Author's Note: Hi I'm back with a new chapter :). Hope everyone is doing well.
I gotta say, I was a little nervous about posting this chapter as it's a bit more mature than some of my other ones. As the characters are getting older my stories are getting more serious/mature - which makes sense - I just tend to overthink the gradual tonal shift a bit too much sometimes.
Anyway, enjoy :).
The next few days were a blur to Kennen. All he had was a hazy recollection of dark colours and muffled noises as the floor of his small confines languidly swayed back and forth.
When the world finally sharpened back into clarity, the yordle let out a small groan. After so long in a state of inhibited awareness, his senses felt hyper-aware. He could distinctly feel the cold steel pressed against his back, the sickly-sweet smell of flowers mixed with some sort of cleaning product and the soft breathing of a couple of inhabitants, barely audible under the refined music of a large, ballroom piano.
As his brain registered the presence of others a sense of urgency pushed him to wake up faster, though he could not yet place why. Still, he shifted restlessly, trying to move his sluggish limbs as his eyes flew open. His sight was met with a high-vaulted ceiling; the finely detailed pictures painted there cut into sections by the now familiar bars of his cage.
The brightly lit chandelier above added to the overload of sensations, causing a headache to form and Kennen closed his eyes again. Slowly and with much effort, he rolled onto his stomach as a churning nausea in his gut made itself known. He rested there for a few minutes, the cool metal beneath him soothing the headache away. As his stomach settled down to a dull annoyance and his body finally came to terms with the influx of new information, the yordle pulled himself into a sitting position. As he did, he filed away the unfamiliar weight around his neck even as his attention was taken by his surroundings.
He found himself at one edge of a grandiose antechamber. Large columns with intricate designs rose around the outside of the room to support the patterned ceiling as their roots remained cemented in the dark marble floor. On one side of the room a great pair of varnished oak doors secured the entrance as, on the other, a wide, sweeping staircase led the way to the rest of the house. In the other corner of the room a grand piano stood proudly. Behind the instrument was a long-nosed man in butler outfit playing the lilting music for a tall, pale man in an expensive suit.
At his movement, the music stopped and the two men turned their attention onto him.
"Master Renard, it appears he's awake."
"Yes Owen. I can see that."
Kennen's posture became defensive as the Piltovian Aristocrat approached. Wary, but polite the yordle spoke up, "Where am I?"
"You are in my home, situated off the coast of the mainland in the Guardians Sea. I bought you from a rather shady Ionian merchant as a companion for my daughter, though you were unconscious during the transaction," the noble answered the question in a detached manner, more focused on checking the yordle for any sign of injury now that he was awake.
Even though the ninja could think of several arguments on the morality and legality in purchasing a sentient creature regardless of the intent, Kennen decided to cut to the most effective disputation of ownership. "I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding Sir. You see I'm-"
"Silence."
Kennen's voice cut off mid-sentence at the aristocrat's command. The yordle felt a rising horror as he felt magic tightening around his throat and physically restricting him from vocalising another word.
"I am well aware of your allegiance to the Kinkou and the supposed importance of the duty you undertake."
The hazel yordle raised an eyebrow at the statement, suspicion needling unsettlingly at the back of his mind that this was not headed in a good direction.
"It is truly regrettable. And I have already made my displeasure known to the dealer over his choice of specimen," the pale aristocrat turned, looking at him directly for the first time, though his resigned expression did nothing to ease Kennen's doubts, "as it has left me in a compromised position. You see, my daughter's birthday is tomorrow. Thus I do not have time to procure a replacement for you. And while I do lament pulling you from your job, I doubt that it will be impossible for your clan to manage without you. Therefore, you shall remain within my custody for the foreseeable future."
The sheer disbelief at the noble's clear knowledge and intellect but also his complete self-absorption floored the yordle. He was unable to come up with a response even if he'd been able to voice it.
So he simply stared at the man as he continued in a brisk, business tone, "Now, in order to ensure things continue smoothly, I suppose you deserve an explanation as to why you were chosen and what is expected of you. Let's start from the beginning. You see, I put a lot of thought into an ideal companion for my daughter. I ultimately decided on a yordle as they are naturally benevolent and social creatures. Your short and furry features make you cute and approachable and your sentience and intelligence means you can handle more complex orders, making you more ideal companions than any robot or other creature could ever be. Yet your race is far from perfect. Yordles can be unpredictable, disobedient and … chatty. Which is why I came up with a solution. That collar."
