Malcolm glanced towards Tobias, who remained silent. He expected a wild tale of twisted truths to spew from his mouth. Tobias held his stoic composure, scratching his chin while he stared at the sky. The silence captivated them for several minutes.
"Well, I suppose you should know a few things first," Tobias said, his gaze unmoving. Malcolm answered with a curious stare.
"Go on," Malcolm said with a huff.
"Well, short stack, Evelynn, and I have a history together." Tobias broke his stare from the sky and lazily dipped his head in Malcolm's direction. "I had some sexy time and a good chunk of gold for my mana. Not too bad, eh?" He smiled at Malcolm and chuckled.
"Sounds like y'all are perfect for each other..." Malcolm crossed his arms and shook his head. What the hell does this have to do with me exactly? He rolled his eyes at the thought.
"Oh, but it turned out nasty. I told her to stop draining me one day and ran away. I assumed I'd never see her again." Tobias shrugged. "Obviously that wasn't the case. A few years after I met you she tracked me down and threatened me."
Malcolm scoffed loudly. "What threat?"
"She threatened to kill you herself if I didn't leave you to die in Ionia. That bitch feeds off of agony like it's a corrupting potion. Your death would've given her what she wanted." Malcolm raised his fist in anger and Tobias took a step back and raised his hands in a placating manner. "Easy, partner."
"You're a fucking rodent, Fate!" Malcolm slammed his fist down, only to stop a few inches from Tobias' face. A thin blue veil surrounded him as he radiated with anger. "Why didn't you kill her? I almost bled out in an Ionian forest escaping!"
Tobias, moved Malcolm's fist aside. "Calm those hot hands and I'll explain."
Malcolm rolled his eyes. "I'll let ya get a few words in." He gave Tobias a smoldering glare. "Make it quick."
"Well, for starters, she ain't your typical flimsy woman. She sucked me dry of mana after she found me. I had two choices. If I enchanted your insides a bit, you'd have a chance of flopping out of there, whereas if we fled she'd obliterate you by blinking."
"Why would you even bother?" Malcolm furrowed his brows. He couldn't see himself worth all the trouble Tobias went out for.
"We're partners… aren't we?" Tobias stared blankly at Malcolm.
Malcolm shook his head. His thoughts were in a tug of war, one side clung to hating Tobias for leaving him alone, and the other appreciated Tobias looked out for him. Damnit. He sighed.
"I reckon we are, Fate."
"Good." Tobias smiled and placed a hand on Malcolm's shoulder. "Now, tell me what you've been up to these years."
Malcolm sighed and began to recount what his life had become. From the everyday job, lack of social life, and days spent researching where Tobias could be. His petty theft confessions made Tobias chuckle.
He chuckled and nudged Malcolm's arm. "Can't leave behind your life of crime I see?."
His gaze shifted from Tobias' playful face to the vacant ports. He took in the soothing sounds of the waves and wildlife nearby. Only to be broken as Jayce appeared in the distance walking towards him, hands in his pockets. Surely he isn't pissed still? Malcolm rolled his eyes at the thought. Jayce approached him with a stern finger extended.
"Both you and your... friend are being summoned," Jayce said. His glance towards Malcolm was like a hunter on its prey. "The king has requested you especially, mage. Demacia is in serious shit now because of your shenanigans." He dropped his hand and gave Tobias the same deadly look. Jayce held his firm posture as he turned to walk away.
After Jayce turned away, Malcolm tried to apologize, "I'm so-"
"No. You aren't. That succubus wouldn't force you to do anything you didn't want to." His stern tone and stiff posture made Malcolm wince. "I wish you would've told me how you felt about him."
"The fuck are you talking about?" Malcolm bolted forward and placed a hand on Jayce to prevent him from leaving. "I felt forced into what happened."
"Oh, I'm sure you did. It was your own damn desires though!" Jayce's voice was above the normal tone he held, the tides beside them seemed to shift with his words alone.
"Would you rather us smack faces instead while this dipshit stayed unconscious? Or saved his own skin?" Malcolm glared at Tobias.
"Whoa now, partner. I'm a little insulted. I would've saved you," Tobias said.
