Chapter Six
A Drink With Piltover
Caitlyn's mansion was a large, white, two story Elizabethan home with a large rectangular porch and finely carved supporting beams lining the ornate over hanging jettying. The windows were large and covered from the insides with fine purple curtains. Atop the entrance to the porch was a crest, a gear in the shape of a crescent. The lawn was green and lined with potted plants and finely cut bushes. Riven felt the straps of her bag dig into the skin of her shoulder as she walked up the white oak steps onto the porch. A young woman with long, damp, brown hair sat in a rocking chair next to the fine double doors that led into the manor. She stood up as Riven approached.
"Riven! How pleasant it is to see you again!" She embraced her and kissed her on the cheek and Riven groaned as she felt the additional weight.
"Caitlyn..." she panted "Let me set my bag down, please." Caitlyn pushed off of her and smiled brightly.
"Of course! Let me show you to your room." She spun around gracefully and brought open both of the doors that led inside. Riven felt a blast of cool air burst forth from the cavernous hall, the entrance was high and drafty. The hall was decorated with brilliant shades of purples and yellow, purple cushions on yellow framed furniture and gold trimmings on purple tapestries. A massive staircase stood in front of the doors that led up to the second floor. Caitlyn walked forward, hips swaying elegantly, towards the staircase. She placed her hand on the end of the banister as she stepped to it and turned slowly to Riven.
"Up there," she raised her hand to the second story and to the left "you will find your room, the door is open, last room on the right of the hallway." She stepped down off the staircase and stood next to Riven who sighed in relief. "Come meet me here when you get settled." she squeezed her shoulder softly and walked into a door to the right of the staircase. Riven watched her until she disappeared and slowly made her way up the stairs. She looked down to the left and saw an open door on the right side of the hallway and slowly made her way to it.
She made no sound as she approached and peeked inside to see that a tall woman with short pink hair was standing at the window and looking out of it. Her back was bare except for a few straps that held the cloth over her breasts in place. Riven saw scars running down her muscular back that resembled wicked whip lashes. Riven stepped back in the hallway and knocked on the wood of the door.
"Come in." Vi said after the knocking ceased. Riven came in and saw that she was still gazing out the window. Riven set her bag down gently on the floor and shyly walked to Vi's side. Vi stirred for a moment and breathed a large breath, heaving her ample breasts forward and back.
"Are you alright?" Riven asked as she too gazed out the window looking for something out of the ordinary. There was not.
"I'm fine." she cleared her throat, "but I don't think having you here is such a good idea." She rubbed her knuckles on the windowsill. Riven placed her hand softly atop hers and felt the muscles tighten in Vi's hand.
"Vi, I do not want to infringe upon your privacy. I will leave if you wish." Vi turned away.
"It's not that." Vi stirred uneasily again, "I worry for Caitlyn. She is very naïve about such dangers that you bring into this home." Riven sensed hostility.
"I would die before anything happened to her while I am in this house." Riven declared. Vi turned swiftly on her and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. She pressed her hard against the wall.
"You are right. You better die before anything happens to her on your behalf, other wise I will make you regret that you didn't."She let go and stormed out of the room. Riven placed her hand on her breast and felt her heart beating wildly. She looked mournfully at the open door as she walked to her bag and began to unpack.
When Riven came back down the stairs Caitlyn and Vi were sitting comfortably on a sofa and the former beckoned Riven towards a chair that sat across a small round table in front of the sofa. A small ceramic teapot and a few tea cups sat on the table. Caitlyn was already gleefully sipping at her tea and Vi simply watched her and smiled. Riven sat and Caitlyn turned her attention to her.
"Ah yes," she took another sip of her tea "Riven, I summoned you here in order to discuss a few matters with you. Firstly," She paused as she thought of what to say "you are welcome to explore and use all areas of my estate. What is mine is yours, deary."
"Secondly, I'd recommend that you-" Vi began but Caitlyn cut her off.
"Secondly, you must come to me if I call to you, it could be an issue of dire importance. I would also like it if you knocked before you intend to enter any room with a closed door, just in case Vi and I..." she trailed off as Vi placed her hand on her thigh.
"And lastly, I would like to inform you that I am gathering all the notable individuals from the city and having a gathering here tonight to discuss the matters of which you and I have already spoken of. I insist that you join us." She smiled and took another sip.
