Chapter 2
All the buildings were gone. Demacia was not Demacia, not the one Katarina had known. The once bright and cheery residential areas and markets had been razed to the ground and replaced with Noxian work camps and labs. There were freshly dug tunnels and caves everywhere, marring the perfect soil grounds. Noxian workers and miners filled the area, carrying pickaxes, crates and heavy equipment. It was not a city, far from it. Hidden behind those walls was a massive excavation site.
Katarina had heard words of this spread amongst High Command back in Noxus, but only faint incoherent rumors. Now, she saw for herself. In the very centre of the city, the Royal Palace has been demolished completely. Instead it was a massive manmade descend several kilometres deep with rings of scaffolding and miners all the way down. It was a mile across and it had resembled a deep well like an abyssal entrance to Hell itself. Only very faint blue light from electrical lamps lit up the darkness like a swarm of fireflies at night.
As their carriage drew nearer to the main site, a stream of workers halted their duties and stood at attention, saluting the convoy as it passed. Katarina peered out and saw their many coal stained faces and dusty expressions. Outside, the occasional rumbling of heavy machinery filled the area along with the sounds of rock blasting into rubbles and the striking of a pickaxe against a hard surface. Katarina could not believe her own eyes. So much had changed in the city in just the span of a few months.
"What is this…" she muttered under her own breath. She then spotted several charred stumps of the old settlements and buildings. Some torn tents from the former marketplace were still evident as they littered the black, soot smeared ground.
"A digging site. From I had heard, Swain is looking for something, thought I know not what it is," Talon replied as though she was talking to him.
Katarina's eyes were trained on the charred remains of Demacia. She remembered the last time she had entered the city. It was that time that she was attacked by a group of Demacian guards, she thought she would've needed to draw blood in the middle of the city to defend herself but that one man saved her; that one man who was different from the other Demacians. She remembers his face well, his sturdy frame, his tall proud form and his deadly expertise with the sword. She had not heard from him for months after the Great War. During many nights she would ponder what had happened to him though immediately after she would convince herself that it was only foolish curiosity after a former Champion, nothing more. No one was a Champion anymore, the League and the Institute had failed to exist after being destroyed in the war. The Summoners were all round up and either became imprisoned or executed. Those who had conformed under Swain's rule were allowed to continue practising magic under the Noxian courts. Those who resisted faced the gallows. Without the Institute, there was no outer sense of justice anymore. The only right and law was from Swain's words, they were the absolute law of the land.
The convoy had stopped. They had reached the outer rim of the Deep Abyss, the local workers' name for the main site. Surround the deep descent was a ring of offices and lodges for the higher ranked officials residing in Demacia. The door to the carriage opened and instantly, the burning smell of sulphur and other chemicals stung Katarina's nose as she tried to hold back the tears. It was putrid and vile. Aside from that, ear shattering drilling could be heard screeching from deep in the abyss. She got of the steps and landed on the hard rock ground and gave a quick glance around. It felt as though the city was back in the days of industrialization. Metallic steel structures and beams along with iron booths and huts littered the place. Permanent black smog hovered over the skies, causing an even greater darkness than the clouds themselves. Heavy machinery and piles of coal were laid in mountainous heaps all over as waves of Noxian workers did their duties. There was not a single sign of natural life anywhere, not even a single blade of grass. There were no trees, no brushes, and no ferns. All of it had been deemed an obstacle and burned down after the Noxians took the city.
As Katarina gawked about, a drunken worker had accidentally bumped into her shoulders. The man wrecked with the stench of alcohol, as evident with the half empty bottle in his hand.
"Watch wer yer going ya-" the drunk rowdily jeered before his woozy eyes saw the red haired assassin. His jaws dropped when he saw who it was. He could still feel fear through his drunken stupor. "Oh… i-it's you Kata-"
Before he could utter her name, Talon's blade had already found its way through the flesh of his throat. With a few gurgling sounds, the man dropped the bottle of ale onto the ground and collapsed lifelessly. A pool of blood had gathered beneath him as it mixed into a dark sanguine liquid with the soot.
Talon then cleaned his blade with a cloth and discarded it.
