Authors Note: Hey Everyone! So I am having an issue writing the chapter after this one. My goal is to keep this series as canon as I can make it, but I have run into a big problem: the Ruination Event. Due to the fact that the event itself has 3 different endings and refuses to include characters like Yorik, Maokai, and a little of Kalista I am half tempted to rework the event entirely. So far the event seems to take place a few years back from when Kaldur appeared since Jarvan is still the crown prince during the event. I had made him king when Kaldur appears which allowed me to continue. But, since there are 3 different endings it stands to reason that there are 3 different telling's of what took place.
I am therefore left with 2 choices: 1 is that I leave the cinematic universe in place and make it so that the event happened before Kaldur appeared. 2 is that I make the event happen in the future where Kaldur would be involved and characters like Maokai and Yorik play a pivotal role.
Keep in mind that I have yet to see how the ruined king GAME is going to play out, and due to the fact that Ahri is a pivotal character in that it could break this entire series open.
What do you all think? PM or write a review I would love to hear your input.
Chapter 17: A Lack of Subtlety
The hovel on the outskirts of the city was exactly what Kaldur expected it to be: a hole in the wall. Draped in metal sheets spotted with rust, the abode of Vaseer and her uncle would go unnoticed by most unless they were looking for it. In any other country this looked like a shed or some block where the family pet would sleep, but there were more homes where this came from. As Kaldur and Jax marched up towards the building, he managed to see a large variety of stone and metal blocks that crept up the mountain avenues. Tiny lamplights littered the thin and craggily streets all the way up to the edge of the magnanimous walls that made up the inner sanctum fortress.
"The shanks are new in Delverhold." Jur'gan noted holding the door open for the two of them.
"The shanks?" Kaldur asked, hurrying in.
"What you were looking at," He explained, "It's the courtesy of the recent change in leadership. A few years back this place was run by a king. Those who wouldn't work, or he didn't like, were never allowed inside the walls. But then his daughter came home with a couple of Trifarian Legion and things changed fast. Can't say it's any better, but it's change at least."
Jur'gan gave Kaldur the impression of someone in control of his life. His house reflected that. While the outside was nothing much to look at, the inside was a clean and well kempt place. A pair of bunk beds sat in the corner just shy of the kitchen where a large chest rested at the bottom bunk's feet. Weapons and gear were neatly stored on walls while containers filled the space just enough not to feel crowded.
Kaldur and Jax sat at the table while Jur'gan made his way to the pot that hung over a small fire within a hastily made furnace. Vaseera was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't stop Kaldur from looking around for her in suspicion.
"What's with the mask?" Jur'gan asked.
"He's following in my footsteps," Jax answered. "The more mystery behind the warrior, the more attention he grabs."
"Eh, then I wouldn't talk. They hear a peep out of you and they'll know you're just a boy under all that."
"I'm in my mid-twenties. I wouldn't call that young," Kaldur grunted.
Kaldur fiddled with the mask on his face a little and realized that, aside from the occasional itch, he had no visible way to tell it was there. Whatever spell Ryze had put on it did its job well.
"So, what about Vaseera and yourself? What brought you to the games?" Kaldur asked.
Jur'gan filled a few bowls with something piping hot and placed them on the table.
"My brother and her wife were reckoners long before Draven and his posse took over the ring. I never cared much for the bloodshed, but I wouldn't leave my brother hanging. We fought in many battles, even against the infamous Viscero."
Taking a few bites, he paused and looked out the window before his gaze fell on the empty space at the table.
"One day I just woke up and they both were gone, their daughter still in her crib asleep. Only one note that said 'watch over her.' I didn't understand until later that all the fighters and reckoners were summoned to fight a losing battle in a war we had no business fighting. Vaseera heard all this and made it her life's mission to be as great as they ever were… And I promised her I would do my best to make it so."
"I'm sorry," Kaldur said feeling awkward.
Before Jur'gan could reply the door slammed open to reveal Vaseera standing there with a pissed off look on her face. She barely gave Kaldur a look before she stormed over and scooped up the bowl. With a wooden spoon she shoved some of the gruel in her mouth.
"What's with the mask kid?" She asked.
Kaldur sighed trying to cool the heat that was rising under his collar. He was glad she couldn't see his face right now.
Shrugging she turned and looked at her uncle. "Pa, Killian's here to see you. Said it was important."
Jur'gan had dark skin, and by Kaldur's standards it was really dark, but even he could see it begin to pale as the man's eyes went wide.
"I'll be back in a moment," he said, scooting his chair back and heading out the door.
"Who's Killian?" Kaldur asked. He was trying to get a good look at Jur'gan and his potential guests but they were out of sight.
"Just some goon that works for Duke Zerem. He's our benefactor for the games but he's stingy, wants to make sure I have a clear record and all before we head to the capital. We were supposed to leave last caravan but something always comes up." She shoveled down a few more spoonful's of gruel.
Kaldur looked at Jax and nodded.
"I'll be back," Kaldur said, getting up and heading for the door.
Vaseera just raised an eyebrow before returning to her food. Kaldur slipped out the door and fell into the shadows near the windowsill.
He had never been good at stealth, in fact he tended to avoid it as often as possible, but Kaldur had learned in his time hunting with Ahri in Ionia that quiet footsteps and small movements made all the difference. Deafening the sounds of mud near his feet with magic, Kaldur maneuvered around the metal surfaces till he found where Jur'gan had run off to.
"… in what you cannot deliver." Came a sharp voice from ahead. "She lost a match, to a civilian no less. How do you think that makes our illustrious duke look?"
Kaldur leaned around the corner to catch sight of three men standing just shy of a neat alleyway that led into the city walls. One was Jur'gan. The second was a large man the size of a walrus. He had a bald head, thick bushy eyebrows and a beard. By Kaldur's standards he resembled a Freljordian male, and perhaps he was one. On his body he wore a large set of dark plate mail armor, his arm holding a helmet with holes as the only openings. In his right hand was a metal club with spherical protrusions covering the outskirts. It would kill, but that weapon was designed to maim.