At his words, Kennen once more became aware of the constricting device around his neck. Irritation stirred within him but all he could do was glare at the aristocrat as he continued on his spiel, hoping that the information he was spouting off could help him plan around the incumbent device.
"It's an invention of my own design using cutting-edge, hextech technology and keyed to my DNA signature," the noble continued proudly. "The fundamentals would be much too complicated for you to understand, but suffice it to say, any being bound by it must automatically and permanently obey any command I give them, as I'm sure the demonstration earlier suitably proved."
The cold dread from earlier redoubled within the ninja. Not just from the situation he found himself in but also from the ethical and frankly serious problems technology like that could cause if it became wide-spread. However, not for the first time, the noble seemed to know what he was thinking.
"Don't worry. I'm well aware of the complications such technology could bring. There are many unscrupulous people with no morals in this world who could bring about devastating chaos should the technology ever make its way into their possession. Which is why I have ensured all of the necessary precautions. I'm not a monster after all. That device is the only functioning prototype and on top of that, all of my notes are heavily encrypted and the only people aware of its existence are those on this island."
Satisfied he had explained all of the necessary background information the yordle required, Renard turned promptly back to towards him, clasping his hands together. "Now. Since that's taken care of. Let's lay down some ground rules during your stay." He said as if Kennen had a choice in the matter. "You will obey all commands given by my daughter unless it goes directly against one of my own. You will not attack anyone of this household and will protect us from any who would do us harm. Should you have to choose always protect my daughter. You will protect her to the best of your ability from any harm that may befall her. Next. You are not to try and escape or to initiate rescue. Should you be taken by someone else you are to do all in your power to make your way back here. You will not try to remove the collar or let anyone but myself attempt to. You will not speak or attempt any written communication. You are not to let on that you are anything more than a pet to my daughter. And lastly, due to the unpredictable and dangerous nature of your magic, you are not to use your electrical abilities – yes I am aware of them – except in life-threatening circumstances."
A bunch of profanities sprang to mind but all Kennen could manage was a frustrated growl. This man had obviously giving this a lot of thought as he had managed to effectively close all of the loopholes the ninja could find. Which meant that not only was he stuck in this situation until Shen and Akali found him and somehow managed to convince the jerk to let him go, but acting as a pet no less.
The man clapped his hands together, summoning the butler, who up until now had been passively waiting over by the piano. "Now, time is running short. Owen make sure he's presentable. And you," he addressed the yordle flippantly as he turned away, "don't cause any trouble."
Kennen stewed in his anger and haplessness as the door to his cage was opened and he could do nothing as he was carried away. He glared at the retreating back of the aristocrat, swearing that when he got out of this he was shoving one of his shuriken in a place that would remind Renard everyday why no one messed with the Kinkou.
Over the next couple of hours, the murderous intent of the yordle only grew as he was subjected to the humiliating ordeal that came next.
His fur was washed and groomed to perfection, removing any and all trace of the last few gruelling months of travel. That, in and of itself, was almost a relief. Almost. It would have been a lot more relaxing however, had he been able to do it himself. He also would have felt better had they left him some clothes afterwards rather than just attaching a ribbon round his neck and stuffing him in a box. When all was said and done, he would be dishing out some vengeance equal to the amount of damage his pride was currently taking.
Left as he was in a box in an unknown area, his ears immediately perked up when he heard the sound of voices approaching. They were slightly muffled due to the wrapping around him but articulate nonetheless.
"Daddy!" a clear, sweet voice chimed from across the room.
"Happy Birthday my Sweetpea," came the aristocrat's much softer words. "I got you something very special this year. Why don't you open it."
There was an excited patter of footsteps before the box was torn open, allowing the yordle to squint up at the bright opening. A human child, no older than six, with fair skin and dark-brown hair pulled back in a neat braid looked down at him. Her large, brown eyes sparkled in awe as a blinding smile lit up her face at the sight of him.