"He had dared address you improperly. I will not allow the honor of the Du Couteau family to be so easily tarnished. Even if I must commit a great betrayal, I will protect it with my life," Talon coldly said.
Katarina had seen many deaths like this before, it had not surprised in that sense. She had known Talon to be like this for many years, this sudden, unpredictable yet fiercely loyal shadow of a man. Without a word, they had continued on as a two guards came and carried the body away. The two was followed by a trail of Noxian Elite Guards, dressed in impeccable armor and signifying the importance of this visit.
Up ahead, an official in his forties stood waiting. He had a receding hairline and two dull eyes and was dressed in bland grey robes with the Noxian crest woven onto the chest. He gave a quick wave to them.
"It is a great honor to have the presence of Miss Du Couteau and….?" The official said as he bowed and looked at Talon, unsure whether how to address him.
"You may address me as Talon," he said.
"Then, Miss Du Couteau and Talon. I have been informed of your visit, it is on a grave matter I believe?" the official asked.
"There have been words that a possible group of rebels of former Champions had gathered in this place. Our duty here is to find them, bring them to the light and have them executed," Talon said with Katarina nodding in agreement.
"Ah, is that so? Then I understand why you have come here. The Chief Warden has informed me of this and he would like to meet you," the official said.
Katarina raised her eyebrows in curiosity. She had not heard of a Chief Warden overlooking the dig site.
"Do not be alarmed, the Chief Warden is I believe a man you are all familiar with. Anyways, right this way please," he said and showed them the direction. They walked towards the largest building around, similar in design with the other metal boxes around yet much grander. Jagged spikes sprouted forth from all four walls, each with the banner of Noxus hung below. There were no windows on the buildings, only black holes with iron barring. It looked to Katarina more of a maximum security prison than a warden's office.
As they got past the thick walls protected by wicked looking barbed wire, they were meet with a pair of steel gates guarded by two massive warriors. Around the yard, waist deep trenches covered by lines of sandbags were dug in protective rings around the building. Every small section was manned by a guard with a black, metallic rifle. Pillboxes, which were essentially a smaller version of the main office, were planted in each corner of the walls with a small slit and a machine gun aimed, ready to unleash a barrage of bullets. Katarina amused herself with the thought of how easily it would be for her to sneak past these defenses and slay whatever she needed within the building. As a top assassin, this was merely a child's play for her.
The official approached the main entrance and retrieved a piece of tattered looking document from his sleeves. The guards gave one quick glance and proceeded to open the gates, revealing the lifeless grey halls inside. Within was brightly lit by hot blue lamps, giving an eerie glow to it. The artificial light had bathed the metallic chambers. It was bland, too bland, and too lifeless just like the deserts outside, Katarina thought.
They were led through the cramp halls, the convoy guards were left outside to wait. From both sides of the walls, monochromatic doors and even mockeries of paintings of art were hung tastelessly about. Some of the pictures were weirdly out of place yet all of them had the general theme of red in it be it a simple apple, a red feast upon a red table, a glass of fine wine to a morbid fountain of blood. The only colors within the Warden's Offices were sanguine and grey.
Then, they reached a door at the end of a long hall. Upon the door a sign hung but was unreadable because of a thick layer of soot smudged over. The door automatically swung open without a sound thanks to its meticulously well-oiled hinges. In an instant, a fragrant blast of sweet artificial perfume of a rose mixed with the slight, ever so slight hint of the iron in blood greeted them. Inside was a completely different atmosphere than the rest of the place; the walls were a delicate brown with wooden textures and the flooring was an expensive red carpeting soft as fur to the feet. Even the lighting was different, instead of the ghastly blue it was a warm light with a hint of orange bathing the room. The office was also well furbished with furniture of exquisite taste, many of them Noxian antiques. However, the morbid red paintings were ever present as they were hung in unusually large numbers all over the wooden walls.
In the centre of the room was a large rectangular table constructed from the finest pine trees, which had all but become extinct after the middle of Valoran became a desert. Two lamps were lit on both ends of the table, illuminating the mountains of paperwork piled on the desk. Behind the desk was a commanding, black leather chair with its back turned to them.
"Chief Warden, Miss Du Couteau and Sir Talon are here," the official announced.