The second man was an even six feet and built thin but durable. He had pale skin and sharp black hair that was slicked backwards out of his clean-shaven face. His eyes were a dark violet color and he wore a black and white dress suit that looked like some variation of a business uniform. On his hip was a curved thin blade that was similar to an Egyptian khopesh, only longer and with a jagged tip. Kaldur would bet money that was Killian.
"I don't care how it makes him look, we had a deal."
"The deal changed the moment she lost outside the arena," Killian said.
"It was not an official match. You know as well as I do that it doesn't count."
Killian sighed. "Jur'gan, Jur'gan … I know you were hoping for glory and redemption, but I have a job to do. You don't want to get in the way of that now do you?"
Jur'gan looked panicked. "I want to talk with Zerem. He has to know what he is losing here."
"Seeing him has never been an option, you know that. And I can tell him exactly what he is losing: nothing of consequence."
Jur'gan still looked pale.
"Now," Killian continued, "are you going to answer my question?"
"I don't know who he is. He and his trainer just showed up out of nowhere. I don't even think they are from here."
"You let them into your home."
"As a courtesy! He spared her life!"
"A killer with a conscience…" Killian thought out loud. "Well, lead on. I want to see him."
For a second, Kaldur thought that Jur'gan would object, but the man just hung his head and turned around. Kaldur took this as his que to leave and so headed back to the eroded hut that was Vaseera's home. Instead of heading in, Kaldur waited around the only open area that lay at the back of the household. Listening intently, he waited for the sounds of footsteps to enter the abode before he turned around and walked through the door himself. Inside, the huge thug and Killian were standing around Jax at the table while Vaseera lounged on the lower bunk. Jur'gan was just shy of the doors entrance and the first to notice Kaldur's approach.
"I am looking for a young man. He fought in the pit earlier today."
Jax just sat quietly and pulled out a boiled egg, his massive fingers peeling off the shell in a slow and methodical manner.
"Would you happen to know where he is?" Killian asked, his voice was cold and sharp with no hint of emotion.
"Yep."
"Where?"
"Have you tried looking behind you?" Jax asked, his mouth wearing a slight grin as he pulled up his mask to eat.
Killian's eyes widened slightly as he turned around and noticed Kaldur for the first time. There was a small amount of surprise that Kaldur could see and something else he could not identify.
"Pleasure to meet you," Killian greeted, "do I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"
Kaldur gave a clear sideways glance to Jax but kept silent. Jax grunted and swallowed the egg whole before putting his goggles down.
"Just call him Kal for now, no need for anything else."
"Kal is it? Well then, I have a proposition for a young warrior such as yourself. Your trainer might also be interested."
Kaldur nodded.
"My employer would like to act as benefactor for any future business you may have in the arena. You are entitled to all …"
"What!?" Vaseera shouted, standing up, "You had me go through a dozen fights before I was able to even have a benefactor. What makes him so special!?"
"Beating you of course," Killian answered smugly, "don't misunderstand Vaseera, we are only looking out for our interests. A young fighter comes through our fair city and beats the up and comer; it's a story as old as time. He'll have to go through the basic trials in order to fight in the bigger arena's of course, but it's a simple calculation of strength. He defeated you, and with great ease I might add."
Vaseera was livid.
"IT WAS A FLUKE!" She roared. "The kid had nothing on him in the fight, so I …"
Jur'gan stuck his arm in front of her, cutting off Vaseera's sentence and giving her a warning look.
"A fluke you say?" Killian asked, eyeing Kaldur. "We'll see about that."
Kaldur knew what was coming before he saw it. The large man had placed his helmet on during the conversation and was now unhooking the large club from his back. Dashing forward, Kaldur aimed a kick at the man's wrist, causing him to drop the weapon with a loud thud on the floor. The man was so surprised that he backed up just enough to give Kaldur some room to strike his undercarriage. The blow was hampered by the cloth that rested under the man's armor, but it was still strong enough to cause him to lean forward. Resting his foot on the brute's stomach, Kaldur grabbed hold of his collar and heaved, both falling backwards to the floor. The man rolled over Kaldur's body and was sent out the hovel's door with a final kick.
Springing back up, Kaldur turned around and followed the tumbling thug outside where the mud was caking onto his armor and causing him to slip. Drawing the sword from his hip, Kaldur held the tip towards the larger foe's neck. The man barely had to look to know that he lost the fight and raised his arms above his head.
A slow clap echoed behind Kaldur.
"You have good balance, excellent technique, and impressive instincts. I can see why Vaseera lost." Killian said, glancing back at her and Jur'gan who were looking out the window.
"But, you lack a couple vital components necessary for a reckoner. One is showmanship, but that can be worked on. The second is a killer's instinct."
Kaldur paused for a moment, then withdrew his blade and placed it back in its scabbard. Turning around he ignored Killian's presence and walked towards Vaseera's home as the pair parted to let him enter. Jax was still sitting at the table messing with his lantern staff when everyone else came in, he seemed quite undisturbed by all the commotion.
"I believe you have good prospects, Kal. You will hear from me in the morning as to my employer's decision."
"How will you contact us?" Jax asked, keeping his attention directed elsewhere.
"We will find you," Killian replied.
"What about our deal?" Jur'gan asked, eyeing Killian.
"That will be dealt with as well."
With that, Killian and his goon turned around and left into the dusk. Jur'gan flopped into a chair with a massive sigh of relief. Vaseera had other plans.
"How could you let them walk all over you!?" She said, gesturing to the open door.
"It's complicated, for now just be glad we're still breathing."
"Still breathing? I could take those two with a hand tied behind my back!"
"That man Killian is more than what he appears," Jax interrupted, "his sword is Targonian, and used by few. You would hit the floor before you drew your blade."
An uneasy feeling passed over Kaldur as he kept his eyes trained towards where Killian disappeared. "Think he'll be a problem?"
"I assume so. But if the duke listens to him, then you can be sure he knows everything about the man… and his activities."
Jax turned around and looked at an angry Vaseera and a sullen Jur'gan. "I think we've worn our welcome. Goodnight lass."
Jur'gan nodded his agreement and slowly forced Vaseera into the house, her eyes still watching Kaldur with an unbridled hatred. Guiding Kaldur out of the door, he and Jax disappeared into the dark bends that were formed from the shadows of the immense fortress. Neither talked until they were sure to be out of earshot from anyone listening.
