"You shouldn't have put your knife in her back. If she dies, Swain will have your head on a spike."
"Shut it Talon. At least I subdued her while you played around like a chicken with its head cut off!"
"Katarina, he is right. I think you should have stuck together, though you assassins are wondrously anti-social. Finding Garen wasn't the point of this mission, sister. Though, Talon, I would have expected more from you. The woman is a mage! And yet she manage to best you."
"I've told you, no mage can fight like that. None that I have seen at least."
"Oh whatever. I'm going to get some sleep. Try to wake me and I'll carve out your hearts."
Diana clenched her jaw together, their voices fading in and out. She needed to get up but the motion rocked her around and her stomach began to quiver. Her eyes could hardly open and when she forced them, only blinding light was there. Stupid sun; that could be the reason why she was so weak now. Diana shivered, cold sweat dripped from her head and on the wooden floor. Everything was spinning. Even her thoughts – there was no control. All she heard was the screams of people, the crackling of fire and the tumbling of rocks.
Was it the memory of Solari? How she destroyed it? Uprooted the Elders and the precious religion they built with lies. Or a vision of the past, when the Lunari was last seen and last heard. Diana tried to move, shift from her position on the ground but her hands were bound. Weakness was spreading. The voices in her head still raged with agony, it didn't matter who it was they were all the same.
Something cold touched her cheek, almost like a prick of a thorn. Scraping over the wood, it moved like a serpent and hissed with slight concern.
"Relax." The woman's voice murmured, "We are almost there. Just rest, I will tend to the wounds for now." It was sick, deranged. Diana felt the distrust lie like a stone in her belly but she had no choice. Her captor had to be her savior, for now at least.
Diving back into the haunting voices that plagued her mind, the woman of the moon left the world of the conscious and hid in the dark.
"Mother! Mother!" My feet hardly touched the ground as I ran for the little house. Scrolls and books almost fell from my arms but that didn't matter. I found something! The sun was bright overhead, the day of Solari reaching mid and the heat was only growing stronger. I dodged the door, knowing there was only one place she could be at this time.
"Diana," Mother chuckled, pinning up another piece of clothing. The line was almost full and the chore done. I knew I got home at the perfect time. She would have no choice but to listen to me! "You should be back in the temple with those. You know the Elders don't like it when you bring the materials home." She said though it was full of mirth.
I shook my head, "Elder Tenzin said I could this time. Don't worry, I made sure I had permission." My hands fumbled with the old paper as I tried to grip the first piece of my discovery. Two books thumped to the ground, leaving me to juggle with the scrolls. Mother shook her head, leaning down to take the heavier ones. My smile beamed, "Okay. Are you ready?"
Mother nodded slowly, sitting on the grass in front of my like a student. I took in a calming breathe, hoping I would do better this time. Being a student of the Temple was hard, mostly for me. I didn't understand why but no one really liked me. Some of the Elders even showed it. Mother said I shouldn't worry, only keep to my studies but it seemed that even then I did wrong. I had to prove to someone that I was right and Mother was the only one to listen.
"I was reading through the old scrolls, dating back almost 100 years from now and I found something that wasn't right." I said, pulling open the first scroll. "See, here. There's something written but I can't make it out. It's not written in Solari, it's another language. So that got my thinking, what other language lives here in the mountains?" I paused, picking up a book and flipping to a page with the map.
"There's the Rakkor but when I went to check on them, it wasn't the same. None of the letters or symbols seemed to fit together." I said, pulling up a sample of the Rakkor against the unknown. "It doesn't make sense. What happened that long ago? Who would have access to the Solari scrolls and yet use something no one can read?"
My eyes found Mother again but this time, all I found was heart breaking worry. Her warm smile faded, hands clasped on her lap and green eyes darkened. She turned her face from mine, "You've stumbled across a mystery. One that cannot be solved." Her voice was colder than night as she stood.
"But Mother, I think I can solve it. All I need is the resources and if I ask Elder Tenzin I'm sure –"
"Enough!" Mother's voice rose, "You will do no such thing. Put this nonsense away, I will have no more of it in my house." She said, kicking away the book. I cringed, tears flooding the base of my eyes and for the first time Mother didn't comfort me.
