Between Two Claws

The moment Syndra's feet touched the floor of her floating castle, the ground shook, reacting to her presence. Seconds later, the pitch black castle illuminated itself; the castle's torches lighting themselves, bathing the entire castle in an unearthly violet-white glow.

"Grwaw!" Kog'maw exclaimed as he watched the flying fortress come to life before him. Syndra plopped the void beast on the floor next to her feet as she lit the remaining torches with a wave of her hand. Immediately, Kog'maw ran to the nearest torch and jammed then entire object down his gullet.

"GNOM!"

…

…

…

-ptoo!-

Kog'maw spat the torch back out, causing the torch to clatter along the floor. It was still lit. Curiously, Kogmaw trundled over to the torch and licked the violet flame that spewed out of the top. Cold. The flame was the exact opposite of what fire actually was. Syndra turned and glanced at the void beast as he licked the flame again… and again… and again. Finally, Syndra snapped her fingers, instantly extinguishing the flame. With that, she turned and strolled into her castle. Kog'maw perked up, wondering if he had broken the torch. He nudged it, but it remained unlit.

"GNOM!" Kog'maw sounded again as he clamped his jaws around the object and swallowed it whole. He turned and scampered off after Syndra, this time not spitting the torch back out.

Kog'maw caught back up to Syndra in the main hall of the fortress. The former school was a far ways away from what it used to be back when Syndra claimed the land as hers and raised the school into the sky. Since then, Syndra had done some major remodeling, turning the school into a near impenetrable floating fortress. It was more of an action designed to intimidate as opposed to serve and actual function. After all, there were no guards to man the watchtowers that loomed ominously over the land below. The one thing Syndra didn't change? The kitchen. The alluring scent of food immediately drew Kog'maw to the lavish kitchen that was well suited for feeding an entire school. Drooling, the void beast blundered about, leaving trails of saliva on the floor. Finally, Kog'maw stopped in front of a large set of iron doors. Syndra took her time catching up to the energetic void beast as he eagerly waited in front of the door, able to sense the food that lay within the giant freezer. With a small flick of her wrist, Syndra set the main fire ablaze in the center of the kitchen, readying the flame to cook whatever it was Kog'maw chose. Finally, she turned and slowly opened the giant double doors to the freezer. The moment there was enough room for Kog'maw to squeeze in-between the opening doors, he charged, barreling straight into the freezer. Floundering around, Kog'maw wandered about the huge room, staring at the dangling animals that hung in the freezer. Finally, with sparkling eyes, he stopped in front of a particularly large pig that hung in the middle of the room.

"Blagrah!" he exclaimed excitedly as he turned back to Syndra and waited by the pig. Taking his enthusiasm as his pick, Syndra made a beckoning gesture with her pointer finger and her middle finger. Instantly, the frozen pig flew from its hanging position in the freezer all the way out and over the bright fire at the center of the kitchen. Syndra finished her preparations with a small twisting motion of her wrist. The action sent the pig into a slow rotating motion over the flame, ensuring an even cook. With her preparations complete, Syndra glided over to a nearby wall and sank into one of the chairs that circled the closest dining table. She sighed and briefly closed her eyes before reopening them to watch the flames dance about underneath the pig. Glancing over, she noticed Kog'maw sitting dangerously close to the open flame, quivering in eager excitement as he watched the pig slowly turn, dripping grease into the fire with a popping hiss.

-tap-tap-tap….

-tap-tap…

-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-

Syndra looked up from the roasting pig as a tap sounded at a nearby window. Annoyed, Syndra flicked her wrist, shattering the window into a thousand tiny shards of glass. Immediately, there was a squawk of surprise, as a pitch black raven dodged out of the way of the falling glass. Syndra turned her head to observe the bird. Beatrice. Syndra immediately thought as she gazed upon the nightmarish raven. The bird landed on the window sill and let out a horrendous screech. Then, the bird tilted its head directly at Syndra, gazing at her with its pitch black eyes. Finally, it dropped a small envelope that it was holding in its claws. Syndra grimaced in annoyance as she watched the paper fall to the floor. Another flick of her wrist brought the letter whizzing to her hand. Slowly, Syndra used a fingernail to cut open the sealed envelope and pulled out a letter written in fine cursive script:

To The Dark Sovereign

It is rare that I find myself inviting a particular individual into the ranks of Noxus. You should feel honored. As you well know, Noxus is a state that honors strength and power above all else. You would fit in well here among our ranks. Of course, I do not expect you to join us solely based on the premise of fitting in, but rest assured, we will help you achieve your own ends as well. I am not one for long conversation, so I will keep this simple. Join us, and we will help you bring Ionia to its knees. They will kneel before our combined forces. Let us all look out for our collective interests.

Gericho Swain

Syndra turned her head back to the six eyed raven at the window sill. Slowly, she folded the letter back into its original shape and placed it back in the envelope… And promptly tossed the entire envelope into the blazing fire beneath the pig. Immediately, Beatrice squawked angrily at Syndra's arrogant reply.

"Tell your master…" Syndra spoke with a dark, seething voice. "That I am not interested in his offer. I alone am enough to end Ionia if I so desire."

