Jarvan blinked the pain away from his eyes as he spluttered the water from his mouth, leaning over and coughing, clearing water from his throat. There was a weight on his chest as if he had been struck with a hammer, and his vision was blurry and red around the edges. He blinked his eyes; everything was blurry from the water as he began frantically looking for Shyvana. He breathed a short sigh of relief, realizing the weight on his chest was actually Shyvana and the red in his vision was her soaked hair. He sat up carefully, rolling her into his lap. She was lain out, naked and bruised, blood dripping from a gash on her chest, but she was alive, her chest rising and falling slowly. Jarvan sat up, holding Shyvana close as he looked about, blinking the darkness from his eyes, his body making every effort to tell him about what that hurt, which at the moment was everything.
Pain is good though, that means everything is intact and attached. Jarvan paused as he held Shyvana over the pool of water, still dripping from their crash landing.
They had landed in a long pool of water, a fountain babbling at one end, the other emptying out into a small stream that ran around an ornate garden. Jarvan shuddered in the cool water, looking about. The garden seemed to be closed in, only the trees and flowers to keep him company as he slogged his way out of the pool, holding Shyvana in his arms. She was still out cold as he stepped out of the pool, moving towards a bed of grass where he collapsed, breathing deeply and doing his best to calm his racing heart. He lay back on the ground as shouts and cries came from across a wall several hundred feet distant of him, where men and women seemed to already have heard news of the dragon's descent across the city.
"I was wondering what was causing all that ruckus." A voice purred from somewhere nearby. "When I heard you had been captured by that dimwit general, well needless to say, I was surprised."
Katarina crossed her arms as she sat on the branch of a tree, an impressed smirk on her face as she looked down at Jarvan. She leaned backwards, letting her momentum carry her backwards around the branch, doing a simple flip as she fell to the ground. She landed with her hands held away from her body, steadying her descent. She stepped forward, eying the impressive wound and broken armor on Jarvan's arm, and then turning to the naked Shyvana, who Jarvan had lain upon the grass, on her side, her shoulders rising and falling steadily.
"Oh great." Jarvan grumbled, running his good hand over his face. He lay back on the grass, sighing heavily. "More trouble." Katarina hid a chuckle behind her hand, smiling coyly at the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm him. She stood over the prince, her fists posted upon her hips as she looked out over the garden.
"The least you could have done was not tear up my father's favorite tree." Katarina said dejectedly, shaking her head. Jarvan looked over his shoulder back towards the wall. A pink leaved cherry tree sat split down the middle, half of it on the ground and the other half of it sitting at an awkward angle.
"What are you going to do?" Jarvan growled as he slumped back, laying his arm across his face. "Have us arrested again?"
"Not hardly." Katarina said, an exasperated smile crossing her face. She shook her head. "Lets get her inside and bandage your wounds first though."
Jarvan paused, sitting up with a grunt of exertion, his side now beginning to show a bruise where Shyvana had struck him with his own lance. The red-haired Noxian pulled her jacket off, draping it around Shyvana's shoulders, levering the wounded Dragoness up into a sitting position. Jarvan watched wearily for a blade to appear in her hand, but Katarina helped the prince to his feet and then helped him lift her up onto his good shoulder.
"Why are you helping us?" Jarvan asked as she beckoned for him to follow, headed back towards the manor. He hadn't moved a step, his gaze locked on Katarina.
"Don't think this won't come free, Demacian." She said, a cat like smile on her face. "But unless you want to be turned over the guards and chased around the city until you're dead, I would follow me." She gestured for him to follow.
"Just what is it you want?" Jarvan asked, narrowing his gaze, still holding his ground.
"Truthful answers and at very least an explanation as to why you're lying in my garden with a naked girl draped across your lap."
"Fair enough." Jarvan muttered, following behind her as she turned and shrugged, headed back towards the massive manor that sat at the center of the gardens. "Ask away."
"All in due time, prince." Katarina purred, glancing over her shoulder with a grin. "Let's get your lucky princess taken care of first."
Jarvan frowned but nodded, following behind her.