"Shut up!" Malcolm was at his breaking point. His best friend of several years either dreamed up the most eloquent lie, or he was seeking to help. Jayce being bent out of shape over a single kiss Evelynn forced him into didn't help him either. He released his grip from Jayce and sat back down with his eyes closed.
"Whatever Malcolm, we don't have time to discuss this, anyway. Follow me to the courtroom." Jayce walked onward, his movements radiated his frustration.
Malcolm sighed and ran a hand down his face as he watched Jayce walk away. Tobias and Malcolm walked together, staying several feet behind Jayce.
"Boy trouble?" Tobias whispered to Malcolm with a smirk. He reached over and patted Malcolm's shoulder. "I'm sure he'll come around."
He sighed, exasperated. At this point, Malcolm didn't even care either way. The drama caused by saving Tobias felt like the whole situation wasn't worth it. What if that kiss meant something? I've known Jayce for a few days and Fate my whole life. He moved his stare from Jayce's back and looked to Tobias, still smiling at him. Malcolm frowned, still unsure of how to respond.
Malcolm frowned and averted his gaze. "Let's not talk about this now."
The path to the kingdom's entrance came slower than expected, the gate's protective aura sent shivers down Malcolm's spine. He clasped his arms together for temporary warmth as they walked through the series of homes. it wasn't too much longer before they reached the courtyard to Demacia's capital. Several armored soldiers guarded the entrance, which comprised of prismatic glass that shifted in color.
"I've brought them with me for the interrogation. Search the mage, then send him in afterward," Jayce said in a commanding tone.
"Understood," one knight in a lighter-colored armor replied. The guard walked towards Tobias with a blue-colored rope in his hand. "Get no ideas. I'm sealing your magic off for now." He turned towards Jayce and Malcolm. "What about the other guy?"
"Hardly a threat, I'll handle him." Jayce grabbed Malcolm's arm after the reply and dragged him forward into the castle.
_
Malcolm offered no resistance while Jayce guided him down the endless hallways. The ceiling towered high, and the walls were a shiny color that resembled diamonds. He glanced around the building and grunted.
"Can ya let go of me?" Malcolm asked with a huff. He wiggled his hand a little loose from Jayce's grip.
"Why on Runterra would I do that?" Jayce quipped with a pointed look.
"Oh, piss off with your attitude."
"Likewise." Jayce regained his hold on Malcolm's hand and continued to guide him through the long hallways.
Minutes later, after shuffling through endless corridors, they had arrived in the courtroom. Malcolm's steps on the black and white chess-like tiled floor sent chills down his spine. In here, he was only a pawn in Demacia's justice system. Jayce released his hand from Malcolm and walked towards the judge's stand, where a man dressed in black sat.
"I have Malcolm," Jayce said.
"Excellent. We'll take it from here," the judge replied. His tone was unsettling, low and just below a growl. "Sit down, Malcolm." He pointed behind Malcolm to a vacant seat.
He gave a nod then turned around to sit down. He scowled at the seat before dropping himself into it. The room felt colder while several eyes darted between documents and him. Running out of the courtroom was an option, but without Tobias, he had no chance of escaping. A skilled mage would electrocute him instantly. He'd take being questioned over jolted any day of the week, so he decided waiting with his head held down was the best option.
"This wasn't worth it," he kept repeating to himself. He hung his head down, melancholy and halfway oblivious. Recounting the events, he rubbed his hands on his forehead, wiping the nervous sweat away.
The sound of a gavel slamming interrupted his thoughts. He glanced up at the judge, a scornful gaze returned his.
"Glad that got your attention this time," he said.
Malcolm blushed a light shade of red.
"Sorry." Malcolm struggled to make eye contact.
"I only have a few questions for you." The judge flipped through his documents and conjured a pair of glasses with a wave of his hand. "How long have you known Tobias Fate?"
"Several years now."
"Do you know why he'd conspire with such a dark entity?" His eyes peered from above the lenses of his glasses. A tingling sensation ran through Malcolm's head. Between slow blinks, the room gradually transformed into pastel-like puddles of colors. "May I remind you that you are under oath? "
He broke his gaze from the judge's eyes and rocked his head lightly. The tips of his fingers traced his forehead, to distract him from what he assumed to be one of the mage's magic.
