Redefinition

by Enth V

As the Demacian Mage Rebellion begins, a group of Noxians is sent to further the empire's agenda. Led by the mysterious "Left Hand of Noxus" - a man who was once Demacian - the group aims to bring down the current regime. But, as the civil war breaks and the group's ideals are tested, only one thing is certain: the Left Hand knows more than he should... [SI-OC Fic]

29. Chapter 29

Like with so many scenes across the kingdom, the caw of a bird heralded morning's approach.

Such a sound would've brought amusement to Aislynn her youth; both her first where such a feat was easy and her second, where it brought memories of innocent times. Not so now; they weren't quite driven to ground, but a low profile was preferred to the alternative. A big blue bird singing a song was the opposite of subtle, and despite Cyrus recognising it, Aislynn had her concerns.

Those concerns only grew when their new ally read from the letter her pet carried.

"According to Lady Kahina - Sona's sister - the Mageseekers that arrived in Falconclaw finished up their investigation there yesterday..." the ranger Quinn informed, "They haven't made any other actions since, but it's likely they're going to visit the nearby eastern settlements. Without knowing for sure, though, we can't head straight to port."

"So what's the plan?" Cyrus questioned.

"Plan C's the plan," Quinn replied, "There's a beach a couple dozen miles off of Falconclaw. Since its sand on the river end and cut off by dense forest on the ground end, nobody goes there. Kahina says we should meet there as soon as we can. We'll take care of the rest from there.

"Right... You can guide Lewis there?" Cyrus checked.

"Of course. I've flown past it a few times," the ranger shrugged, "Not exactly a hotspot of activity, but you recognise the route after a while."

The fire mage nodded, "Hm. Perhaps Clyde will recognise it too. Anything else?"

"Afraid not," Quinn replied, "Or perhaps, thankfully not; unless it's necessary, Kahina doesn't do long briefings."

"None of the best commanders do," The beginnings of a grin twitched on Cyrus' face for a moment, "Heh... I suppose..."

"Suppose what?" Quinn's eyes narrowed.

"Nothing about your friend," Cyrus assured, "It just so happens my old commander would always go on and on..."

"From when you were in the army?" the ranger's expression softened, "Did he-"

"Rat me out to the seekers? Do you even need ask?" Cyrus shook his head, "I'd rather not dwell on that. Guy was a decent soldier who followed his orders. Much as I'd like, I can't blame him."

Quinn began with a frown, "... was?"

"Maybe he's alive. Maybe he's not. Couldn't check from inside a petricite cell, not that I would've," Cyrus shrugged and turned away, "I'll go check in with the sailors. I'll pick you lot up shortly."

Cyrus left through the front door without impediment; Quinn didn't try stop him. The ranger resigned herself to her seat and delved inwards in reflection. Even as she met her eagle's demands for treats, absentmindedly helping the massive avian in scratching its wings, Quinn was clearly deep in thought. Aislynn followed her example.

Anything to add, Nocturne?

Concerning what? Cyrus' old friend? I don't know hi- Nocturne's declaration was cut off and replaced with a musing hum, Perhaps... If I did know him, it was as a coward... and food.

Right... Aislynn frowned, You know what? Stay quiet next time. Xander teach you the phrase "To much info?"

You know him, Nocturne replied with a mocking snort, What do you think?

Aislynn rolled her eyes at the demon's remark, only for her gaze to freeze. The dream mage found two golden eyes watching her. Or rather, two pairs of golden eyes, but Aislynn was more concerned with the massive raptor trotting across the table to her. Valor, Aislynn vaguely recalled the name, cocked its sharp head to the side, blinking as it looked the dream mage over. It occured to Aislynn that the bird, like dogs and other pets in some stories, might've detected Nocturne; animals were more in touch with nature, after all... or something.

As the idea of a sharpened talon slitting her throat reached her mind, Valor chirped some tune and hopped down to the floor before absentmindedly trotting the living room space.

"He does that when he's curious," Quinn explained, "He's smarter than you'd think."

"That so?" Aislynn managed to center herself before responding, "What was he curious about?"

"I'm no mind reader. But, my guess? If he responded like that, then he's found nothing's wrong with you," Quinn's shrug shifted to a poised alertness with alarming speed, "Though, I don't suppose you are one? A mind reader?"

The dream mage hesitated, "Well... no. As far as I know, there's no specific 'mind reader' mage type. Maybe somewhere where magic's accepted they have a spell for that, but I couldn't say. I'm not an expert on the topic."

Except I kind of am, and kind of can read your mind... Amidst her mind-roommate's dark chuckles, Aislynn put away her musings, But it's not like I can do it right now, nor could you able to figure that out.

"Hmm... well, neither am I, not that anyone in the kingdom could be a magic expert," Quinn shrugged, "At least, not without delving into the Seeker archives. But, you are a mage, right?"

Aislynn furrowed her brow, "I suppose I'm not as obvious as Cyrus or Clyde, but why would you think I'm not?"

The ranger vaguely replied, "Just double checking..."

Aislynn wasn't content, "Would you be surprised if I wasn't?"

"Would I be surprised to learn that a non-mage joined Sylas' rebellion?" Quinn shrugged with an awkward expression as she admitted, "A little bit, honestly."

"Didn't think about the non-mage family and friends helping the cause? Never mind those joining just out of moral obligation," Aislynn couldn't help but smirk, "It's not just prison inmates by Sylas' side; not just bat shit monsters in the rebellion."

Quinn countered, "But you admit there are some bat shit monsters in your cause?"

"Well... I like to think myself a good person, and I wouldn't be able to do so if I couldn't admit that point," Aislynn shrugged, "But even then, the monsters in our cause wouldn't have had their chance to do anything if not for the ones on your end."

"You mean the Mageseekers?"

"They're killing us for being born ever so slightly different. Not even for using our powers; that we have them's enough," Aislynn's voice grew tight with constrained rage, "I can admit my side's evils. Can you?"

After a moment's pause, Quinn replied, "Well, I am trying to protect my friend's sister. That a good enough answer?"

Nocturne chuckled again, She didn't say yes...

Aislynn turned away from Quinn to hide the scowl Nocturne prompted from her, Well, it's not like I can do anything about it; shut up.

"...It'll have to do, I suppose," Aislynn sighed as a thought came to her, "Hm. Now, am I a dick for being surprised that someone like you's saying that?"

Quinn chuckled, "Maybe a bit slow; you know who I'm here for, and what she is. But no, it's understandable."

"And yet..."

"I may have the rank of knight, but I'm not an average infantryman. Working the outskirts means being more adaptable," Quinn gave a sigh of her own as she explained, "I serve Demacia, not kill mages."

"Just that so often those two are mutually exclusive, even when the mages are reasonable," Aislynn bitterly mused, "Have to wonder, what'll happen when this mission's over? We hand over Sona to you and Lady Buvelle. What then? You're not just going to let us go, are you?"

That gave Quinn some pause, "... I haven't really thought of that..."

Aislynn's gaze focused as she considered how to press the ranger further. It was for nothing, however; a chirp bailed Quinn out, and Aislynn instinctively ducked. No wing shadowed her, but the presence of the azurite eagle brushing past her seat still gave Aislynn paused. Quinn heeded her bird's chitter with a smile that widened as her gaze raised.

"Good morning to you. You're up early," the ranger remarked, "You know I would've woken you, right, Sona?"

Aislynn didn't quite see the response Sona gave, only catching the end of the sequence of signing. Given the echoing grunt of irritation Nocturne made in her mind, neither had the demon. Thankfully, it didn't seem too concerning; Quinn's response gave both dream magic users an idea of what Sona signed.

"Well, it could be worse," the ranger joked, "Remind me to tell you next time about the week where I slept on the same branch each night in a row."

Nocturne cleared his mental throat and adopted the female voice he used for Sona before translating.

"Maybe when we're safe," Sona smiled, "Is the boat ready?"

"Boat's not ready yet, I'm afraid. As for breakfast, well, all we can hope for is extra cargo on said boat," Quinn explained, "But, if we make it to Falconclaw, I'll be sure to splurge for a brunch. Not like I spend on anything except bird treats."

The massive recipient of said treats chirped approvingly with a level of pride Aislynn didn't expect from it.

"Nope, quality doesn't come cheap," Quinn chuckled, "But anything for you, Val."

Valor puffed up even more, and Aislynn couldn't help but chuckle at the absurd scene.

Sona chuckled too, however silently, then signed, "What were you two talking about?"

Aislynn's laugh died as she hesitated to answer, "Ah, well..."

Quinn thankfully stepped in, "We were discussing our plans for after we get you to safety. After all, however pleasant this current arrangement is..."

Whatever was on Quinn's train of thought was derailed immediately; the ranger shut up and silently watched Sona reply.

"They're our enemy? Is that what you were going to say?" Sona's brows furrowed, perturbed, "You... weren't going to arrest the people helping us, were you?

Aislynn suspected Nocturne was being creative; Sona's signing wasn't as complicated as the words in her mind's ear.

"I..." Quinn's hesitation lasted shorter than Aislynn would've liked, "Sona, it's my job. These mages..."

Sona gave up her pretense, frowning as she signed a piercing counter, "I'm a mage. Are you here to help me or arrest me, like them?"

"No, I'm not, but..." Quinn gritted her teeth, "You're... good, for lack of better term."

Sona didn't even reply, sending a deadpan gaze daring for a stupid answer.

Quinn's response was only half there, admittedly, "They're rebels, Sona. They're working with Sylas - she admitted it herself!"

Still, Aislynn couldn't help but ask."So my being reasonable counts for nothing?"

"Well... if you're reasonable, why're you working with Sylas?" the ranger raised, "Look, I get that the Mageseekers have been terrible to you, and I get why you'd want to kill them. But everyone else? Sylas didn't discriminate when he blew up his prison. There were civilians in that crowd-"

"Who were calling for his blood like everyone else," Aislynn sighed, "It's fucked up to say... not to sound arrogant, but its a miracle people like me actually exist. Because it's not just the Mageseekers. They don't just spring out of the ground; this country was born out of a hatred for our kind. I'm not lying when I say I don't want to fight, and that I disagree with Sylas' methods, but what other options do we have?"

Already, Aislynn could see the gears turning in the ranger's head. The dream mage was certain Quinn's hesitation would last even shorter the second time around. Before the rebuttal could be made, however, the door opened. Quinn's gaze sharpened as it focused to the intruder, as did her eagle's. Her caution wasn't necessary... or perhaps, Aislynn pondered, it was. Cyrus was, after all, on her side.

The fire mage tossed a thick black cloth to the ranger, "For Sona. It should hide her better than that fine cloak she's using."

Quinn nodded, "Right... is the boat ready?"

Cyrus nodded, "According to Clyde and Lewis, we've only got so long until the next shift change at the harbour. We get out here quicker, Lewis doesn't have to pay a secrecy bribe; less clues for the seekers to find. You ready?"

Quinn traded an tired look with Aislynn before standing, "We're ready. Lead the way."

Cyrus nodded and did as requested, leaving as quickly as he arrived. Quinn beckoned for her pet (?) and followed, leaving the last two mages in the room. Sona sent a soft gaze Aislynn's way; something between curiosity and concern. As she stood, her instrument rising from the desk with obvious arcane energy, hesitation glinted in the Maven's blue eyes.

The feeling was mutual for Aislynn, who turned away, "We'll have time to talk on the cruise. Let's go."

It was barely a minute into the walk when Nocturne raised his irritating rasp, You did well.

I did? Doesn't feel like it, Aislynn scowled, I kinda had hope last night when Quinn joked about my reasonability. Turns out it amounted to nothing...

Xander's plan is meant to be... what does he call it, a slow-burn, the demon in her head clicked its imaginary tongue, You've done enough. Those arguments cannot, will not, win the day immediately. Rarely does logic beat fear.

I bet you'd know all about that, Aislynn remarked.

I would. I would not be the Eternal Nightmare if I did not, Nocturne chortled, But, I also know my summoner's plan. This will suffice.

The dream mage raised an eyebrow, Will it, now?

The Mageseekers have yet to play their part, the demon reminded, Your argument will be stronger then.

And it will be enough?

...In the end, most certainly.

Hmph. We'll see.

In the end, the rush was for nothing. Though not bustling like in the day proper, the Grove's harbour was most assuredly already up and running. From afar, Aislynn could see small fishing boats vacating their ports. The smell of various breakfasts being cooked was also apparent, beating past the smell of the river.

It wouldn't be an empty street, but a scene with eyes that the party would go through. Ironically, the rebels didn't need adapt; in these outskirts, the refined loyalists did. Sona tightened the grip of her cloak over her head, ensuring not a single sky blue lock of hair was visible. Quinn adjusted her cloak as well, hiding her repeating crossbow below it before continuing. Valor also had to go; perhaps more recognisable than his master (?), the massive azurite eagle departed into the morning mists.

He'll be back, Nocturne noted derisively, Aislynn, take a nap on the cruise. Xander's summon will be coming shortly.

Miss him already? Aislynn smirked as she posed the question, then frowned at an alternate answer, Wait, that bird can't detect you, can it?

It has a sharper mind than its partner to be certain. I sense no magic, but I wish not to risk it.

A snide reply was on her tongue, but soon Aislynn found herself on the defensive against suppressed weariness and the urge to yawn .

You know what? I'll take you up on that.

Passing only a pair of strangers, the party reached their destination. Docked on the farthest dock from the main port, the Centaur painted a mixed picture. It seemed to be an effective ship, with a sleeker and smaller design than the burning husk Aislynn freed Sona from the previous night. But, the traces of age could be found in its features; the painted design on its sail was faded, and some of the steel on its rim had rusting from years of maritime service. Still at attention was its captain, though; Aislynn got a glimpse of their captain and an armoured man exchange... well, she didn't see, but it wasn't hard to imagine what Lewis shared.

Especially when Quinn confirmed it.

"Bribe?"

"Forty valors," Lewis replied, "Which when I add the price for that cloak... I hope it will all l be covered for this job's payment."

"It will," the ranger promised, "House Buvelle will compensate you accordingly."

"If any noble house would, it would be the Buvelles," Lewis remarked, "Get in. Keep Lady Sona below deck; we don't need her pretty face drawing attention."

"Right," Quinn nodded and took a step onto the Centaur before pausing, "Oh, erm-"

"There's bread and ham in the pantry. Don't empty it, and I won't complain.'"

"Right. Thank you, sir!"

"Don't call me sir; haven't been one for years."

Quinn moved on with that prompt, leading the way. Cyrus followed her, then Sona followed him, and finally Aislynn trailed the Maven. The dream mage gave a passing glance to the Centaur's top deck before descending in.

A little sparse... maybe five crates is enough to not be suspicious? Aislynn sighed, No, if anything, I should just hope the local Mageseekers aren't sailing.

If your hope will manifest its opposite, then please continue, Nocturne mused with a chuckle before reminding, They are needed.

Aislynn didn't bother respond, immediately turning her mind to more pleasant things. As she descended to the lower deck and felt the Centaur embark on its journey, she inched to the left to follow Lewis' instructions. She stopped halfway, finding her peers already seated at a bench to the side, plus one. Clyde was the first to notice her, his azure eyes twinkling even in the barely lit lower deck. He and Cyrus nodded with smirks on their faces, with the latter raising a sandwich in his hand.

