Malcolm walked out of his home with essential belongings: keys, cigars, lighter and a small flask filled with bourbon. He locked the door behind him, turned towards Piltover's light traffic and noticed Jayce on the spot - parked in a white car. Malcolm paced towards the vehicle and stepped inside into the passenger seat. The interior was spotless of any smudges or dust, and the cloth seats felt soft as a bed of feathers.
This guy's a little too clean. Malcolm thought
Jayce's brows furrowed with a frown seconds after Malcolm closed the door behind him.
"Don't make me put the belt on for you," Jayce said with a grin.
Malcolm glared and sighed in response and reluctantly clicked the seatbelt in place. The belt rested tightly against his chest and the sound caused Jayce to drop his frustrated expression.
"Are ya just gonna stare at me, or are we going?" Malcolm asked, annoyed.
"If you give me a kiss and ask nicely, I might start the car."
Malcolm rolled his eyes - his frustration ebbed and flowed with Jayce's remarks. He desired to learn more about what happened to his friend, but Jayce's games weren't helping him stay level-headed. The retired scoundrel debated on how to handle the situation. He knew, however - with certainty - that Jayce would keep toying with him if he didn't cave in.
Malcolm gnawed on his lip ,defeated, knowing he had one option.
Agh, what the hell. He thought
He scrunched his lips together and leaned towards Jayce's forehead - delivering a quick peck. Malcolm moved his head back to the headrest. His eyes were focused away from Jayce, who was amused by Malcolm's shy demeanor. Jayce rubbed a tiny circle in the spot Malcolm kissed and, almost inaudibly, chuckled.
Malcolm noticed this immediately and with a leer directed at Jayce said, "The hell are you laughing about?"
"Well, you see, I was gonna ask you for something more serious," Jayce reached towards Malcolm and placed his arm around him. "Your cherry colored cheeks made up for it though."
"Shut up and drive."
Jayce obliged and started the ignition. The engine purred a steady crescendo as they drove through Piltover en route to Demacia. Malcolm groaned - feeling last night's lack of sleep weighing in. He slouched back and angled the back of the seat down to relax more. Malcolm's eyes came to a close and breathing slowed to a crawl. Jayce glanced occasionally towards Malcolm and, after being certain he was asleep, reached for Malcolm's hand. His thumb traced around Malcolm's palm - the soft circles gave him comfort.
"Rest easy, Malcolm," Jayce said in a whisper.
The drive took a mere forty minutes. Jayce parked his car in the lot reserved for guests and took in the familiar surroundings. The kingdom's entrance boasted a large golden gate and their walls comprised of a reflective coat akin to diamonds. Jayce glanced towards Malcolm, who was still asleep. The night's lack of rest left a clear impact on him.
Jayce gently nudged Malcolm and said, "Hey. Time to wake up."
Malcolm was unresponsive after a few more attempts, and Jayce sighed in response to his futile efforts. The closest reply Jayce received was a half-hearted snore. He chuckled - finding it both annoying and adorable.
An idea to wake Malcolm popped in Jayce's mind, though quite evil. He unbuckled his seat belt and slid closer to Malcolm. He leaned in directly to Malcolm's ear and a gentle puff of air escaped his lips. Jayce, then traced his tongue meticulously over the lobe and gave a firm nibble.
"Wake up," he commanded in a whisper.
Malcolm's eyes fluttered open - oblivious to what Jayce had done. He yawned and slowly rolled his head away from Jayce, but his attempt to fall back asleep was disarmed by a gentle force pulling on his ear. His eyes darted open, fully alert.
"The fuck are you doin'?!" Malcolm said.
"Oh, I don't know. I figured the sleeping beauty standard didn't apply to you. Just be glad it was your ear."
Malcolm's face turned a scarlet color as he gave Jayce a playful shove.
"Ya better not get any funny ideas."
Malcolm unbuckled his seat belt and climbed out of the car - slamming the door shut behind him.
"Woah, easy now, It was just a nibble," Jayce said. He snickered at the man's embarrassed expression.
"What in tarnation goes through your head?" Malcolm asked. He stared at Jayce, bewildered at what he did.
"More than just nibbling you."
Jayce looked back at Malcolm in amusement and dismissed Malcolm's flustered conversation by walking onward towards the kingdom's entrance. A blue aura surrounded the large gates as they approached and the crisp air turned humid. Jayce continued to walk forward and grabbed Malcolm's hand as he went face to face with the gates. Their bodies passed through as if nothing was there - the experience left a cold chill along Malcolm's spine.
"High tech magic that keeps people from enemy kingdoms out. Crazy stuff isn't it." Jayce said.
"And it knows I'm not a threat how, exactly?"
"You don't have the bloodline of Noxus. Also, there's no rogue mana in your veins."