"T-to save my skin, I guess?" Malcolm froze in place, his eyes widened and breathing slowed to a crawl. Heat waves emitted from the judge's body, for what he once could disregard as sweat appeared to be wax-like material. The fumes radiated stronger, only seconds had passed, the judge melted away in a black color akin to tar.
What in tarnation?! He thought. His eyes darted around the room for answers, and his breathing picked up again
Sounds of chimes rang with a distorted echo through the now colorful room. While the sounds increased in tempo, a thick white smog expanded throughout the puddles. Echoes of laughter boomed from the surrounding. Though dazed, he blinked for a quick sanity check.
"What the hell!?" He glanced throughout the room, the smog dissipated into a fine mist. "Is this your twisted idea of a polygraph?"
"Lying is like... ninety-five percent of what I do," a female voice called in the distance. Malcolm turned his head to search where the voice was coming from. "Watch closely."
Above his head, a shiny golden sigil formed with a high-pitched ring. The world swam before his eyes as he staggered backwards, but, despite his symptoms, he knew he needed to fight. Malcolm extended his right arm.
"Destiny," he tried to call, but his voice wouldn't carry through. "shit," he mouthed helplessly. Portals that shot out purple chains appeared from all sides. Malcolm went to dodge the oncoming attack, only to find himself immobilized. He gasped, and the adrenaline kicked in. His fight or flight response left him breathless while the chains appeared to launch at him in slow motion.
"Malcolm!" he heard Tobias' voice shout in the distance, with no distortions. He sounded relieved, yet desperate.
"Fate get the fuck out of here!" Malcolm tried to roar back at him. "You'll jus-" Tobias cut him off with a firm tackle behind him. The chains deflected silently off Tobias' body shielded in a blue veil.
"I'll just be saving your ass again, partner." Tobias smiled, then assumed a protective embrace around Malcolm. "Banshee of blight, shield." A dark purple aura encased Malcolm. Tobias stepped outside of the protective bubble.
"Wait!" Malcolm's voice had returned. He stood up to chase after him but felt a force press against the exit to Tobias' spell. "Damnit, Fate!"
"Can't leave you out in the open, short stack. Sorry." Tobias turned away from Malcolm and scanned the room. "I suggest you show your pretty face before I cut you to pieces."
Tobias clasped his hands together and chanted foreign mantras. A crimson card came from a cloud of smoke in front of him. He retrieved it and held it between his fingers.
"Here's a warning shot." He flung the card in front of him, and in the blink of an eye it collided with the wall, causing a red explosion. He drew another card, yellow colored, and noticed a blue sigil form above Malcolm's head in accompaniment with a high pitched ding.
"For a moment I thought I'd broken a sweat." A matron dressed in black emerged from the colorful field to Malcolm's right, she dashed towards him and shattered the sigil and Tobias' shield into a glass-like fragment on impact. The blow knocked him backwards, and what appeared to be a clone of the woman gilded alongside him. The second woman slammed her staff down with brute force into Malcolm's stomach, a searing mark resembling a rose scorched into his skin.
"Agh!" he cried out in pain with a wince. "You stupid bitch!"
"Wahaha!" she chuckled with glee. "You're mine now." She snapped her fingers, movement around the room froze, as if time stood still. Her spell paralyzed him in place. The clone vanished in a puff of smoke, and Leblanc appeared beside him in place of it.
"For my next trick, I'll make you disappear," Leblanc whispered. Her ice cold lips brushed Malcolm's ears, and her hands draped around his body in an eerie embrace. "Ethereal chains, bind him." A yellow mist appeared around him to heed her call. The essence spawned tiny silver chains. With no further command from the woman, they bound around his skin - leaving scorched burns as they pressed into him.
"Why are you doing this, wench?" he hissed at her.
"Oh, I suppose I'll humor you." She laughed, then cupped his face with a few fingers. " Here's the short version, love. My name's Leblanc. Evelynn sent me to get rid of you and In return, I'll get some important information she stole."
"Go to hell," Malcolm spat in her direction, the saliva passed through her body like she was a hologram.
"Tsk. How rude, don't you know how to treat a lady?"
Leblanc raised her staff above Malcolm, keeping it held above his head. She smirked as the staff radiated a blue color, becoming brighter every second. Malcolm saw the world fade once again. The giggles from his assailant faded into tiny echos. Small blurry figures were all that remained in his sight.