After a slight hesitation, the chair slowly creaked towards them. Upon it sat a man dressed in an impeccable red coat, akin to something of an aristocrat. Intricate lacings and cufflinks were part of this expensive design. The man's pale blond hair was gelled up, turning into a hard reflective shell. His pupils were a dreadful white, void of any life and emotions yet his face held a grin almost too sinister.
As he stood up, he had this pretentious aura which had always annoyed Katarina.
"Oh," he greeted with a smug bow, his hand cupped over his heart, "it is truly a divine pleasure to have such a beautiful face here in my office."
He then walked towards her, his eyes trained on hers. Then, he gently took Katarina's the top of her left hand close to his lips yet not quite touching and smiled. She felt the insides of her hand tingle with zest as her blood were slowly drawn towards the tips of her fingers.
"Your pale skin, is just as seraphic as the crimson which runs beneath it," he softly said to her, almost whispering.
Katarina felt repulsed by his pompous and flamboyant front.
"Your words are too kind, Chief Warden," she said, displeased.
He then noticed Talon glaring at him with a threatening gaze, his fists clenched at the sight of him greeting Katarina. Smugly, he grinned again, revealing his unnaturally white teeth before backing away from her.
"I jest, my friend," he said as he walked back to his desk and poured himself a glass of wine from an expensive looking bottle. He twirled the reddened glass slightly in his hand before sipping it down. "Please, do not embarrass me with such formalities, we are old friends are we not? I beseech you to refer to me as simply Vladimir."
Then, he poured himself another glass, this time filled to the brim. The red liquid swirled about in his glass. Katarina was disgusted by it, she had despised the alcoholic stench no matter how fine or pure it was.
"You may leave us, we have important issues to address," Vladimir ordered the official and the guards as they exited the room, shutting the door soundlessly behind them.
"You understand why we are here?" Talon asked him.
"Of course, there is nothing that concerns Demacia which escapes me, I do like being well-informed and as… assassins… I believe you understand my notions," he said, making the word 'assassin' as though it was some mockery of a profession.
Talon silently grunted.
"You have come here to round up a few scurrying rebels and put an end to their charade, a noble cause but how exactly will you get to them? I'm simply curious at your plans," Vladimir asked.
"The execution of the King, when Lightshield the Third is on the guillotine, there will be no doubt that the rebels will try to do something then. That's where we can make contact and progress," Talon answered stoically.
Vladimir then gazed into the ceiling and stroked his chin as though he was contemplating something.
"Interesting plot, but I believe that I can be of service to you. You see, in these slums those Demacian filths line the alleys and sewers. Every corner you go there will always be one of them and it is inevitable that they all support the rebel cause. Unlike before, there will be no lead for you, no willing participants. No, not even torture will break them at this point, everywhere you go you will only find the frustration of resistance. It will be like searching for a needle in a haystack," Vladimir said as he downed his second glass.
"Then, what do you suggest?" Katarina promptly asked.
Vladimir's devilish grin never left his face like it was some sort of a twisted mask. His eyes snapped from Talon and pierced into Katarina.
"That's where I come into play. You may resort to physical means but I to magic, a powerful magic at that. This magic is nothing you've ever seen before, not during the Rune Wars, not from the Summoners, not from anyone," Vladimir said with a hint of excitement in his voice. Then, he leaned onto the table and his eyes became a furious intensity as though he was about to reveal the secret of the cosmos. "Are you aware of the purpose of this excavation site?"
Katarina reluctantly shook her head. The idea of a being so secretive that it is kept even from her bothered her. Vladimir, whose smirk had never vanished, downed himself a third glass of wine before tossing the empty bottle away into the trash.
"Underneath the city of Demacia, we found something of extraordinary value. Noxus always had an idea of its existence, but we never had the chance to embrace it. Now, we do," Vladimir said as he set aside his emptied glass and called for the guards outside. "Come, you must see this for yourself. Only the highest eyes may lay on it and I as Chief Warden would kindly like to invite you."
"If it serves us well in our search of the rebels, then by all means," Katarina said, trying to suppress her curiosity.
"I assure you that it will most certainly behoof you," Vladimir said, leading the party out of the room, "no words can describe its magnificence, its power is cosmic."