"We need to be more careful," Jax noted, his mask gleaming gently in the night.
"Killian's that dangerous?"
Jax nodded. "Did you mark the Targonian?"
"No, I got the bigger guy. There was no opening to slip a stone on Killian."
Rounding the next bend, Kaldur saw Ezreal, and Ryze sitting in front of a small inn built into the walls. It was rugged and sturdy bearing a sign that had a large lizard with tusks on it. Ahri was nowhere in sight.
"Where's Ahri?" Kaldur asked.
Suddenly he felt a small hand grab his, and a chest press up against his arm. Turning his head, he saw another hand flip his mask up as red lips locked over his. Kaldur leaned into the kiss for a moment and backed up to see Ahri's face glowing at him.
"Get a room," Ezreal grumbled, "we got more important things to do."
"I tagged the big guy. But Jax thinks we have a problem."
Jax told everyone about the incident at Jur'gan's and Kaldur watched as Ryze's brow furrowed.
"I don't see how that changes anything," Ezreal said, "If we get his signature and forge the document, no one in the capital is going to notice anything. And so long as we don't take anything from him, the duke will be none the wiser."
"It is not the plan that worries Ryze," Ahri noted, "I saw the man as well. Something about him is … strange."
Kaldur raised an eyebrow. "You were following us?"
Ahri blushed slightly, but smiled coyly. "Only a little."
Ahri being worried made Kaldur feel uneasy in his stomach once more. If Killian caused her to feel that way then there was something to be worried about.
"We should listen in on them now," Kaldur suggested, "If Killian is dangerous, we need to make sure we know everything about him. Hopefully we will be able to get some information on the forms we'll need as well."
"I agree," Ryze nodded.
Kaldur was nearly taken aback. "You do?"
"Information is useful. It can keep us out of further trouble as well, provided it's used properly."
Ahri stepped forward, grabbing Ezreal by his ear. "We will go. Just like we had planned before."
"Yeah, but you were the lookout while I grabbed the stuff," Ezreal whined, trying to get his ear back.
"We can return at any point," She replied, clearly excited.
"It's like a test run Ez," Kaldur commented, "This way we can get the layout of the area before we make our move."
"If you haven't noticed we're on the clock here."
"Oh yeah, speaking of which, did you get a way to the Noxian capital yet?"
Ezreal finally jerked away from Ahri, her face providing a rather playful look. "Yeah, there's a caravan that leaves a couple day's from now. We'll hitch a ride on that."
"Two days is plenty of time for the plan," Kaldur whispered, his eyes catching a father and his son walking past.
"Maybe, but if you haven't noticed, things don't generally go as planned for us."
"Lad, stop whining," Jax said, "Ryze can you swap the marker?"
Ryze got up from his seat, looked around to make sure they had no unwelcomed viewers and pulled Ezreal and Kaldur closer together. Holding a hand from each person in his, Ryze made a small chant under his breath. With a light flash, energy passed from Kaldur to Ezreal. Reaching out with his magic, Kaldur could no longer feel the marker he had placed on the larger man.
"Do you feel it?" Ryze asked.
"Yeah, but it's weird."
"That's because you are untrained. You use magic through an object."
Ezreal shook off the comment and looked around. "I feel him, he's in the northeast part of the building… below us?"
"Can you warp near it?"
"Who do you think you're talking to?"
"I think he knows Ez," Kaldur commented.
"For once can you just be on my side?" Ezreal moaned.
"I'm always on your side," Kaldur returned.
Ezreal grabbed Ahri's shoulder and the pair disappeared in a pop, a look of pure disgust lining Ezreal's after image.
Kaldur volunteered to stay and wait for their spy team while the purple skinned duo left for information on a place to stay. Retreating backwards into the shadows, he found a nice crate to sit on and leaned back as he watched for their reappearance. It took far longer than it should have. By the time an hour rolled by, Kaldur was getting antsy. When the second hour came, he was in a dead sweat and was ready to storm the building; his thoughts dwelling on whether he should have placed a tracker on the two of them. Finally, when he stood up to get a look at the keep, did a small pop announce the arrival of his friends.
Ezreal was completely out of breath, Ahri looking disturbed as she helped him out.
"What happened?" Kaldur asked, unable to keep the worry and panic out of his voice.
"Do not, I repeat, do NOT warp into a Noxian basement without knowing the layout," Ezreal exclaimed.
Kaldur gave Ahri a raised eyebrow.
"There are rooms with no doors," she described, "Some had no air, and others were filled with … disturbing guests."
"Seriously!" Ezreal exclaimed, "that dude was eating his own toes… his TOES!"
"Why didn't you just warp out?"
"You think I didn't try that? There's something down there, it scrambles my gauntlet. I only had that happen when I tried to get into the Immortal Bastion some time back. Noxian's and their dungeons, I swear."
"Then how did you get out?"
"A little luck," Ahri said, "we had managed to listen to an interesting conversation between the Targonian and this duke before we were forced to elude some very precarious guards. After a few failed attempts at teleporting, Ezreal finally attached his new gift to his gauntlet."
"Ornn is a genius by the way," Ezreal commented, "don't know how he did it but now my gauntlet doesn't receive all that interference it was before. Problem was figuring out how to put it on."
"And that took two hours?"
"Well more like an hour and fifteen minuet's. The first forty-five were all about finding our friend and his boss's room. Only got the tail end of the conversation though."
"Well what did they say?"
"You're hired and Vaseera is fired … essentially."
"Essentially?"
"They kind of plan on killing her and her uncle, making it look like she died in an arena fight."
Kaldur's eyes went wide. "That's kinda important Ez!"
"Relax! We have time. They're going to do it tomorrow." Ezreal stood up and brushed whatever dirt he could off his pants. "Besides, I managed to get a sneak peak at the dukes books. He keeps them in that drawer beside his desk. Little unsecure if you ask me."
"That's good and all, but I am right now worried about their little assassination scheme."
"It's not just that. I can't forge a fake document without his seal and the heavy bastard keeps that on his person at all times. Not to mention, according to his documents, he keeps a real tight lid on who represents him in the arena."