Shyvana woke with a start, sitting up abruptly, retching as pain overwhelmed her chest, causing her to squeal and clench her teeth. As the pain subsided, she vaguely became aware of the new settings she found herself amid. Gone were the dirty stone walls of the pit and the wooden planks of the Drunken Dagger. She looked around, the subtle lavenders, purples and reds of the plushly finished room coming as a bit of a shock to her. She had never seen such opulence in the decoration of a room, and the garishly bright colors made her stomach queasy. She breathed deeply as she looked around, the lack of Jarvan's presence enough to cause her adrenaline to spike.
"Good, it seems you're finally awake." A deep bass rumbled from across the room. Shyvana felt ice in her stomach as Talon stepped from the shadows, a neutral look on his face. She read a passive stance in his body language but the lack of hostility or raised blade did nothing to settle her stomach. She knew he would inevitably be armed, even if she couldn't see the weapon on his person. She growled, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end.
"You!" Shyvana hissed raising a hand back and then wincing as she did, the wound on her chest screaming in pain again. She shrunk back, trying to hide her pain, but Talon grinned, shaking his head at her efforts.
"I would advise against any erratic movements." He grunted, turning away, rubbing his head. "Your wounds will open back up." Shyvana paused, surprised by his actions. He had just turned his back to her, giving her a clear strike. She blinked lamely, her confusion growing.
"What is going on here?" Shyvana asked, rubbing her eyes. She blinked a few times just to make sure she wasn't dreaming as he shrugged.
"You know, I was wondering the same damn thing." He growled, sighing as his shoulders slumped. He emptied out a basin of pinkish water, leaving some sopping wet rags, stained with blood, sitting in the bottom. He shook his head, taking the rags and wringing the water out of them, leaving them on the vanity the basin sat upon. He poured the rest of the water into a bucket of water, refilling the basin with clean water from a pitcher. He picked up the bucket and the rags, mumbling quietly as he headed to the door.
"You didn't do this, did you?" Shyvana said, eying him as she brushed hair from her face, tucking a few stray locks behind her ear. He paused at the door way, looking back over his shoulder a cheeky grin on his face.
"Nope, princess." He said, shaking his head. "Your Prince Charming did. He wouldn't even let me near you." She could hear the venom in his voice as he shook his head again. "Feel free to wash yourself up in the meantime." He turned and left unceremoniously, disappearing into the house beyond after closing the doors.
"What in the world..." Shyvana said aloud, her face dropping to her hands, sighing as she did. She carefully got out of bed, sliding out of the silken sheets, looking out of the open window. There a was view of Noxus she hadn't seen before, where beautiful green gardens stretched out towards the city, smoke and steam rose up like great looming giants against the sky. She could see a long path of destruction that led towards the far wall, most likely from her descent from the upper reaches of the city and her daring escape from the arena. She rubbed her nose unconsciously from where she had struck a weird, tall, brick thing that had protruded from the ground, not remembering anything after that.
Turning away from the window, Shyvana examined the bandages that had been wrapped about her chest, mostly over her left shoulder where she had been stabbed with a puny little sword whilst in her dragon state. The wound still stung, the bandages a splotchy pink, but it would hopefully heal fast. She worked her arm about carefully, and was glad she had a mostly full range of motion, but it came at the cost of pain and stinging in the wound. She turned to the vanity where she set about scrubbing the blood from her face and hands, though there was very little of it left. She ran a hand gently over the bandages, her thoughts turning to Jarvan.
Shyvana almost wanted to hate him for being alive, having put her through so much pain and torment, but deep down inside, she could feel something growing, as if she were all warm and fuzzy inside. She cracked a smile, looking at the mirror, her reflection that of a young woman with brilliant magenta eyes, long red hair and a smile that she found almost out of place. She felt odd, the urge to smile overwhelming her as she continued to grin, breaking into a bigger smile. She blushed, glancing away as her thoughts turned to what Jarvan may have thought of her, again overwhelmed with the knowledge that he was alive. She felt giddy, as if she was made of air, twirling around the room, the loose gown that covered her rising up around her, billowing as she spun. As she spun about room, absorbed in her new found happiness, she completely missed the door opening.
"What's go you so happy?" Jarvan asked from the doorway, a smirk on his face. Shyvana froze, her momentum carrying her on slightly further, sending her crashing to the ground in a flustered heap. Shyvana rubbed her rump tenderly, groaning as she hissed in pain.