"I-I-" I stumbled over my words, crawling backwards. Mother glanced behind at me,
"Go back to your real studies, Diana. I will see you when you get home at dusk." She said. I looked down at the flowing green grass, the blades tickling my fingers. Even Mother thinks I'm a failure! Now, no one will listen to me.
"What's wrong with me?" I whispered, not caring if she could hear me or not. I didn't give her a chance to speak. With a push off the ground, I tore the grass away and ran from my home leaving the books and Mother behind.
The open hand caught the side of her face and stung like hell. Her eyes flew open, a wicked grin greeting her. Already, Diana could feel a red welt on her cheek starting to grow. But that wasn't the worse pain.
"Good morning sunshine." The redheaded woman mused, "We need to talk." She said, brushing her bangs from her face with a light stroke of her hand. Diana glared up at the younger assassin, wondering how long it would take to slice off the smug look. Though, she could feel the shackles around her wrists and ankles, instead she examined her situation.
The redhead was rough around the edges, obviously. An ugly scar running down one of her mixed blue eyes. The voice was familiar to Diana, she remembered it from the haze. How long was she out for? What has she missed? Katarina pulled a large chair over, kicking up the heavy black boots.
"Those Demacian's were pretty protective of you." She said, running her fingers over her strange daggers. Diana snorted, as if that scared her. Katarina wrinkled up her nose, "What's so funny?"
Diana ran her tongue over her dried and cracked lips, staring at the woman. No words were said but the look was enough. Katarina was annoyed, unhappy, almost everything an immature brat could be. But threatening? Maybe to a fool but not to Diana. And the assassin knew it.
A dagger rammed its way into a dark table top, Katarina pushing herself from the chair. "Don't think for a moment you are safe here." She hissed, holding out her other weapon. Diana merely breathed, pale eyes watching and waiting. Honestly, Katarina had the control of the situation. But Diana could tell that what she gained in the skill and craft of the blade, she lacked in patience. A temper as wild as the red hair that grew.
Katarina spat at the ground, taking a step forward. "I could take those pretty eyes out. Maybe you'll speak then." She said, the point of the blade being raised for the eyes.
Rustling of wings and a dark bird screeched into the room. It dived down for the blade, digging its talons deep into Katarina's hand. The woman screamed in pain, the grip loosing and blade tittering on the floor. The bird swooped around the room, perching itself on the table. Diana instantly hated the bird. It was not a hawk like Quinn's, it was bigger and more vicious. Almost a vulture like predator of the sky with ugly yellow eyes and a naked neck. It open its beak, letting out a cold call once more.
"Miss Du Couteau," The voice matched the dark man who appeared from the door way. His staff hit the ground almost like a command to the castle. His head was shaven clean expect for a small lane of hair down the middle of his skull and was completely black. His robes touched the floor in an array of green, borders matched with gold. A dark mask covered the bottom half of his face leaving only his pointed eyes exposed. "You are excused."
Katarina lost all of her fury and for a moment, there was a flicker of fear. Diana glanced between the two, watching as the woman gripped her bleeding hand and slipped out. As the door shut, the man rested his eyes on her.
"I'm glad you are up." He said, remaining to stand. Diana frowned slightly to him, his words were kind yet there was no kindness in them. He wanted information.
"As am I." Diana responded, leaning back in the chair she was bound too. Her hair was in tangles and she knew she didn't look her best. Her armor was off once again and she wore a nasty pair of pants and a loose shirt. What was with people and undressing her? She hid her disgust, "What can I do for you?" Diana said in a light sarcastic manner.
The man merely blinked, "What makes you think you can do anything for me?" He asked back.
"I don't but you didn't bring me here for tea and cookies." Diana said, growing frustrated. "You want something and you think I have it."
His laugh sent a shiver up her spine, unsettling truly. "You are intuitive I see." The man took a step forward, the staff hitting the ground like a drum. "How about we make a deal. You tell me all you know about Demacia and your stay there," He said, stopping just before her chair. "and I will tell you about the Solari you seek."
Her eyes went wide and for a moment, she couldn't believe it. Was he saying honest and true? Diana searched his old face, wondering what kind of game he was playing. Why would he care about her opinion? Or her stay for that matter? She was there for five days and yet, he seems to know a lot. Whoever he was, Diana knew he couldn't be trusted. But that didn't mean anything if she had an opportunity to gain information on the Dawn.
"Well," the man interrupted her thoughts, "do we have a deal?"