Chapter Eight

Spirit of the Past

Riven and Katarina watched nostalgically as the Les Chanceux sailed away from the port. The two greatly enjoyed the company of Sarah Fortune and her privateers. Even the up tight Jayce lightened up during the later hours of the journey. It took almost twenty four hours to make the rest of the trip to Ionia from the point where they were ambushed by Evaine and her pirates. The two turned around and gazed at the beautiful Ionian port. The architecture was different than anywhere else either of the two had been. Most of the buildings at the port were made of wood beams with plaster walls. Many of the buildings had high arches with ornate crests and carved beams. The port was part of a tiny town in the region known as Navori, the very same region that Riven had began her assault. The town had a long and unpronounceable name in the tongue of the mainland.

Riven grabbed Katarina's hand and began to walk through the town. A few of the older members of the town recognized her. They did not shrink away in fear, they just simply looked upon her. One or two of them smiled at her and she waved back. The memories of the place were rapidly coming back to her. "Are you hungry?" she asked and Katarina smiled at her and nodded. Riven guided her to a nearby tavern and the two ate a bowl of rice coated in the spices of Ionia as they watched the sun begin to set. Katarina snuggled up against Riven's breast to warm up and Riven smiled brightly as she looked down upon her. Her heart felt warm and she enjoyed it.

The two decided to take up a room for the night. Riven had noticed that Katarina was behaving much more meekly than before since the incident on Evaine's ship, and it showed even more so as she held her hand and led her up the stairs. She could not look Riven in the eye and she was always red in the face. Riven quietly shut the door behind her and walked over to the bed and sat. Katarina followed close behind her but sat cross-legged on the floor.

"Is everything okay, Katarina?" Riven asked, she was not worried, she was just curious. Katarina smiled faintly and looked up at her.

"Bianca, nobody has ever stood up for me like you did last night, not even my father. He would give his life for me, but what you were risking... you risked your honor for me, my father loved me but I would doubt that he would give up Noxus for me. Noxus is all he had and honor is all you have." A small tear ran down her eye and she felt Riven's hand under her chin. She pressed upwards slowly and kissed her gently.

"Honor is all used to have, you are all I have now." her heart fluttered as she spoke and Katarina's eyes grew even more watery. She felt Riven's hand run down her scar and it tickled her inside her bosom. Katarina pressed forward and kissed her again softly, savoring the warmness of Riven's lips.

"Bianca... I..." she whispered. She was breathing very heavily and Riven slid off the bed and sat next to her.

"What is it Katarina?" Riven asked, her heart hammering like a drum. Katarina sighed and turned to her.

"Bianca..." she paused as Riven grabbed her hand gently. "I..."

"Say it." Riven said softly. Katarina's chest heaved back and forth gently as she breathed. She leaned forward towards Riven.

"I love you." the words exited her mouth like a breeze from a window. The words were carried gently towards the ears of Riven who felt the gentle caress of the wind rub against her face. She closed her eyes for a moment out of pleasure, making the most out of the moment as she could. When she opened her eyes she looked at Katarina who had leaned back and was looking down at her crossed legs. Riven took Katarina's hand in hers.

"I love you too, Katarina." Katarina gasped and looked up at her. Her big eyes welling up with tears. She leaped at Riven and wrapped her arms around her shoulders and hugged her tight. Riven felt tears gently falling onto her neck.

"Oh god Bianca," she wept "I love you so much." She kissed her neck repeatedly. "I had known it the second you pulled my corset back in place. It may seem small to you but it was a great deal to me. Ever since that moment I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you." Riven stroked her back gently.

"You are the only person to ever inspire such a passion in me before." She raised Katarina up off of her and looked her into the eyes. "And I hope you will always be my only one." She slowly pulled down on her own shirt, the collar widening as it went down her shoulders until both of her modest breasts slid out. Katarina gazed at them for a few moments and leaned in close. She gently kissed one on the side and slowly slid the shirt back up and slowly traced her finger along them through the shirt.

"Not tonight. I want to enjoy you tonight, our bodies can wait."

