Chapter Seven
The Ferry
To get to Ionia Riven had to take a boat across the Guardian's Sea. Riven had dedicated an afternoon to exploring the city of Piltover a few days prior and had noted down the location of the docks. She had the pleasure of being accompanied by Jayce, who also had to take a ferry to Bilgewater. The two were to take separate ferries but they both none the less had to get to the docks. Jayce was rather bitter about being paired with Riven whom he still did not trust even after Orianna's stark defense of her motives. Riven did not put much thought to Jayce for her head was throbbing, she was thinking of the name Irelia. She felt like she had heard the name before but no matter how hard she tried to remember all that was brought up was disappointment and pain. Jayce had noted that Riven was frequently bringing her hand to her head but was not concerned nor caring towards it.
The docks were quite small for such a large city, only three ports lied in the water and two of them were dedicated to transportation to Bilgewater and Ionia, the other was a trade route. Most of Valoran came to Piltover if they wanted passage to the islands in the Guardian's Sea. When the two reached the docks Jayce began to walk away but Riven checked him.
"Hey," she called out. He turned with a face somewhere between a scowl and a sly grin. "good luck Jayce." He chuckled softly and walked away, raising his hand into the air and waving it. Riven smiled and pulled her bag up higher on her shoulders and looked at the ferry destined to Ionia. It was rather bland, a simple boat that was relatively undecorated on the interior. Riven walked up the boarding plank, holding her ticket in front of her as she approached a man in a blue uniform standing just beyond the entrance to the boat. He looked at the ticket and punched it in.
"Room number seven." he said almost mechanically as he handed her the key. Riven was about to step forward but he put his arm in front of her. "Bag, please." He did not wait for Riven to hand him the bag, he instead snatched it off of her shoulders and peered into it. He saw a white and brown garb, an old green gauntlet and pauldron, a wide sword that was broken a foot or two from the hilt and a few shards of the same sword. He scoffed as he handed the bag back to her and she proceeded to her room.
The room was even more bland than the ship, it had a simple wood flooring and a bed with a green blanket and no sheet. There was a small circular window that peered out towards to the starboard side of the ship. There was also a closet in which Riven quickly placed her bag. She threw herself on the bed and stared out of the window for a few minutes until she felt the ship begin to vibrate and eventually it jerked forward towards the east and she slowly drifted off to sleep.
Slowly the sounds of the carnage of the hextech onslaught faded into the distance until not even the most violent of screams could no longer be heard. Riven kept walking until her knees finally gave out and she collapsed upon the earth and wept like a child. "My men!" she wailed as she pounded her shaking fists into the turf. "They will pay with blood!" her voice grew deep and malevolent. She reached for her blade but she checked herself. She wondered what the Ionian woman would have said upon seeing this. She longed to hear her soft and soothing voice. Riven slowly brought her shaking body to a stand and looked down at her sword, laying flat on its side in the dirt. It was a gift from the high command, a gift to the poster child of all of Noxus. The adamantine that forged it was so pure that it was said to be indestructible. Suddenly Riven felt a surge of energy pass through her body. It was not anger nor contempt, but a strong force of flaring valor coursing through her veins. She screamed aloud and brought her fist down upon the blade of her sword. When the unstoppable force of her honor clashed against the immovable object that was Noxus a massive burst of energy surged forth from the collision and the trees swayed away from it and the grass nearby was unrooted and sent flying away, carried by a sudden gust of wind coming forth from the massive energy.
Suddenly the blade cracked and Riven roared. The cracks spread and began to glow with a deep green aura and finally gave in. She was launched back and slammed hard against a tree. Her head slammed hard against the truck and she would have fainted if not for the strong energy that still radiated inside of her. She quickly rose to her feet, feeling no pain and walked forward to the blade. A glowing orb of green energy surrounded her and she felt her hair raising into the air. She looked down at the blade with a frown. It was broken into pieces and smoking from the newly introduced cracks. The runic inscription was still glowing brightly.
"My blade is, as am I, broken. Today I shall break forth from Noxus and strive to find the means to recreate it as it should, A shining beacon of honor and valor like it once was." She spoke from her heart. "I shall break from all ties of the treacherous Noxus that is now. My name-" she glanced back down at her sundered sword. "My name, like my blade, shall be Riven. I shall always be known as Riven until my goal is complete. She knelt down and gathered the pieces of her blade. She placed them one by one into her bag except the hilt piece, which she placed into her scabbard. She looked at her blood stained clothes and armor and shed them from her body and continued onwards nude except for a belt and scabbard around her waist, a bag in her hand and a face full of grim determination.