"Breakfast's on the table," Cyrus informed, "Clyde made it, I got it warm."

If the Buvelles had any complaints, they were keeping it to themselves. Sona seemed pleased to simply have good food, munching on her breakfast with a smile on her face; the sight of her refined self sat on a humble hammock made the scene that much more heartwarming. Quinn had a pleased smile on her face as well, but there was a sharpness to her eyes as she glanced briefly to Cyrus. Given the previous night's events, Aislynn couldn't really blame her for wanting to assess the potential threat.

The dream mage brushed aside her concerns, took her breakfast, then sat by a low window. Breakfast remained a quiet affair, punctuated only by the slow waves that licked at the Centaur's side window and thudded against its wooden hull. The gentle motions of the wave slowly pulled Aislynn closer to that domain her magic held; she barely noticed when Clyde cleaned up after everyone, taking their napkins and disposing of them in a bin at the lower deck's corner.

On the topic of the hydromancer, his blue eyes' glow didn't snap Aislynn out of her stupor; Quinn's reaction to it did.

Clyde raised a hand, "Don't worry, it's not for you. I'm getting us to our destination sooner."

Quinn relaxed back into her seat, "I see... Well, that'll be useful."

"That's magic for you," Clyde mused, "Good to have it on your side for once, eh?"

Quinn's frown was, at the very least, not based in disgust; Aislynn could clearly see the inscription of caution on the ranger's face.

"Well, I won't deny that..."

Clyde snorted, "That's progress, I suppose. Shame that's as far as you'll go."

"What, you want to me to join you in the rebellion?" Quinn's scowl deepened, "Your magic's useful for making boats faster, sure. But don't try lie to me and say you haven't drowned someone with that power. Magic needs to be controlled."

"By killing anyone afflicted with it, because that's reasonable," Cyrus jumped in, "If they were only dealing with mages who deserved it, I'd understand. But they aren't.

Again Quinn hesitated, "But..."

"I get it, we're the enemy. We were in the same prison Sylas was in, he broke us out, so we must be just as bad..." Cyrus chuckled, "We're not, but that's missing the point. We're not being judged on how we used our powers or even if we used them at all. That we have them is enough for your seekers."

Quinn didn't have a response for that. At the silence, the mages turned away from her, and the conversation seemed to end. Aislynn watched the opposite happen, albeit silently. Quinn looked to her only ally in the room for support. It didn't come.

Sona signed, and Nocturne translated for Aislynn, "They're not wrong, you know. If not for Mother's support, I could've become one of them..."

Quinn frowned at the prospect, sighed, then signed a response; Nocturne filled in using the ranger's voice, "Fine. They are right. But then... if I let them free, they'll kill someone. Maybe many someones. What am I supposed to do here?"

After a pregnant pause, Sona's cerulean eyes slowly brightened with inspiration, " If Mother could help me survive, maybe she could help them?"

Quinn's eyes widened, "No way. If we bring rebels into our lands-"

Sona signed, "Not rebels. They... well, the woman and the fire mage keep saying they don't want to fight. We can give them that option... they could hide with me. Maybe serve as attendants."

"Attendants?"

"They'd have to have a cover. And as a noble lady in this time of crisis, I would need an escort. And you and my sister won't be around all the time," Sona paused before signing, "I know it'd be difficult but..."

Quinn nodded slowly, paused in thought, then gave her verdict.

Or lack thereof.

"I'll think about it. There's plenty of ways that could go wrong, and I'm not even sure they'd be all for it. Could be lying... but I'll consider. I promise."

Sona nodded, both disappointment and gratitude visible on her face, "Thank you."

The conversation's embers finally died there, leaving Aislynn to ponder on their contents.

Progress is being made, Nocturne rasped, Doubt is spreading. The possibility of amnesty is significant.

It's appreciated, but not exactly what your boss was banking on, Aislynn noted, Should I accept?

As much as my summoner appreciates your company, your leadership over your people is what makes you tactically valuable, Nocturne coldly discerned, Though, having a plant within the Buvelles could do well for the cause...

I'll pretend I didn't hear that, Aislynn frowned, gazing to the window by her side, Should I ask your summoner personally?

Better now then later, Nocturne concluded.

The gentle rocking of the Centaur against the waves rose to Aislynn's attention again, their metronome ticking on. As the weight of her eyelids grew again and the sleepless night called its toll, the shadows claimed Aislynn's consciousness again.

---

"Come in."

Even as Aislynn and Nocturne showed up in his dream, Xander didn't look to them. The Left Hand simply thought up a separate floor for the newcomers to arrive, so he could focus on his current activity. His eyes worked first, noting the environment and the enemies within. Then his mind, to make predictions and forge a plan. Finally, the body followed.

First, dash and shoot at his face. Then, as he blocks, use his lack of vision to enter close quarters. Spin clockwise; steal shield with left, elbow with right. Raise shield-Xander smirked, Predictable. Block bolt with shield, then turn counter-clockwise; shieldbash with left, countershot on crossbowman with right. Front kick with right leg followed by stab to leg to neutralise shieldman, raise musket to parry oncoming attack - another spear user, interesting. Thrust musket - oh he dodged - back away, block with shield, shield-spear pattern A... yep, works every time.

Seven seconds for a four-on-one. Not bad, but the resistance in the Falconclaw outpost would probably be at the courtyard... hrm...

"Preparation for the assault?" Aislynn questioned.

"Yes, but it's also fun," Xander turned to face the newcomers, "So, are you on the way?"

Aislynn nodded, "We just left. Us mages, along with Sona... and the ranger, Quinn."

"Quinn?" Xander chuckled, "So she's with you... Well, that means this'll be a cakewalk."

"You know her?" Aislynn raised an eyebrow.

"Only from Fourth-Wall sources. But, I did kick her ass back in the city. Or rather, her bird; they're a duo. Blood-powered kick near shattered the bird's ribcage, so she had to stop in place and treat him. She treats it like her brother, you know," Xander chuckled, "She was the only variable I hadn't determined for this mission. Add some wonder to the encounter; will she show up, or not? But since she won't be, maybe I should leave you in Nocturne's care."

Nocturne snorted, "Even Darius needs a team of Trifarians with him to take a city."

"I'm just musing," the Left Hand waved off, "A solo run could prove to be fun."

"As a General, Darius cannot afford fun. Neither can you."

"My own words against me... only a matter of time with my motor mouth," Xander sighed, glanced ahead to the oncoming next wave, then asked, "Anything interesting to report? Concerning your new pals?"

"They're... well, Quinn is begrudging about it all," Aislynn shrugged, "According to her job, she ought to arrest us even after we save Sona. But, Sona herself signs otherwise; she is still a mage, after all."

"And not a Luxanna; traumatised by Sylas' brand of justice," Xander nodded, "Well, that's all good, all expected..."

"Did you expect Sona to bring Quinn around?" Aislynn asked.

Xander raised an eyebrow and almost got skewered through the head by a longbow arrow, "Oh?"

Aislynn flinched as the bow went through her, phasing through her face as though she were a ghost. She quickly recovered, but glanced to Xander with a question, "Err..."

"Yes, continue," Xander raised the shield and blocked a second and third arrow, "Anything to distract from the abysmal RNG of getting another two archers here..."

Aislynn watched silently for a moment as Xander advanced to his new foes, then explained, "Well, when I say Sona brought Quinn around, that's not quite it. She's said she'll think about sparing us, which is progress. But, it's on the assumption that we help her babysit Sona whilst she and Lady Kahina are off doing their business."

Xander ducked a sword slash, stabbed the offender through the elbow, then gave a shield-boosted hook before hunkering down and assuming aloud, "So, she wants you guys as... chauffeurs? Butlers? Bodyguards?"

"Basically, though I should clarify that Sona was the one to suggest it," Aislynn explained, instinctively attempting to duck another arrow despite knowing the outcome, "Quinn should be considering it right now, but should we? We shouldn't, right?"

A projected foe was rolled over Xander's shield, slammed to the floor, and stabbed at the collar before the Left Hand responded.

"We do already have a plan, but what are the merits?" Xander glanced to Aislynn for a moment before pivoting and engaging his next foe, "You wouldn't... be asking... if you'd considered something to it."

When Xander turned to glance back at Aislynn, he found an accusing glint in her eyes.

"I've been told you want me to be at Meltridge to get my men to do what you want... not that my presence guarantees anything," Aislynn spoke with deliberate tension, then shrugged to the point, "But assuming does, only I might be needed; the others could go for it."

"Well, just Cyrus, I assume. Clyde didn't even join you back then. Given his power set I suspect he'll be more useful as one of Sylas' men..." Xander brushed off his musing, "Sorry, continue?

Aislynn frown deepened, "Sure. So anyways... I was thinking - or rather, your demon was - that having a trusted spy in the Buvelle's service could help. Don't know your plans for them, but they seem nicer than the rest; maybe if you're going to turn a noble house to the rebellion, having someone in place to facilitate that change could work well."

"Throwing a bone for getting Sona to join could help as well," Xander suggested, "Not that Nocturne would appreciate taking time from his schedule to pass along family gossip, but..."

"Oh, but if you have taught me anything, it is the emotional content of family gossip," Nocturne chuckled, "Will you let it happen, then?"

"If you're happy to have Cyrus ditch you, Aislynn, then sure," Xander shrugged, dodged a spear thrust and countered with one of his own through his foe's back, then hunkered behind his shield again, "It could go either way. Up to you."

"Right. I suppose I'll ask Cyrus then. You're probably right about Clyde..." Aislynn gave a low whistle when Xander snapped two shots to take down the bowmen, "... just another day in the office for you, huh?"

"Yes and no," Xander shrugged, "The day job's more of a team game, and the night shift has better fighters... still, anything over thirty seconds is a bit of a disappointment. But I was talking with you..."

"So you kill slightly slower when holding conversation. Big deal," Aislynn muttered, "There's a reason you're not supposed to mix those two... not that I'd know..."

"I could teach you," Xander offered, "Give you a crash course. I mean, half the reason I'm a prodigy is because I spent my toddler years dreaming about it and learning from my guardians."

Aislynn frowned, but the scent of curiosity was in the air, "That doesn't sound terrible per se, but when my teacher options are you or Nocturne... I'll pass."

The Left Hand chuckled, "Yeah, you're probably right. Probably better to wait for Sylas to learn how to do dream sharing. But, if you want a Trifarian experience, my offer'll stand. Then from there, all you'd need is real world conditioning."

Aislynn refused again, but this time with a chuckle, "If it's anything like what I've heard the Dauntless Vanguard do, I think I'll pass there as well."

"What's wrong with getting strong and fit?"

"There's fit, there's strong, then there's the Dauntless Vanguard," the dream mage shook her head, "If people like them were even remotely common on Earth, the construction of the pyramids wouldn't have been a mystery!"

"Touché," Xander dropped his shield, stowed away his petricite/runesteel musket, and sat on a summoned chair, "Well, if that's all… will you be needed up there?"

"If I am needed they'll wake me. For now, my body needs the rest," Aislynn seemed to require more effort, but her summoned seat was a plush couch, as opposed to Xander's stool, "I've been staying up all night. Even in here, my eyes feel like dying."

Nocturne chuckled, "They don't. For your eyes to actually die-"

"Too much info, Nocturne," Xander interrupted, "She already said she doesn't want to work out. No need to put her through repeated pain exposure."

"Repeated?" Aislynn's frown turned from accusing anger to concern, "Oh gods, you torture yourself in here?"

"Only so far as I should expect to feel pain. Learn how a stab feels like if only to not flinch when stabbed in a real fight, that sort of thing," the Left Hand shrugged, then paused, "… that probably didn't help."

"No, but I probably should've expected that from a Noxian dream mage," Aislynn crossed her arms and sighed, "Well, thanks you two for giving me those ideas... not that I know if it applies to sleeping in a dream, but I don't think it'll be that calming an experience."

"Nocturne could eat those nightmares away."

"... jeez, you alright, Xander? Cos 'my demon will make you feel nothing' isn't exactly a calming response.

Xander shrugged, then froze up.

'Not that I'd know', she said...

"Wait, hold on, how could you not know?" The Left Hand questioned, "I mean, you've been a dream mage all this time and you haven't tried to pull an Inception?"

"Have you watched that movie? If anything makes you not want to sleep... well, that's hyperbole, but..." Aislynn shook her head, "No, that's actually besides the point."

"That point being?"

"I, uh..." Aislynn's gaze went to the floor, and Xander couldn't help but chuckle at the timid sight, "I... didn't know I was a dream mage..."

The laughter died immediately, "Wait, sorry?"

"I didn't know!" Aislynn admired, "I just thought I could lucid dream. Hell, if not for that lucidity getting me easy access to my Earthen memories, I honestly might've dismissed it all as a really shitty childhood dream."

"One that left you smarter and with knowledge far beyond what even local teachers and librarians know?" Xander questioned, "I didn't live among the Demacian peasantry for long, but even I know they're not well versed in high school algebra. Never mind the modern history of another world..."

"Well, I said might've. Even when I doubted, it was hard to ignore the scale of it all," Aislynn shrugged with a sigh, "Though... well, you lived through that hell. You ever sometimes wish you could just forget all that?"

The smoke and snow and fire... The details unspoken echoed in Xander's mind, The silence as the digital world went to hell...

"... no, actually. I just moved past it in time; plenty of distractions at hand at the time, never mind the demon hungry for that trauma," the Left Hand spoke nonchalantly, but even he could feel his smile slip to a soulless slump, "It was rough, at first. But no, the thought of forgetting never occured to me. Maybe a wish that it never happened, but..."

'I see..." the sigh that left Aislynn's lips gave way to a bitter chuckle, "Heh, so you're stronger there too."

Xander frowned at the implication, "I wouldn't put that up to strength."

"What would you put it up to, then?" Aislynn questioned, toneless but undoubtedly troubled, "If your dreams from earlier are anything to go by, you've never forgotten home."

"... well, you're the one who was singing Imagine Dragons songs back at Meltridge. You didn't forget either," Xander countered with a slight laugh, "You didn't forget even when you had reason to doubt. I mean, you didn't know this world was that of League of Legends. How could I have forgotten when the world I lived reminded me of the old one just by existing?"

Aislynn snorted.

Xander continued, "And if it were a matter of strength, at that point you'd have had the advantage. Didn't you mention going to protests or something? Making your wishes for social change known? It took the isekai excuse for me to start giving a shit and trying something. You didn't need that back on Earth."

"... so, ignorance?" Aislynn questioned, "You putting it up to that?"

"I suppose I am," Xander shrugged, "It's nothing to worry yourself over. You know what you know, you don't what you don't. Besides, you were born to, what, some farmer household? Even if you did know about League, I imagine it would've taken you a bit longer to get shit done."

"As opposed to being the prince's butt buddy?" Aislynn slowly smirked, "You lucky bastard."

"And with all that I still blew it," Xander admitted, a grin growing on his face to mirror Aislynn's, "Were you in my position, why, it'd be a done deal."

"Well, let's not go too far," Aislynn's smile was wide as she joked, "Even the whistleblowers in my country had the decency to go abroad before pissing off the government."

"Hmm, touché."

"... you're not saying I'm stronger than you, right? Not you of all people?"