"Then what are we going to do?"
"Either we get him to sign a deal himself or we steal his seal. Not to mention we have to make sure his eyes aren't looking at us for the duration of our stay in the great capital. If we steal his seal then we are in trouble the moment he gets word of us. If he signs the paperwork himself then he'll shut us down the second he figures out that we were fighting in bigger events. It's a lose-lose."
"What's our timetable then?"
"I don't know when the Might of Noxus shows up. The guy has a strong dislike for the arena. Only reason he does is because his brother runs the joint."
"So we need enough time to get him the message, but we don't know how much time we have?"
"Exactly."
Kaldur started rubbing his temples.
"We can handle those events tomorrow love. Tonight we must rest," Ahri said, her fingers interlacing with his.
Kaldur sighed and followed them farther into town where a weary Ryze waited for them at a small corner inn. They slept that night not bothering to keep watches, but Kaldur found that he had trouble sleeping anyway. When the dawn light came peeking through the window, he was up and ready to begin some more training.
Leaving the bounds of the city with Jax, they practiced for the better part two hours before returning into the walls. Due to the influx of worry that Kaldur was feeling, Ahri had taken it upon herself to watch Vaseera in case the duke or Killian decided to end her prematurely. Ezreal was put in charge of watching the duke for any more information that could prove useful. Meanwhile Ryze decided that staying invisible from everyone was the best course of action, much to Kaldur's chagrin.
By the time Kaldur and Jax reached the Inn again, Ahri was waiting for them. One look into her eyes told Kaldur he wouldn't like what she was going to say.
"There you are! People are gathering at the square, it seems Vaseera is going to fight someone, but I am not sure whom."
Kaldur took off in the direction of the town center, Ahri and Jax following behind. When he finally reached the large muddy pit, a massive crowd had gathered around the participants. Jumping atop one of the pistons that built the walls, Kaldur launched himself up towards a catwalk that hovered just above the chaos. Grabbing hold of the iron railing he hoisted himself up and over so as to get a good look.
In the center stood a bruised and battered Vaseera. Apparently the fight had already started. Across from her was the hulking Freljordian wearing the dark steel armor. In the crowd stood Jur'gan next to a cold faced Killian, both staring at the fight intently. Kaldur was just about to breath a sigh of relief when he noticed something off about the large warrior. Was he that big before? At this distance Kaldur had a hard time telling if there was something different, but then again, he had fought the oaf before and there was nothing particularly threatening about the man that would give Vaseera this much trouble.
A large roar interrupted his train of thought and brought Kaldur back to the fight. The Freljordian raised his club into the air and swung downward causing Vaseera to dash to the side. A massive thud resounded in the air as mud went flying everywhere. In an instant that club swung sideways, too late for her to dodge as it collided with Vaseera's arm. A crunch could be heard as she groaned in pain, her body tossed away like a doll into the cold ground. The large oaf raised his head to the sky and roared again, a dark purple glow emanating from behind his visor.
Kaldur shuddered as he felt the familiar twinge of power coming from the large man. Somehow this beast was showing signs of the Void, and that made him all the more dangerous. Looking to his right, he could see the rage building up in Jax as he stood there, unable to do anything. Most of the crowd cheered, but some seemed quite unhappy with the results and began to throw stones at the giant.
Kaldur's eyes widened as he pulled a set of stones out from his bag and looked for the right ones. Picking out one with specific runes, Kaldur tossed it at the Freljordian. It landed just shy of the giant man's feet. Channeling a small amount of his power, Kaldur locked onto the rune and waited.
Basking in his bloodlust and glory for too long, the armored man took one step forward and stepped on the stone. Kaldur ignited the trap and let a long thin blade sink into him through his leg. There were barely any traces of light from his magic before it disappeared into nothingness. The giant hesitated for a moment, his head shaking as if to rid himself of some sudden weariness. Kaldur smiled realizing that he may have also diminished some of the voids hold over the man.
The armored berserker thundered forward clumsily, but Vaseera was already standing, a blade in her good arm. Like a viper, Vaseera leaned to one side and avoided the blow to her shoulder, striking upwards through the gap in the man's helmet. The hulking beast stopped moving as she twisted the knife causing blood to seep through the cracks and onto the muck covered ground. Yanking it out with a quick jerk, Vaseera stepped away and let the giant crash to the floor. Spitting on him she turned around and walked through the crowd who was going ballistic over her adjusted victory.
Kaldur smiled slightly under his mask until his eye caught that of Killian who was fixing a narrow gaze onto him. Kaldur pretended not to notice and jumped down from the catwalk, his legs hitting the mud with a splash. When he looked back up Kaldur swore he could see a glint coming from the man's amethyst eyes. Vaseera met up with Jur'gan who wrapped a cloak around her, color returning to his face before they both limped away from the commotion. Jax walked over to Kaldur, smacked him hard on the back and guided him away from the crowd, his own mask staring at Killian with murderous intent. Ahri was nowhere in sight.
With Killian watching them, the pair disappeared around the bend and into the market bustle that increased after the fight so as to lose him. Winding their way to the inn, Kaldur looked up to see Ezreal rushing out of the front doors.
"There you are! Hey, listen, I got a great idea!" he said before pausing to look around. "Where's Ahri and Ryze?"
"Ryze is doing Ryze things and Ahri… well she was with us a bit ago," Kaldur noted, stretching his senses out to see if he could catch a glimpse of her but to no avail.
"Wherever she is, she's beyond my senses. Or she's cloaking herself."
"She can do that?"
"She can do a lot of things. Every time I think I have her powerset down she surprises me."
"Well, whatever, I had a great idea. What if we scared the duke into leaving?" Ezreal asked.
Kaldur blinked. "Scare the duke?"
"Yeah!"
"He doesn't seem to be a man easily terrified, lad," Jax pointed out.
"That's how he appears because of that Targonian. But in reality the guy is a big conspiracy nut, and super paranoid to boot. Specifically anything to do with the Black Rose."
"You lost me."
"The Black Rose… THE secret society of Noxus?"
Kaldur groaned. "Ez, different world remember?"