The idea made sense to Malcolm, but he couldn't shake off how it missed him being a thief all of these years. A couple of his small heists with Tobias were in Demacia's ports. He supposed that either had to deal with domesticating himself in Piltover or Tobias cloaking what little affinity for magic Malcolm possessed.
"Yeah, that's pretty neat I guess. So... where's this person at?"
"At the library. I called her prior, she figures it'll be the best place to discuss things."
"Sounds good to me."
They continued down Demacia's streets, turning the occasional corner. The pavement was a pure white color, spotless of any scuffs or imperfections. Homes and establishments were of bright colors. Malcolm thought this was odd. He pondered on why the city was devoid of any darker colors or degraded buildings. The kingdom appeared to offer a vibe of forced happiness at every corner. This didn't settle as a great impression to Malcolm, as he was used to living in less chipper areas.
After several minutes of turning corners and walking across the occasional street they arrived at their destination. The library was just as pure as the other buildings; however, the structure seemed aged compared to everything else. The stone building was a gray color - free of any dirty smudges and chips, yet it appeared to have been a shadow of its former self.
These folks and their building plans are weird. Malcolm thought.
"Are you just gonna stand there?" Jayce said - his voice separated Malcolm away from his thoughts.
"Sorry," Malcolm said. He hurried forward to the glass door entrance and followed Jayce inside.
"s'okay. She wanted us to meet up in one of the private rooms to discuss this. Whatever trouble your friend's in must be serious."
Malcolm rubbed the bridge between his nose, annoyed at Jayce's comments. He followed closely behind and glanced around occasionally. The floors were made of a dark oak wood and walls of light red were barely visible with the towering shelves that covered them. The lighting comprised of several low hanging bobbing bulbs per aisle.
For a town filled with mages, they're basic as hell with this place. Malcolm mused in thought.
After turning through a few aisles of books along with narrow hallways Jayce came to a halt. In front of them was a small dark room, enough to fit maybe five people comfortably. Malcolm glanced nervously towards Jayce - he wanted him to lead the way.
"After you," Malcolm said as he motioned Jayce forward.
Jayce nodded, entered the room and turned on a dim light near the entrance. The walls were the same gray tone on the outside of the Library and the interior only contained a single white table with three chairs. Malcolm sat down next to Jayce - waiting anxiously.
"Err, what time is she coming?" Malcolm asked. He found it odd they arrived before she did.
"Should be any time now," Jayce said. He reached for Malcolm's hand and rubbed, gently, between the spaces of his fingers. Jayce smiled at Malcolm and used his other free hand to caress Malcolm's face. He rubbed his scars in a circular motion - as if absorbing their history. After a few moments of rubbing Jayce ceased and pulled him closer. Malcolm offered no resistance. The kiss, though brief, drew a comforting warmth Malcolm was unfamiliar with.
How does he do this to me? Malcolm thought.
Without warning, a blinding white light flashed from across the two. Malcolm's fight or flight senses kicked in and he pathetically knocked both his chair and himself on the cold wooden floor. His head pounded terribly from both the impact and blinding light.
The hell just happened? He thought.
A high pitched giggle boasted through the room. Jayce offered Malcolm a hand, which he reluctantly accepted, and sat back upright in his chair. Malcolm rubbed the back of his head and shifted his focus towards where the light erupted. In its place a girl, around twenty years old, with golden blonde hair and a blue dress sat down.
"Sorry to keep you boys waiting," she said. She held her hands over her face in an attempt to conceal the occasional giggle. "Also, I'm sorry if I frightened you."
Malcolm gave her an annoyed look and nodded.
This ditsy brat is going to help me how, exactly? He thought.
"Good to see you, Lux. I was wonderin' when you'd show up." Jayce said with a smile and enthusiastic tone.
"Well, I'm in command of the military. A girl can't get any free time around those people." Lux giggled and turned towards Malcolm, beaming. "So, you must be Malcolm."
Malcolm stared back at Lux and said, "Yeah. I reckon that'd be me."
Lux masked the occasional chuckle as she weaved her fingers through the air. A violet light materialized and followed her dancing fingers. After a brief chant and snap of her fingers, a purple hue surrounded the room and the vast library that was once visible turned pitch black. Malcolm took a small step back, unamused with the girl's magic.
"Nice parlor trick, girl," said Malcolm.
Jayce snickered - Malcolm turned to give him a disgruntled glare. Jayce walked forward towards Malcolm. He disarmed the leer with a small embrace and turned his face towards Lux.
"So, I suppose this must be potentially serious if you had to use a silencing spell on the room," Jayce said.
"Well, I guess you could say that. Your boyfriend may be in deep trouble with how you described his attack," Lux said. She turned back towards the wall drew a square with her fingers and muttered a chant, "sa-ele-sa-tiri-vi."