"Of course." Riven replied. Caitlyn nodded her head and gestured her hand towards the teapot but Riven raised her hand in protest. "No thank you." she stood and Vi eyed her cautiously. "If you do not mind, I would like to go back to my room and rest, I am quite weary." Caitlyn stood.
"I understand, if you need me I will be..." she looked at Vi and grinned. "Somewhere."Riven nodded and headed up the stairs, looking back a moment to see the two women locking lips together. She averted her gaze and quickly went to her room. She knocked on the door and quickly went in, closing it quickly behind her. She put her back against the door out of fatigue, sighed loudly and closed her eyes. She felt a breeze tickle against her warm cheeks.
"You knock at your own door?" Riven heard a voice and scanned the room quickly. She saw a woman perched on her open window, long red hair flanking her breasts.
"It is a strange story. I shall tell you sometime." Riven said, relieved. Katarina jumped down from the window and put her hand on the wall.
"This is quite the home, little Caitlyn could be mistaken for a queen with such wealth." she removed her hand and turned to Riven. "I learned more about my father and that there is indeed a war brewing in the bowels of Noxus. I did not hear much about the latter but I do know that my father is in captivity and is being... experimented on or tested. It cannot be good if Doctor Marvin Mundo is involved." She looked solemnly out to Riven.
"Indeed not," Riven replied "I am sorry." Katarina smiled faintly, her scar gleaming in the sunlight.
"I overheard that he was doing well though, which I hope is a good thing." Her smile faded until Riven had walked next to her and grabbed her hand. "How are things going here?" She gripped her hand tightly around Riven's.
"Fine, we are organizing a meeting tonight to discuss it with the community." Katarina looked up at her and tilted her head to the side.
"With whom?" she asked.
"I do not know, just some rather powerful people from town." Katarina rubbed her palm against Riven's softly. Then she let go and walked over to the large queen sized bed and threw herself upon it.
"This is quite a bed they have gifted to you, may I rest upon it?" she asked as she smothered her face into the plush feather pillow. Riven walked over to the bed side and stroked her leg softly.
"Only if you let me rest with you." Katarina turned to her and stared into her eyes a moment and slowly leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Riven's waist and pulled her quickly into the bed. She laughed and Riven smiled. The mouths of the two slowly crept closer together until their tongues touched and Riven pressed forward firmly and drove Katarina's head deep into the pillows as she unleashed her passion. Suddenly she could not feel Katarina any more and the door opened. Caitlyn came in with her corset uneven and hair messy.
"I heard some noises, I was worried you had fallen down." She said as she looked at Riven who was still staring at the bed with confusion. "Are you alright?" she asked. Riven came back to her senses.
"Yes I am fine, I just hit my head on the bed frame when I threw myself upon the bed." She feigned injury and placed her hand on her forehead. Caitlyn quickly scurried to her and placed her hand upon her head.
"Oh deary, I am sorry." she kissed her forehead like a mother does to a child. "Do you need a bandage or cold towel?"
"No I am fine, just a little dazzled is all." She smiled and Caitlyn walked backwards to the door. Riven caught glimpse of Vi, who eyed her suspiciously. Caitlyn quickly walked out and closed the door and Riven heard her giggle as she went down the hallway. She turned back around and saw that Katarina was back in the bed, her jacket open and her ample breasts heaved behind the black leather corset that covered them. Riven brought herself back on top of her and pressed their lips together again, this time bringing her hand up to Katarina's breast, who in returned firmly grabbed upon Riven's rear. Gradually, Riven's eyes slimmed and slimmed until she fell asleep atop her lover, who was in the middle of removing the straps that held her corset in place. She sighed and simply stroked her face with her hand and closed her eyes as well.
"One day, when you are ready, I will make a true woman out of you."
When Riven awoke Katarina was still asleep underneath her. She glanced towards the window and saw that the sun was setting and dusk was illuminating the sky with hues of pinks and purples. She turned back to Katarina and kissed her softly upon the lips. She stood and straightened out her clothes and hair in the mirror before heading out of the room and down the stairs. The hall was empty, but she heard the sounds of activity. She cautiously went down the stairs and looked around. She saw Vi standing in a doorway. The tall woman simply stepped aside and scoffed as Riven approached and followed right behind her into the parlor.