"Right, right. Well supposedly this guy has been warned off by them before. Been watching him for the last couple of hours and I found where he sleeps, which is a little odd if you ask me but I guess a broken closet is a good a place as any if you think about it. But, that's beside the point because the guy has a huge room full of black rose sightings and material he's gathered. Seems a little obsessed if you ask me."
"Alright, but what's the point of scaring him then?"
"Well, think about it. If the duke signs the contract and then gets scared off due to the black rose, he might not pay attention to what we are doing in the big city because he will be so preoccupied with hiding and running from an unseen threat."
"You sure he will fall for such a trick?" Jax asked.
"Come on, give me a little credit. I did my homework. This plan is as good as we're going to get."
"Fine, but we need to get Ryze and Ahri in on this," said Kaldur.
"We'll we're running out of time. The caravan leaves tomorrow morning."
"So we have to get him to sign our contract, leave scared, and keep Vaseera alive all in one night."
"Yep."
Kaldur sighed. "I missed the days when things were simple."
"When has your life ever been simple?"
"Good point."
Heading up to their room, Kaldur and Jax decided to take a good rest while Ezreal left to prepare for whatever scheme he's planned in his head. Ahri and Ryze were still nowhere to be found, but Kaldur decided that it would be best they were gone should Killian show up with the offer. Sharpening his swords and adjusting his armor, Kaldur was surprised when a knock sounded on his door not an hour later.
"Mister," came a young female voice, "there's a couple men here to see you."
Kaldur slipped on his mask as Jax went to the door and opened it. Outside stood the maid of the inn and two men dressed in finer clothing and leather armor. One held a spear aloft while the other wore a sword on his belt.
"Yes?" Jax asked.
"Our lord the duke sends a summons for Kal and his trainer," the spearman introduced.
"Where is Killian?" Jax asked.
"Man's 'bit unavailable," the swordsman slurred, "We're s'posed to bring you to the 'greement org'nizer ourselves."
"Fine, let's go Kal."
Kaldur slid his swords in their respective scabbards, and followed Jax out the door. The guards led them through the town and towards the large fortress where a steel door barred their entrance. Creaking open, a squad of soldiers traded with the other two men as escorts and led them down a wall-way passage going into a subfloor. The humidity increased ten-fold the moment they stepped foot on the stairs, and Kaldur wondered if this place didn't freeze during the winter. Lit very dimly by basic torches, the hallways felt more like a dungeon entrance than a fortress, but due to how thin the space to walk in was it made sense that a place like this would be built like a maze.
After a good ten minutes of twists, turns and stairwells, Kaldur was greeted to a well lit room where a short thin man sat hunched over some papers. The spectacles on his face were huge and made his eyes bulge out of his malnourished skull. Kaldur had a hard time telling if the man was old, overworked, or bitter. On his desk stood a mess of papers that had no system nor discernable pattern.
"You the new reckoner prospect, eh?" The little man asked, not looking up.
Kaldur just looked around the room, pretending not to care.
"Don't look like much to me but what do I know? Here, need you to sign this."
The scholar handed out two pieces of parchment with a giant list of rules and regulations to an agreement. Both were identical.
"What's the second copy for?" Jax asked.
"Oh good, you can read," he replied sarcastically, "one is for the dukes representative should you travel which is highly unlikely unless you prove yourself, and one is for our records. It gets sealed after you sign. Anymore stupid questions?"
Bitter was looking to be the answer.
Kaldur and Jax signed the pages and handed them back to the record's keeper who looked over them thoroughly. "You can write too, either you're the most educated prospects or you won't last long in the arena. I suspect the latter," he commented.
Kaldur wanted to smack him, but suspected that if he did the guy would crumble to dust. Reaching into his pouch, Kaldur grabbed hold of a small smooth stone and dropped it into the corner as the pair made their way out of the room.
Once again, they were led through a plethora of twists and turns that Kaldur attempted to memorize. The place was less charming the second time through. At last they made it out of the fortress entrance and into the sunlit marketplace.
"I'm gonna go and see if I can find Ahri, I have a feeling I know where she is," Kaldur said. "You mind giving Ryze the lowdown if he shows back up at the inn?"
"Be careful lad," Jax nodded.
"And Jax," Kaldur began, "Make sure he knows about that fight this morning. That void enhancement can't be a coincidence."
With that, Kaldur drifted towards the shanks and towards Jur'gan's home. It took a bit to find it amongst the similar huts, but once he did he was glad to see the old man resting on a chair out front with a pipe in his hand.
"How goes the hothead?"
"Hothead?" Jur'gan asked.
"Vaseera. She took a blow to her arm, pretty sure I heard bones crack."
"Ha! I tried getting her to rest, but after I bandaged her arm she took off. Probably sitting on the wall looking over the mines. It's her favorite spot."
"Were can I find it?"
Jur'gan gave him a suspicious furrow before blowing out a long puff of smoke. "Why?"
"Friend of mine may have tagged along," Kaldur replied, reaching out to see if he could sense her again.
"You have more friends? Hard to find those in this life."
"Well, let's just say this life is more of a means to an end."
Jur'gan's brow furrowed even further that Kaldur thought his eyes would disappear behind his eyebrows. "Follow the main path through the shanks. Leads up to the East mine entrance, she's sittin' on the catwalks behind the large stones."
"Thanks."
Following the beaten and messed up walkway's, it took a good five minutes the find the mine entrance he was talking about. Instead of some door that led down into caves and tunnels, it was a vast opening that split into the mountain side. On one side was the wall that surrounded the city encasing the outer edge of the mine till it melded with the rock below. Lanterns, pully's, and tools littered the other side of chipped stone and massive holes that made up the actual chasm. Inside could be heard the ringing of metal on rock and the clang of tools that built a steady rhythm, almost as if the depth of the mountain had its own heartbeat. Merged into the wall was a set of stairs that let straight up to the catwalk overlooking the edge of the Freljordian valley.
Kaldur made his way up the stairs and popped his head over the parapet to see a familiar female watching the horizon though one of the gaps.
"The old man gave me up, didn't he?" Vaseera asked, irritation apparent.
"Kinda, I wasn't actually looking for you, more a friend of mine," he said sitting down beside her and increasing his magical perception. "Doesn't look like she's around though."