"On one hand, I could perform every brutal medieval threat out of Game of Thrones on you if I ever wished, but on the other hand you've insisted on pacifism for how many years now? Insisted on having enough empathy to not meet fire with fire for how long now?" Xander shrugged, "Whether they're really good for society can be debated case-by-case, but saints nonetheless deserve respect."

"I'm no saint," Aislynn refuted.

"And I'm not even normal at this point," the Left Hand countered, "There's strength in choosing mercy. Did you not watch any feel-good cartoon back on Earth?"

"When you put it like that..." Aislynn's chuckle took a bashful turn for only a moment before she flipped the tables, "But what about you? I have to assume a self-proclaimed weeb would know that too."

"The anime I watched was of a darker tone," Xander shrugged, "As is the nation I've pledged myself to."

"Indeed... what else is new," the other dream mage sighed, "... you ever regret that?"

"Pledging allegiance to Noxus?" The Left Hand assumed.

"That, among other things," Aislynn paused, a concerned frown returning, "... as you say, you're not normal anymore. I can't imagine how much blood's on your hands... neither can I imagine how you feel about it."

"... you probably could. And from there, I think you have your answer," Xander admitted, "But, the better question would be if I'd take ever take that choice back."

"And why's that?"

The Left Hand gave a half-hearted smirk, "Because, among other things... I haven't made my choice yet."

There were glints of surprise, curiosity, and hope in Aislynn's eyes as she heard those words. Xander expected as much. The Left Hand wasn't surprised at the twitches of the other dream mage's lips as she tripped over what he assumed would've been poor starts to a pro-Demacia argument. He doubted it would've changed anything; there was no getting around Noxus' military might, and if Demacia was going to fold to the empire's demands, however minute they now were, there wasn't a point changing. But perhaps she'd find some a weak point in that argument, or tug on a loose thread he was unaware off...

Shame he'd never find out.

Just Aislynn was about to start her case, the dream mage flinched told the left. A flash of confusion covered her face as she rubbed her right shoulder. She flinched a second time and met Xander's gaze.

"I don't know-" another touch, another flinch, and all Aislynn could do was begin apologise, "Sorry, I'm..."

Xander dismissed her with an understanding nod, "Go. They'll need you."

At that remark, Aislynn disappeared into thin air. Xander wasted no time, turning his gaze to meet Nocturne's pale eyes. The Left Hand didn't hesitate.

"She'll need you more than I will. Follow her."

"Very well," Nocturne gruffly replied, "Do not act hastily. I will be with you shortly."

"No need," the Left Hand smirked, "Just play catch up later, or tag along on one of the Buvelle escorts."

"Did my reminder of your fellow Hand's example fall on deaf ears."

"No, you just mistook one brother for the other," Xander smirked, "Even Draven can be serious now and then, and unlike Darius I don't have a pole arm up my ass."

Nocturne growled as he began to follow Aislynn, "Don't act foolishly, summoner..."

The Left Hand only laughed as he awoke.

---

When she woke, Aislynn only had a single frame of clear vision before a blur took over.

"What's going o- woah-"

As the dream mage fell from her window seat, her mouth found itself caught in a hand. Glancing up the arm it was attached to, Aislynn found two pairs of golden eyes looking down to her. The first, not hostile but still sharp and cold, made Aislynn's breath hitch. The second, closer to the sun's glow rather than anything metal, calmed her down.

"Sorry for the sudden call, but laying in the open's not a good idea," Cyrus whispered, glancing to the window, "Also, sorry for this."

"For wha- hey, he- mmph!"

Rather than a hand, Cyrus covered Aislynn's lips by smooshing her face against his chest. The dream mage flailed as she felt herself be lifted up. Hearing Quinn faintly whisper something to Cyrus heightened Aislynn's panic and confusion. The former feeling was as short lived as Aislynn's vision; when she was finally released on a carpeted floor, there was barely a light to see with.

After pulling herself to a sitting position, Aislynn continued her question with as much vitriol as she could hold in a whisper, "Alright, okay, the fuckin' hell's going on?"

"Check out the side window," Cyrus leaned over to provide a good look.

Aislynn had to blink to adjust first, with how bright the window shone in the darkness. When her eyes properly dilated, it took the dream mage another second to realise what she was looking at, then another two to get the implication.

Even in the dark, Aislynn could tell her face was pale, "Mageseekers?"

"They horned our boat five minutes ago. Lewis can't deny them access," Clyde whispered, his blue eyes still discernible in the dark, "Don't know how many are there, so we can't risk a fight. So, we're hiding here. The padding in this closet was for Lewis to hide mages... we should be fine."

Aislynn gulped "Should be?"

"Lewis never escorts more than two at a time," the hydromancer admitted, "It shouldn't, shouldn't, matter. But, just in case, Quinn's outside. She holds the seekers off, Cyrus cuts a hole, we use the cut wall was a raft and get out with Sona."

At the mention of their charge, Aislynn glanced to the room's corner to find her. Sona sat silently there, barely visible between the shadows that shrouded her and the dark cloak that covered all her features save her blue eyes. Even with those obstructions, Aislynn could tell the Maven of the Strings was terrified.

"It won't come to that," Aislynn promised aloud, "This boat won't be sunk, and we'll get you to your sister. You get that?"

Sona nodded, but even still, Aislynn knew the Maven held her doubts. Considering she held her own, the dream mage couldn't blame her.

A faint creak echoed across the lower deck, and Aislynn stiffened. Only the dream mage's eyes moved for a moment, flickering to Cyrus, Sona, Clyde, and Cyrus again. The moment passed quickly, and Aislynn found the confidence to take a step to the door at the hiding closet. She stopped as the creaking stopped, and her heart followed when a voice spoke. Muffled at it was through the door and the wooden walls, panic still seeped in. The dream mage took a breath through her nose to calm herself, but it didn't work; her heart thudded quicker and quicker.

Then, all at once, the fear faded, replaced by an empty void.

Fear, I have found, makes prey easier to hunt, Nocturne's rasp echoed in Aislynn's mind, Don't give the seekers such an advanatag-

Sure, but shut the hell up! Aislynn's panic peaked sharply again before being consumed by the demon within; she responded more calmly, I don't know for certain, but you speaking might make our presence more apparent. If Clyde's concerns are well founded, us all being here is bad enough.

I heard it when he said it, Nocturne noted, then hummed, I assume you don't wish for me to eavesdropon the intruders.

Aislynn thought it over briefly, but ultimately nodded her reply. The demon remained silent after that, and Aislynn hoped it might help her to do as Nocturne hoped to. Alas, too many obstacles were in the way for clear ways to be discerned-

A creak echoed in the room. Aislynn turned to it and found Sona had cracked open the window by a slight angle. It wasn't enough to introduce a draft, but the whistling of the river wind acted as harbinger the sound of conversation. It, and some creaking beyond the door.

"... Just one?" An unknown voice questioned.

"... does her job and doesn't ask questions," Lewis replied.

The Mageseeker chuckled, "I'll bet."

The innuendo the tone of the seeker carried wasn't lost on Aislynn.

"In any case, my associates will be done down there shortly," the Mageseeker mused, "Then you can continue on your ride."

With that conversation seemingly ending, Aislynn closed the window as silently as she could. Content due to a lack of sudden reactions outside, the dream mage retreated to a corner by the hiding closet's door. She didn't need to tell the others what to do. Sona hid even deeper into her cloak, shrouding her hair completely, as well as half her face. Clyde hid opposite Aislynn and did the same as Sona, but rather than cloak himself, he held a bottle of water close. Cyrus hid by a shelf, hand on his blade.

The creaking by the door stopped, and Aislynn felt her breath hitch. She hadn't even realised the creaking had grown louder. There were Mageseekers in the room over, she had no doubt.

Beyond the door, Aislynn heard Quinn mumble in a voice lacking all her usual tone; she mentally gave the ranger props for her acting.

"C-can I help you, sir? Ma'am?"

There was a brief silence before one of the Mageseekers in the lower deck - the woman - replied, "Could you move to the side?"

"Erm, sure..." A creak sounded before Quinn continued, "A-anything else?"

"... Nope. You and that shelf are clear," came the reply, "... wait. What's your name?"

"Caela," Quinn replied quickly; and again, Aislynn's respect for her rose.

The seeker hummed, "... I see. Thank you Caela, that should be all."

A sigh of relief was in Aislynn's throat, but thankfully she contained it in time.

"Wait," the second seeker spoke with a cruel voice Aislynn imagined would've been more familiar coming from one of Xander's Noxian friends, "What's in this room?"

Authentic or not, Aislynn could hear a deep worry in Quinn's voice, "Th-that's my cabin. Captain Lewis has the upper deck office, and I stay in the closet..."

"What's in there?" The second seeker asked.

"Just cloaks I use for sleeping..."

"... You won't mind if I look?"

Quinn's hesitation, unsurprisingly, didn't last long; it was the right play, even if Aislynn wished otherwise, "N-no, sir."

Cyrus' eyes widened, and even in the dark, Aislynn could see his grip tighten. A flicker of orange twinkled in his eyes, as did a glint of blue in Clyde's. Sona did the opposite, closing her exposed eye to hide its vibrant hue. It would've been near impossible to make her out, if not for her shivering form. But, the Maven's reaction wasn't what Aislynn was worried about. The dream mage raised an outstretched hand to her peers.

Damned fools, if they flare up we'll be fou-

The door opened with a wooden creak, and in poked in a face masked by silver stone. An itch covered Aislynn's skin as the trickle of her magic already began to crawl to the Mageseeker's petricite accessories. The seeker's grey eyes surveyed the room, and Aislynn imagined that if not for the demon in her sapping her emotions, she'd have made some reaction already.

But not one to let her relax, said demon also acted. What else would the black smoke emanating from Aislynn's hand be?

Are you fucking-

"You sleep in here?" The first mageseeker chuckled, clearly peering in, "Sheets seem cozy enough, but... you should talk with that old fart upstairs. If you're his only helper you ought to have more space to yourself."

"I-I do, the whole lower deck," Quinn replied, "He stays upstairs at night, usually..."

"Sure he does," The second mageseeker spoke with contempt and suspicion; the sentiment carried on even as he sighed, unable to find a clue. "... Whatever. Isabel, let's go. We have our report."

The sounds of shuffling followed, barely audible through Quinn's sigh of relief. With that threat averted, Aislynn turned her attention inward to Nocturne.

The fuck was that? Do you know how risky that was?

If not for my actions you would be on a tiny wooden plank riding the river current, Nocturne snarled his reply with shocked defensiveness, Foolish mage. You know nothing, do you? Then again, only my magic holds a black hue here. And I doubt any illusion you could make would suffice...

And what about Sona? She's not s-

Her eyes were closed.

Aislynn paused in thought, then sighed with relief herself, I... I see. Good job. Thank you.

Hmph. At least you can recognise that much, Nocturne grumbled, When this mission is past, you will take Xander up on his offer, or I will force training upon you myself.

Nocturne didn't take Aislynn's fear, so her mental reply was shaky, R-right... I probably need it...

In any case... Nocturne grumbled, Hmph. I should not actually have done that. A chase would have secured a turn, if we survived.

She's plenty terrified as is, Aislynn noticed, Which, I suppose as far you're concerned, just means more food, right?

If Nocturne had a reply for that, it didn't come in time. Quinn backed into the room, still tense given her posture and the tight grip with which she held onto her crossbow. The ranger bore a smile, however, shaking her head with a low chuckle as she turned.

"Thought we were done for there," the ranger admitted, "How'd then not see you? Was it a magic trick?"

"Well, yeah... I used an illusion; that's my magic," it took all of Aislynn's willpower to not visibly react to Cyrus' widened eyes and Nocturne's mental gasp of indignation, "I put a spell on him to make him just see Sona as a pile of carpets. Everyone else was replaced by empty space."

"But how did you get past his petricite mask?"

"I got lucky; his mask was rather saturated with magic, probably from other hunted mages," Aislynn lied, "And, I'm quite the powerful illusionist. I just needed some extra juice, and that mask became useless."

"I heard about that property," Quinn spoke with cautious awe, "Again, good to see I'm getting the reasonable ones..."

"Right, for all that's worth," Cyrus grumbled, "Anyway, you should get up there. Clyde can't act with the seekers still nearby, and someone's gonna need to help Lewis raise the sails."

Quinn frowned at the tone Cyrus took with her, but nodded without remarks and stepped ahead.

And that's when the torch fell.

Or rather, it was thrown, the speed at which it hurtled to its destination was indicator enough. Said destination was also a clue, not to mention the way it got there; flame first into a dry corner with a woollen cloth attached, it ensured that an inferno would begin quickly. The licks of orange quickly climbed up the cloth, and the rate at which they crawled across the floor wasn't bad either.

The brief moment of shock that kept the mage party still was enough for a small blaze to begin. Had the plan not gone as it did, Aislynn realised, this would've been where she died again; either drowning in the middle of a river, or burned to death in a ship. But, thankfully, someone had decided to tag along.

"Cyrus!"

The fire mage didn't waste any time. Eyes glowing like the sun, he charged into the inferno and channeled the blaze into his palm. The fire in his hand burned a bright white, but Cyrus didn't care. He sprinted up the stairs - his peers following - leaped, and threw the miniature sun at the Mageseeker's vessel. The bomb spread in air, untethered by its master, and the fire the Mageseekers unleashed on them was sent back their way.

But of course, they had a solution. Again, the fire was sucked in by a supernatural force. This time, however, it wasn't a fire mage. Instead, the tongues of red and orange, tainted by Cyrus' magic, fell prey to that most ravenous devourer of the arcane. Aislynn couldn't see if it was the mageseeker who'd poked his head into the hiding closet or not, but one of them held an ornate rod of gold, rune steel, and grey petricite. It sucked the magic conflagration into an orb at its head, which, when finished, glowed a white hot.

Cyrus huffed, catching Aislynn's attention and immediately making her regret that choice; seeing their only counter already spent didn't fill her with confidence.

Only, Cyrus wasn't their only counter. The mageseekers released the power they contained, but before it could strike the Centaur, a wave consumed the fire. With a loud hiss and enough steam to cook a meal, the attack was rebuffed. Clyde didn't let up either; even with steam in the way Aislynn could see the seekers hit the deck as another wave hit their ship. The petricite vessel was sent floating away, but it didn't tip over. Still, the space created between them and the seekers was a welcome relief.

"Lewis!" Clyde paused as no reply came, then he growled, "Shit, they must've... Cyrus, can you work the sails?"

"Can do," the fire mage said, "Just give me a minute. Ain't magic, but I'm still tired from that."

So its only his mana flow overtaxed, Nocturne noted. Aislynn brushed it off and stood at attention.

"Quinn, you're a soldier. You help him," Clyde ordered, thankfully not needing to argue the point with the ranger, "Aislynn, take the wheel and pull left. I'm boosting us out of here!"

Aislynn blinked, then got to it, "Right!"

It was a simple task asked of her, but even then, Aislynn had her doubts; she had never been a helmsman, after all. Furthermore, from her station at the back of the ship, her vision of the local environment wasn't as total as she'd have liked. The comparison of driving a car back on Earth rose to Aislynn's mind, which alarmed the dream mage mentally. Learning car blind spots was a tricky facet of the old process, and from her perch Aislynn was only aware of how much she couldn't see.

Still, with Clyde's help, the Centaur pulled itself along the river currents. After resetting the Centaur's wheel, Aislynn glanced back to the Mageseeker ship. It shrank into the distance for only a short while; Cyrus and Clyde's counter attacks had bought some time, but now the seekers were back on the hunt.