The two were led down an intricate design of halls and doors by Vladimir and a few selected guards. After several descents, Katarina was certain they were deep underground with flight after flights of stairs. It was an intended maze no doubt for they had even passed through several well hidden doors that any other could've easily mistaken it as merely part of the bland metallic walls. All the while Vladimir could not stop indulging himself in his extravagant stories and descriptions of the magical entity discovered deep below but never actually telling them precisely what it was which again annoyed Katarina even further. From the way he took his large prideful steps to his narcissism, Katarina felt more disdain for Vladimir with each passing second but she was still curious, keeping her silently attentive.
After about ten minutes of walking, the metal walls around faded away into the rocks of a dimly lit cave. The ground too had become natural and uneven with a simple wooden plank walkway as the only path down. It was narrow and cramped. When squeezing through a tight space, Katarina felt wet moss brushing by her. The cave was cool and humid and on closer inspection after her eyes were adjusted to the weak light, she saw that strands upon strands of moss and even small ferns and flowers filled the deep cave. Katarina was deeply amused; it had been so long since she had seen this sort of natural greenery. There were only a few, barely surviving naked trees in some forgotten corners of Noxus, then there was the harsh lifeless desert.
Soon, they arrived at a mining shaft as Vladimir talked on.
"Below here, five kilometers deep, is the prized secret. I hope that you are ready," he said. An elevator was summoned and arrived in loud creaks and shudders. It was a flimsy looking thing, with metal plates riveted on in a messy asymmetrical manner to cover up the many holes and leaks of this ragged lift. Inside it was not completely sealed as there were four openings on all sides, exposing the inner machinery and an endless wall of mossy rocks.
The three of them stepped in, leaving behind the last batch of guards for the cave entrance. As they descended, shrieks from the rusted metal grinding against the steel support beams ran in Katarina's ears. The entire elevator vibrated as it went as though it would come apart any minute. Their journey took quite some time, going down the entire five kilometers. The rocky walls were brushing past them at a quickening pace as she counted inside her head the time and their estimated depth.
It must've been more than fifteen minutes before the lift slowly halted to a creaking stop. As they landed, the impact of the shaft to the rocky base echoed and finally came to a standstill. As they stepped outside, they were met with one large hall with a massive pair of double gates at the other end. They were constructed with ten feet thick steel and had state of the technology locks and electronics protecting the sacred treasure that lay beyond it. Patrolling this large hall were platoons of specially selected guards wielding deadly rifles and energy blasters. Each and every single corner of the hall was being monitored by hidden cameras and such.
Along the walls of the cave ran thick pipes and wires and the occasion sparking. All of this advanced technology must've been stolen from Piltover, Katarina thought as they entered. Beyond the platoon of guards, several teams of Noxian scientists ran about with stacks of documents in their hands. As they approached the gates, the guards and scientists alike saluted Vladimir which he seemed to enjoy greatly.
When they were close enough to the gates, Katarina realized the size of it, towering over four stories high and thick as a city's walls, these two gates had weighed over a thousand tonnes combined.
"I need entrance to Project Zealot, along with two top guests," Vladimir ordered.
"Yes Chief Warden," a guard said and immediately signalled the other five in front of the gates. They all simultaneously turned and stabbed a key into small holes over the gates and twisted in a memorized pattern. When it was done, a loud rumbling came followed by the falling of dust from the cave's room. It felt as though there was an earthquake deep undergrounds as the two gates slid open and retracted into the walls.
"What you are about to see, shall change history my friends," Vladimir said, "Soon enough, this magic will be known to the world and all will tremble before it."
As they entered, Katarina's jaws dropped and her eyes widened in awe. She thought she had seen it all as an assassin but this was truly beyond her. Inside was a sight like never before; it was a massive round Coliseum towering three hundred feet high. In the centre was a massive tree, resembling an oak with its branches and leafs touching the very roofs. However, it was no ordinary tree. The very barks and leafs gave off this soothing green glow, an aura of life that had sharply contrasted the artificial blue lights just behind them in the halls. There was not a single lamp in sight as the entirety of the space was illuminated by this natural radiance, like a bright moon on a summer's night. Surrounding this towering tree were apparently little glowing wisps of all different colors acting like the caretakers of this magnificent oak.