"I really need to stop wearing dresses." Shyvana grumbled under her breath. Jarvan chuckled from the doorway, finally drawing her attention again. She looked up at him, a confused look on his face as she blushed furiously. She immediately felt guilty though, the rush of emotions she felt still swirling about her uncontrollably. Jarvan had one arm in a sling, a bandage wrapping over most of his shoulder where Shyvana had cut through his armor, doing her best to try and separate his arm from the rest of his body. "I... it was nothing." Shyvana finally said, shaking her head, her hair tumbling about her loosely. Jarvan shrugged, extending his good hand to her, a sparkle in his eye that she hadn't noticed before. She began to reach out but paused, wondering if he would forgive her for the wound she had given him. She was surprised when he clasped her hand and pulled her upwards, dragging her to her feet before she could voice her protest. She felt her face burn, almost certain her face was the same shade of red as her hair, turning away from Jarvan nervously.
"Oh..." Jarvan said awkwardly, left standing there. He wore what looked like simple traveling clothes, though they were slightly too large for him around the waist, and slightly too short in the body. The combination was a bit odd, but he wore a black bodysuit underneath, the leather like material hugging his skin across most of his body, only thrown back around his injured shoulder, which sat bare. Bandages wrapped his arm and were colored with a similar pink splotchiness to her own bandages. She absentmindedly touched her chest where she had been stabbed, whimpering when it hurt more than she had expected.
"How's your arm?" Shyvana asked, nervous about his answer.
"It's fine." Jarvan said, shrugging with some effort. "It hurts, but not too much. It does help that you hit like a girl." Shyvana opened her mouth to protest, but puffed her cheek out and scowled at him as he tried his best to suppress a cheeky grin.
"You jerk!" She hissed, striking his good shoulder lightly with the back of her hand. Jarvan feigned pain and it caught Shyvana off guard, because Jarvan burst into a fit of laughter that nearly brought him to tears as he watched the reactions play across her face.
"I'm only kidding!" Jarvan laughed, grinning as Shyvana stamped her foot, her gown billowing about her as Shyvana threatened to flare up as she glowered at him.
"You're so mean!" Shyvana pouted, hitting his chest lightly with her arms, getting close to him slowly. She hit his gently again, her fists bouncing off his chest as she did, taking another half step closer. She hit him again, this time letting her arms stay against his firm chest. She dropped her head as she felt tears begin to swell up under her eyes. "But... I'm just really happy..." Shyvana said, her voice choking up as she dried her nose on her sleeve as tears rolled down her cheeks. The relief she felt at knowing he was alive and here was overwhelming, her mind not knowing where to begin. She turned, smiling as tears ran down her face, her arms limp at her side. "I felt so alone... so lost... without you." She dropped her head as her shoulders shook. "I missed you so much... I didn't know what to do..."
Shyvana felt Jarvan's warm embrace as he wrapped an arm around her, drawing her in. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as she cried, just so happy he was alive. He stroked her hair gently, resting his cheek against the top of her head. He held her silently, his arm never letting go, merely the sound of his rhythmic breathing calming to her.
"I felt lost..." Jarvan said after several minutes of silence. "Knowing I had hurt you so." He spoke softly, his voice barely a whisper. "Please, please forgive me..." The prince gently took her chin in his hand. She looked up at him, tears still welling in her eyes, Jarvan using his thumb to brush the tears away. He smiled as she nuzzled his hand, closing her eyes and sighing contently, her shoulders shuddering as she let another wave of sobs pass. She dried her eyes with the gown she wore, the soft material now soaked on one arm. She smiled at him laughing just barely, trying to hide her giggles with her arm. Jarvan chuckled and soon they were both laughing aloud, the relief they both felt immense.
"It's good to see the both of you up on your feet." Katarina mused from the doorway. Jarvan sighed, turning and bowing towards her. "I can send for the asylum if you want." Jarvan snorted, as Shyvana felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. He shook his head politely, putting a hand gently on Shyvana's shoulder. She paused, looking up at him, calming her racing heart with a deep breath.
"I appreciate you doing this, Miss Du Couteau." Jarvan said. Shyvana could hear the resentment in his voice, but she also wondered just what would have happened if they hadn't ended up here.
"I would tell you to think nothing of it, but I have yet to get my answers." Katarina said, stepping away from the door jamb. "I left some clothes out that should fit her. Get her changed at meet me in the parlor, both of you, I have some questions to ask."