"Okay, we're still ahead," AIslynn spoke mostly to herself, trying to keep calm, "They won't be able to keep up, right?"

"Your hydromancer friend should keep us ahead," Quinn replied, "But its not enough... they'd still be able to see Kahina pick us up, and that'd compromise us. We have to lose them here!"

"That won't help; we're too late," Clyde noted, "Look!"

Glancing to the Mageseeker ship, Aislynn noted four points of concern. The first was an obvious point that had been lost in the initial craze of the chase; the Mageseeker ship's size. It was perhaps twice the size of the Centaur, barely allowing movement in the river arena they were in. The second point was the oddly armoured prow of the ship; perhaps a facilitator for ship-to-ship action? Aislynn moved past it; it surely wouldn't matter until they got close. The third thing threatened to make that a reality, though; unlike their barebones, confused crew, the people on the Mageseeker patrol boat moved efficiently to planned stations, pulling sails and steering to match the Centaur perfectly.

The fourth, which Clyde was referring to, Aislynn realised, was the most concerning. Deep blue smoke rose in the air from a chimney at the Mageseeker ship's helm. Its purpose was all too easy to discern.

"A flare..." Aislynn cursed, "They're calling for reinforcements."

"Then we just have to get to the planned meeting point. Our reinforcements are on the way already," though not quite out of breath, Cyrus' reply was strained, "Damn it all, the illusion should've hid us from them. How'd they know to burn the ship-"

A chord echoed lightly through the wind, drawing Aislynn's attention. The dream mage could only curse internally as blue eyes looked up at her apologetically. Glancing down from her perch, Aislynn found the answer to Cyrus' question humming with arcane power at the command of its master.

It wouldn't be enough to make up for the shitshow they were in, but at the very least Sona's etwahl was helping Cyrus recover.

Quinn confirmed Aislynn's suspicions with a whimper, "I forgot to hide it..."

"Doesn't matter!" Cyrus' yell jolted Aislynn even from the helm; with Quinn standing next to him, there wasn't a doubt Cyrus caught the ranger's attention, "Help me unfurl these sails!"

Quinn complied, and the main sail of the Centaur fully unfurled with a clap of wind. The moment of triumph lasted all of a few seconds, however, as a massive runesteel bolt shot through the helm's wooden fence and cut a whole in the lower right corner of the sail. As the river breeze pulled the hole open wider, Aislynn looked with horror at the Mageseeker ship.

"What the hell is that?"

The weapon at the front of the Mageseeker's vessel was... absurd, to say the least. The prow of the Mageseeker's vessel had clearly been rebuilt to accommodate the weapon. It wasn't massive, but it definitely wasn't standard issue; it seemed to Aislynn that it would be more at home at a castle emplacement instead of on a boat. Perhaps an anti-siege weapon, for taking out forward emplacements... not that she knew anything.

"A scorpion. A seaborn scorpion. Is that seriously where the budget Jarvan gave them went to?" Quinn growled, "This kingdom's not a naval power, so what the hell's that equipment doing on a boat?"

The rivers provide a natural road system for the kingdom, Nocturne mentally noted, Trade flows through, as do travellers... and rebels.

Aislynn scowled, incredulous, The king's given the Mageseekers the medieval equivalent of heavy artillery to hunt us down?

Jarvan believes Sylas is to blame for his father's death, Nocturne reminded, If not for the urging of his whole court to take the throne, Jarvan IV would be on the hunt for Sylas himself. Unable to do that...

He threw the treasury at the Mageseekers to make the problem go away, Aislynn deduced. Figured.

The snap of the scorpion's mechanisms echoed across the river, snapping Aislynn out of her thoughts. Her eyes looked up, expecting another tear. It didn't come; instead, the dream mage nearly tripped as the floor beneath her shook. A worse target had entered the seeker's crossshairs, it seemed.

"Where did that hit?" Aislynn asked loudly.

Clyde heard and answered, "Just blew through the helm deck! They're missing our under section, so we're not sinking yet."

"Well, we will be soon; we're sitting ducks out here!" Cyrus growled, both from effort and irritation, "... and to make things worse... Aislynn, pull left! We need more distance from the Mageseekers!"

The dream mage did so, but as the Centaur's orientation shifted, Aislynn noticed another change. From the helm, Aislynn saw Quinn curse under her breath. The ranger glanced to her right, over the Centaur's main deck and pass its sail, all the way to the trees that covered what might've been a landing sight. She glanced quickly then to the left, where grassy fields lay beyond a long field of blue. The ranger then repeated her first action, muttered something to herself that Aislynn couldn't here, then-

Flinched, actually; another arrow burst through the helm and landed just by Quinn's side.

"Holy sh..." The ranger gave a hesitant glance to Aislynn, growled, then ordered, " Aislynn, take over my spot! I'll deal with the scorpion."

"What?" The dream mage let go of the wheel but didn't make another move, "How're you going to do that?"

Quinn didn't waste time addressing Aislynn. Nor did she even check if the dream mage followed her order; the ranger ran past Aislynn; and put two fingers to her mouth. The piercing whistle acted as Quinn's answer. Even with the warning, though, Aislynn felt her heart skip a beat when Quinn jumped off the Centaur's helm.

And she was still surprised when Quinn flew back into sight, the body of a massive blue eagle shrouding her shoulders.

Clever, Nocturne mused, The bird must have seen the steam and assumed the worst. It then likely used the mist to approach stealthily.

Good to know you're paying attention, Aislynn scowled, taking Quinn's position, Say, did you see her cursing there?

A common reaction to brushing with death, from my observations.

She was glancing to the riversides before she went over. She was thinking something specific...

You need me to look in her mind, Nocturne determined, then replied, That will not be possible out in the open.

As much as she wished for the opposite, Aislynn had to agree.

Still, the dream mage couldn't accept just keeping the sail wide and hoping for the best. She matched her gaze as well as she could to where she saw Quinn look. Aislynn started to the right and found only trees and roots peering into the water. The left wasn't much better; the other side did have more grass on it, but not enough to be a safer landing... not to mention the Buvelles already had a plan...

Wait... a plan, Aislynn glanced again to the right, But...

Nocturne caught on and, after a pause, answered, She must recognise these trees, these roots. If she was looking to the right... we must be approaching their planned meeting point.

I doubt there's a way from the left side to the right, so going there'd be a waste of time at best... what do we do, then?

We turn, Nocturne decided after another pause, If we must abandon ship, a trek through the forest will take us to the meeting point. But, if we can best the Mageseekers here...

How would we beat the Mageseekers?

Those roots. The trees are growing lower as well; the soil must not be strong here, the demon observed, That could damage the Mageseeker's vessel if we push directly into them.

And if we don't push into them?

More seekers are on the way; more space between us and the beach will only be an issue.

Aislynn gritted her teeth, glancing to the rope Quinn put in her hands, and the helm, where the wheel remained.

But it did not need to remain that way. Standing just a short way from it was the Maven of the Strings. She'd followed Quinn up till the ranger's jump, and was no doubt watching the fighting on the other boat.

She, or rather, Quinn, got us caused this by making my illusion moot, Nocturne remarked, She can help our escape... and help her friend.

Aislynn concurred, and relayed an order, "Sona! Steer the wheel right!"

Cyrus sent a disbelieving stare Aislynn's way, "What? That'll put us back in their scorpion's sightlines!"

"If we don't time it right. If we do, we can push the Mageseekers into the riverside, and those roots look sharp!"

"That's crazy," Cyrus shook his head, "I don't think even I could make that turn."

"Well, we're not just reliant on turning," Aislynn called out to their resident hydromancer, "Stop boosting the river currents, Clyde! Get over here and get prepared to cause a quick turn!"

Clyde's head poked out from the helm, exasperated but nodding. He passed by Sona, gave the Maven an encouraging pat on the shoulder, and moved on. Sona herself still seemed shaky, but meeting Aislynn's gaze, she steeled herself and held tightly to the Centaur's wheel.

Cyrus grumbled, but readied himself to prepare the sails.

Nocturne, I know you're not supposed to show yourself... but I'm not sure I have the right view to call this...

The demon in Aislynn's head grumbled in thought, then chuckled, I made an illusion already. An eye is not beyond my possibilities... and it's not as though I haven't had my share of sailors.

... what?

You do not possess have the expertise of a sailor, Nocturne chuckled, How, then, did you know how to turn by the amount needed at that given time?

Aislynn balked, unbelieving,You possessed me?

Adjusted your movements.

Nocturne, you son of a-

The demon brushed off Aislynn's cursing, Tell them to turn at my count.

Three...

Two...

Aislynn took the prompt and ordered, "Sona, turn the wheel, now!"

Sona, thankfully, flinched at her voice; she didn't turn immediately, and reacted with Aislynn's 'now' command. The Centaur lurched, and Aislynn found herself holding the rope tightly for balance. Clyde's sea legs were clearly more stable, and he only tripped after making his pull. Licks of water pushed against the left rim of the Centaur, splashing those on the upper deck completely. Clyde recovered quickly, however; he ran back to the right staircase to the helm, pulling a counter wave on the right for stabilisation, and prepared for a boost.

As she rose back to a stand, Aislynn noted with a grumble that Nocturne was fine as well.

Hold onto something; the turn should be a success, the demon noted, Hmph... And not a moment too soon. Look to the left; what do you see?

...That's it? Aislynn stood up straighter as she glanced where Nocturne told her, then cursed internally, But... nobody's there!

They will be here shortly, Nocturne assured, The Mageseeker's flare will only quicken their pace. You need only survive until then. And to that end, hit the deck.

What? Why?

... It was not a perfect turn; our strike will only glance. But, this crash will still knock your weak legs to the floor, Nocturne's chuckle echoed in Aislynn's mind as the dream mage flinched and paled, Crash in three... two...

---

"Are they insane?!"

"No... but I doubt they'd have done this on their own... Nocturne must be with them. They'll have better odds in close quarters than at range."

"But they're not Noxians. Aislynn can't fight, Clyde and Cyrus won't be able to use their magic that clo-"

"Cyrus can fight without magic, if it comes to it. Further, the seekers won't be on their feet immediately, and Clyde's a water mage in a river. There will be openings," Erret couldn't help but grin at Sylas' panic; the contrast with his usual confidence was amusing despite the situation, "Also, with the positioning in relation with those tree roots, the Mageseekers' ship should be worse off than there's. Aislynn's party probably won't need to engage. So relax; we're not needed yet."

Erret was quick to wipe away his grin before Sylas noticed. The Noxian saboteur closed his eyes and took a deep breath before meeting the predictable sight of Sylas' glare. Erret regarded the stare with a cold apathy; it was hardly worth his concern, with the job ahead.

Still, Sylas threatened, "If they get caught, Xander be damned; that'll be on y-"

The sound of wood groaning and splintering cut off Sylas' threat and drew the attention of the mage party and its plus-one.

"You can try if that somehow killed them," Erret shrugged, hands vaguely closing in on his blades, "But, I trust your mages are more durable than that."

"They should be fine but... that was a mean collision, however glancing," Larissa noted, "Our ship's... its still floating, but I think they're stuck. Must be trying to reverse... I think; I can't tell from here."

"They're trying, but something's happening on the deck" Happ glanced through a telescope - one of the few the rebellion had stolen from the loyalists - and reported, "There's ... wait, what the hell? That's Quinn of Uwendale."

"That ranger with the big bird?" Sylas raised an eyebrow as he used his own telescope - because of course the leader would have one, "... so it is. That is a big bird..."

"And there goes that... wait, no, the bird's bringing that guy back to their ship," Happ observed, "Who is he?"

"Probably the ship's captain; both Clyde and Cyrus said they were never helmsmen on the ships they served on, and I doubt Aislynn picked up the skill," Sylas froze in realisation and glanced to Erret, "Actually, can Xander's demon teach skills from his consumed to people?"

Erret shrugged; he didn't know for certain, but it would explain Xander's skill, "Who can say? Even from me the bastard keeps secrets."

"Hmm. Why am I not surprised," Sylas glanced back through his telescope to the scene ahead, "Hm... Quinn's actually fighting them. Doesn't seem to be hesitating too..."

"She's on our side," Erret assured, recalling Xander's dossier on the ranger, "Or rather, she's on Sona's side. Xander speaks highly of her character, not that they've really met. But, if she's an ally, and she seems to be, then they'll be fine.

"I'm afraid I don't share that trust," Sylas muttered, "We could intercept now..."

"If you don't trust Xander, trust the fact that the situation will grow more tense if you show up," Erret countered, gazing up to meet Sylas' questioning stare, "She seems, at the very least, to be cordial with Aislynn's group. Probably think's they're the 'good mages'. No need to give her reason to doubt that."

Begrudgingly, Sylas gave a grim nod, "... fine then. But what now, then? Do we just wait for the situation to worsen?"

"In essence, yes," Erret shrugged, "But, waiting around wouldn't be productive. You want to do some set-up?"

"Better that than sitting around," Sylas gazed out to the clearing, then asked, "Any suggestions, Noxian?

The Noxian paused in thought and glanced to the opposite side of the river. From their position, they had a clear view of the planned meeting side; a short clearing rimmed with sands rather than stones or sharp roots. With no outcrops or cover of any kind on the clearing save the trees that bordered it, stealthily setting themselves up wouldn't do... That left the previously mentioned borders - the trees and river - to work with.

"Suggestions..." Erret glanced to Sylas to account for the revolutionary's acceptance, then continued, "We should split up our forces; cast a wide net to make sure nothing gets in."

Sylas crossed his arms, "And how do you propose we do that?"

Erret glanced to the fleet of rowboats the mages had gathered, "Half of us need to move on to the left of the clearing. Of them, two mages need to be on that side of the river throughout the whole mission. They need to be our best hydromancers; if any Mageseeker reinforcements sail in, they need to be scuttled or at least compromised... whether then and there or dramatically late, any Mageseeker ships that enter never leave the riverbed. Objections?"

The revolutionary didn't come to the conclusion Erret wanted quickly, but after a pause he let out a single grunt, "None."

"If you're certain we're best suited there, Noxian, then we'll do it," one of the mages, presumably a hydromancer from his vaguely blue eyes, nodded in affirmation, "We'll get it done."

"Tristain and Tony aside, what about the rest of that half?" Larissa chirped up, "Do we stick to the trees?"

"Most of you, certainly. But, one of you needs to gather the rest of the men," Erret frowned, "The Mageseekers' smoke signal should have alerted everyone around to our position, so hopefully our ground scouts are already on the way. But, it shouldn't hurt to send one person to make sure they're in order."

"And you need it from the north because the Buvelles will likely be coming from Falconclaw to the south," Happ assumed, "Not to mention..."

"I'll leave punishment to Sylas if the runner flees all the way back to the hideout," Erret rolled his eyes, then turned to the Demacian rebel with a curious gaze, "But, as for the southern trees... Happ, What was your ability, again?"

"I can control shadows," the mage answered tentatively, "Or smoke? I don't really know; I think it's similar to your demon frien-"

"I wouldn't know the specifics, but you can ask him for help after this is over," Erret glanced to Sylas, "As for now, you should take some."

Sylas didn't take his disapproving gaze off of Erret as he vaguely reached to Happ,"You want me to hide in the dark?"