The two shared a wonderful night together. Riven had sat with Katarina's head in her lap and discussed their happiest memories for hours. The pleasure she felt from just speaking to her was more than she had anticipated from what she had originally planned on doing. When Riven woke Katarina was gently snoring on her neck and Riven smiled warmly at her as she moved her to get up. She walked out of the room and fetched a plate of sausages and eggs for the two of them. She noted seeing a strange man in the corner of the room, most of the patrons sat as far away from him as possible. His face was impossible to see under the brim of his black boater. He was cloaked in a massive black coat and was shuffling a deck of cards. Riven inconspicuously eyed him from her peripherals as she walked back up the stairs.

When she opened the door she found Katarina stretching. She was bent over touching her toes and Riven almost jumped at the view. Katarina looked at her from between her legs. "Good morning sunshine." she said gleefully, no longer shy and conceited like the night before.

"Please stand up, you are killing me." Riven begged and Katarina chuckled as she rose up. She turned and spread her arms to embrace her and Riven quickly sat the breakfast down on a table and ran up to hug her. "I got you breakfast." she whispered and Katarina smiled brightly.

"Thank you! Shall we eat now?" She walked up to her food and smelled it. "It smells good." she grabbed a sausage and put it to her mouth but Riven put her arm on her shoulder and she stopped.

"I want to eat downstairs, there is something you need to see." she said and Katarina sensed the grimness in her voice and simply nodded. Riven grabbed her plate and they both walked down into the tavern floor of the inn. They sat at the nearest occupied table and just as she expected the man with the cards looked up, his eyes gleaming under his hat. Riven forked up some eggs and chewed them quickly.

"What is it Bianca?" Katarina asked as she licked her fingers. Riven forked up some more eggs and suddenly burst out laughing, Katarina watched as her fork slowly pointed to the man in the corner. She did not look directly at him and instead started laughing herself. The two shared idle conversation until they finished breakfast. Katarina felt Riven tap upon her toes with her foot and they both stood and walked to the counter and placed their plates on it.

"Do you know who that is?" whispered Riven and Katarina nodded.

"I do not know his true name, but he is an assassin who goes by the name Twisted Fate." she replied "He has no allegiance with Noxus but he does dealings with them when they need something dirty done. I hear Swain called upon him to assassinate the crown prince of Demacia before he got captured." Riven pondered for a moment.

"Do you think he is here for us?" She asked. Katarina turned her head a little to catch a glimpse of him again. He was holding a playing card with a large yellow spade on its face.

"Most likely. He would not come all the way over from Bilgewater for no reason, he is not the spiritual type." Riven turned and stared directly at him. Twisted Fate did not look back, instead he looked at the card in his hand. Gradually the yellow spade faded away and turned into a blue diamond.

"We should go now." Riven said and Katarina nodded. "Wait here." Riven went back up the stairs in a slight haste and grabbed their belongings and came back down. Katarina was standing at the door and Twisted Fate was at the counter. Riven quickly shuffled past him but she felt a strange chill as she crossed him but continued out the door.

They were out of town in a matter of minutes. The two walked silently until the sight of human intervention upon the landscape was completely out of sight. The Ionian countryside was littered with large grassy hills and distant forests. The blue sky fading into a gray on the horizon.

"Do you think he followed us?" Riven asked as she turned back to Katarina. She nodded in the affirmative and pointed in front of them. Further down the path a man in a black duster and large brimmed hat was sitting on tree stump. He held a deck of cards in his hand. The two looked at each other and decided no matter where they go he would be there, so they went to confront him.

"Hello, ladies." Twisted Fate said as they approached. He smiled at Katarina. "Fancy seeing you here."

"What do you want, Twisted Fate?" Katarina asked spitefully. Twisted Fate chuckled for a moment and drew out a glowing yellow card from under his sleeve. He jerked his arm forward at blinding speed and sent the card flying quickly towards Katarina, she tried to dodge it but it was too fast and dug into her abdomen. She groaned and fell hard onto the dirt trail. Riven quickly turned to her and saw that only the corner of the card had actually penetrated her skin but she was completely immobilized.

"I reckon that a two versus one fight wouldn't be fair. You're the mark not her." He said as he looked down at his victim and then quickly stood and looked at Riven. "She'll live, if you cooperate." The deck of cards in his hand started glowing and slowly began to separate and float in the air around him. He sent a blue card directly at Riven's breast but it was completely deflected by a bolt of green energy. Riven turned to him and her eyes gleamed with fury. Her hair started rising into the air and suddenly the bag on her shoulder ripped itself open as her massive adamantine blade reassembled itself. Riven quickly grabbed it and charged towards her foe.