"She? Thought you had a romance with that trainer of yours?" She chuckled.
"Jax?" Kaldur stood flabbergast, not that she could see it behind his mask. "No, that man is older than me by a mile, and besides, not my type."
Vaseera just laughed. Kaldur had yet to see her do so before.
"You got humor, guts, and some semblance of skill. Surprised you would want to do this for a living."
"As I told your uncle, it's a means to an end. Don't plan on making it my life," he replied, resting his arms on his knees.
"Hmm. Hard to imagine doing anything else. It's all I've ever wanted since I was little."
"You'll get there. Just takes time and practice. You could probably make a name without a benefactor anyway, you got the talent and training."
"I would never become a slave just to fight in the games," she spat, "I have more honor than that. But, that leaves me only one option… and today's fight proved that the fat bastard would rather have me killed."
"You never know, could have been a test," Kaldur lied.
"You're a blind k'naad if you think that!" She shot.
"Sorry," he defended, "just trying to make you feel better."
"Well don't. I don't need pity. I just need to make it out of here."
The two of them remained silent for a while, watching the afternoon pass by before either said anything. Despite the itch to move, Kaldur decided to take his time here and stayed with Vaseera until she was ready to go.
"You know, my parents were the greatest reckoners the arena had ever seen," she finally said. "There were a few other well-known names in the pit, some were slaves that made a name for themselves, or prior soldiers who wanted the thrill of killing a man. But none of them had the charm or charisma my parents brought. At one time you could hear their names shouted from the stadium. Then, one morning, no one remembered who they were. Just shadows of an era long past."
Kaldur took off his mask for a moment, letting the warmth of the sun embrace it for a moment.
"What matters is that you remember them, in your heart at least. If you do then they will never be truly forgotten."
Vaseera made a half-hearted laugh. "I don't even remember what they look like. I have no real memories of them."
"But you remember how your uncle feels about them," Kaldur noted, "You remember the note they left with you showing they cared about you. It might not be much, but it's something."
Vaseera gave him a curious look, but shook her head. "You are a strange killer."
"I'm not that either, still have yet to take a life," he admitted.
"And you aim to become a reckoner!?"
"As I said: means to an end. I have bigger goals."
Vaseera's look turned from outrage to a cold stare. "You can't fight in this life without killing."
"So I keep hearing," Kaldur sighed, "but I've done pretty good so far."
"That won't last long. Pretty soon that blade of yours will be drenched in blood, or yours will end up on someone else's, it's just a matter of time."
Kaldur looked away and placed his mask back on his face. "Think it's time we head back."
"It's just past mid-day," she griped.
"Well hunger doesn't care what time of day it is," he retorted.
Shaking her head, Vaseera got up and followed Kaldur back down the stairs and through the windy paths to her home. She seemed to have let go much of the cold stare, but Kaldur could feel her eyes judging him for his admittance. Now it was all he could do to dissuade himself from admitting she was right. If there was one thing that was true about all of this: everything was getting harder.
When they reached Jur'gan's home, Kaldur could smell a nice stew brewing in the pot and realized he was famished. In silence the three ate their fill. Every so often Kaldur would scan his surroundings to determine if he could feel Ahri at all, which ended in disappointment and a constant reminder to himself that she could handle whatever was thrown her way. It was then that a slight knock came from the door.
Kaldur got up and peaked through one of the cracks only to see Ezreal standing there wearing a raven black cloak.
"Get in here, you look suspicious," Kaldur ordered, stepping aside to let him in.
"Haven't you heard? Cloaks are the new fashion. Well, that and pomade, but I ran out of that in Freljord."
"Got any news?"
"Well I freaked him out all right. Turns out a single rose peddle on his bed was enough to push him into full blown paranoia."
"Please tell me that's a good thing."
"Yes… and no."
"Ez…"
"Hey, it's not my fault! I didn't think he would hunker down! I thought he would leave with his tail between his legs."
Kaldur wanted to strangle him. "Ez, we need him on the run!"
"Look, Kal," he mocked in sarcasm, eyeing Vaseera who wasn't paying attention, "I did what I could. It's still a good plan… we just need to adjust it a little."
"That's all we've been doing."
"Well then one more push should do the trick," Ezreal admitted. "By the way, have you seen the others? The room is empty."
The pit in Kaldur's stomach dropped. "Jax should have been there."
"Yeah, well everyone is gone." Ezreal walked over to the small opening that made up the window and began peeking out.
"Hasn't anyone ever heard the expression: 'don't split up the party?'" Kaldur groaned, "I still can't feel Ahri, Ryze normally hides his aura, and I am not yet familiar with Jax' so… yeah."
"That doesn't sound good."
"Yah think?" Kaldur noted, annoyed. "Safe assumption Jax is with Ryze. Told him to give the old man an update when he showed."
"Are you done scheming? Some of us need rest," Vaseera interrupted, before giving Ezreal a once over. "He your brother?"
"In a sense," Kaldur shrugged, turning to the door.
"Anyway," Ezreal continued, "I'll head back see if someone shows up while I figure out a way to avoid a hundred guards, steal a document, and scare the pants off a wealthy Noxian royal. Should be easy."
"You're enjoying this way too much."
"Am I that obvious?" Ezreal smirked as he opened the door and slipped out.
When the door closed, Kaldur took a deep breath and leaned against the hard wood.
"He's cute," Vaseera noted, scratching her sling.
"Yeah, and he's in a relationship with himself so I doubt there's room for two."
"Wouldn't that be three? 'Me', 'myself', and 'I'?" She counted on her fingers.
Kaldur pointed at Vaseera and smiled. "True."
Time passed slowly as the day went on. Kaldur took the time to train, look for Ahri, and keep watch over Vaseera and her uncle in case trouble came calling. By the time anything occurred, the sun was setting on the horizon.
"Darn," Jur'gan grunted looking in the footlocker, "We're out of gadrow weed."
"I can get some, need to stretch my legs anyway," Vaseera volunteered.
"I'll go too," Kaldur said, getting up.
"I don't need a babysitter," she glared.
"You will with that arm," Jur'gan said.
"Pa…"
"That's not a suggestion," he ordered, "take Kal with you."