As Katarina walked closer, she could feel her body being rejuvenated. Her fists were filled with power and energy and her mind sharpened with clarity. Even the scar on her eye slowly faded away as the years of life were being poured into her. She felt like she could take up her blade and strike down a hundred men at once without breaking a sweat as she continued to bathe in the soothing aura that pulsated from the tree.
"Truly beautiful isn't it, the sight of such a wondrous being upon the ruins of the desecrated world. Where else can you find such divine construct of nature?" Vladimir said as though taking to himself, "Oh, no words can do this beauty justice."
Talon scoffed. "So what, is this supposed to heal our enemies to death?"
Vladimir immediately snapped his eyes at him with an insulted expression.
"Do not be foolish, judging something before you even know. Do you see how no one is even daring going close to it?" Vladimir said, pointing to the tree.
Katarina had suddenly noticed while being captivated by its beauty that there is a barbed fence surrounding the tree, as though it was there to mock its beauty and mar its natural stance. A warning sign on the fence showed that it was electrified. It was built about twenty feet from the base of the tree itself which had no sign of anyone manmade disturbances whatsoever. Only its thick roots and its grand trunk stood tall.
"This is, the Tree of Life," Vladimir whispered out, and then he turned back to the two. "There is a reason why such a disgraceful construct must be placed. The Tree of Life is an ancient being, long before Man even settled, long before Valoran. This tree holds the power to all life above these lands, it is the symbol of life and its essence. The amount of energy from it is truly delicious and incomprehensible. As long as it exists, so will life."
Then, Vladimir took several steps towards it and soon reached the fence.
"You see…" he continued, "The power of it is so grand that no regular human being can survive it. As one approach it, they will find that their own life force will become drained into this vast, untapped pool. They will become nothing but a dried corpse. Allow me to demonstrate."
Then, he gestured for a team of guards to bring in a battered man in a white lab coat. He held a terrified expression on his face with shattered glasses and cuts and bruises over it as he shivered uncontrollably. Vladimir walked over to the man and lifted his dropped chin up, forcing his lifeless pupils onto the man's.
"Doctor Peterman, I'm truly glad that you could make it here today," Vladimir greeted like an old friend. He then released his grip of the man's face. He was being restrained by two guards.
"Pl-pl-please, I al-already told you e-everything you wanted to know! Please!" the man, known as Doctor Peterman stuttered in fear.
Vladimir smiled sinisterly. "That you did, didn't you. And for that I am most grateful. However, I'm sure you are well aware of the consequences of selling information of this project to an outside source, and in your case the rebels. It truly pains me to have to waste a brilliant mind such as yourself but, decisive actions are needed at times, no?"
Doctor Peterman shook his head like he was in denial and quickly broke down into a pathetic puddle of tears.
"I beg of you, you promised me! You said that you would let my family and I go if I just told you everything!" he begged.
Vladimir then rushed up onto the man and tightly grasped his mouth, forcing it open.
"And you promised me, that the day you were sworn into this project you would never allow one word of it escape through this facility. And I'm only learning from you that promises aren't meant to be kept, be grateful now of all your services you had given to Noxus," Vladimir hissed at the him. "Now now good Doctor, come, I must show to these fine people the power of the Tree."
The guards pushed him forward to the gates as he frantically screamed and kicked but it was futile. As he came closer and closer to the Tree, he tried turning his head away, trying desperately to keep as much distance as possible. When they came to the fence, the guards themselves too hurried away and gave Peterman into Vladimir's clutch. The electricity on the fence stopped as signalled by a green light on top.
"No! Please! I beg you!" the Doctor cried but was only ignored as both he and Vladimir passed a small gate and into the red zone of the Tree. Immediately the effects became apparent. The Doctor's skin became pale as snow and his body seemed to rapidly shrink to the bones. With each step closer, the horrified Doctor screamed in agony until his vocal chords could only produce incoherent gagging. Then, the Doctor dropped to his knees as they were now just five feet from the wooden barks. From his emaciated spine a ghastly aura of green and blue exited it and slowly drifted towards the Tree but quickly it was redirected by Vladimir as he gluttonously devoured it and moaned in exquisite pleasure and then dabbed the corners of his lips as though he just had a grand feast. The Doctor fell to the ground, now nothing more than a dried up corpse. His eyes had melted away, leaving behind two dark holes with a screaming expression on his grey face. His glasses had no longer fit his face and fell off. His coat had loosely flapped about over the skeleton sprawled on the floor.