Suddenly, a whirlwind of cards imbued with an electrical red mist appeared in front of Malcolm. They swiped violently at the woman as she withdrew from Malcolm to evade the onslaught of attacks.
"I know basic deception when I see it, fool," she said. Leblanc swiped with her pink jewel tipped staff in front of her. A series of crows appeared on command and flocked while she evaded the attacks to retrieve the cards buzzing with energy.
"You're the fool, honey," Tobias whispered behind her with a smirk. His right arm dropped between her chest.
She gasped and blushed a cherry shade Malcolm wouldn't think was possible for such a pale woman. A joker card laid between her breasts, the cheeky smile and eyes peering out as if to taunt her. Leblanc frantically fumbled with both hands for the card to retrieve it. However, as her fingertips plucked it out, the card combusted with a high-pitched hiss. White flashes of light filled the room as Tobias teleported towards Malcolm to throw up a protective barrier around them.
"I'll be back for you later, Tobias Fate," Leblanc said. Her voice was distant.
"Tell Eve to leave us the hell alone if she knows what's good for her." Tobias shifted his gaze towards Malcolm. "You ok, Malcolm?" His concern sounded surprisingly genuine.
"Yeah... I'm fine." Malcolm brushed his comments aside and stood in the silence. His vision slowly cleared, and the surroundings returned to the normal courtroom.
"Thanks, Fate." He reached over to embrace Tobias and gripped him tight.
"Saving a damsel in distress like you?" He returned the embrace without hesitation "Worth it anytime."
The moment felt warm, Malcolm basked in it, his ignorance drowning out any possible comments in the courtroom. Malcolm glanced towards where the judge had sat. He let out a disgruntled yelp. The people that were once in the courtroom laid stiff as a board.
"Let's get out of here. Goin' forward we're looking after ourselves only," Tobias said. He turned around with a grab to Malcolm's arm and dragged him out of the courtroom. Though his face appeared pale as a ghost, Malcolm smiled. Tobias' vice-like grip was oddly comforting.
Just like old times, he thought with fondness.
They walked down the long hallways together - a mutual silence encompassing them.
"So... why don't you just teleport us out?" Malcolm asked.
"I can't waste any mana," Tobias replied. He squeezed Malcolm's arm tighter. "Let's be quick. I can feel Evelynn's aura somewhere nearby."
Moments later, they arrived at the entrance. Malcolm did a double take from seeing Jayce at the doorway. A dark purple mist encased his body. Jayce's eyes burned with an agony Malcolm couldn't deny.
"Jayce," Malcolm whispered. He went to take a few steps towards him, but Tobias' arm blocked him off. Tobias turned to face Malcolm and shook his head.
"Let me handle 'em, short stack." Tobias pushed him back. "This guy's proven to get sucked in easy. I ain't letting him touch you." He swiped his hand through the air, four black cards appeared one by one during the motion. Dark electrical pulses emitted around Jayce in response. Malcolm shivered, both out of fear and the sudden change in temperature. He couldn't stand to see the two men fight each other.
"Snap out of it, Jayce," Malcolm said with a growl. He stomped his foot forward with a fist raised. "I know you're stronger than this!"
"Malcolm, It was your choice that led me to this..." Jayce said. His killer stare locked into Malcolm's eyes. "Your desires are your choices. You'll pay the price for them." Jayce swung his hammer towards Tobias, a blue spark of energy raced towards his target.
"Reflect," Tobias shouted. He threw out one of his cards, conjuring a golden barrier. The attack bounced harmlessly against his shield before it quickly reformed and redirected towards Jayce.
Jayce gritted his teeth and batted the magic blast back at Tobias, who easily denied his spell yet again with the same counterspell. Tobias grinned as the game of tennis sped up. Both men eyed each other as if the magic was non-existent.
Malcolm forced himself to breathe. He peeled his sight away from the nauseating battle before him. Instead, he focused on the empty stares and robotic like movement of both men.
Jayce falling so low after knowing him briefly made him frown. Jayce's heart was too open. Malcolm knew he had his own vices, but he felt jealousy was more destructive than his years of smoking and theft.