Riven awoke and slowly raised herself from her bed. She felt a chill run down her body as the cool night air caressed against her modestly sized breasts. She drew the blanket close over herself and walked to the window. She was still wearing her shirt and it was odd that it was so cold in the spring. She looked out the window and as far as the eye could see there was no land. The moon reflected off of the choppy sea surface and broke apart as clouds passed by. The lights of the ferry were dimly lighting the waters nearby, she could see a small school of fish swimming parallel to the ship, trying to stay in the light. Suddenly the ship rocked violently and a massive sound burst forth from the port side of the ship, almost half a second later a siren started to ring out and Riven carefully stumbled her way to the door, falling flat on the floor when the ship shook violently once more. When she stood she could not feel the ship engines vibrating and raced out of the room.
She raced down the hallway and found, once she made a turn, that the wall had been burst open from the outside. In the distance she saw the faint glow of another ship wavering in the darkness. She recognized the build of the ship instantly for she had rode on a similar boat when she had come to Ionia with the Noxian army. It was a pirate ship. She quickened her pace and made way to the deck. By the time she had arrived the pirate ship was close enough to able to make out the figures on the deck holding up pistols and cutlasses. They were haggard and dirty, all men with brown and black hair. Most had beards and a few had an eye patch. Atop the poop deck stood a man in a red jacket with a short beard and a wickedly shaped cutlass in his belt along side a pistol. He was eating an orange. Riven put her hand to her waist but did not feel her sword, she ran towards the stairwell but was immediately tackled down by a passenger on the ship just before another blast from the ship slammed home into the stairway, collapsing it.
Riven turned upon the person who tackled her and brought up her fist but she checked herself when she saw that it was Katarina. Katarina stood up quickly and helped Riven to her feet. Her face was full of concern. "Bianca, you are in great danger." Riven felt something slide into each of hands. One was a small pistol and the other was a long-bladed knife. "Take these. We are going to have to fight. I think these men were hired to take us down, there must have been an informant or spy at your little meeting." Riven looked at her.
"Did you see anything suspicious when you left my room?" she asked. Katarina looked at her quizzically.
"Your room? I never went into your room, I saw the sign you left for me and raced over here." Now Riven was the one with the quizzical gaze.
"But we... we kissed... I almost..." Riven mumbled. Katarina looked into her eyes and suddenly swore.
"Damn it, that damned witch. You were deceived my dear. That woman you were with was not me, it was a woman known as Evaine Le Blanc. She is a cunning little bitch and a shape shifter." Katarina slammed her fist against the deck. "That filthy whore in your mouth I..." she paused for a moment. "There is no way you could have known." Riven stared at her aghast and angry at herself for being played like a fool.
"I am sorry Katarina. I did not-" she was interupted when Katarina swiftly kissed her. A few of the bystanders eyed them.
"It's fine." she said as she broke off. She turned quickly to the port side and saw that the ship was quite close now and man were ready to throw grapples and swing down onto the ferry. A pistol shot rang out from the ship but it did not hit its mark. Riven heard the sound of swords being unsheathed and looked behind her to see a half dozen armed guards in blue uniforms. They each had a pistol and a simple long sword. From the looks of it they were out numbered four to one. Riven flicked around the knife getting a feel for its weight.
The first pirate came swinging forth from the front mast and was immediately shot down by Riven, who placed the shot on his arm causing him to fall into the sea. While she loaded her pistol five pirates had swung over and began fighting with the guards that had rushed towards them. Riven had the gun kicked out of her by a pirate who had thrown himself onto the ship. It slid across the surface and stopped near the edge of the starboard side of the deck. Riven parried a blow from his scimitar before plunging her dagger into his chest. Two more pirates came and Riven punched one in the jaw while dodging a stroke from his cutlass. He reared back and the other man stuck a pistol into Riven's chest but she quickly brought up her knee and knocked the weapon free. She pushed him back and spun around, bringing a slash across his throat. She caught the gun as it fell and fired it into the chest of the man who was holding his hand against his bloodied nose.
More men had appeared on the deck of the pirate ship from underneath and Riven groaned as she saw that a few of them had surrounded her. She dashed forward but suddenly three men in front of her collapsed with small daggers lodged in their necks. Riven turned to see Katarina fending of a few men herself. Riven drew up the cutlass from the man who she had dispatched and wielded it along side Katarina's knife. Two pirates charged at her and the first was brought down with a stab through the eye patch. The other parried a blow from Riven and kicked her in the groin, she reared back aching but dashed forward, feigning past a sword stroke and bringing the cutlass through his heart. She left it there and kicked him away and into the chest of another pirate who stumbled over. Three men charged at her and she stepped back. She came back to back to Katarina who was in a similar situation. A group of seven pirates had surrounded the two, coming in slowly.