Vaseera looked like she was going to blow a gasket, but decided better on it and grabbed a jacket off the wall before she stormed out the door without closing it. Kaldur rushed after her. It took a moment for him to catch up with her, but when he did something in his stomach felt odd. The marketplace was just a short walk from her house, and normally it was bustling with activity. Now it was eerily quiet.
"Vaseera I think …"
"No one cares what you think!" She roared, picking up speed.
"Seriously, lady! I got a …"
Every magical sense in Kaldur's brain went off at once. One unknown target entered his range with Ahri right behind it. Jax and Ryze appeared in the direction of Jur'gan's home accompanied by a set of low void energies. The unknown target was above Kaldur, but aiming straight for Vaseera.
Kaldur spun around to face the attacker, drawing the blade from his hip and filling his body with a low-level of magic. The target was a dark blur as the light from the setting sun cast shadows upon his face, but the blade it wielded was one Kaldur recognized: Killian's.
Killian landed with extreme grace in front of Kaldur, his blade pointed at Kaldur's heart and ready to thrust forward. Ahri bounded into the air and launched a sphere of energy at Killian, who swung at the ball in a smooth swift motion. A platinum blue light swelled in front of the blade and collided with Ahri's attack creating a loud crack. Kaldur dove forward to swipe at Killian's side but the Targonian danced away in the midst of the flurry.
The moment his feet touched the floor once again, Killian went after Kaldur. Every swipe of his blade was purposeful and serene, reminding Kaldur much of his fight with Fiora; but he was far stronger this time around. Kaldur parried and drifted to the edge of Killian's vision, sending a few returning blows his way, but his strikes sailed a good few inches away from their target. Killian's face was as cold as ever, concentrating on their prey with the pure focus of a trained killer. The two traded blows often, but the curvature of Killian's blade made his slashes deadly as they forced Kaldur's blocks to shift just a few centimeters too much. If it weren't for the magic coursing through his body, Kaldur was sure this fight would be going far worse.
As their blades clashed once more, Kaldur attempted to lock them close to the ground. Ahri launched another orb, fire emanating intensely from its exterior. Killian seemed trapped for only a moment, then shoved of the ground with a brilliant show of light and drifted over the orb. Ahri yanked her hands back, attempting to stop the orb from hitting Kaldur who was backing up. The heat halted just short of Kaldur's blade and sailed back to Ahri as Killian landed in its path. Killian tilted to the side and let the ball soar harmlessly past him, only to send his own arc of magic towards her with simple swing.
Ahri was able to dash to the side, but Killian had reengaged with Kaldur … and he was getting faster. Kaldur blocked high, but missed the feint as Killian hooked his blade to Kaldur's and thrust them both into the mud. Killian, using his blade as leverage, balanced on it and sent a kick straight to Kaldur's face. Kaldur was sent flying, his mask breaking his nose and forcing him to drop his sword. Kaldur landed harshly on the ground but rolled back to a standing position with his second sword drawn. Tearing off his mask, Kaldur quickly wiped the blood and tears away from his eyes.
Ahri snapped her fingers and blue flames went flying towards Killian. Blocking the first, the Targonian made the mistake of attempting to dodge the rest, only to find that they were homed in on him. The fires erupted rapidly onto his arm, causing his clothes to catch fire. Killian didn't bat an eye as a pulse of energy came from his body and extinguished the flames. Kicking up Kaldur's sword from the ground, Killian snatched it and sent it flying towards Vaseera who was hanging back with her dagger drawn in her good arm.
Vaseera ducked the blade, caught it by the handle with two fingers, and tossed it back to Kaldur with an extremely impressive display of skill. Kaldur grabbed the sword out of the air with his off hand and began to circle Killian while Ahri prepped her next spell; but Killian was having none of it. Spinning around he closed the distance to Ahri, his magical and physical attacks causing her to flee in a desperate attempt to avoid being hit. As he slashed the ground at where Ahri once stood, Killian ran into Kaldur who dove in between the two. Both blades at the ready, Kaldur created a barrage of attacks onto Killian's defense, forcing him to back away. Where one blade struck the second one was ready to cut into any opening; only problem was Killian left no openings.
By now it was clear to Kaldur that Killian was enhancing his body as well, and that he knew Kaldur had little familiarization with his own blades.
Killian dove back just as Kaldur swung and held his blade flat in front of his face. At first think it to be a trick of the light, Kaldur watched as the sword in Killian's hand began to shimmer and two phantom copies of his opponent began to appear. Kaldur's eyes went wide as the three Killian's ran at him, each blade looking so lifelike and real. Worst part was: Kaldur couldn't feel the difference between them by magic or sight. Kaldur ran as fast as he could, avoiding every strike and blow not knowing what would happen if he blocked only to find the blade passing though him. Ahri shot fires and orbs at the phantoms as she danced around the combat, but most sailed through the empty illusions.
Forced against a wall, Kaldur attempted to block what he thought was a blow but saw it pass harmlessly though him instead while another cut his leg in quick succession. Pushing off the wall, Kaldur sailed over the Killian trifecta and rolled to run, but one of the attackers aimed a strike at his head while another went for his heart. Not knowing reality from illusion, Kaldur blocked the two and watched them both drift though him. It was only then that he noticed he had lost track of the third one. Too late he saw a shimmer appear behind him. With a quick bust of power, Kaldur summoned a shield behind himself and felt the impact against his magic as he spun around.
Killian's eyes went wide.
Kaldur dropped his blades to the floor and summoned his power, creating his two turquoise swords. He had to admit they felt so much better in his hands. Creating the tunnel of balance with his mind, the turquoise energy of his magic took a darker sheen as the dark magic mixed. Kaldur was done playing.
Dropping the shield, Kaldur unleashed on Killian. With more force, power, and skill behind his attacks, it was a wonder that Killian could keep up at all. The shadows attempted to distract him, but Kaldur now had his target and was bound and determined to keep it that way. Killian's face scrunched in effort as Kaldur sent blow after blow against the Targonian, causing him to back up in desperation. Despite it all, Kaldur couldn't get a solid hit on Killian, but he was cutting him to pieces bit by bit. As the magic bit into his opponent, Kaldur could see his speed and strength decreasing with every strike. Raising his swords for a final blow, Kaldur sent them careening downwards.