"Summon aery," Tobias called. He tossed two cards from his hands. A blue spiritual familiar, shaped like a kitten appeared from Tobias' card in a puff of smoke. It wagged its tail as it blinked to Jayce's arm holding his hammer. An orange glass-like material encased his arms and legs, he struggled helplessly against the immobilizing spell. As the spell reflected off Tobias one last time, the purple mist dissipated. He glanced towards Malcolm and mouthed, I'm sorry.
The energy hissed as it collided with Jayce and exploded in a blinding white light. Malcolm closed his eyes, both the blinding light and loss brought him to tears. Tobias extended both of his arms outright, a barrier formed to shield them through the explosion of cement and glass. Chaotic sounds of walls collapsing and glass shattering surrounded them.
Eventually, the light dimmed from the blinding levels, only Jayce's hammer laid in their path. A seared outline of his body laid on a nearby block of cement.
"Why..." Malcolm said, his tone full of apathy. He grimaced at the scene with his eyes closed and teeth clenched as tears streamed down his face. "Damn it!" He fell to his knees and punched the cracked floor.
"Sorry, partner," Tobias spoke softly as he placed his hands on Malcolm's shoulders. He massaged them tenderly before wrapping him in a loose embrace. "Evelynn won't live long enough to hurt ya again." His words were firm, yet comforting.
"Thanks, Fate," Malcolm wiped the remaining tears off his face before lifting himself off the ground with Tobias. He glanced back at him, thankful his puffy eyes concealed a tiny blush across his cheeks. "I'll blow her head off myself if I need to."
"Easy now, short stack." Tobias playfully ruffled his hand through Malcolm's hair. "I reckon we're gonna look mighty suspicious if we stay here. Let's save our sappy reunion for later."
Malcolm nodded and walked beside him through the demolished hall and desecrated courtyard. Tobias smiled as he fumbled through his cards and withdrew three queens of diamonds. He tossed them in the air and clasped his hands together, then chanted a foreign mantra.
"Xia-nomeh." The three cards created a grey whirlwind in reply to Tobias' words. Malcolm froze in place as cycling magic caved in on them. Tobias locked his arm around Malcolm's "I ain't vanishing without you no more."
Malcolm blushed in return. The magical essence left his body lighter than feathers. He winced from both the change in weight and a sharp twinge in his stomach.
Fuck, he mouthed as he gripped his gut. The dull pain flared to a burning sensation like someone had added fuel to a kindling fire. Both the magical energy surrounding him and Tobias faded in and out of sight.
"Hey, Malcolm! You okay?!" Tobias broke the spell with a quick snap of his fingers. The whirlwind of magic vanished on command. Tall wilted blades of grass concealed them from view, only the setting sun peeked through. Malcolm blinked twice after Tobias called his name. He noticed himself on the cold soiled floor, cupping his stomach.
"I think so.. how long was I laying like this exactly?" He sat upright with a grunt and rolled his shirt up to inspect where he the pain resided. His eyes widened, Leblanc's mark from earlier had grown in size and blistered his skin. A few of the petals from the impression appeared to no longer be there. "What the fuck?"
Malcolm stared at Tobias, looking for an answer.
"You were down for about a minute. Did the matron cause this symbol?" Tobias asked, his voice stern.
"Great.. and yeah, she shanked me with her staff." Malcolm rolled his eyes and stood up from the ground.
"Let me get a better look. Stand still."
Tobias reached down and traced the spot delicately with his fingertips. Pulses of blue energy jolted across his eyes as he examined it. Malcolm winced, the pain flared up again with Tobias' touch, and the rose radiated an embar-like color as it adjusted a smidgen larger. Tobias tore his eyes away and removed his hand from the mark. He appeared mortified.
"Malcolm," Tobias began as he gripped Malcolm's shoulders, "I'm gonna need you to trust me, ok?"
Malcolm nodded, a concerned expression loomed over his face.
"You have a seal that's shutting your mana off. It responds negative to magic. If I don't do something quick, you will die." He loosened his grip and stared into his eyes. "I'm not sure if I can dispel it, but Bard be damned if I'm gonna let you die."
"Do what you gotta, Fate," Malcolm muttered. He peered back over Tobias' shoulders where slivers of moonlight now slipped through the blades of grass.
I just can't catch a fucking break.