"Hiding is one thing. Sneaking into that ship to deal with any stragglers is another," Erret lightly smirked, "Your men can set themselves up in bushes or on branches; I figured we could deal with bigger fish."

Sylas paused, then replied with a wry grin, "You just barely won me over with that."

"Of course I did... you should be careful, Sylas: my boss is getting a read on you," Erret rolled his eyes, "Alright then. Now, before I go off, let me remind you all: our arrival timing is key. We stay out of sight of the Buvelles, their allies and their enemies... until the right moment."

"Which should be?" One of the other mages asked.

"The last possible moment. Whether it's to save Aislynn and Sona from the Mageseekers or to break a stalemate between them and the Buvelles' reinforcements remains to be seen. But either way, it will be obvious." Erret recalled Xander's plan and steeled himself, "Now. We do this right, we make fools of the nobles and gain a powerful ally. Let's go."

It was hardly anything charming or charismatic, but it got the job done. The rowboat fleet dispersed across the river, hidden only by the morning mist and the steam of the river's previous engagements. Erret tilted his rows, skewing his and Sylas' lead boat to the aft of the Mageseeker's vessel. The other mages followed and began to split off, but not before sharing salutes, good-luck wishes, and hugs. Admittedly Erret paused to put on a Freljordian mask he'd taken from the raiders, not to mention adjust his sword grip. But, that was mission prep. This sentimentality? For a regular mission?

Well, they're hardly Trifarian. Not even Dauntless Vanguard… or enlistees of any kind, for that matter. Suppose I can't be too hard…

Erret interupted the display with the crack of wood. Worn and wet, the hull of the Mageseeker's vessel broke easily to repeated strikes from Erret's blades. Warmed up from performing a dual-sword kata on a weak section of plank, the saboteur twirled his blades and beckoned Sylas forward. In truth, letting Sylas follow was only a gesture of kindness; Erret was certain he wouldn't need the Unshackled's help. Given he and his comrades' flinched at the wooden shards that covered their feet, the Noxian couldn't help but feel confident in that assumption.

Thought, to be fair, they were petricite wood shards.

Still confident, Erret pressed through the hole, blades ready. He'd already scanned a hallway and cleared it of a single interloper when he heard Sylas follow. If the Unshackled had a complaint about him going early, he didn't voice it. Instead, he covered for the vulnerability resulted from Erret's advance; just as quickly as the sabotuer had detected a third pair of footprints along his and Sylas, the snap of steel chains and a choked cry followed.

"Thanks," Erret didn't face Sylas as he whispered, instead motioning to his feet, "Switch to my position then cover me. I'm advancing."

"Got it," Sylas said.

Saying was different to doing, however; when Erret reached the stairs to what he assumed was the middle deck, he glanced back to find Sylas still standing where he was. From that far back, Erret knew if someone had charged in Sylas wouldn't have been any help. The realisation peeved the Noxian in a moment of weakness where he forgot that Sylas, despite being his all but equal, wasn't Xander. The moment and its emotions passed quickly, its only trace being the slight scowl Erret let out as he motioned for Sylas to follow.

Well, that's one thing to note for whoever's going to teach these people basic training. And it better not be me, damn it!

As Erret stepped up, he noted two things, which were really three. The first was a creak to the planks below him, to which he adjusted by slowing his ascent. Were he a religious man, Erret might've sent a prayer hoping the creak wasn't caught. He wasn't, though, so he only tensed to ensure any eavesdroppers would meet his blade swiftly... none came.

The technical second branched off the first in a flash of ironic realisation, and Erret was quick to shoo off Sylas from following too closely.

The third were two voices, echoing from the deck's corridor.

"We're being fucking useless down here!," a female voice cursed, "I'm going to go, and i-"

"Control yourself, Adept Scherer!" an older voice rebuked, "If you get out there, you die! This... this is the best we can do."

Sylas slowly approached as Erret rose the stairs. He smirked at the voices, and Erret couldn't help but agree. Still, he blocked the way with his sword and gave instruction.

"We close in," Erret mouthed, "Use the shadows."

A cloud of darkness followed, shrouding the two intruders. Through the literal dark magic, the voices of the Mageseekers echoed."

"How can that be?" the first, Scherer, held a despondent tone, "We can do more. We have petricite, and they-"

"Have a traitor," the older Mageseeker finished, "I saw a glimpse out the window of a shadow... and based on who's on that ship... there can be no mistake. The magic artefact we found belonged to Sona Buvelle, and her false-knight mercenary Quinn of Uwendale was fighting above."

"Quinn of..." Scherer was incredulous, "But she's... how even did-"

"She was on the ship, disguised as that maid, Caela... After her late brother... I should've known; purple hair is a rare phenotype, often linked to the devilry of the arcane," the older Mageseeker growled, "And that bird... azurites are extinct; that much is known. The ranger's beast must be some conjured trick."

"Then what are we doing down here?" Scherer questioned, "The others-"

"Are unconscious, if they are lucky," the first mage sighed, "We cannot fight them... but we can wait for help. Even if Quinn turns the flare off, the signal has already been sent. Someone will have seen, and we can report what we saw. They will not escap-."

"Oh, heh, they will; we're going to make sure."

That was all the warning Sylas gave to both his ally and victim before he charged. The revolutionary's chains wrapped themselves around a support pillar, giving their owner leverage to pull himself ahead. Impressively, the two Mageseekers dodged, but only one of them was a real threat. The younger mage unsheathed a blade, with which she nicked at Sylas' exposed back. The cut was shallow and largely ineffectual; Sylas ignored it and focused on the elder, hosting the old man up by his neck and dragging him against a wall.

Perhaps the young Mageseeker Adept could've been dealt a more fatal blow, but that was where Erret came in. With a roll of his eyes and a musing hum, the saboteur charged, slashing in an X-pattern. Erret's lax windup was rewarded; again, the adept dodged the oncoming surprise attack. Unfortunately, the pivot made her fall on her back, so Erret added a twirl of his blades before slashing adept rolled to dodge the side then backed away... then reached into a purse.

Erret sighed, "... couldn't just rely on your sword?"

If Scherer's skill matched her glare, she might've been a challenge, "You don't deserve that honor. Try this, mage!"

Erret met the oncoming thrown Graymark with a deadpan stare. He didn't even bother react, letting the stone bounce uselessly against his chest. Uncharged as it was, it landed on the floor with a dull thud. Adept Scherer's horrified reaction to the sight only slightly amused Erret, so he moved on quickly.

"Mage? I'm not one of those," Erret then drew his blades, "So don't bother. Impress me."

A loud hiss heralded a shroud of gray before either of the swordsmen could act. Sylas' growl of pain and anger echoed across the corridor, raising Erret's eyebrow. He didn't take his vision off of his foe, however; she took herself out. Scherer retreated into the shadows, prompting Erret to follow. Impatiently, the saboteur launched another X-slash...

And found cheap wood.

The creaking of worn planks grew to an overbearing groan, and Erret immediately acted. He backed out of the way as the grey mist cleared. Shrouded light illuminated the corridor, allowing Erret to gain his bearings. The saboteur noted that he'd cut the support pillar Sylas had used to boost himself, weakening the support and causing the upper deck to fall. That wasn't what caused him to smirk, however; that honor belonged to the three other fools who'd fallen from the deck. They thankfully recovered, and were quick to realise the situation.

"Shit, Torrin, the hell was-" one of the mages looked over Erret's shoulder with a pale balk, "... Sylas?"

Torrin, presumably, unsheathed his own sword, "Get him!"

Erret twirled his swords as he stepped in the way, first glancing to Sylas then to his enemies. The revolutionary wasn't particularly harmed, still holding his foe in a brutal choke despite the steam emanating from his skin. That left the enemies ahead...

Four total: Scherer's quick with a rapier, this Torrin fellow has a longsword, and the other two... Erret chuckled sadly at the sight, So a skilled rapier wielder, a longsword wielder, and two crossbow wielders. What a pain.

Well, can't let them dictate.

Erret dashed ahead. Caught off guard, Scherer could only raise her twig of a sword in meagre defence. Erret swatted her aside with a conjoined attack from both his blades, then sidestepped the two crossbow bolts headed his way with barely enough time to spare. Instinct took over as he dashed knee first to Torrin. The mageseeker didn't attempt to stab the airborne target Erret presented, instead sidestepping Erret's attack. It disappointed the Noxian to know that his foe was, as far as he was concerned, spineless.

As soon as he landed, Erret rolled with his lead shoulder, recovered to a knee, and flung his left sword. It impaled the first crossbow wielder through the throat, causing some relief to the saboteur. Erret didn't have much tome to admire the act, turning on a dime to parry a downwards counter from Torrin. Backed by rage at his fallen ally, Torrin pushed Erret back. But, naturally, he overstepped. Torrin was an easy foe to flip over, Erret noted with a frown. A quick destabilising trip followed by a slash from the hip created an angry scar across Torrin's chest, and a downwards stab later, the job was finished.

Or, it would've been if Erret didn't predict the second crossbow wielder to be finished reloading. Erret's intuition made him instead grab Torrin by the throat and lift him up as high as he could. It was enough to block what would've been a shot to his heart with Torrin's head. After dropping the longsword wielder, Erret stood up and-

Turn, swat attack, catch next stab with blade and crossguard, push up and slash - well done on the dodge, Erret caught his breath and matched his gaze with the rapier wielding Mageseeker before him, Let's see... Stab and pivot to dodge counter, catch her with the knee, punch throat to stun with choking, roundhouse side kick to misbalance, and...

What a shame. If you were born in Noxus, you'd have gone pretty far, that much Erret could tell from the flare Scherer looked up at him with; that she maintained it even with a blade firmly caught in her heart was impressive... From one warrior to another, you did well.

"Color me impressed."

Erret glanced to Sylas, finding the revolutionary standing not over the first, old mage, but with his boot over the last crossbow wielder. He let the revolutionary continue.

"Can't say for certain, but she seemed quite adept in the Laurent style... and you dismantled her easily," Sylas noted, "Not to mention the other goons. You did miss one, though."

Erret met Sylas' gaze before responding, "You missed one too."

That was all the warning Erret gave before flicking his sword from Scherer's chest and throwing it up to the first floor. All it took was a split-second's look for the Noxian to find his target and take aim, and a three seconds later, an impaled body fell from top deck to middle.

"I was also waiting for the sound of the crossbow firing to react," Erret noted, "Guess that should've been my first clue you'd interfered. Thanks for that."

"I'd be a poor ally if I let you die," Sylas crossed his arms with an expecting smirk.

Erret understood and rolled his eyes, "If a smoke bomb could kill you, then this operation would've never been approved. It was petricite?"

"Enough to debilitate most mages, in truth. But as you say, a smoke bomb can't kill me," "Now, keep up."

The Unshackled took that queue to fling his chains up. They wrapped themselves around the broken mast of the ship and pulled their master up, far quicker than most would expect. Erret followed as swiftly as he could, only pausing to retrieve his weapons and ensure the captain the seekers were escorting wasn't buried under rubble. Once satisfied, the Noxian turned to the ship's petricite wood walls and imbedded his blades in them, using them as levers to climb. After flipping up to the top deck gracefully, the Noxian shuffled down to a knee next to Sylas.

Before addressing the revolutionary, Erret noted the mechanism they sat by. Made of petricite wood and treated animal fibres, it was quite a marvel of engineering. Erret assumed they weren't up to Noxian standards, but it wasn't as though he were an expert. The empire's phasing out of them for newly manufactured guns didn't help...

But, if Quinn's aim was to deny the Mageseekers its use, she'd clearly failed; the strings of the massive crossbow remained tight and ready to fire.

"Must've been interrupted by us," the saboteur noted, "Well, could prove to be useful..."

"Yeah, but it seems we'll be holding to the trigger for a while," Sylas noted, looking away from his retrieved telescope.

Erret didn't need the device to guess why. The clearing, open and without cover, was completely empty. There was neither trace of friend or foe on the field itself. The ship Aislynn and the others sailed on limped along the coast and turned, ready to beach themselves for the final transfer, but otherwise, there was nothing to account for.

And thus, nothing to do.

"Guess we're done for a bit," Erret glanced back to the ship, "At least, in terms of this mission. You think we can spare men for looting this ship? I imagine you lot won't be getting as big a haul as this for a while."

"Sounds like a plan," Sylas stepped over to the left side of the ship, then froze.

"What is it?"

"There should be more bodies here," the revolutionary muttered.

"... in the sense that you're blood thirsty or...?" Even with the jest, Erret clutched his blades tighter.

"This deck was crawling with Mageseekers even during the crash," Sylas noted, stepping over one of the few bodies on the deck, "... they aren't hiding in the lower decks, are they?"

"We covered all the corridors; we'd have seen them. And if not, I suspect you have some stolen magic to scuttle this thing?"

Sylas snorted at the suggestion, then froze again, "Shit. The forest! They must've escaped-"

Erret was already acting, picking up a petricite mask and flipping off the Mageseeker vessel. With the magic-sapping accessory in his hand, it didn't take long to track down one of the hidden mages. Thankfully, it wasn't actually just one... and it wasn't just mages.

Two mages ganged up on a single broad-shouldered Mageseeker, one of which was vaguely familiar. Happ backed away cautiously from his foe, darting in and out from his shadows with a knife. Even in tandem with his ally - some fire mage - they couldn't touch the Mageseeker, who was armed with some sort of runic shield. Only his weapon kept him standing, so when Erret arrived on the scene, he didn't last long. A single calculated strike was all it took.

"Good job catching him," Erret didn't come to a stop, instead bouncing on the balls of his feet and glancing around, "Now, were there any others?"

"Others? We saw on-" A cry of pain echoed in the distance, cutting off Happ's reply and forcing a correction, "That should be all of them."

"No, it shouldn't," Sylas caught up and growled, unable to find any trace of a clue, "Can't say for certain, but there had to be more on the ship. Two runaways shouldn't be all of them: find them all!"

"Got it, sir," Happ turned to his fire-mage buddy before sprinting off, "Suvin, with me. Let's find these runaways!"

Suvin nodded, before turning to Sylas, "Take my spot, would you? We probably won't be back for a while."

"I'll... right, we'll stick here," Sylas nodded, "Find them, and eliminate them if you can. But, if they get to their allies first don't fight. We'll need you for the big one here."

"You got it sir!"

As the other mages ran off, Sylas grimaced, "Hmph... it's spreading."

"That should hardly be your main concern," Erret noted.

"Fine, I'll be all business like you are," the revolutionary looked to Erret with questioning stare, "Can you track them?"

"In these light conditions? Maybe," Erret admitted, "Are you certain, though, that you want me fucking off somewhere rather than by your side?"

"When you put it that way... I'm not sure which one you'd prefer."

"I'll be more useful here; whether its the Buvelles or the seekers against us, they won't be expecting a swordsman with Legionnaire experience."

"Then..." Sylas smirked, "Follow me."

Erret waited a split second before putting his on, "Sure thing. I won't disappoint."

Whether Sylas knew he'd fallen for reverse-reverse-psychology or not was beyond Erret; the revolutionary's frown returned in a way that didn't seem aimed at him.

"You best not... if they fail, and a small army shows up here, we may not make it out alive. And if I'm dying, I'll be damned if you Noxians don't either," Sylas jested, but Erret figured he wasn't lying.