"As you wish." Jarvan said, waiting for her to leave the room, letting the door swing shut behind her. "I can't stand this." He sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed, scrubbing his hand over his face. "But we don't have any choice."
"What's going on?" Shyvana asked, sitting down next to him. She rubbed a hand along Jarvan's spine unconsciously, the gesture seeming to soothe the prince's stress. Memories of her father doing the same to her as a child caused her to smile sadly. She hid the emotion though, trying to remember just what had happened. "I don't remember much after that man, Swain, and the other appeared." She shook her head, frowning.
"You turned into a dragon, sprayed flames everywhere and then tried to fly us out of there." Jarvan said with a sly grin. "Emphasis on try."
"Oh." Shyvana said, a surprised look on her face. She blushed, looking down at her feet, a bare shadow of her former self. Jarvan could see the image of the frightening dragoness on a rampage still in his mind. He shivered at the thought. When she was angry, Shyvana could be monstrous, literally, but now, where she was sitting on the edge of the bed with one hand perched upon her knees, the other hand against his back, dressed in a frilly pink night gown, blushing up a storm, she hardly looked the part of even a warrior.
"It's fine, it got us out of there alive." Jarvan said, shrugging. "Just try and pick a better landing place next time." He grinned as Shyvana matched his cheeky grin, chuckling again, the tension flowing out of her shoulders.
"I'll try." Shyvana said sheepishly, sitting back. "It still all seems like a dream." She leaned against Jarvan's shoulder. "Yesterday I was fighting for my life and hunting two people for vengeance... now you're back and I'm sitting in the home of the witch I was just hunting."
"And here I am in debt of the enemy." Jarvan muttered, sighing. "Let's get you dressed. Best not to keep them waiting for too long."
"All right." Shyvana nodded, sighing as she leaned against him. "Though, I wish I could just stay here like this a little while longer. It just seems so peaceful..."
"I know what you mean." Jarvan said, his hand settling almost possessively on her waist. "In time, it can be like this." He sighed. Shyvana looked up at him with those gleaming magenta orbs glowing brilliantly as the sun began to set over Noxus. Shyvana placed a hand on Jarvan's cheek, smiling as she pushed up against him, turning gently against the arm in the sling, gently pressing against him. She looked deep into his blue eyes, tiny golden flecks shimmering. However, deep inside those blue eyes there was something else. Her smile saddened as she held his cheek.
"...Fear." Shyvana said softly. She stroked his cheek gently. She knew that the fear in his eyes was his fear of her, the demonic side of her, and the beast that dwelled within her. The beast that she was. Jarvan cupped her face with his hand, brushing a tear from her cheek that she hadn't known was there.
"Fear of what?" Jarvan asked, looking at her.
"Of me." Shyvana said softly, the sad smile lingering on her face. Jarvan smiled broadly, the warm gesture spreading into his eyes.
"Silly girl." Jarvan said, leaning his forehead against hers. "Not of you." He spoke softly, closing his eyes. He pressed his lips to hers, taking the dragoness by surprise. His touch was warm as he held her cheek gently, tenderly, her eyes wide as tears streamed down her face. He pushed his lips against hers as he felt her lashes fluttered closed against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close. Their lips parted as she buried her face in Jarvan's neck, his hand stroking her hair. "Only the fear of losing you again."
Jarvan stepped into the parlor, looking about the room with trepidation. He had been in many a fancy home before, he was raised in a palace after all, but he had seen few as tastefully decorated as this. The walls were painted in a bloody Noxian red, but the rooms were kept from becoming too dark with plenty of light and paintings of Valoran that he had recognized in places. There was a particularly beautiful painting from the Freljord, the icy blues very serene and calming.
"You like the paintings?" Katarina said, entering the room from a door Jarvan had not noticed before, hidden by a large plant. She was followed by a servant pushing a cart with tea and piled with pastries. Katarina stepped up to his side, examining the painting while the servant deposited the afternoon tea onto the coffee table that sat at the center of the room.
"Indeed." Jarvan said, still taking in the many fine details of the painting.
"I never would have pegged you as an aficionado of the arts." Katarina said with a smirk. Jarvan shrugged turning towards her.
"I've always had an appreciation for things of beauty." Jarvan said, moving towards another painting on the far wall.