"Throw me." Katarina whispered. Riven turned quickly and grabbed Katarina by the hips and threw her up. Katarina brought her hands into her jacket and when she brought them back out a flurry of daggers came forth from her hands and five of the men dropped to the ground. One of the men tried to grab Riven but she stabbed into the arm that touched her and sent a spinning kick to his skull, connecting with a satisfying crack. The other man had caught Katarina as she dropped and struggled to hold her. She quickly turned to her attacker and slammed the head into his, he let go and reared back but Katarina jumped on him and pulled a knife from her belt and drove it into his heart. Riven looked around and saw that they were the only people standing on the deck, all the attackers and the guards had been slain or were injured. She gazed at the pile of bodies in front of the six guards and nodded her head, they had fought quite valiantly.
Riven quickly turned her gaze to the pirate ship, a whole set of fresh men were standing on the deck cheering. They had set up a few boarding planks and streamed across. They quickly surrounded the duo and they both dropped their weapons. A tall man with a bicorne hot with Jolly Roger stitched into the front was making his way through the crowd. He had a red coat that went down to his ankles and a white shirt had a low collar that exposed a patch of chest hair. He had a short brown beard and mustache and brown eyes. His nose was a little crooked.
"Ahoy there me buxom beauties." he said as he emerged from the crowd and rudely examined their figures. "Shamus," he spoke to a one eyed pirate standing next to him "take these lubbers to me quarters" he turned back to them and licked his lips. "unspoiled. Bring our finest rum too, not that bilge rat grog you drink." Shamus nodded his head and grabbed Riven roughly by the shoulder. Riven pushed him off but the pirate in red turned back to her and drew his cutlass. It was green with poison. "Aye, lass, calm your nerves or I shall force you into the depths." he winked at her and sheathed his wicked blade. The two were quickly pushed and fondled through the crowd until a door swung open and they were thrown in. Riven looked over to Katarina who's left breast had been exposed when her corset was pulled down. Both of their hands had been tightly bound while they were being brought here and Katarina tried to squirm free but could not. Katarina shed a silent tear as she looked down at the floor. Riven crawled her way over to Katarina and sat next to her. She quickly brought her head down to Katarina's breast who began to protest but then felt that Riven had bit onto her corset and slowly began to drag it back over her breast. After a few moments her ample breast was again covered and Riven sat back up and leaned against her companion.
"Thank you, Bianca, you are an angel." She said and nuzzled her head against Riven's shoulder. Riven turned her head to the side and kissed Katarina on the top of her head. She then turned back to observe the room. It was finely decorated with many treasures and weapons. Riven looked to her left and saw a massive chest with a golden frame and a massive lock. There was a desk near the back of the room in front of a wide window and it was covered in maps.
"Are you alright my love?" Riven asked and Katarina smiled at her concern.
"Just a little shaken up, I thought they were going to rape me. But it's okay now." She pressed her head against Riven's shoulder again. They felt the ground vibrate and the pirate with the red coat came in. He did not regard the two, instead he took off his coat and hung it on a golden coat rack. His arms were strong and hairy. He sat down at his desk and finally turned to the women.
"Unlike my cohorts outside, I am a man of some gentility" he spoke differently, not like a pirate but like a nobleman. "and could not bare to witness two fine women be torn to pieces by a group of mangy men." he threw his hat down on the desk. "I have been shipped here from my luxurious manor in Noxus to capture you, Bianca." his voice got higher pitched the more he spoke. Suddenly Katarina spat.
"Le Blanc you bitch, show yourself." she said with spite and the man laughed.
"I did not do it last night because I needed to find out information and I was really looking forward to getting under her clothes." the voice was completely feminine now and spoke debaucherously. Riven shuttered and Katarina spat again.
"You will never have her!" she roared and Evaine laughed.
"I could take her now if I wanted. Those bindings are made in the great fires of the forge of Noxus and are unbreakable." she giggled and Riven looked back and leaned so she could see them, a similar runic inscription was on the bindings as her blade. She closed her eyes and began to slowly channel her inner power. "But there is no fun in that, is there?" she giggled again.
"You are a slippery bitch, Evaine." Katarina retorted.
