akali scowled, looking away as she allowed her mind to take in the new information she was being given. "But then, if you supposedly believe in our innocence, why then are you posting the wanted signs?"
"Because while I may be breaking my oath by speaking with you, I am still loyal to my King and my King alone and will do whatever he wishes of me." Garen explained, setting his jaw as he raised his head in prideful boasting.
"And yet here we are." Akali jabbed, unable to help herself in the face of the boasting, prideful, knight.
"You will hold your tongue! Are you not breaking vows of your own, by abandoning your mission as well?" Garen challenged, his voice and temper raising. "You had vowed to protect my Prince and yet he is missing and you run with your tail between your legs! You are not one who can speak of vows to me, girl!" Garen snarled, letting the last title roll off his tongue with a hint of disgust.
"What do you know of my vows?" Akali growled, her own anger echoed by the soft rumble emanating from Nidalee's chest as her lips raised to once again bare her fangs in a none-to-silent threat. "What do any of you know of the vows of the Kinkou? Or for that matter, what do any of you even know of my mission?" Akali snarled.
"I know that you abandoned my Prince when he needed you most! While you may not have been the cause of his disappearance you certainly did not do anything to stop him! Where were you the night he set all of this in motion? Weren't you suppose to be guarding him?" Garen bellowed, his face becoming red as viens pulsed in his neck. "While I believe my sister, that you did not kill him, I do not find you without fault!" Garen roared, pushing himself to his knees as he struggled to extract himself from the muck.
With a couple huffs the monstrous man managed to once again regain his footing, standing towering over the much smaller ninja.
"I never vowed to be the Prince's lapdog! I was sent to Demacia to hunt down a man and kill him because he had been marked as a threat to your King! The only specifics were of his three pointed hat! When I arrived your, 'King,'" Akali rolled the title out, causing Garen's nostrils to flare as a vein became visible in his jaw and his skin flushed with anger. "Knew nothing! He had a completely different agenda! Can you explain that to me?"
"You have no right to speak of my King in such a manner!" Garen roared, taking a step closed and ignoring the warning growl that rumbled from Nidalee, or the fur that slowly started to rise along her spine.
"Then explain to me how a King cannot even remember the request he sent to my mother for aid!" Akali challenged right back, not standing down as she raised herself to try to match his height.
"I cannot speak for my King!" Garen retorted, his gloved hands clenching and unclenching as he struggled to keep his temper in check. "But I can tell you that he would never do such a thing as what you are accusing him of!"
"And yet..." Akali's voice dropped to a taunting whisper, "He did." The Kinkou heir kept her gaze steady, eyes locked with the enraged Knight as his nostrils flared and his breathing became heavy. His breath pushed past clenched teeth and for a few strained moments, neither moved, neither blinked but stood silent, seething with anger, challenging the other to be the first to blink.
It was the soft press of Nidalee's side pressing back against Akali's legs as she tried to push her back, that broke the electric connection the two warriors had shared.
As both looked away with a huff Akali and Garen crossed their arms in a mirrored fashion, both too proud and stubborn to give in to the other. Akali was the first to break the strained silence, taking her time to choose her words carefully.
"Then why did you come looking for us? And what do you intend to do now that you've found us?"
Garen once again moved to rub the bridge between his eyes, sighing heavily. "I was hoping you would have some insight on where the Prince has gone. Failing that, I had hoped that instead you may be able to explain a little more to me about what has happened."
Akali paused, pondering the Knight's question. "I do not know where your Prince is, and what I could tell you is little, and that small amount I doubt you would believe."
"I would insist you try just the same." Garen replied, tilting his chin up out of habit. The seasoned Knight was used to being heeded and his orders followed. Akali snorted, amazed at the sudden shift in the Knight's mood, even if his attempt at hiding his anger was only so good. She could still see his blood pressure pulsing in his neck and the way he clenched his jaw.
"Very well." Akali scrunched her nose in distaste, not really wanting to tell the rage nimbus before her anything she knew, but finding little choice. Her best case scenario would be Garen would allow Nidalee and her to leave without any further confrontation and report back to Demacia with a minimally detailed report. Worst case he would not believe her and manage to capture or kill them, and once again return home dragging her in tow.
If she were to, on the other hand, bet on her ability to win a fight with the seasoned veteran who had, had the chance to snap Nidalee's neck while purely on the defensive, that would still leave her in a sour position. They would expect reports back from Garen, and when none were forthcoming, they would send many more Knights than this time around. In which case Akali still did not know exactly where the Summoner's tower was or how long it would take to reach.
"Just try to keep your self-righteous remarks to yourself."
With Garen's nod of confirmation, Akali began to explain what little she could to the anxious Knight.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Well besides the fact that this is very late, I hope the extra five pages helps :) Alright, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! You know the drill, drop a review, let me know what you think, the good, the bad, the fangirlin' or the angry bawlin'. -Kiravu
PS: Thank you again Belbel for reading over my rough copy when I was stuck and giving me some feedback. :) Love ya, little dood.
PSS: Sorry it was mostly filler, had to conclude Demacia's standpoint and wrestle a little more with Akali.