"I suppose that's why you have that half-dragon in your company?" Katarina asked, putting on a smirk to mask her confusion at the Demacian's almost flirtatious statement.
"I assume these are the questions you wanted answered?" Jarvan responded looking away from a painting of pair of ships, a pair of Noxian and Demacian frigates in a rolling gun battle on the open seas, magic and cannon fire coloring the air with great reds, oranges and blues. He glanced at Katarina who simply shrugged.
"More of my curiosity getting the best of me, but why not?" Katarina said, putting on a smirk again. Jarvan knit his brow as he looked at the ships.
"I found her in one of the ancient Watchtowers of Mogron pass." Jarvan said, frowning. "Crying over the corpse of a dead dragon." He paused. "Yes, she is remarkably beautiful, almost inhuman in some ways, but I knew that there was more to her than just that beauty." He paused again, sighing this time, smiling softly as his gaze tapered off into the distance, as if he was looking off into the past. "She has an innocence to her that is like a breath of fresh air. In this world of eternal strife, all she cared about was protecting her father. Nothing else seemed to matter to her in that instance." He paused, closing his eyes. "It caused me to think. Two years I had been searching for an opponent strong enough to best me and my men, searching for something to better myself, trying to determine if it was some quality I lacked. But, when we found her, I realized it wasn't something I lacked. Rather, it just something I had kept trapped away inside of me."
"Oh..." Katarina glanced away.
"Sorry about that." Jarvan shook his head, smiling, rubbing the back of his head, tossing out his long black hair.
"Jeez." Katarina muttered, leaning against the wall next to the painting, smiling, her hand against her face as she shook her head, smiling brazenly. "You've got it bad, don't you?" Jarvan grinned, looking back at the painting.
"I suppose I do." He said softly.
"Speaking of which, where exactly is she?" Katarina asked, frowning. She didn't want to say anything too rude, but she didn't like the thought of the half-dragon walking around her house, unattended.
"Here, I am." Shyvana said, stepping into the room, her face blushed. She wore some of Katarina's clothes, and though a bit too small for her lanky frame, they fit well enough. Jarvan blushed, blinking lamely. Katarina chuckled, shaking her head.
"I didn't really have anything better suited." Katarina shrugged. "Though it does do you justice."
"Thanks." Shyvana said, pulling the top down to cover more of her stomach. She threatened to spill out the top as she tried to adjust the awkward garment. She squeaked as she nearly did, turning away to fidget with it. Katarina chuckled, shaking her head.
"Anyways." Katarina said, gesturing to the seats around the coffee table. "Please, help yourself while I ask you some questions." Jarvan nodded, sitting down on the sofa, pouring himself a cup of tea. He looked to Shyvana who nodded, and Katarina who politely declined with a curt shake of the head.
"Please, ask away." Jarvan said, fumbling with a raspberry pastry. Shyvana had already dub into a blueberry confection covered with a sticky sweet glaze. Katarina frowned, spreading her feet slightly apart in a relaxed parade rest as she looked out the window over her father's gardens.
"Did Swain discuss any of his plans with you?" Katarina asked bluntly. "He has a rather comically tendency to gloat when he's in a position of superiority. A brilliant mind, Swain, but decidedly arrogant when he knows he can't be beaten."
"He alluded to a plot that I was stepping into, but nothing more." Jarvan said with a frown. "Anything in particular?"
Katarina frowned for a moment, then shrugged. "Things are changing in Noxus." She sighed as she clasped her hands together behind her back. "And not for the better. Something is happening within Noxian High Command, rumors of plots and murmurs of a coup passing through the troops."
"Does this have anything to do with me?" Jarvan asked, after swallowing a mouthful of pastry.
"I don't believe so." Katarina said, furrowing her brow. "Something much larger is going on here, and you unfortunately managed to stumble into the thick of it. Swain is planning something big, and it's going to happen soon." She paused. "With Darius siding with him, Swain now controls much of the military through his own fame, and the grudging respect of his men for his military prowess. The only problem he faces now is Boram Darkwill, the current Grand General of Noxus. Swain is now third in the line of succession, directly behind Boram's son, Keiran, who you both met yesterday."
"The man with the saber?" Shyvana asked, catching crumbs in her hand.
