Ruin of Treason
Reuploading this because I need something that isn't super fucking dark to focus on.
"Find her!" Garen Crownguard's voice boomed over the courtyard. "I want Laurent in custody right now!" The guards started to storm the mansion, searching every room and blocking every exit. After multiple shouts of 'Clear!' and 'She's not in here!', Garen started to walk through the halls, hand tensed on the handle of his sword.
"There's only one more wing to check, sir!" A guard called out, motioning to the door he was stood next to.
"Wait." Holding an arm out to the people behind him, Garen narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. "I can feel magic."
"What did Madame Fiora even do, sir?" Another guard asked, shrinking away when Garen looked at her.
"She has been accused of treason." He grunted. "We have reports of strange objects from Noxus being delivered here."
"If she's also using magic, it could be an even bigger problem, sir." Garen nodded at the guard by the door, stepped forward, and pushed the door open. Another feeling of magic brushed over his skin, but the warrior walked further into the room, looking for any sign of traps or magic. Admittedly, he had never been in this part of Fiora's mansion before, so he didn't know what looked weird. The room that he was stood in was dominated by a portrait of Fiora and her deceased family hanging over a fireplace. Even though she was the only one living in the mansion, three long couches were in a half circle in front of the unlit fire, a few books on the seats. After looking around, Garen noticed the staircase that was half hidden behind the fireplace.
"You two, come with me." The two guards he pointed to nodded and held their weapons to their chests as they followed him up the stairs, watching for traps. There was only one room on the higher floor, a closed door on a small hallway. "Be careful." Garen warned, holding his sword flat against his chest as he carefully pushed the door open. The room was empty; but recently used. The double bed that was pushed against the far wall was a complete mess, and multiple chests of drawers had been opened and half-closed.
"Sir, the window." He looked to where the guard pointed, narrowing his eyes at the blue silk curtains that were gently shaking in the wind. Garen couldn't shake the feeling that the magic in the mansion was something that he had felt before.
~X~
"Stay close to me, Fiora."
"I know."
"We can't let you be caught now."
"I know!" Lux sighed and rubbed her forehead.
"I know that you're stressed Fiora, but snapping at me won't help." The duellist sighed, but didn't release the white-knuckled grip that she had on her bag. "I'm just trying to help."
"You're trying to help somebody accused of treason." Fiora said, looking at the mage. "That puts you in a difficult position, no?"
"They'll never know it was me." Lux smiled. Even now, the two of them were hidden under a cloaking spell that made the duellist uncomfortable. "If I was the first to learn that you were being accused of treason, so they'll never discover that I helped you escape." The bright smile that she kept on her face made Fiora nervous.
"What am I going to do?" She asked, looking around the shipyard. "Is leaving the city really the best idea?"
"Fiora, if you stay, they'll jail you." Lux gently gripped the duellist's bicep. "They might even try and execute you." When she got no response, the mage summoned a cloak into her hands. "I have one last thing to help you."
"That is?" Fiora turned and flinched at the black cloak that was thrust into her face.
"It will help you hide, wherever you go."
"Thank you," The duellist placed her bag down and adjusted the sword holster on her hip. "What does it do?"
"The cloak mostly hides your identity. People will recognise you, but they won't know you." Lux smiled again as Fiora laid it over her shoulders and tied it over her chest. "You must keep the hood of it up, though." As she moved her hands to pull the hood up, the mage lunged forward and pulled the other woman into a tight hug. "I'm going to miss you, Fiora."
"Lux..." She looked down at the head of blonde hair. "We don't talk much. We don't even know each other that well."
"I can still miss you." Fiora bit back a sigh. When she pulled the hood of the cloak up, Lux broke her first spell. A couple of dock workers looked their way, but didn't pay any more attention than that. The duellist tried her best to tuck her hair under the hook as she followed Lux to the ship she was going to take, but trying to hide herself wasn't needed. Only the Lightshield and Crownguard families knew of the accusations against her so far. "This ship goes to Piltover. That city is the trade hub for Runeterra. You can go anywhere you need from there."
"Lux..." Fiora turned and lifted the Mage's hand into her own. "Thank you. My life would have been lost without your help."
"Just be safe, Fiora." She smiled. "I wish to see you come back."
"You have my word." The duellist walked onto the ship, handing the captain a thin stack of money when he tries to stop her. When he let her pass, Lux turned away from the ship, cloaked herself, and started to walk back into the main city.
~X~
"Why couldn't you find her?" Jarvan asked, pacing back and forth in front of Garen. "I gave you one task- one task –find Fiora; and you fail me?!" The shout didn't make him flinch.