Beatrice squawked again, glaring at Syndra as though she were trying to convince her to reconsider. Syndra offered no more words, but instead stared straight back at the bird. Finally, Syndra grew impatient. Raising a hand, Syndra curled her pointer finger down to her thumb and flicked her finger at Beatrice. The raven squawked angrily as an invisible hand shoved the bird out the window. Beatrice fluttered back up to the window, staring at Syndra one last time before winging around and heading off to the western sky. Syndra didn't even notice as a blue eagle swooped out of the sky and dived upon the raven as it left the castle.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Yes King Jarvin, Valor has confirmed Noxian presence around the Dark Sovereign. It is likely that there is an alliance forming between the two." Quinn concluded as she bowed before the king of Demacia.

"Do you have solid evidence?" King Jarvin questioned before continuing.

"I refuse to mobilize forces over a mere possibility. If there was no alliance at all, there would not only be a waste in resources, but also a strain in our already precarious relationship with that witch."

Quinn shifted uncomfortably before replying, "I have no solid evidence that there is an alliance, but Valor is a smart bird, he knows that the raven he attacked was definitely Swain's Beatrice."

King Jarvin sighed heavily; a storm of thoughts crossed his face as he pondered what would be the best course of action.

"Father, please! We cannot just allow Noxus to add one of the most destructive mages in the history of Runeterra to their ranks! We must act immediately! Even if what we mobilize on is just a chance, we cannot allow such a dangerous alliance to form!" Prince Jarvin exclaimed as he beseeched his father to take action. King Jarvin twitched slightly at his son's impertinence:

"My son, you have much to learn before you take my place as ruler of Demacia. You are much too brash; too eager to take action without considering all ramifications."

"But father-"

"No my son, I am afraid that we lack sufficient evidence to mobilize forces. I will not approve the mobilization of forces against the Dark Sovereign. I have spoken." King Jarvin concluded decisively. Prince Jarvin immediately turned on his heel and stormed out of the castle, furious that his father refused to take action against the brewing storm.

"You may sit idly by father, but not I. I will take action to protect our Demacia." He muttered darkly. Jarvin offered no words as two of his fellow soldiers fell in line behind him; one wielding a large great sword, the other wielding an array of crossbows.

xxxxxxxxxx

Beatrice cooed softly as Swain stroked the raven gently. Beneath his impassive facial expression, he felt dangerous anger begin to stir. Demacia he mouthed with a scowl. Beatrice had returned from her delivery wounded, three parallel cuts were visible beneath her black feathers. However, Beatrice was a smart bird; she fought back, bringing back several blue eagle feathers as a trophy from her battle. Blue feathers. They only came from one type of eagle. Demacia. Swain thought again, this time, he didn't show any emotions on his face, but behind his eyes, a plan was already developing.

"Katarina." He spoke into the air. Immediately, a shapely woman emerged from the shadows behind him.

"Yes, general?" Katerina asked.

"It seems… that negotiations have failed." Swain paused before continuing.

"A pity really, we could have put her powers to such good use."

Katarina waited for Swain to finish talking. Swain turned and gave Katarina a piercing gaze.

"You know what to do, but hurry. Demacia wants to meddle in our affairs again."

Katarina gave a soft chuckle as she disappeared back into the darkness without replying.

"A shame, Syndra." Swain said softly, as he stroked Beatrice again. "But if you won't be mine to use, I will make sure you won't be anyone else's"

xxxxxxxxxx

By the time the pig finished its agonizingly slow roast above the kitchen fire, Kog'maw had pooled so much drool on the floor that he was standing in a puddle of his own digestive juices. He could barely contain his excitement as Syndra lifted the roasted animal off of the flame and down onto a large plate for him to devour. The moment the cooked meal touched the plate, Kog'maw devoured the entire animal; somehow managing to stretch his mouth over one end of the pig and swallow the entire beast whole without so much as even chewing. Kog'maw didn't even make a distinction between the plate and the meal on top of it. Both items ended up in his stomach. Syndra twitched slightly as she watched Kog'maw fit an animal that was twice his size into his mouth and into his stomach. Physically, such an action made no sense, but she quickly brushed aside the thought and made an assumption that his stomach was somehow a part of the void.

"Grahh…" Kog'maw gurgled with content. Syndra smiled slightly with a small amount of satisfaction as she turned a walked towards her private chambers. As she opened the door to her chambers, Kog'maw waddled past her, promptly hopping up onto her bed and picking up a corner of a blanket on the bed. Kog'maw then continued by log-rolling across the entire bed, causing the blanket to cocoon around him. He didn't stop rolling until he had rolled completely off of the bed and onto the floor; the blanket forming a snug, almost carpet like roll around his body. Within seconds, Syndra could hear gentle gurgling snores issuing out from within the roll of blankets. She couldn't help but sigh with exasperation at Kog'maw's inherent carefree behavior. For a second, Syndra gazed at the roll of blankets; a wistful expression crossed her face as fond memories from her past resurfaced in her mind. Syndra shook her head and exhaled a breath she didn't realize she was holding before she moved to her bed and laid down, passing into a restful sleep.