The square Lux drew etched into a sky blue color and a spectrum of bright colors leaked from the figure. She reached inside the square and pulled out a small clear orb. She clutched the figure loosely in her hands and turned towards Malcolm - the colors and casting square faded as she approached him.
"I just need to confirm if my suspicions are correct. I have a spell that'll let me see everything you encountered - including the person's magical essence," Lux said while she held the orb in her hand.
She smiled at Malcolm as she grabbed his hand and placed the ball on his palm. Malcolm's reflection stared back at him crystal clear. He took an uncertain breath and glanced at Jayce, who was still holding him loosely. Jayce winced, tightened his grip on Malcolm and said, "I'm sorry. This is gonna hurt a little bit."
"I need a few drops of blood. I'm sorry, sweetie," Lux said - her voice laced with thick sarcasm and fake empathy.
Who the fuck pissed in her cheerios? Malcolm thought.
Malcolm sighed and rolled his eyes in response to Lux's comments. He closed his eyes and turned away towards Jayce - his hand still carrying the artifact. The orb began to glow a yellow color, akin to the sun. He cursed under his breath - the light was blinding even when he had his eyes closed, turned away. His palm sweated furiously as pulses of low heat emitted from the orb. Lux continued to chant in foreign mantras, and as her chants became faster the waves of heat grew fiercer.
Malcolm let out a small whimper as the lighting transitioned from yellow to a bright red. The memories of the attack replayed once again.
"Come on, touch me. I'll make it all go away," his assailant said.
The beady eyes stared at him once again. Although this was a memory, he felt petrified by just their appearance.
"Found it," Lux said cheerfully.
"Don't push him too hard," Jayce said with concern.
"I've verified the source of the magic. I'll just need to use his memory to scry the location out."
The scene transitioned from the bar to a room lit by a dim, pulsing green light. Chains were scattered across the room and several men screamed in agony behind bars. Malcolm shifted his gaze around the room and noticed both his attacker and a familiar face.
Fate! He thought with anger and desperation.
Malcolm's assailant loomed over Tobias - still appearing in a human form, yet her sadistic smile suggested otherwise. She draped Tobias in a loose embrace and let out a soft moan. Her nails dug deep into his skin, a trickle of blood cascaded down his body. The crimson droplets pulsed with an embar color as the demon licked the substance, and a smokey aura of both blue and a dark gray began to envelop the two.
"No, no," the woman moaned. "Don't die yet!"
She trailed butterfly kisses across his chest and sunk her teeth into his skin.
"Argh. You wench," Tobias said with a growl. "Evelynn, You'll meet your fate one da.- AGH! You stupid bitch!"
"Awe, someone's tired. Are you wanting to nap... forever?"
Tobias' eyes came to a close and Evelynn nudged them open with her fingers. Her fingertips shifted into claws and left a delicate slice across his eyelids.
"Not yet, honey," her voice echoed off the walls. Once human, now a monster, Evelynn shrieked like a banshee, and the hazy aura turned pitch black - concealing the two. Any sounds the Evelynn and Tobias made were now inaudible - only the sounds of men crying out in pain were heard.
Malcolm stared at the scene in horror. He trembled, his knees were giving out on him.
"Lux, stop it. I'm sure you got what you wanted," Jayce said.
She giggled and snapped her fingers, the orb evaporated from Malcolm's hand and the scene of the dim room returned.
"So, it appears she is on the shadow isles. This is the same succubus that stole important military documents from us," Lux sighed and rolled her eyes. "My god, how did your boyfriend get himself into this? Was that his ex or something that pissed off a grade A succubus?"
Malcolm drew short breaths as he processed the information. A succubus that wanted Military information. What exactly did she want from Tobias then? Sure, his mana supply was off the charts, but he could put up a fight if he wanted to. He felt a seething anger build.
What is this masochist doing. I swear to God I'm going to kill him before she can. Malcolm thought.
"I don't think you should do that. I might get some more information off of him." Lux said with a sly smile.
Malcolm's mouth went agape in shock.
She can read my thoughts how exactly? Malcolm thought, bewildered.
"Residual magic left over from the spell. Now, if we're saving your friend I'm gonna need you to come with me," Lux motioned him forward. "I can't kill this whore and save some random person at the same time, and I don't feel like being blamed for your pal's death.
She exited the room at a brisk pace and motioned for Malcolm and Jayce to follow her.
"What the hell is happening?" Malcolm muttered out loud.
"Everything's gonna be fine... I do have to ask though, is that man truly your ex?" Jayce asked.
Malcolm rolled his eyes.
"No. The bastard's gonna be dead if I have anything to say about it."
Malcolm shoved Jayce's arms off him - ignoring him as he walked out of the tight corridor - eyes set to question and kill.