Twisted Fate nimbly dodged a down ward slash and kicked Riven in the stomach. She groaned and swung again with the same effect. He threw three cards at her and she quickly feigned past them, bringing a strike against his arm but he drew his arm back quick and sent a red card spinning at the ground. It exploded and sent Riven sliding back. The cards floating in the air around him suddenly flew towards Riven and swarmed around her, cutting her all across her body. She hunched down under the assault and after a moment she burst with a green light and all the cards around her caught aflame and glided to the ground. Twisted Fate chuckled.

"You've got some backbone lass." He said as he took out another deck of cards from underneath his coat pocket. "But I'm afraid it is time to say good night." He smiled and Riven glared at him, he did not make a move at all. Suddenly she felt something behind her and dropped down on her knees just in time to avoid a wickedly curved dagger spinning through the air. It landed harmlessly on the ground in front of Twisted Fate. Riven turned to see that another man in a flamboyant red and black jesters outfit with a demonic visage covering his face had suddenly appeared out of thin air. He held another dagger of similar nature in his hand and with a snap of his fingers the dagger on the ground floated back into his hand.

"Shaco," Riven spat and turned to Twisted Fate "I thought you said a two on one fight was unfair?" She taunted. They both laughed in response.

"I've never played a fair game in my life, lass." He said and Shaco laughed again. Riven stood up and held her sword in front of her with both hands. She turned it towards Shaco who again laughed. She dashed and he disappeared. She quickly turned to Twisted Fate and tried to ram her blade through his gut but he feigned to the side and brought his fist against her face. She felt Shaco appear behind her and whirled around, slashing her blade swiftly. Shaco jumped up and landed atop the broad side of the blade and blew a raspberry at her before leaping off of it with a back flip and throwing both of his daggers at her. The first missed but the second dug deep into her bicep. She swung madly around but Twisted Fate threw a glowing yellow card in response and barely missed her throat. She was about to swing again but she began to feel a strong pain in her arm and dropped down on her knee. Shaco was standing in front of her and knelt down, his black and red pantaloons nearly brushing against her face.

"I think your exile has taken its toll on your body." He kicked her in the arm causing her to fall flat on her face. She slowly looked up at him and tried to spit but it only bubbled at her mouth. "Oh Bianca, why so serious? You must have expected us to catch up to you some day." He kicked the dagger in her arm even deeper and she moaned with pain but rose herself back on her knees. She saw that Twisted Fate was hanging back.

"Sh-Sh-Shaco..." she murmured "Let me show you a magic trick." Shaco leaned back and laughed and drew himself closer.

"Oh tricks, how I love tricks!" He clapped and looked intently at Riven's face. Twisted Fate had his back turned now, collecting cards from the ground. Riven shuffled for a moment.

"I will make you..." suddenly she reached out and grabbed Shaco's arm, he tried to resist but he was not stronger than her. "Disappear!" She screamed as she tore the blade from her arm and brought it up into his throat. She felt the dagger go through bone and into his skull, she jerked it out quickly and pushed him back. He fell lifelessly to the floor and Twisted Fate whirled around and threw a barrage of cards at her but she rolled to the side and sprung to her feet. She hurled the blade at him but the blade was strangely proportioned and flew wildly and struck home into his foot, pinning it against the ground. He screamed aloud in agony and Riven picked her blade back up and walked over to him. She placed it against his throat and looked him in the eyes. He dropped his visage of pain and simply looked grimly back at her, he closed his eyes as she brought the blade back for a swing. He heard the air whistling from the sound of the swing but suddenly a dull thud rang out through the area and he opened his eyes to see that Riven had been disarmed. A young woman stood behind her with long blue hair and a suit of armor colored red and silver with Ionian markings all across it. She had a series of blades floating in the air beside her in the shape of an X.

Riven turned quickly around and brought her fist up but stopped short of her face. She stared straight into the young woman's eyes for a moment then gasped and took a step back. She felt her head ache and her legs began to give way to the pain in her arm and she fell onto the floor unconscious.