"Indeed." Katarina said, nodding as she glanced over her shoulder at the dragoness. "I was actually following some of Swain's men when I stumbled upon you and your small party just north of Mogron Pass. I thought you might have some sort of connection to them due to your history with Swain, but I suppose in hind sight, it was merely paranoia on my part."
"My past with Swain is hardly that of good terms." Jarvan said with a scowl. "He did try and arrange to have me killed in a duel so he could avoid any connection. It's not the first time he's tried to have me killed. The third, actually."
"I realize that now, and while I feel inclined to apologize for my treatment of you before, that is not the Noxian way." She turned, letting the sunlight streaming through the window silhouette her slender frame.
"And the Noxian way entails what exactly?" Jarvan eyed her suspiciously, holding a strawberry confection, pointing it at her as if it were a weapon.
"While the Noxian's value strength above all else," Katarina said proudly, "We are also infamous for our assassins." A smile spread on her face that sent a chill down the prince's spine. "And I have long mastered the arts of such, including the ability to be subtle in my coercion."
"What is it you want?" Jarvan asked finally.
"If you'll recall, I asked you about what happened to my father once before." Katarina said, masking the frown settling on her face, but Jarvan could read it in her eyes, the way her brow creased ever so slightly.
"I do." Jarvan said, swallowing the last of his pastry, washing it down with a gulp of tea. "I really do have no idea what happened to your father." Jarvan said crossing his arms over his chest. "I remember him as a soft spoken, serious but polite man. What could anyone want with him?"
"You knew my father?" Katarina looked surprised.
"No better than I knew you." Jarvan shrugged. "I met him at one of the many cease fire negotiations, when I was young and accompanying my father on his diplomatic duties as a precursor to my official training as prince. He stood apart from most of the other Noxians because he didn't carry a deep seated grudge against Demacia, rather he just seemed to look out for his own country." Katarina smiled softly, relishing the memory of her father that Jarvan's words conjured up.
"I see." The fiery haired assassin turned away. "So you know nothing?"
Jarvan shrugged. "I've been wandering the wastes for two years. I can check reports and record with the scouts discreetly when I return to Demacia, but I can't do much till then."
"I think that would even our debt." Katarina said, nodding, a tight lipped smile on her face shielding her emotions. She may have been skilled with a blade, but she wasn't nearly as skilled with her own feelings. Jarvan watched as her shoulders drooped, a quiet sigh of disappointment escaping her as she tried to hide it by turning back to the window and looking out over the gardens.
"I know how hard it is to lose a loved one." Shyvana said, holding her cup of tea to her face, breathing in the steam that rolled off the top. "For what it's worth, I hope we find good news."
"Thank you." Katarina said, crossing her arms and grinning slightly. "And I'm glad I was wrong about you." She chuckled softly to herself. Shyvana looked up at her, a quizzical look on her face. Katarina shook her head, still smiling. "You would think that with the stories children are told, that all Demacians are weak-willed pigs, taking advantage of the people and abusing their power. And here I am, faced with two and I can but help find myself in surprisingly good company."
Jarvan chuckled, nodding his head. "I was raised on horrific tales of the atrocities and evils of Noxus, but you sure as hell don't seem nearly as bad as I was led to believe."
Katarina adopted a cat like smile, a dark look gleaming in her eyes. "The difference you and I is that many of those tales are true." She laughed aloud at the shocked look on his face.
"I won't even ask." Jarvan muttered, standing and shaking his head.
"Probably for the best." Katarina nodded. She looked at the grandfather clock on the wall, stretching her arms above her head. "I must excuse myself though, I have some business to attend to." Jarvan looked at her, and nodded. "I both welcome and urge you to stay here for at least another day. The city needs to calm itself and I need to look into this conspiracy before things get any further out of hand."
"I really appreciate this." Jarvan said, bowing his head. "I'll see to it that I do what I can to find out about your father." Katarina nodded back.
"I've spoken with the staff, and Sylvia will see to any needs that you may have. Oh and Talon is about." Katarina said, turning briskly. "He can answer any further questions you may have, but I also must warn you to be careful, the city guard is still on high alert, so stay within the estate walls, and only venture outside the manor if you absolutely must.
Jarvan nodded, about to thank her again, but the Noxian had disappeared already.
Noxians seemed to have made a habit of that.