"Oh now, Katarina you should watch your tongue, we would not want your father getting punished for it would you?" the man quickly morphed into a beautiful woman with deep blue hair and a large yellow cape. She reached around and pulled out a small device that had a glass screen on it. It showed a man bound in chains in a giant glass chamber. There were puddles of green ooze on the floor. Katarina looked up at the monitor and cried out in anger but did not speak again. She looked over towards Riven and saw her ponytail undo itself and began to gently rise in the air. Suddenly her bindings snapped and she jumped forward, green bolts of energy jolting around her. Evaine was caught off guard and tackled hard into the wall and was stabbed clean through the chest by a hook attached to the wall. Evaine gasped as the hook pierced through her lung and she coughed up blood. She jerked violently and then was still.
Riven turned around and saw Katarina who was staring in horror at Evaine, who was now hanging from the wall. Suddenly the massive chest burst open and Evaine came forth from it. The two looked back and forth from the body on the wall to the new Evaine that emerged from the chest. She looked down at Katarina and smiled.
"You didn't think I would leave myself so vulnerable would you?" she snapped her fingers and two more clones of herself appeared behind the two women. One drew a knife and put it against Katarina's throat while the other grabbed Riven from behind and grasped her breasts. Riven began to jerk but Evaine raised her hand in protest. "Break free and she dies." She pointed her hand towards Katarina who was crying as watched Riven being molested.
"What do you want?" Riven retorted, her face red with anger and hair still floating in the air. Evaine sensually swayed her hips as she came close to her. Suddenly Riven felt a cold hand press against her womanhood and groaned.
"I want you. And you are going to let me have you, or I will kill her and have you anyways." Evaine's smile was gone. Riven looked into her eyes with rage but her knees began to shake as she felt a pressure building up in her lower body from Evaine's fondling. She fell onto her knees and lost control of her energy as her hair flopped back down lifelessly. Evaine licked her fingers and turned to Katarina who was staring at her with tears running down her eyes. "If you turn your eyes away from me while I take her, I will kill your father." Evaine threatened and Katarina looked at Riven with despair. Riven gazed back at her and nodded softly and mouthed the word, it will be okay, silently. Evaine did not see the words of reassurance and tore off the garments covering her breasts and slid down on her knees in front of Riven. Evaine nodded at her breasts and Riven slowly brought the head to them.
A black blur crashed through the port side of the room and whizzed across the room, colliding with the clone who was standing over Katarina. The blur swept her through the starboard side of the room, leaving a hole. Riven dashed forward and brought her fist into Evaine's breast. She yelled in pain and quickly disappeared in a cloud of white smoke. The clone behind Riven kicked her back but Riven sent a blast of green energy from her hand and shot her straight out of the window and into the sea. Riven stood and turned to Katarina who was breathing heavily. Suddenly the door swung open and Shamus entered, blood smeared across his face.
"Captain we are-" he looked around and saw that the red coated pirate was not here. He quickly drew his pistol aimed it at Riven and shot. Riven closed her eyes but did not feel anything. She looked down at her body and saw no holes or blood. She brought her gaze up to Shamus who's eyes had rolled into the back of his head and fell, a red stream of blood coming from his hair. A tall woman with two pistols walked in, she wore a corset that covered her breasts and a few inches of flesh underneath with leather chaps. She wore a large bicorne hat atop her gorgeous red hair. Her skin was tanned and blemish free. She turned towards Riven who was glowing green with energy.
"Calm down, I mean you no harm." she turned to Katarina and nodded. "I hear that you are ambassadors, it is a shame that Noxus has sunk so low as to attack keepers of the peace." She sounded a little sad. "A great trade partner Noxus has become to Bilgewater." She turned as she heard steps. Jayce walked in with a strange mechanical hammer in his hand.
"I tried to convince her to join our cause but she refused, but I hope now she realizes the direness of the situation." he spoke firmly. Sarah Fortune turned away from him and looked at the Evaine clone pinned to the wall.
"It is now in consideration." Sarah said as she looked at the bloodied image. She turned quickly to Katarina and unwrapped the bindings around her wrists. Katarina rubbed her wrists softly and walked over to Riven's side. Jayce eyed her as Riven wrapped her hand around Katarina's shoulder and reassuringly kissed her cheek.
"I hear that you two need a lift to Ionia." Sarah said, she began to step out of the captain's quarters and onto the deck, Riven and Katarina followed. She saw that all of the pirates on the deck had surrendered to her men, her men were like pirates themselves but wore blue and brown uniforms. An even larger ship sat on the port side of the ship they were on, it had three towering masts. "This is Les Chanceux. She will take you there quicker than any ferry in all of Runterra.