Inside Riven found a room similar to that of a tavern, a bar stood on one side of the room with a few tables scattered across the main floor of the room. Caitlyn stood at the bar, her purple dress and hat standing out in the room. Riven looked across and saw seven other people, not including Vi. The closest was a mere boy, he had long blond hair and wore a brown leather jacket. He was holding an amulet in his hand and brandishing it to a short creature called a yordle, the yordle was small and wore a lab coat and had a massive head covered in a ball of yellow hair. Two more yordles stood behind him. One wore an old leather jacket with a fur trim around the collar and hand a long white mustache and a balding scalp. The other was simply covered in brown fir and wore a dark red jump suit with a white skull painted on the back. Sitting at the table was a tall good looking man with short brown hair and a shirt that had mechanical parts around the shoulders and underneath his collar. The collar itself was lined with fur and stood up high above his neck. Far back in the corner a strange woman made of metal stood alone, a strange ball floated next to her and seemed to have a life of its own. Caitlyn smiled widely as she saw Riven and Vi enter the room.
"Every-o-one take a seat!" Riven could sense that she did not handle liquor very well. Everyone did take a seat, three tables had been pushed together and the occupants sat. The three yordles sat together and Caitlyn and Vi took their seats at the heads of the table. The blond young man sat next to the yordle with the large brain and the mechanical woman and her ball both took a seat. The tall good looking man sat next to the ball, leaving one seat for Riven, directly to Caitlyn's right. Riven meekly took the seat and Caitlyn turned to her.
"You look so pretty..." she whispered and Riven scoffed. The man sitting next to her chuckled to himself. Vi slammed her hand on the table.
"Alright everyone, it is time to get down to business." she stood up. "My name is Victoria Vilory." she gestured to the yordle to her right. He giggled maddeningly.
"My name is Ziggs Longshanks, the Dean of Demolition.." said the yordle in the red jumpsuit.
"My name is Corkstock Paddlefolk, Corki for short. I am the chief mechanic at the Piltover Customs and a grizzled old war veteran." said the yordle with the great white mustache.
"Yes, Yes. My name is Hans Heimerdinger. Indeed the founder of the Yordle Academy." said the yordle in the lab coat.
"My name is Ezreal Randal, I am a humble explorer and finder of a great many of treasures." the boy with the blond hair did not stand, he simply nodded his head as he spoke. Caitlyn stood up and held onto the table for support.
"You all know me," she raised a pint high into the air and Vi buried her face in her hands. "I am Caitlyn Middleton. The sheriff of this fine city." she sat back down. Riven looked upon Caitlyn and the man next to her nudged her with his arm and she stood.
"My name is Bianca Rive, or Riven I prefer." she thought of some title she could add but after a few seconds sat back down. The man next to her stood, he was quite tall.
"My name is Jayce Burton. I am the Sentinel of Piltover." he sat back down and smiled at Riven. She did not acknowledge it. The mechanical woman whizzed and clicked as she stood.
"I am Orianna Reveck. I am a clockwork creation of Corin Reveck." She sat back down. Vi rose again.
"We are here to address the most recent report out of Noxus. It is of confidential nature so if any of you can't hold a secret I'd ask you to leave now." she paused for a moment but nobody moved. "We have discovered that a war is brewing in before mentioned city-state." She gestured her hand towards Riven and she nodded in return. "And Caitlyn and I have assembled you here to asses the risk such a war would pose on our great city, and the rest of Valoran." Riven leaned close to Caitlyn.
"She speaks quite well, when she wants to." She whispered. Caitlyn grinned.
"How do you think she got under my bedsheets?" She giggled.
"I would ask of you all to give your personal unbiased opinions about this," she shot an eye at Ziggs who has giggling aloud. "That includes you." He stopped laughing. "And once we have all taken our stands on the issue we shall move on to the next step: preparations and precautions." Ziggs suddenly slammed a small sphere, with a wicker fuse sticking out of the top, onto the table. A few of the men gasped but Riven, Orianna and the other yordles remained calm.
"I-I-I love to blow things up! But when-he-he-hen I am blowing up another's property I am always hesitant. If the Noxian's make a move I shall bring down a rainstorm of bombs, but until then I make no offense, but I will build defenses." He withdrew the bomb off of the table and tossed it into the air.
"As my comrade here said, I too shall not make a move of offense unless first provoked." Corki spoke, his voice was high pitched like all yordles. Heimerdinger nodded in approval.