"It seems like she had some assistance in escaping us, your highness. From what myself and the soldiers found, somebody warned Madame Laurent about us, and used some kind of magic to hide her, or run away with her." Jarvan exhaled heavily out of his nose and leaned over his desk. "I have my soldiers combing the city, sir. With your order, we can put out a notice of her being dangerous and wanted by the crown." A quiet knock on the door made both men look over to it.
"You wanted to see me, your highness?" Lux asked, hiding the strain in opening the heavy door.
"Yes. Please, come in." She smiled up at her brother as she walked up next to him and copied his stance by folding her arms behind her back. Garen just looked back at his feet for a second before looking back at the Prince. "Apologies for calling for you at such a late hour, but we have a problem."
"What is it, sir?" Prince Jarvan sighed again.
"We have evidence that Fiora Laurent is a traitor to the crown." Her shocked expression didn't bring any suspicion due to practice. "She has been receiving a lot of Noxian trade goods."
"Are you sure that they're bad goods, your highness?" The look that Jarvan gave Lux made her shrink back.
"We can't find what was delivered, but anything from Noxus can be considered dangerous. Not to mention that Garen felt magic in the mansion." Garen wasn't aware of his sister's hidden talents, but the Prince was. He watched the mage's face for a reaction, and decided that surprise wasn't suspicious.
"There's a very strong possibility that there is a Noxian inside the city, too." Garen finally said. "They most likely heard our accusations and helped Fiora escape before we could get there to apprehend her." Lux has always been good at hiding her emotions, but the knowledge of Fiora possibly being a traitor... a traitor that she helped escape the city...
There has to be an explanation for this.
"Don't worry, sir." Lux started, bowing deeply for the prince. "On my honor as a Radiant One, I give you my word that I will find her."
~X~
Fiora crinkled her nose as the strong smell of the sea hit her. That was a smell that she would never get used to, but being off of that cramped ship was a blessing. More than once, she had to deflect the advancements of creepy men; and more than once she had to demonstrate her swordsmanship as a deterrent.
It was a long five days on that ship.
As the Demacian looked around the docks, she caught the attention of a few people, but kept her chin in the air and walked away from them. The plan was to hide somewhere that nobody would recognise her; somewhere that wouldn't bring attention to her. After barely walking for a minute, Fiora felt somebody staring. She dared a look, and saw the eyes of at least five men on her. They were all dressed in dark clothing, with their hoods up. Her sense of danger immediately sent shivers up her spine, but she didn't let it show. She continued walking, determined to get away from them; hearing the sound of footsteps behind her sent another shiver up her spine.
Fiora expected no help from other citizens, and rested her hand against the pommel of her sword. Not even thirty minutes into being in Piltover, and she was already in danger. This was entirely new territory, and the sound of cars speeding by on the road next to the stairs she walked up scared her slightly, even if it wasn't obvious. Instead of staying near the road, Fiora walked into an alleyway, hoping to lose the men that were following her.
"Hey, girl!" One of them called out, making her hand tighten. "You look like you've got money!"
"Don't run from us!" When Fiora looked up, she barely had time to throw herself backwards, staring at the wooden bat that smacked against the brick wall, just where her head was.
"Just give up now, sweetheart." Fiora turned to the other men, glaring at the supposed ringleader. "What's a girl like you gonna do against six guys?" The duelist dropped her bag, drew her sword, and held an arm behind her back.
"How about you find out?" She sneered, flicking her vision between them all. The first guy that lunged with a knife got cut across the chest, blood spattering on the ground as he fell forward, screaming. The guy with the baseball bat tried to swing again, and Fiora stepped forward to dodge. Two more of them unsheathed knives, but looked a lot less willing to try and attack.
"Hey!" The shout from the end of the alley distracted Fiora for a second, and the bat swung into her arm, heavy enough to break it. The crunch made her drop her sword and sent her sword clattering to the floor.
"Not so tough now, are ya?" He sneered, swinging the bat again, this time into her leg. Another break sent her to the floor.
"Shit- get away from her!" Shockwaves broke through the ground, sending all of Fiora's attackers onto the ground as well. It also made her hit her head against the wall quite hard, making her vision swim. The sound of fighting was heard, but the only thing she could register next was the feeling of metal fingers on her face.
"Are- -kay?" She winced at the movement of her arm. The sound of her sword being moved registered, as well as the feeling of being picked up.
Soft movements, being laid down, something being put next to her, a door closing, and then a soft rumbling of an engine. Not even an hour into Piltover, and somebody that Fiora didn't know was taking her somewhere.
Tried to make it good, I need to practice fight scenes.