"If I die before you do, then you've done enough damage shaming me," Erret muttered, "Let's get back to the ship. If the Mageseekers were as prepared as I think they'd be, we may have more ammo to throw against whatever comes our way."

"Mmm... perhaps," Sylas nodded, "Now, let's move- down!"

Erret complied without verbal question and dropped, quick as a ton of bricks and far less noisy. The shadow of the canopy and the black soil kept the Noxian in the dark, but the tickle of thin branches and leaves assured him that he was covered. All there he could do was wait...

The sound of heavy plates, neighing, and a rickety vehicle answered the question in his head.

He rose slowly, even as the sound of the convoy remained audible. Peering through the dark, Erret watched the newcomers pierce the forest and enter the clearing. When he could barely hear their echoes, the Noxian whispered to his ally.

"Sylas, you know what double time is?"

"I'm not an idiot," he grunted in reply.

"Just checking. If you can triple time it without making a ruckus, then keep up," Erret gave the order now, this time with no room for argument, "The guests of honour have arrived."

---

Even despite the fact that mission remained incomplete (and oh so dangerous to a term of failure), Aislynn couldn't help but feel content. Such was the heartwarming extent of the sight before her; a scene of sisters reunited.

If there was any doubt prior that the two sisters were close, it was erased quickly. Even faster than Sona had descended from the Centaur's slipway, Kahina Buvelle had dismounted her admired steed and rushed to meet her sister. Their shared embrace could only be genuine; there weren't any whispered rebukes or strained, stiff muscles. The relief the two had for each other was apparent…

Even without Nocturne's choking echoing in Aislynn's mind .

Too wholesome for you, demon?

Too much, not too wholesome, Nocturne emphasised, Though perhaps it might be a personal taste… I have only ever passively consumed the joyful side of the emotional spectrum. Such an overdose…

So too wholesome, Aislynn grinned wider at Nocturne's growl.

Fine. It is too wholesome for my taste.

To be fair to Nocturne, everyone else seemed to be of the same mind. Quinn was the closest, but even she gave wide berth to the two Buvelles. Kahina's knight attendants were equally respectful, watching from their steeds with slight smiles. One, however, glanced cautiously to the approaching mages. The feeling was mutual for Cyrus, who had his arm tensed and ready to reach for his sword. Clyde was also tense, but he was far less obvious about it; he simply refused to leave the shallows of the beach, letting the waves flow past the soles of his shoes.

All the while, standing by the open door of a familiar petricite carriage, familiar brown eyes watched.

At the very least, I have a competent fighter on hand take refuge in, Nocturne mused.

As Quinn dared to breach the sister's bubble, Aislynn took a breath, then followed the ranger's example. The dream mage approached slowly and let Quinn initiate, staying out of attention as she waiting for a cue from the ranger. Quinn never gave it.

Sona, instead did; Nocturne didn't have time to adopt his voice for the Maven before he translated, She said Quinn did not act solely. Answer the obvious question.

Aislynn cleared his throat to herald her approach and dissuade her nerves; only the prior goal was reached.

"Err, good morning, Lady Buvelle," the dream mage near winced as the Buvelle scion gazed her way, but recovered and introduced, "I'm Aislynn. My friends and I helped your sister."

The Buvelle scion's gray-blue eyes glanced cooly Aislynn's way, freezing her in place. Kahina then looked over her shoulder, analysing her friends before regarding Aislynn again with the beginnings of a grin.

"You lead them?" She asked.

"Well…" Aislynn hesitated; to say yes would only truly be a half truth.

Equally honest, surprisingly, was their driver; Lewis spoke up from behind Cyrus, "She did, except me; she only paid for my service. But, helping your noble house? I wouldn't mind throwing in a discount."

"Oh? How charming. We can discuss the price shortly," the knight then turned her attention to Aislynn again, and the weight on the dream mage's shoulders dissipated when a tone of gratitude was conveyed, "It couldn't have been easy, and you don't gain much for it. And still, you did… thank you, Miss Aislynn. If there is anything you would ask…"

The likely rehearsed address was cut off by Sona, and as Nocturne translated her signing, Aislynn had to stop herself from facepalming.

"They're mages, Kahina. They... they saved me because I was a mage too."

Even if she hesitated, it was enough for Kahina to understand; it took all of Aislynn's self control to not panic when the knight sent a decidedly suspicious glare her way.

"A mage... of course," Kahina at least didn't seem to hold that against her, "Do you work with Sylas?"

"I..." Aislynn grit her teeth and bit the bullet, however halfheartedly, "I am associated with the rebellion. That's... just the truth."

"Associated... and you still helped my sister," Kahina took a step to the side, putting her right hand out of view; no doubt putting it against the sheath of a sword or a knife, "Why then? I can't imagine you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart, are you?"

"I am," Aislynn swore, stepping forward instinctively even knowing that it put her in range of a quick stab, "I... your sister said it herself: I helped her because she's a mage, same as me and mine. That's all there is to it."

Are you sur-

Not the time, Nocturne, and even then, we're still trying to help Sona, Aislynn grimaced, backing away from Kahina as she argued, Even if we disagree with how to do it, that's the truth.

Quinn agreed, thankfully, "She's not lying. If they wanted to take Sona, they could've killed me. Instead, they insisted on diplomacy the whole way... at least, if you exclude the Mageseeker sh-"

"The Mageseekers tracked you?" Kahina's eyes widened, "W- Where are they? They aren't-"

"We rammed their ship against the trees there. They're all gone, now," Quinn assured, "I'm not an idiot. We..."

It occured to Aislynn that a few flecks of blood stained Quinn's gloves; it seemed the ranger had just noticed her treason as well. Or at least, fully comprehended it; she paled, then clenched her fists as she continued.

"They were mistaken," the ranger's attempt at steeling herself produced only iron; hard at first, but brittle upon investigation, "I did what I had to."

"You actually... thank you," Kahina's words seemed to provide enough tempering, so she turned to her knights, "Damian, check that boat... if there are survivors..."

"I understand," the knight nodded, "We serve all the light touches."

"And banish that which shrouds," Kahina's frown turned somber as she turned back to Aislynn, "That is the purpose of our order. To honour the Winged Protector by emulating her example... I fear our efforts have been insufficient as of late."

Aislynn bit back the snide reply that rose to her mind and simply nodded.

Sona spoke for her, "They're not evil... at least not most. Perhaps their leader is, but the rest are just doing what they have to to survive."

"Necessary evil," Kahina noted, tone pondering, "It is an injust world we live in that we must sometimes choose such paths..."

"They don't have to any more," Quinn suggested, "They served valiantly to protect Sona. This smuggler here even tried to lie to the Mageseekers to get us free; he could've easily ratted us out."

False; the Mageseekers would have killed him for even trying to assist mages.

Nocturne. Not. The. Time.

"And er... him?" Quinn pointed to Cyrus, "He actually served in the army. If not for his powers..."

"Good people forced to evil," Kahina summed up, "That much I understand, but what are you suggesting?"

Quinn glanced to Sona for some encouragement before finally putting out the suggestion, "Mercy might be the better option here. We... we could offer them amnesty, maybe jobs as Sona's attendants for the duration of the war. We won't be around to guard her for most of this campaign, after all."

Sona added to the argument, "I imagine you'll be hiding me away in the estate, or in one of our vacation homes. If they're with me out of sight, the Mageseekers..."

Kahina slowly nodded, "It wouldn't be the first time mages have been accepted into our ranks..."

Cyrus blinked and stepped forward, "You don't mean Luxanna Crownguard, do you?"

Kahina stood straighter, but relaxed as she replied, "Well, your tongue will need to be trained. We can't have you spilling the next Queen's secrets in public... that is, if you are willing to return to service, soldier."

"Return to... I..." Cyrus hesitated, and looked to his would-be leader, "Lynn?"

Aislynn frowned, but stuck to her previous opinion, "You... don't need my permission."

Before Cyrus could ask further, Kahina addressed the dream mage.

"The offer applies to all of you, miss Aislynn," the knight reminded, "You especially. If you are a leader in the rebellion, you could do much good for us. And not even just in the sense of ending this violence quicker... My father needed a decisive guiding hand to best help this kingdom. You could be one such hand now."

Ah, but what she does not know is that you already are that hand, Nocturne mused, And what a hand you are, untethered to both the Unshackled's chains and my summoner's... perhaps not that last one.

"I..." Aislynn hesitated, "Give me a moment, please. I need to think..."

Kahina nodded, "Very well, but do not tarry; the Mageseekers..."

The knight's warning faded out of hearing for Aislynn; the raging demon that echoed in her head demanded more attention, What? Why?! You cannot possibly-

If I didn't take her up on her offer, what then? Aislynn countered, She thinks I'm working with Sylas; she won't forgive that.

As Aislynn pondered the risks, Lewis went ahead with the safer option, "I will be needing a new ship... if I am still to serve; I admit I'm getting on with age."

"You can at least train a replacement for Sona's personal use," Kahina considered, "Do I have your allegiance?"

"Yes, milady, I think we have come to agreeable terms."

"Good," Kahina then regarded the other mages, "Soldier, still need time? Take it; I understand if you do not wish to rejoin those who betrayed you... and you, mister...?"

"I'd rather not say," Clyde answered, taking a step forward but still standing in the waves, "I understand the offer, lady Buvelle, but I cannot take it. I am sorry."

"You will not forsake Sylas?" Kahina's tone remained soft, but steel hardened in her eyes, "Why?"

"I cannot forsake the revolution. Not whilst you permit those monsters hiding behind masks to continue their evil," Clyde spoke just as resolutely, "You speak of necessary evil. Let me tell you: the Mageseekers are not of that brand. If you cannot promise their order ending, then I must fight to achieve it."

"Even if innocents are in your way?"

"If you permit a murder in your presence, are you not complicit in the crime?" Clyde grimaced as he spoke, "In truth we of the revolution only want the bare minimum of justice; the Mageseekers' downfall. But, if your 'innocents' come for us to defend those murderers..."

"Clyde, they get it, " Aislynn interrupted with grit teeth, "For your sake, please be quiet."

Kahina regarded Aislynn cooly before relaxing and speaking, "Lady Aislynn... do you agree with him?"

Aislynn glanced to Cyrus before hesitantly answering, "Yes... we all do. Perhaps some mages in the rebellion have black hearts and seek to abuse their powers, but most of us only wish to live in a truly just Demacia. The Mageseekers ultimately stand in opposition to that... but I know not even your order can stand against them. Not now."

"... so?"

"I would serve whatever cause would best defend the mages of this kingdom," Aislynn chose her words slowly and deliberately, and was rewarded with a pivot to the point planned at the start of the mission, "I would like to take you up on your offer... but I must ask: will retreating back to your estate truly protect your sister?"

Kahina's brow furrowed dangerously, "What do you mean?"

"Since the rebellion's start, the Mageseeker have held all the power in the land. Their ships are equiped with absurd weapons, their members have free reign to investigate and detain any they wish... I cannot imagine any of your estates could be safe them."

Kahina's eyes widened in realisation ever so slightly, but she quickly recovered and countered, "Perhaps you're right, but... you can't be possibly claiming that my sister would be safer in your rebellion's care?"

"It's ridiculous to consider, I will admit... but none of our hideouts are under official record. Or unofficial, for that matter... Yours, on the other hand, are," Aislynn grimaced she forced what would undoubtedly be a bitter pill to swallow out of her lips, "And if we're being brutally honest, only our side is doing something about what the Mageseekers are doing."

"So, what?" a righteous fury sparked embers behind Kahina's eyes, "Are you honestly telling me to give my siser to your care whilst you murder thousands?"

"Well, what choice is there?" Aislynn immediately regretted her outburst, but with no other option available, the dream mage had to commit, "We're killed in the streets by the Mageseekers, and if only to not garner their rather the rest of you lot throw us to them! I may disagree with Sylas' brutality and ire for you nobles in particular, but how can we get what we're justly owed without blood? Is... is there any single way? Because if you have a path, I would gladly walk it!"

Kahina's grimace was smouldering, and the grip she held on her sheathed weapon was visibly tight; her knuckles practically glowed beneath her skin. And yet, it was clear that the outburst had penetrated. Kahina was frozen, and even as she stepped forward to confront Aislynn the knight tore her gaze from her. Her lips opened, but no words came out.

Confusion, disgust... Nocturne's chuckles disgusted Aislynn to her core, How very delectable... it is a shame I cannot partake...

Kahina attempted again, then again, and on the third retry-

"If you seek peace, I'd be happy to grant it."

The voice that echoed across the clearing was cold, arrogant, judging, and all together not that of one of the charitable Illuminator Order. Aislynn's gaze went over Kahina's shoulder, and her heart near stopped. With a horrified expression mirrored to Aislynn's, Kahina turned her back on the mages to find the same scene. She took a step to her horse and took from it an ornate spear which she held with shaky grip.

After all, Aislynn doubted even Kahina and her knights could stand against a fresh Mageseeker cohort, never mind the four shields' worth of soldiers supporting them.

"I would grant you all the final peace: a nameless death," the leader of the Mageseeker cohort, a masked man in pale grey armor, grinned from ear to ear, "Well, maybe not for all of you. For the traitors, the only kindness I'll show is to send your families to you in short order. You can rot in the hells of the world together."

The Mageseeker leader's main attendants, decked out in the same petricite/runesteel armor, unsheathed their blades at those words.

Thought the Radiant Knights were quick to get into a basic formation, it was pretty obvious they were outmatched. Perhaps they'd be fine if it were just the Mageseeker Knights, but behind the grey-armoured warriors was a squad of regular Mageseekers in blue cloaks and masks as well. And that didn't even include the regular soldiers standing behind; likely the Falconclaw garrison along with two extra cavalry shields from local patrols. To say they were outgunned and outnumbered was putting it lightly.

The latter strength of the Mageseekers' hand, however… at least to Kahina, it seemed like something she could use - the knight attempted to exploit it.

"Soldiers of Demacia... this mage..."

The Mageseeker didn't let her finish, "Has corrupted your mind? Turned you astray? Made you lose all sense morality and honor and what it means to be Demacian?"

"They're more Demacian than you are; that much I can tell," Kahina's counter beyond her first insult was half-hearted; the knight hesitated not only out of the want to be precise, "They're not just looking for power like your order... they seek justice and fight only because they have been denied it."

"With how they're trying to overthrow the monarchy, I'm afraid your opinion's cloudy at best," the Mageseeker mused, "Shield-sergeant, shall we?"

Kahina's expression grew despondent as a brighter-armoured soldier stepped forward; still, she addressed him and his men, "Please, if not for my sake, or theirs, then for yourselves, and for those you love. If we can't show mercy, then there'll only be more monsters to come..."

The Mageseeker shook his head, "I disagree, milady; there won't be any monsters to come if we're thorough with our extermination."

"The time for peace has long passed," The shield-sergeant agreed with a sigh, "Lady Buvelle... I am sorry it had to come to this. You served with honour once. When I give my report, I'll ensure it remain-"

"Unfortunately no, shield-sergeant, you won't," the Mageseeker chuckled, twirling a spear of pale silver as he closed in, "I will be writing and publishing this report. Can't let it be said that the afflicted hide within our nobility, after all. Now, shield-sergeant, show no mercy... Kill all-"

A familiar clanking sound echoed through the clearing, followed by an unfamiliar yet brutal sight. It was undeniably better to learn what a scorpion bolt would do to a person from observation rather than experience, as what would've happened if the Mageseekers chasing the centaur had actually been accurate. Still, Aislynn felt nausea crawl up her back quickly. The Mageseeker leader's left arm and its attached shoulder were ripped from his torso by the projectile that impaled it... and that was all Aislynn saw before she blocked her vision and wiped a blood splatter from her eyes.