Katarina groaned in silence, disgusted by what she had just seen. The desecration of the body went against her for she had always believed that a target must be left in a dignified matter, as long as they were dead. A single cut of her daggers upon the flesh was a sign of pride to assassins. One quick strike and it was all over, nothing too overtly extravagant or you could've been discovered very quickly. This was one lesson she had learned long ago, taught by her father.
Vladimir exited the fenced area unscathed, leaving the corpse behind.
"There's a reason why they choose me to be Chief Warden. No one here but me has the power of magic over life. I am able to keep my own life forces within me even when in proximity for the Tree albeit only for an hour at most, any other being would've ended up just like him. I'm the only person who can study its wonderful magic up close," Vladimir said.
"Then what, we bring the rebels here and shove them into that thing?" Talon sarcastically remarked, still doubtful of its usefulness.
"As I said earlier, all life above upon Valoran is empowered by the Tree of Life. It's a web with many interconnected bonds. Each of our lives, yours, mine, everyone's are all intertwined in this cosmic design. With this Tree, I can peer into one's life if I so desired, even a fly's I can fully understand. Your emotions, your pains, your suffering can all be felt, just as those rebels you are searching for can."
"Then, do you know who we are looking for?" Katarina asked.
"If you know who you are looking for, then so will I. Now, would you excuse me and give me a little space, I assure you this will not take up any more of your time Miss Du Couteau," Vladimir said as everyone backed up several feet from him. He then raised both his hands towards the tree. Then, an unholy crimson aura rose from his body and swirled violently like a maelstrom. From the Tree itself a ray of its force was being drawn to Vladimir which mixed with his own life forces. The process quickly escalated as the two powers intensified. A bright green light radiated from the Tree, causing everyone to shield their eyes. As he continued, he groaned in agony. The flesh on his hands began to melt away, leaving behind sinew and bones and his face seemed to unnaturally age. His whole body shuddered now it was about to explode but then just as quickly as it had begun, the whole process was over.
Vladimir gave an exhausted sigh walked back to them. The wounds on his hands healed themselves and his age returned to normal. He had a somewhat surprised look on his face.
"Interesting… Truly interesting, oh how the plot thickens," he said smiling, amusing himself. "I cannot believe that he is still alive, oh cruel world what will you think of next?"
"What of the rebels we seek?" Talon impatiently asked.
Vladimir snapped away from his own thoughts and returned his attention to the assassins.
"You were wrong Talon, these rebels do not aim to strike when the execution will take place. It was most interesting, I sensed reluctance as though they desire to save him yet they also do not. A magnificent puzzle for you to solve I'm sure. They will make their move soon however, soon after the King's death. It would appear that they have already prepared and know that Lightshield the Third's life ends today," Vladimir explained.
Katarina and Talon gave each other puzzled glances.
"That is unfortunately all I can do for now as you see, contact with the Tree of Life is quite exhausting. I will require my rest now, if you may," Vladimir said as he politely gestured them out of the arena.
Then, they got back to the elevator and began their fifteen minute ride back to the surface. Immediately, once outside, the smell of soot and metal returned.
"I will be here if you wish of my aid again, now, I bid thee farewell," Vladimir said and bowed before returning to his office.
The two exited the building and found the convoy guards waiting for them.
"Master Talon! The execution will take place in an hour, what are your commands?" an Elite Guard asked.
"Take your men and watch over the city, the rebels may strike any time soon," Talon ordered. The guards saluted him and proceeded to the city's slums and execution arena.
Katarina began down the stairs when she was stopped by Talon.
"Where are you going?" he asked her.
"To the execution, I do not trust some magical words of an old tree," she replied before leaving the court. As she left, she took a quick glance at her sheathed daggers. She only trusted the steel that she carries. With one sharp cut, a life can either be ended or spared. Her decisions and mind must be just as sharp, if not sharper. She lifted her hand and felt her scar once again. It had returned, it always will be there as a reminder of how her own blades saved her life. She had trusted only them.