The blades never reached their target.
One moment Killian was there, the next he wasn't. Caught by the momentum of his attack, Kaldur fumbled forward and turned around to see Killian thrusting his curved blade at Kaldur's head.
With no shield to block this time, Kaldur was sure he was dead, but the blade stopped just short of his face. In Killian's eyes was a faint pink glow. Behind him, Ahri stood still in all her full glory with her eyes blazing pink as she locked onto her target. She'd charmed him to a standstill.
Kaldur took the initiative, driving his swords straight into Killian's chest. It wouldn't kill him, but it sure as hell would hurt. But just as Kaldur pulled the swords away in victory, Ahri screamed.
The light vanished from Killian's eyes as Ahri fell to her knees. Kaldur, panic filling him, was about to rush to her aid when Killian's free hand grasped his arm tightly.
"You," Killian said, his eyes staring straight into Kaldur's.
Kaldur took his available blade and jammed it once more into Killian's side. There was no grunt of pain or surprise coming from the Targonian's face this time, only a sadistic and glorified smile.
Killian released his hand from Kaldur and crashed to the ground. Without a second thought, Kaldur ran over to Ahri and dropped beside her.
"Hey! Hey! Talk to me! Are you alright?" He asked, placing his hands on her shoulders.
Wide eyed, Ahri stared at the ground with a look of pure horror. "I … I saw…" She blinked just once, and her face contorted to one of confusion. "I do not know."
"Are you okay? Should I be worried about this?" He asked, feeling the worry despite his words.
"Yes … no… It is fine. I just need time to breath. His mind was far stronger than I anticipated."
Despite his doubts, Kaldur decided not to push the issue. Turning around he was going to check if Vaseera was still breathing when something, or rather a lack of something, caught his eye: Killian was gone. Looking around in haste, Kaldur only took a breath when Vaseera came wandering up to them.
"Did you see where he went?" Kaldur asked, still glancing around and reaching out with his senses.
Vaseera shook her head. "I was going to ask you the same thing."
"Crap," Kaldur cursed.
Killian disappearing was one thing, but Kaldur was more worried with the fact that he had to use his power to beat the man; if he even was one and not some demon. Getting his bearings, Kaldur pulled Ahri to her feet and breathed a sigh of relief when Jax, Ryze, and Jur'gan came running around the bend.
"Glad to see you're not dead," Kaldur noted, hugging Ahri closer.
"Same here," Jax replied, clearly relieved himself, until he noticed the distinct lack of bodies.
"Did you scare them away?" He asked.
"No," Kaldur admitted, "It was just one by the way. Killian. I knock him out, turn around for one second and he vanishes into thin air. Seems to be good at it too."
"That's … interesting."
Kaldur turned to look at Ryze who was speaking to Vaseera and her uncle. "Where have you been?"
"Tracking," he replied, "trying to find the void presence here has been difficult."
"Would it have killed you to clue me in?" Kaldur asked.
"I assumed you felt it before me considering your connection," Ryze noted.
"That personality has been laying low for a bit."
"Or the user is hiding his aura," he suggested.
"There seems to be a lot of that going around. I couldn't sense half of you for most of the day."
"I was tracking the Targonian," Ahri defended, "He seemed able to feel my presence, so I hid it."
"It seemed that the void presence was avoiding me," Ryze answered, "my attempts to hide and draw him out proved a failure as well. I have a suspicion this Killian is at the center of it, but during your fight I felt no void energy."
"I didn't get any either," Kaldur admitted, "So what took you so long over there?" He nodded at Jur'gan's house.
"Void enhanced mercenaries are a little tougher to kill," Jax replied, "someone also left them with no consciousness so crushing their heads was out."
"Yikes," Kaldur grimaced. "On that note, I vote we grab Ezreal and high-tail it out of here."
"I agree," Ryze acknowledged.
"The fact that you are doing that more often is unnerving," Kaldur blinked.
Ryze just shrugged.
"What of the plan?" Ahri asked.
"Ezreal most likely grabbed the papers already and is working on a way out of a fun little predicament of his own. Guy may have the ego the size of a mountain, but he is good at what he does. I just want to leave a little early, we can camp out of town for the night and wait for the caravan to catch up."
"He didn't need the stone?" Jax asked.
Kaldur placed a hand over his face. "I forgot to transfer the energy to him."
"You what?" Jax asked, clearly disappointed.
"It slipped my mind alright," Kaldur tried to defend, "Ryze did it the other day and I forgot that I didn't need him to do it after the first one."
"Then Ezreal's fate is on your hands young warrior," Jax warned.
"He'll be fine, pretty sure he wasn't going to follow that anyway." Kaldur said with a little less confidence than he hoped.
Kaldur paused putting his hands on his hips and looked at Vaseera and Jur'gan. "You can come with us too. I suspect that a lot is going to fall into your laps if you hang around here."
Vaseera and Jur'gan just looked at each other before nodding.
"I'll grab the gear," Jur'gan said, heading back to his place with Vaseera in tow.
Before another person could say a word, a familiar pop sounded beside Kaldur. Turning, he was forced to let Ahri go as a giant pile of something soft and fluffy was placed into his arms.
"Hold these for me will you?" Ezreal asked.
Kaldur groaned. "Good timing Ez, but care to explain?"
"I am good, that's what!" Ezreal complimented on himself. "Not only did I scare the ever loving sump out of this duke, but I got him to dash out of his secret exit and bolt for the border tonight! And I did it without your stone I might add. You totally missed that by the way."
"That's great lad," Jax said, "but did you get the papers?"
Ezreal grinned and held up a small stack of scrolls. "Who do you take me for? I even got the contract for little miss grumpy."
"Cool. You still haven't explained what's in my arms," Kaldur said.
"Clothes of course. I can't go around looking like some bum. I have a reputation to uphold."
Kaldur raised an eyebrow. "As the most annoying individual north of Piltover?"
"Of course not! That honor belongs to Ziggs. I'm talking about being your contractor. You know, the one who represents the duke in different cities?"
Kaldur's urge to strangle someone was coming back in full force.