A vision of orange followed as she was taken off her feet by a blisteringly hot shockwave. The dream mage blinked on her back and shakily rose to her feet, her vision unclear for eternal seconds. Her hands grabbed at burnt dirt for stability, but found something scorching hot. Aislynn screamed at the pain and cradled her burned left hand as her vision went blurry again from tears, but wiping them away, she found the source of her pain.

Though surrounded by smaller shrapnel of the same material, on the ground sitting by what remained of a steel scorpion bolt was a cluster of three graymarks wrapped in bandages; the makeshift connector for the stones to their delivery method. Whilst the shards surrounding it glowed an angry orange, the remaining whole mark glowed a familiar indigo that intensified before expanding in another pulse of arcane energy.

Sylas' voice echoed in Aislynn's mind with the power of stolen dream magic.

"For a Mageseeker, he seemed to have the right idea," the Unshackled mused with barely contained rage and giddiness, "Let's oblige the dead man; kill all who would stand in your way!"

The cacophony of affirming voices left Aislynn hollow and empty, save for a fearful cold.

---

Well, he forgot in a hurry, didn't he?

The saboteur didn't even have a chance to correct anything as his compatriots rose up jubilantly. Like hungry dogs released from cages upon sheep, the mages charged at the loyalist cluster ahead. Tongues of fire and rocks of assorted sizes flew through the clearing, eagerly finding both flesh and steel. Through it all, Erret could only keep up and keep an eye out.

The skirmish he beheld soon after only impressed the Noxian. First to gain respect were the loyalists. They didn't just survive the initial onslaught of magic; they moved past it. With surprising efficiency, a joined shield formation was formed to block projectiles from all angles in the field. But, that wasn't even the highlight: the patrol cavalry were downright insane, commanding their steeds to dodge oncoming projectiles at the last possible moment in quick succession.

Well, if I didn't believe Gerris when he said Demacian cavalry was better then ours before hand…

Not to be outdone, though, the mages' counter to the oncoming charge was stunning. Though not as brutally efficient as Noxian pyromancers, who could combine their individual infernos into superheated chains of fire capable of melting damn near anything, the rebel pyromancers had their counters for calvary. The sudden eruptions of fire made by each mage scared the loyalists' steeds, and simple placements of each burst forced the horse riders to retreat.

Where walls of fire blocked off cavalry, the walls of other elements blocked off everything else. Thick earthen walls blocked crossbow bolts easily, and whilst not as thick, walls of living vegetation fought back against greatsword and axe swings.

They've been fighting for around a year, and it shows, Erret mused,These counters are pretty good. May not even need to do anythi-

The echoes of crossbows firing were quickly replaced with dull thuds, pitched hissing, and coughs and screams.

Ah, right. Don't jinx shit, hear you loud and clear, mental copy of Xander, Erret cursed and charged blindly into the grey smoke that surrounded him, Clearly the seekers usage been taking notes… Not sure if it was intentional, but countering walled emplacements with these petricite smoke bombs… well played.

Each time Erret found a silhouette in the cloud, he kicked at it, sending it out of the smoke. It was rather inefficient, but it seemed to work; the glimpses Erret got of the mages outside the fog were encouraging, with recovery being heightened by unmitigated rage. But, the whizzing of crossbow bolts piercing the smoke reminded Erret that time wasn't something he had in abundance. Pulling one mage though the smoke to an earthen bunker, Erret found a vaguely familiar face. The Noxian had no name to attach to the man leading the forward outpost, but he knew his magic specialisation.

"Earth mage, can you get us above this smoke?"

"Oh, it's yo- get down!" The Earth mage soon found little reason to cower; Erret batted away the oncoming petricite bomb with the flat of his right blade, "Whoa, good hit. Uh, what do you need?"

"A ramp, a pillar, anything to get us over this smoke."

"A pillar? I can do that. Us here can," thuds from the opposite side of the wall made the Earth mage frown, "But those crossbows…"

"They'll need to reload eventually," Erret assured, "Just wait a moment-"

A single, clanking sound interrupted Erret's proposition; a familiar one that heralded...

Well, if that scream of pain was anything...

"Never mind, Sylas has the scorpion," Erret nodded to the earth mage to cue him as he yelled out, "Charge!"

Erret rose with the pillar, jumping as it reached its apex and rolling into his charge. He grinned at the sight ahead; Sylas' shot had made a massive breach in the shield wall, with a hole three people wide clueing in where the shot landed. Of course, the loyalists closed it off quickly, but by then the mages had closed the distance.

"Give me a ramp!" Erret's first order was received quickly, so he gave a second as he rose, "Break their ranks, and kill the Mageseekers!"

They'll kill a few more too, but at least I tried to specify, right Xan?

Confident in both his allies' blood thirst and his own swiftness, Erret skipped past the loyalist line and went straight for his declared targets. The masked fools paled beneath their masks, with many of them not even equipped with weapons; regular ones, anyway.

Long staff, unarmed, smoke bombs, unarmed… three more unarmed…

Dodge thrust and stab with right, throw left sword, bat away smoke bomb with right, retrieve left and stab with right… where are you going? And you and you?

A desperate cry made Erret roll his eyes as he faced an interceptor, but that brave fool was intercepted in turn by a stone bigger than half his body. Erret regarded the bloody pulp that remained, then turned his attention to the one responsible for it with an amused glance. Her swordplay had a lot to be desired, but clearly Larissa was a mage to be reckoned with.

"I was wondering where you were!" The raven-haired mage met Erret's gaze after losing a duel; she survived only courtesy of another high-velocity stone, "What took you so long?"

"Sylas' bolt came from my side, so they expected me," Erret answered, dashing past Larissa to deliver a kick to the chest of a sneaking foe, "You on the other hand, got their exposed flank. So don't bother bragging about your kill count."

"So you admit to having less than me?" Larissa chuckled before sidestepping an oncoming strike, tripping her foe, and stabbing them through the back, "Should I dial it back for you?"

"You can try dodge this."

"... what?"

Erret leaned out of the way of a fastball of a smoke bomb. As it burst into grey and left Larissa a coughing mess, the Noxian charged at their next assailant. Unarmed, the mageseeker wasn't a challenge. Still, Erret made it quick as thanks for humbling his new ally.

"You could've blocked that," Larissa rose with a hiss, face pink and damp with sweat and exertion.

"I could've, but where's the equality in that?" Erret was already turning away, "Gotta make it fair for myself."

"Since when was that a concern-" the raven-haired mage's growl heightened to a yell as she slashed open an opportunistic mageseeker behind her, "You know what, don't answer that."

Erret barely heard her words; he'd already advanced to the next line of Mageseekers. Larissa wasn't quick to follow, given how gleefully she dealt with the Mageseekers on the way. Erret didn't particularly mind her lagging behind, though; she wouldn't be needed. It seemed to Erret that the main battle - the one over the main objective - was a near-equal one. That was to say, only Erret would be needed to turn the tide, and even then, it wasn't an urgent affair.

Meaning I can check in with my interests first... hang tight, Yin. I'll make sure you're in the clear. But first... where...

Oh shit... So this isn't just a boring flatland.

The tilted, still-in-air wheel of the petricite carriage Yin rode in on agreed. Amidst the fighting between Kahina Buvelle's Radiant Knights and the heavily armoured Mageseekers, Erret made out the features of the Sharpstem carriage sunk in a pit of mud. Though minute in scale, it seemed part of the clearing was a bog.

How terribly inconvenient... moving on.

Regardless of the terrain, Erret still had to get past the actual fight. The Noxian noted the factors of the fight quickly. He determined that the Illuminators were more skilled, but were matched by the Mageseekers' numbers and equipment. Of the latter, the Mageseekers' armor was the most notable; the Illuminators, Erret noticed, were going for the joints rather than aiming for quick ends; when their blows missed, the armour that was struck was barely marred, if at all.

Maybe I should've been facetious with Larissa; her firepower might be needed.

Worse still, one of the Mageseekers stood b the side, pelting his enemies with an assortment of crossbow bolts; one with a cluster-munition payload, impressive in design; one that split into a net, which thankfully missed its target... that he was armed with such equipment whilst still being covered in that enhanced steel plate was ridiculous.

It only spoke volumes to the skill of the ranger, Quinn; even with that she was still trading shots with him. Though then again, having a massive bird play distraction helped loads.

And not just for her; the crossbowman Erret's first order of business too. With his target's focus being on Quinn's ride, the Noxian snuck up on the crossbow Mage Hunter as quickly easily. It was fortunate; he couldn't afford a protracted fight. Not with the armour the Hunter was decked out with, with its protrusions to guard his neck and the redundancy of chainmail behind it.

Those defences didn't stand up to a precise two-handed slash from one of Erret's blades, but the thought of dealing with it in an actual fight...

Well, could've been fun, could've gotten old quickly. Now we'll never know.

As the seeker's head into the mud, Erret sent a quick salute to his would-be ally. The Noxian didn't bother see the reaction, however, instead turning to the bounty. Erret frowned momentarily, noting how stuck the carriage was in the mud. They wouldn't be able to get it out, leaving only one option. Erret opened the carriage door and peered in.

A lightly glowing sword momentarily poked at his throat before realising Erret was friendly.

Erret frowned as he glanced to Cyrus, "... you'll be glad to know I killed the bastard who shot you."

Cyrus only replied with a nod, and Erret understood why. The fire mage's right thigh looked withered. No wounds were present, but based on how little muscle there was, it was impossible that it was alright. The slight dark red beneath the skin hinted that the look was the result of a healing job.

Wait. A healing...

Erret's glanced to the seat Yin had favored on their first ride on the carriage. Rather than pulsing red, fearful blue met his gaze. The Noxian blinked before finding Yin looking at him from beside Sona, a deadpan stare on her face.

"Seriously?" her eyes seemed to say, "Have you ever known me to be stupid?"

Erret sighed and hoped the action sufficed as an apology before returning to the matter at hand.

"Alright, so you're all safe..." the Noxian noted, turning to the last taken couch in the carriage, "Now l..."

Well, Nocturne's going to be carrying heavy weights... not that a panic attack should weaken him, now that I think about it. Probably more ammo...

Erret shook his head and asked, " I trust you and yours can keep them safe?"

Aislynn shook her head, eyes wide, "No, I... he's-"

The sound of splintering and ripping might not have interrupted Aislynn's speech, but the claws that grabbed at her ally's shoulders certainly did. Their sharp edges tore into Erret's clothes and wrapped around his arms, and before he could make sense of it, he was lifted from his feet and through the carriage door.

His mind caught up as he rose to his knees, but before his mouth could open a crossbow was put to his face.

"You're not taking her, mage," Quinn growled.

"Yeah, you're welcome by the way," Erret responded, "I'm on your side. Killed that guy giving you trouble."

"And you'd kill me too if your master told you to," Quinn shot back, "Sona's not joining your rebellion."

"So you kill me now instead of la- your left!"

Quinn turned left and found nothing. However deceitful Erret's words were, they still helped, the Mageseeker behind Quinn missed his swing. With his lie, Erret secured the kill. Or rather, he tried to; the armour of the Mageseeker made his stab largely ineffectual. Still, his blade found the Mageseeker's counter and pushed him off. A follow up kick-flip from Quinn sent him further away, but the bolts she fired found little purchase.

But, Erret found another way.

"Kick him again!" Erret charged, caught an oncoming blade, and started with his own roundhouse, "Into the mud with you!"

Quinn didn't follow up. Instead, with a majestic cry (or so Xander would describe), a blue bird's charge finished the job. The Mageseeker wasn't down, but as he lost his grip on his blade struggle to get up from the mud, Erret decided it was enough.

Unfortunately, again Erret found himself face to face with a crossbow.

"Can we at least save that for after the Seekers are dead?"

"You lied to me."

"Well..." Erret internally cursed as he nearly fell back on the Noxian stereotype, "Better my rebel ass kills them over you, right?"

Quinn gritted her teeth, and Erret noted a twitching in her crossbow arm.

"Some of you mages really are monsters, huh?"

Erret's grip on his swords tightened, but his legs remained loose and waiting. Despite himself, he chuckled.

"Who says I'm a mage?"

Quinn's enraged demeanour turned cold. The whizzing of air currents followed the shift... yet a bolt wasn't loosed. Erret didn't hesitate, ducked and rolled, slashed behind him, and turned to face the bigger only didn't know how big. Blue wings fluttered past him with apparent panic, giving way to a sight above. Quinn swore behind him, and Erret couldn't help but join in.

"Shit! Reinforcements?!"

"Raptor Knights," Quinn whispered, "Shit... we're far too late..."

"I wouldn't say that. We both can get out of this," Erret assured, "If you follow instead of being in the way, I dare say it'd be easy."

That was a lie; it would be a challenge regardless of their union. Erret now understood why Xander tensed at the cries of bird cries. The massive Silverwing Raptors that charged from on high were terrifying to say the least. They bought the other loyalists space to retreat, with their mere presence giving pause to the mage attackers. Yet, despite their steeds' size, the Raptors were agile beasts. The gouts of fire and stones sent their way failed to hit their mark, save for the armoured torsos which deflected the projectiles early.

"Yeah, bullshit," Quinn muttered, "My bolts can't do anything to that."

"They'll distract, and that's enough-"

"It won't be-"

It probably wouldn't've. But, scorpions bolts as it turned out, were enough. With a spray of blood, one of the three raptors' wings was severed, its thin arm shattering under the force of a perfect shot. The remaining raptor patrol was quick to turn for the boat, allowing the mages to once again pursue the Mageseekers. But, Erret's face paled as he tried to determine if Sylas would survive-

Except he wasn't even on the boat anymore. From behind previously constructed earth pillars, two familiar gold chains wrapped around a raptor's legs and tugged. Sylas soared over and found the raptor's master and send him falling to earth with a twisted neck.

But if he's there, who fired that shot?

Quinn's words forced Erret's attention away; the Noxian noticed both the poisonous hatred within and the despair of helplessness, "He's here? He... he was here all along..."

Erret hummed at that remark, Here all along... they didn't know he was in the Freljord... they may not have made the connection with him and the siege Aron's...

They'd know a lot less if he hadn't shown up, but it's not like I was planning on that ever happening.

And to be fair, Sylas was living up to the image the mages painted of him. Sylas drove his stolen steed to the ground, breaking it upon the dirt as though it were a household pet, and not an apex predator. The Unshackled then turned unflinching to the final Raptor Knight, who rallied what remained of the Demacian patrol calvary in a glory-seeking charge. They did not find glory, success, or even a tactic to dissect. The only things opened up were their collective guts. Sylas's eyes glowed golden as he punched the ground, forcing spikes of earth to rise just below the calvary; they rose exactly below their targets, impaling them thoroughly. The Raptor Knight, now the last target available, was made vulnerable to enough magic projectiles to create a substantial shadow. In the end Sylas took the last kill as well, sending a spear of rock and fire through the raptor's chest and out its throat; the rider died with a scream cut-off by gravity.

