(Garen - PoV)
Lux rests through the night as I run thankfully. I was concerned that she may be unable to sleep in such a position, but she appeared to have no difficulties. Even being alone with my thoughts all night wasn't nearly as bad as I expected, not with her right there in my arms, safe and sound, trusting in me to keep her that way.
With the dark outfit, none seemed to note our passage through the night. The fields are quite empty, with none working in the darkness, and the area sparsely populated enough to avoid meeting any travelers on the road. I am quite glad, it looks like they won't know we went AWOL for the full two days, and shouldn't know where we went for a good while as well. If we had been spotted sooner I might have had to...well, I am glad we were not.
This long a headstart on any potential pursuers should ensure a safe trip for us...unless they send another champion after us. Unfortunately, if they do send pursuit, that is almost certainly what they will do, and I do not have confidence in my ability to outrun someone like Vayne even with this much of a lead. Outfight her certainly, but while protecting Lux at the same time? Given the fact Lux has magic...no, that bitch wouldn't hesitate to try to kill her, even without orders.
Most Champions are rather busy, I am rather banking on none being both in the capital and immediately available at the exact moment high command realizes I defected. The most likely threats are Vayne, because she could be almost anywhere, is a good tracker, and is too damn fast, and even more so Shyvana. The Dragon girl has considerable speed, tracking with her enhanced senses, is incredibly dangerous in a fight, and given how close she is with Jarvan there is a high possibility she is in or near the capital.
I don't want to have to fight Shyvana. Aside from being among the few people truly a threat to me, she is also one of the ones I genuinely respect. Far more so than Brightwell, the idea of having to take her head...though at least she won't murder Lux in cold blood like Vayne would. If she catches up to us, I will have Lux run while I duel her.
Lux stirring in my arms attracts my attention. She yawns, stretching her arms out wide as she wakes, not long after the rising of the sun. Unsurprising, our parents certainly didn't tolerate slothfulness. Not that Lux was likely to sleep in anyway, little bundle of joy and energy that she was. Then again it could be the sun in her eyes. Blinking said eyes clear she looks up at me.
"Not a dream then?" she asks. It hurts that she feels the need to confirm. I wasted so many years fighting for, in retrospect, nothing. If I had just come home sooner...
"Real as it gets little light." Stoicism comes easily, hiding my concerns from her. Possibly too easily to be honest.
"Still running then?" She asks, looking around. Not much to see even in the early morning light, more fields in this part of the heartlands. Grassy rolling plains, small clumps of trees and occasional hamlets or isolated farmsteads or small towns. So far she still has no problems with the speed I run at, likely remembering me carrying her when we were little, even if I have gotten faster since then. Some of the soldiers I have trained with were less accommodating; being vomited on is unpleasant.
"Aye, going to be at it all day and night again. We should be able to find a town to stop in sometime tomorrow." A town in the marshes. Probably not deep in the marshes but, still less accessible than the heartlands certainly.
"We are definitely going to get reported if you run all day," she says once more, though her tone is rather different than last time.
"It is probably going to happen anyway, the extra distance will be worth it."
She nods rather than arguing. "You know we do have to stop occasionally though right?"
"Why? With your brilliant plan of princess carry, you can reach over and access my pack to pull food out. We can go nonstop from here as far as needed."
She rolls her eyes before replying. "Almost correct. There is ooooonnne thing you overlooked as usual dear brother."
I sigh "Ok fine, what did my brilliant little sister remember that I didn't this time?"
"I, need to pee," she proudly announces, with a brilliant smile.
...
Oh.
"So, unless you are reallllly deviant, I think we are going to have to make a stop soon."
What? Oh gods!
"Why, why would you even bring something like that up? Gods damnit Lux..."
She laughs at me as I search ahead for a tree, clump of bushes, anything to let her...do her business as necessary.