Kennen felt his heart plummet. Things had just gotten more complicated.
Shen walked through the paths of their new home, his pace leisurely but his path direct. The simple thatched houses and modest gardens were a far cry from the ancient grandeur of the old monastery but most of Kinkou weren't materialistic enough to care. What hurt more was the loss it represented: of a battle lost, of the home cast out from, and of the people forever taken too soon. It was a reminder of how far their once proud clan had fallen and of the massive responsibility left for those who remained.
A reminder just like the more personal, ethereal weight Shen now carried with him everywhere. The weight of the spiritual sword and the task that had been handed to him by his father mere weeks before Zed's attack.
The few citizens around nodded to the ninja as he passed but didn't engage him further. Shen returned their greetings but his pace never slowed. Not even as he passed the small grove where Haybai and Nemr were huddled together. Better to let them sort their emotions out in private; especially given that his most recent conversation with them had been about the kidnapping of their good friend. No, he doubted his presence would be sought after that.
Finally, his journey brought him to the new training grounds where, as expected, Akali was aggressively destroying targets.
He paused for a moment at the entrance, watching her perform a graceful roundhouse. The deadly ninja's foot connected solidly with the dummy in front of the her at the same time as her extended kama sliced cleanly through the one behind, before she backflipped away. At the apex of her jump, she tossed a trio of kunai, impaling another three wooden targets.
"If you keep this up, there won't be any salvageable targets left," Shen spoke up.
Akali ignored his comment, never pausing in her movements as she completed a handspring to land next to him.
"Is Ming ready?" the green-clad woman asked expectantly.
Shen shook his head, "No. He is still resting."
The female made an unimpressed sound in the back of her throat as she started back towards the remaining dummies. "How much more time does he need?"
The blue-clad ninja kept pace behind her.
"Patience. He's the only one left who can open portals and he's been overworked for weeks. It'll take time for him to recover the magic he's lost. As soon as he is able, he'll open a portal to Kashuri for us."
"I know," Akali ground out, her hands tightening on her weapons, "but every moment we waste here is a moment we cannot afford. Damn it Shen! It's already been a week! Even if we left now, picking up Kennen's trail is going to take at least ten times as long as it would have. And we still have no idea why they wanted him! I refuse to lose anyone else while I do nothing."
"Akali," the Eye of Twilight's voice was soft as he addressed his partner's back, "you are not the only one worried about him. Nor were you the only one to lose someone close in the attack."
That was where the heart of the issue lay. The hurt and the grief caused by losing someone so close so suddenly. They hadn't talked about it – there hadn't been time – but after years of working together Shen could easily see just how much the fallout had affected the lethal ninja. Tahno had been a loving parent and loyal member of the clan who had fallen to ensure so many more could escape. It should have been a decision to be proud off. An honourable death. But instead all it filled Akali with was grief and anger. Anger at Zed for his attack, anger at her parent who had selflessly given their life away and anger at herself for not being able to do more with her position as the Fist of Shadow to protect her home and her people.
At his words she rounded on him. "At least I act like it!"
Both Ionians stiffened; a chill hardened the air between them in the wake of the words.
Akali looked away so he couldn't see her face. "Shen. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."
The blue ninja let out a slow breath. "It is my duty as the Eye of Twilight to remain impartial and to not let my emotions cloud my judgement. But that does not mean I do not feel them. I too mourn the loss of my father. He was not perfect, but he was the only family I had left. However, I refuse to let my grief stop me from completing the role that he left me. I thought you of all people would understand that."
"It is not only blades that can cut deep in expert hands," the dark-haired woman said softly. It was the only heartfelt apology she knew how to make, but it was the only apology Shen needed.
With a sigh, he dropped a hand on her tense shoulder, "I know you're concerned but we will get him back."
Akali nodded but before she could say anything further, a young acolyte rounded the entrance. "Ah, Lord Shen. Mistress Akali," he bowed. "I was sent to inform you that Ming is ready for your departure."
The two ninjas exchanged a brief glance then quickly strode out the door. They had delayed long enough.
I have to say: writing the ninjas out of their comfort zones is a lot of fun :D. Please read and review and I'll see you all in a couple of weeks!