Sylas' descent was far less abrasive; the Unshackled landed amidst his followers with a gleeful smile.

"Well done, my brothers and sisters. We've shown these pigs up, haven't we?" Sylas mused, "And yet, there's still more to do. Shall we?"

"For the revolution!" Came the affirmation.

"Indeed," Sylas' smile might've chilled Erret's blood were he the intended audience; he wasn't really, "Now... let's-"

Whatever quip the Unshackled had was lost to Erret by way of a boot to the back of his head. His world went black for a moment, then dark brown when he woke up a second later, face in the dirt. The Noxian turned to face his foe, but Quinn had backed off... and she wasn't the only one. The rising clatter of steel caught Erret's attention, and just the oncoming grey blur that he couldn't exactly define told him to get out of the way.

He wasn't entirely successful in that venture. As Erret rolled, ducked and crawled, he still felt stray blades nick at his clothes, not to mention blunt force knocking him around. But at the end of the tornado was a familiar face.

Well, two. But, Erret imagined Sylas' smirking face was an acquired taste. Never mind the man's hold on his arm.

Sylas pulled him up, the barest grimace behind his eyes, "Up and at 'em, brother."

"Glad that hurt you as much as me," Erret whisper/grunted, "Now... oh boy. Sy-"

Sylas was already done with Erret, already moving on to the next. That infuriating grin still remained, and Erret could already feel a headache growing.

"Shining armour, lion badge, spear wielder, well-bred steed..." Sylas listed, "You must be Kahina Buvelle."

"And you're the murderer who's broken the kingdom in two," Kahina spat back, "Stand down."

"Or what?" Sylas's smile didn't diminish at all, "You'll lock me up? Throw me back in a cell and pretend nothing's wrong with this broken kingdom?"

"As if she'd get the chance," Larissa added.

"No, you wouldn't let her, would you?" Sylas turned to his followers, "Would you let a little lady with a stick end the rebellion?!"

The answer was as obvious as it was resoundingly shouted out, "No! Never!"

"Down with the king!" Others added.

"Free Demacia!" more yelled.

"Kill the swine!" yet others shouted, with echoes abound, "Kill the swine! KILL THE SWINE!"

"Yes, yes, kill the swine," Sylas chuckled, "Kill the swine... but it's not swine we're dealing with, is it?"

Kahina's anger didn't fade, but confusion did make her pause, "What?"

"We're dealing with lions," the Unshackled continued, "See you, lady Buvelle... you're not like the rest. Any other noble would've thrown their supposed kin to the wayside; fed the real monsters running this country... You know what I'm talking abou-"

"Shut up!" Kahina's horse-riding skills were only rivalled by disregard for safety, Erret observed; she didn't flinch even as half a dozen flames and stones aimed themselves her way, "Who I am isn't the issue. You're the murderer. The monster, the-"

"Filthy mage laying waste to your broken system," Sylas shook his head then steeled himself as he spoke, "A system that demands me and mine roll over and die so some fat, mask-wearing sycophant can line his pockets. Maybe I'm a murderer, but what about them?"

The Unshackled motioned to the host behind Kahina, and Erret naturally followed the hint. The loyalist forces were clearly diminished from their fight. Though they still posed a potential threat, what with their plate armour and sharpened steel weapons, Erret didn't get a sense of danger to them. After all, they showed all the signs of a routed foe. The wide, fearful eyes... the tears staining cheeks and mixing with blood...

The loyalists that the Mageseekers dragged in were bested and broken, and Erret knew for certain that only Kahina Buvelle stood between them and death.

"How many of my men do you think they've killed?" Sylas mused, "Never mind the fact that just a moment ago they were after you..."

If it wasn't clear by the slight retraction of her spear, Kahina's eyes told the story, "They were just following orders."

"Orders just like the ones for my execution, and that of my people's..." Sylas stepped forward, making Kahina retreat a step, "Orders. Order... the order this country enjoys is built on a lie and a firmament of bones. It's time to watch the chaff burn, and let a true, better order rise from the ashes."

"So you're solution to a kingdom built on bone is to make another one built on ashes," Kahina's backbone grew back with a vengeance, "You think I'd let you destroy everything I care about?"

"Hm, no, I suppose not," Sylas dialled back his grandiose speech, but aimed for a different target, "Though to be fair, I wouldn't be destroying everything."

"What are you talking about?"

"You weren't listening? Well, you are still a noble..." Sylas chuckled at his own jest and advanced, causing yet another retreat, "You, lady Buvelle, are not a sheep, but a lion. When the king gave the Mageseekers full reign over the kingdom and condemned all mage kind to a brutal death, you disagreed. Oh, not publicly, but that you're here, now... for your si-"

"Speak her name," Kahina interrupted with both glare and gleaming blade, "And I will cut your tongue."

"As opposed to them, who'd burn her on a stake because of an order?" Sylas shook his head, "You'd die being merciful to swine following orders, but when we rise up and try change things for the better, you bare your fangs. Where's the sense in that?"

Kahina flinched - something in Sylas' speech clearly got to her - then growled, "You... you wouldn't change anything. You'll just be more of the same!"

Sylas' smile faltered, and he spoke in cold tone, "... I, more of the same? Same... as you lot?"

It took a blink for Kahina to throw caution to the wind. She kicked her steed into action and thrust her spear... it only met air. Sylas caught the spear's shaft and pushed it to the side with his left hand, and pushed against the Radiant Knight's steed with his right. The Unshackled's rune tatoos glowed golden, and the earth rose to push with him. Sylas barely grunted as he shoved the Radiant Knight's steed aside, forcing the Buvelle Scion to dismount.

"It seems I was mistaken," Sylas judged, "You're still sheep. Gold coat and a thick, furry neck... but you've no fangs to bare, or will to choose your own way."

"Be that as it may, you're a monster," Kahina countered, rising to a combat stance, "You will never succeed in bringing about a new Demacia."

Sylas flared his mana, his rune tattoos and eyes glowing with rage as he responded, "If that's the case, then at least I'll have died trying."

However much he agreed with the revolutionary's sentiment, Erret could only grimace and curse internally as tension returned to to the clearing. The remaining calvary formed up into a deadly element of shield and lances. Behind them, the last shield bearers formed a fortress of steel to guard what few crossbow-men remained. The mages' side wasn't much better. Behind Sylas the earth churned rocks, roots grew sharp, and fires burst to life.

Too much... it's gotten out of hand, Erret realised, Shit... shit! Sona'll never... she...

The Maven of the Strings did all she could do; she played.

Before the orchestra of war could commence, a melody both beautiful and horrifying sang through the air. Calming notes brought tension down, and Erret could swear a green mist filled the air as his heart calmed. The glow intensified another beat as another string of notes played, a beat of four setting itself in.

Erret blinked, and perhaps paled. The feeling that set in was familiar, except in reverse. It was one thing to be stripped of emotion, and yet another to be given it. It... wasn't right.

The same conclusion rose amidst the two forces. With a blink, Kahina seemed to shake off the song's effects. Her focus, however, didn't drift to Sylas. Instead, it went to the side, where beside a sunken wooden wheel, a dress of blue touched dirt and grass. As the sight was observed by others, fists clenched, heads shook, stances were retaken, and runes glowed. Sylas took a hesitant step forward, then another with more resolution.

The melody took a different tone, and the mist turned gold.

Erret grunted in surprise and irritation as an undeniably familiar feeling imposed itself on him. Like a vice grip, Sona's magic kept him immobile. He couldn't even release his weapons in exertion, or, to his horror he realised, blink. His eyes could barely survey the scene, making out in his periphery that the entire clearing had been frozen up.

Or so he first thought. If he were capable, Erret's eyes would've widened at the sight ahead. Runes glowing the same orange/gold as the mist around them, Sylas slowly took one step, then another. Closer and closer to Kahina and the Loyalists. The Unshackled surveyed the loyalist formation, then turned to the person delaying its destruction. Another wave of golden stunning magic flew from Sona, but it only made its target pause. Sylas grunted then took a step.

No, Sylas, no... that's the opposite of what we're supposed to be doing!

Sylas took another step, then another. Then-

Something spun out of control in Erret's periphery; a mass of grey sprinting for Sona Buvelle. Erret's eyelids would've widened to the point of letting their contents out if not for the Maven's spell; such was his horror. It was somehow less perturbed by Sona's magic than Sylas, and it ran with hostile intent and the clanking of heavy plate.

One last armoured Mageseeker-

A gold chain wrapped around the last Mageseeker's leg just as the man retrieved and activated a graymark. An unholy blue glow forced the gold to fade before its source was pulled to Sylas. Unperturbed by what was likely at this point a common annoyance, Sylas smashed onto his foe, sending gauntleted wrist and chain-wielding fist down.

By the time Erret recovered from his stasis, he could only see the end result. The Mageseeker's visor was dented inversely, no doubt impaling the face below. Sylas' chains, stained red with the blood of their foe, trailed to their master, who stood before Sona, arms at his side and back straight. His body posture bore no hostility, not that it would've dissuaded Kahina from panicking. The Buvelle scion cried her sister's name as she tried to rise, but the toll of her sister's magic was too much; she tripped back to her knees.

Both Erret and Sylas ignored her. The Noxian was too focused on the Revolutionary, and the Revolutionary was too focused on the Maven of the Strings.

"The Mageseekers... they will never accept your presence among them. Your family name means nothing to them... but your power might. You could join us, help us win this war. Can't you see..." Sylas' argument faded on his lips as he looked simply at Sona's eyes, "... you don't, do you?"

Sona's expression was an odd mix of understanding and disturbed; it was no wonder why she hesitated with each signing... or so Erret assumed. He looked to Sylas, who looked to one of the mages by Sona's side. Aislynn glanced confusedly to Sona's hands and hesitated.

From the loyalist crowd, a familiar ranger emerged to translate, "She's not coming with you. For as much as they're the reason this kingdom isn't home anymore... so are you."

Sylas turned to Quinn, then to Sona.

"So I am," the Unshackled grimaced, then turned away, "If you're not ready to do what must be done, then I cannot force your hand... Mages of Demacia... we're leaving."

The declaration brought surprise to both sides of the field. Erret barely noticed from afar as the mages they had escorting Sona hesitated before following Sylas. He was too busy wrapping his mind around the finality of the situation. It was unsatisfying to say the least; Erret couldn't keep the complaint in his mouth.

"Sylas, the miss-"

"The mission was a success," Sylas brushed off the issue as he stood before his host, "We've humiliated these righteous fools in armour and killed all the Mageseekers in the area with... no casualties?"

"None sir," Larissa reported with barely concealed disappointment; the wish for more was present in all around.

"Then it is good enough. Come on. I'd rather not waste more time with another skirmish," Sylas muttered, disappointed himself. Still, he put on a smirk as he turned to address the loyalists who licked their wounds, "And for you Lady Buvelle, you can owe me a favour if your honour demands it."

From her tear-stained hug with her sister, Kahina sent a deathly glare to Sylas, "Why would I ever owe you anything?"

"However less effective, my presence should provide an alibi. Better my wrath fell upon the Mageseekers than your traitorous hands, ha!" Sylas chuckled, "I'll let your people decide who they betrayed this day. I hope they reach the correct answer."

It was a mocking word they left the loyalists with, and a victory had been declared. Yet to Erret, and no doubt many other mages in the party, only bitterness remained. They floated down stream surrounded by a camouflaging mist in worn rafts and bore wounds with little to show for it. The worst defeats in Erret's life came to mind as comparison; though not ranking with them, this was definitely closer to that than any victory or even tactical retreat.

Erret let his complaints out in air, "We were supposed to bring Sona to our side."

"She wasn't ready," Sylas sighed, not bothering to meet Erret's gaze, "Heh. If not for my individual infamy, perhaps your leader's plan might've worked. They hate the Mageseekers enough... Sona does, anyway. But somehow they still see me as the monster."

"It's ridiculous," Larissa snarled, "You're doing what you have to."

"You're in the right," Happ added, "Saving us, fighting the Mageseekers? If they can't see that, then..."

"Then they can't. What a shame too; if anyone in the kingdom would've listened, I think it would've been them," Sylas mused, "We'll let them off the hook now; they've earned that much for not throwing their mage sister to the wayside."

"And the next time?" Larissa questioned.

"That depends if they've learned their lesson or not," the shadow of Sylas' smirk returned to his lips, "If they're firmly in our way, we'll move them out. Plain and simple."

"So they're still enemies," Erret concluded, "Heh. Some mission success."

Sylas frowned, "I said it was successful."

"And it really wasn't," the Noxian countered, hands moving to sheathed blades, "We made do with the secondary objective, but the primary's failed... I should hope that won't indicate the future of our agreement."

Sylas' smirk returned halfheartedly, "Next time, I won't trust a Noxian to do a Demacian job. We'll have use for you in short order."

"That's right. We'll be needing all the special aid we can get," Larissa noted, "Especially since we're still down in manpower... isn't that right?"

From a boat to the side, the fire mage cursed, "Must you insist on being an annoying little shit?"

"Must you insist on being dead weight to the rebellion?" came the counter, "Though I suppose you at least can fight. Better than L-"

"Drop it Larissa," Sylas lightly chided, "It's one thing to fight to survive. It's another to fight for the cause. Lynn and her people couldn't do the latter; they'd have just slowed us down if they stuck around."

"As opposed to..." Larissa growled, but did as ordered, "Never mind. We'll just continue as we always have. Fight twice as hard to make up for it all."

Sylas smiled, content, before turning to Erret, "If you Noxians are as good as you say with your plans and training, that should be more than enough, no?"

"Maybe. I'm no miracle worker," Erret shrugged, "But, it's more than just planning and training we bring to the table. Communication's another boon; Aislynn's people won't be as useless as you fear."

"That so?" Larissa chuckled, "Aislynn, he run that by you already? What do you think of it?"

Cyrus sighed at the raven-haired geomancer's teasing, but no verbal reply came. For a moment, the silence of the river was broken only by the paddling of the mage's oars... It only took a second for the wrongness of the issue to rise, then another for panic to set in.

"Aislynn?" Cyrus was the first to rise, sitting up straighter as he looked to the boat he road on, "Where..."

The water mage that accompanied Cyrus put his hand in the river and reported, "Can't feel her..."

Sylas stood from his boat, "Aislynn's gone?"

"Where'd she..." Larissa also rose, but poison rose to her tongue, "Did she betray us?!"

Cyrus shook his head, "No. She'd never. If anyone..."

The camouflage mists cleared as the mages began to look among themselves. Their drifting pace slowed, and a cacophony of panicked voices. Instead of following the pack in their external investigation, Erret delved inwards. There'd been one other oddity over the course of the battle... it shared a plausible explanation with Aislynn's disappearance - no, it was the only explanation for both. Erret felt it, and cursed internally as he let the answer out.

"Aislynn didn't leave," the Noxian muttered, "She was taken."

Sylas' eyes glowed with rage, "What? Those vile-"

"It wasn't the Buvelles."

Sylas blinked, then focused his anger in a sharp, cold stare, "Who was it?"

Erret shook his head, disbelieving his misfortune.

"Well," the Noxian sighed, "It would seem someone hasn't forgotten our mission's objective. We may yet still gain Sona's allegiance."

---

Author's Note: [Edit 20/03/22] - Textual errors corrected.