(Hours later)
"Oh, oh, and of course I had a first edition copy of The Rescue comic, with art by Liefield. I'm not real big on most of his work but, he did great on your fight with Urgot." Lux rambles on about her collection of memorabilia. Of me. Which is...I'm...not quite sure what to make of that. Don't people normally collect stuff of people they don't know?
"I...would have to see it I suppose?" I try.
"Oh I certainly don't mean accurate, I very much doubt that, I mean it was cool. And you beat his ass, which is only proper," she nods.
Well at least she never lost her faith in my ability to win fights; though that's not really surprising considering she seems to have willingly and intentionally drowned herself in propaganda of me.
"Then there's the whole Black Rose series which, we are going to have to talk about at some point."
"...Black Rose series?" I don't like the sound of that. That is almost certainly talking about-
"Katarina. A whole line of comics focusing on your fights with her. They are...pretty good overall, and the art is fantastic, but...well she isn't really a witch is she?"
"A witch? Like, uses magic?"
"Not just uses magic, but full-on sold her soul to a demon for magical power. Obviously, she couldn't possibly compete with the Might of Demacia otherwise." Lux's tone is very...conflicted. She can see the complete nonsense for what it is but, her hero-worship may have gotten a bit out of hand and the two are conflicting.
"No Lux, Kat is not a witch, she is that gods damn talented, enough to keep up with me in a fight," I confirm.
I am greeted with silence as I continue to run, which is rather unexpected. Checking on her, Lux is staring at me with a suspicious expression.
"Kat."
"What?"
"You called her Kat." Lux's tone is setting off all kinds of warning bells.
"Ok?"
"Why are you calling Noxus top assassin, your arch-nemesis, by an affectionate diminutive!?"
"I...Ok Lux, first, arch-nemesis, really?" I ask.
She blushes but stands her ground...figuratively, given her position in my arms. "Don't change the subject!" she demands, pointing her finger at me.
I huff as I look away towards the horizon and contemplate my answer.
"Sorry Lux, you know how bad I am with words. I don't know how to explain an enemy that I greatly respect, but still don't hesitate to try to kill. I...feel I actually have a good understanding of her and respect her skills, and beliefs, even if I don't agree with them. Some of the other soldiers I served with said once you've shed blood alongside someone there is a certain bond between soldiers. Well, Kat and I have shed a hell of a lot of blood together, even if it was each others."
Lux does not seem convinced. "And I suppose the leather catsuit has nothing to do with it then?"
"What? No!"
Lux stares at me intently.
"Really Lux, while she is incredibly hard to hit I do land blows, and it provides very little protection from me. By the end of our fights half the suit is usually gone."
"Oh, so instead she is half-naked. You are really not helping your case mister!"
"I...again, Lux, I think your comics may be misleading you as to what a fight looks like. It is not only the suit that is gone, but skin and flesh as well. Gaping bleeding wounds or even occasional severed limbs are not exactly a turn-on."
She finally seems to at least get that much as her face scrunches up in disgust.
"Ok," she admits, "you may have a point there. Maybe." She hesitates. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you're not trying to date Katarina," she demands.
Really?
"Really Lux? Do you really think I would do that?" Despite her demand, she won't actually give me an answer.
I oblige her. Staring straight into her eyes even as I continue to run (I do appreciate Demacia's infrastructure, a rougher road would make this a pain) "I am not trying to date Katarina, I have never once even considered it. She has never been anything but a worthy opponent." I state solemnly and completely honestly. "Satisfied?"
She nods before curling back into my shoulder looking rather guilty. Really, what was all of that about?
"Lux...?"
She knows exactly what I am asking, I know she does, but she makes no attempt to reply. In the end, the only sounds are our breathing and the pounding of my feet on the dirt as the sun falls behind us. I don't pressure her as she slowly falls asleep in my arms.
And things were going so well earlier in the day...
A.N.
Please forgive Lux. I quite literally shortened Katarina's name while typing Garen's dialog on accident and she panicked. She can't lose Brother again.