"Noxians?" said Ezreal "I hate those guys. I am for the conflict. If we do not completely defeat them they will just start another war." Caitlyn stumbled to her feet.
"I will hunt down any threat to my city," she drew a rifle from underneath the table and placed it upon the table. It was a long wooden and metal construct with three lenses on top of the chamber. "and take it down." Riven stood slowly.
"As the young man had said before me," she nodded to Ezreal who chuckled softly. "Noxus cannot change unless it is completely defeated and reformed.-" Heimerdinger jumped to his feet, barely any higher standing than when he was sitting in the chair.
"And whom do you expect to take up the mantle of a shattered city? If the Demacian's had their way they would level the whole city-state to the ground." he stroked his small yellow mustache with his tiny hand.
"This responsibility I have taken up on my own, a broken woman to mend a broken city." She declared. Jayce stood up as well.
"How do we not know you are just some crooked woman trying to take all the power for herself?" he retorted, looking deeply into her eyes.
"You do not know, and you may never know if we do not defeat them." she replied sternly and sat back down. Heimerdinger also sat. Jayce remained standing, looking at Riven.
"I will do whatever it takes to defend my home, even if means killing some Noxian and starting a war." he spat and sat back down. Glances were shared between the people at the table until Orianna stood.
"The Noxian speaks true." she stated and Jayce turned to her in fury.
"How do you know? You are no mind reader, Reveck." he retorted. Orianna did not move or look towards it, but her ball raised itself into the air and suddenly blades protruded out of it at dozens of angles.
"You also speak true, I am no mind reader, but my friend is. And he gets easily offended." Jayce sat down grumbling as she spoke. "Killing is sometimes necessary to continue living the way you would like, I will support any action made by the city." she sat back down and after a moment Vi rose once more.
"So that settles it. If the time comes we will not hesitate to fight if our great city comes under danger. Now," she said as she pulled a slip of paper from her pocket. "we now need to asses whether or not our neighboring city-states will come to our aid. Ionia, Freljord, Bilgewater and Bandle City are all potential candidates, Zaun and Noxus are not included for obvious reasons and Caitlyn and I have decided to keep away from the Demacian's for if they caught wind of such claims they would try to make another appeal to the Noxian's." a few heads nodded in agreement. "The rest will stay here and help set up a defense." She looked at Corki. "Bandle City is the furthest city state from here, you and your copter can get there swiftly." She turned to Ziggs and Heimerdinger. "You two will stay here to begin construction for defenses, as will Caitlyn, Orianna and myself." She turned to Ezreal who cut her off.
"Freljord? Easy." he said with pride. Vi nodded and looked towards Riven.
"You are the only one here who has even been to Ionia, so it would seem fit that you go there." Riven nodded slowly and Jayce stood up once more.
"I shall go to Bilgewater then." He flexed his arms. "Who am I to speak to?" Vi looked down to the paper and cleared her throat.
"Jayce you should ask for Sarah Fortune. She, from what I am aware of, is a beautiful young ginger that keeps the city organized. Riven you should seek a woman by the name of Irelia Lito, she is the Captain of the Guard of Ionia." Riven felt a nostalgic pain when she heard the name, a name she had known once but could not recall. "Ezreal, you must see the three queens of Freljord, Ashe, Sejuani and Lissandra of the Avarosan, Winter's Claw and Frostguard tribes respectively." he nodded. "And Corki you shall meet up with your friend Dennison Jadefellow, the mayor." She paused for a moment but no questions were asked. "It would be lovely if we could adjourn this meeting and get to our work."
All stood except for Caitlyn who stumbled onto the floor, Riven quickly helped her to her feet.
"You are too young to be drinking, Caitlyn." she said sternly, Caitlyn laughed aloud.
"I'll have you know-" she stumbled again "that we of Piltover are excellent at holding down the spirits." Riven smiled and half walked half carried her to Vi who gladly took her in her arms. She walked out of the room wordlessly. Riven followed close behind, turning to look back into the room and caught a glare from Jayce who quickly turned to Ezreal and began a conversation. At the top of the stairs Riven went left and Vi went right. Katarina was gone, but she had packed all of Riven's gear in her bag before she left. She quickly jotted down a note on a piece of parchment and stuck it to the window, it read: Ionia.