Chapter 5 – Refraction Pt. 1
Riven once again stood in the Proving Grounds the next day. The grim atmosphere of the place only reminded her of her embarrassing breakdown (the second in three days, no less). But she had decided to carry on with the training, hoping the experience would toughen her up a little. Nigel had arranged with a fellow summoner for a practice session after their studies. Riven knew what this would entail. She was going to have to give up control of her body again, and she was not looking forward to it. She still felt exhausted from the night before, as Lux's kiss remained on her mind and only brought her more conflicting thoughts. She was having trouble dealing with her massive fluctuations of emotion over the past couple days. Ironically, she was a bigger disaster now than when she'd arrived.
The most troubling detail today though, was her opponent. Irelia stood before her, having heard of the arrangement somehow and volunteering for the spot. She smiled at Riven and greeted her politely, which made Riven's gut tighten. How could she look upon a former enemy like that? Like they were suddenly your best neighbour because they apologized for murdering your family?
Regardless, even if Irelia had accepted it, Riven didn't feel any better for it. If she could atone with words, she'd have done so long ago.
Riven? Nigel's voice rang in her head.
Riven sighed deeply, readying herself. Nigel had taken the time to explain to her what the process would involve. He warned her that when he took command of her body, their minds would be linked as well, and he would have access to her current thoughts. Due to his lower skill level though, her memories would remain hers alone. She was still apprehensive at the idea. That meant if she thought of a memory, it would be presented to him. It wasn't that she was concerned with accidentally remembering a… private matter. There was just no way Nigel was getting through this battle with Irelia without seeing her past. She could only hope that he was prepared.
As she waited, Irelia walked forward past the minions. Riven readied her blade, but Irelia put her hands out in a sign of truce. Riven relaxed and stood at attention.
"How are you, Riven?" Irelia asked.
Riven shrugged.
Irelia gave a confused smile at the response, but didn't press her. "I noticed you've made an interesting friend."
Riven eyed her curiously. "You mean Lux?" She asked.
"She's a good person," Irelia nodded, "But you'd be wise to keep a comfortable distance from her, if you know what I mean."
"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," Riven replied coldly.
"I see," Irelia pursed her lips, "Well, shall I just say… She's not exactly the most honest champion of the League. So don't end up putting too much trust in her."
Riven looked back in disbelief. Lux, not honest? That didn't make any sense at all.
Then again, Riven wasn't sure her social skills were really up to par. Would she even be able to tell if Lux was lying to her? Probably not. Still, she liked to believe she could tell people's true intentions. Growing up in Noxus had given her all the training she could ever need for that purpose. And in her opinion, Lux was true to her words.
"What would cause you to say something like that?" Riven called her out, feeling a little ticked off that Irelia was badmouthing someone she liked.
"Ah, you misunderstand me, Riven," Irelia replied calmly, "I didn't mean to insult you or her. I was simply concerned for your well-being."
Riven frowned. She was getting way too much attention from other people lately. It was uncomfortable, especially when they were worrying about her. It made her feel like she should be responsible for their worries. She had never before considered that the upside to forming relationships outweighed the downside. It was always more effort than it was worth.
But then it was different with Lux. Riven hardly had to do anything to acquire her as a friend. Lux was always the one coming to her. She claimed to have no hidden motives last night, so what did Irelia mean? Riven was just getting frustrated now. The last thing she needed was one more idea to stress about.
As if on cue, she felt the grogginess she'd experienced in her first match seeping in. A chill ran down her spine and a final tinge of fear fluttered across her mind. She couldn't ever imagine being completely willing to go through with this.
As the sensation grew, however, she noticed this was a much different experience than her previous one. Last time, she had only felt the loss of control. But now, as that same feeling crept up, she felt something else was taking its place. She tried to concentrate on it to figure out what exactly it was, but it all too quickly became like trying to remember a dream. By the time she thought of it, it had been replaced by something new. Despite this, her mind felt sharper. In exchange for her body, her psyche was strengthening. It was the strangest thing she'd ever experienced.
'You get used to it eventually,' Came a voice in her head. Was it her own, or Nigel's? Or was there even a difference anymore?
'Nigel?' She tested with a thought.
'Yes?' Answered a slightly different thought.
Weird. This was more like talking to herself.
Nigel laughed. She could tell it was his by the way it sounded in her mind.
'Why isn't this the same as last time?' Riven questioned. She forced in a memory of her first match to emphasize the point. To make things stranger still, she somehow knew Nigel saw it and understood.
'I'm not really sure,' He answered, 'It's possible the summoner erected some kind of one-way barrier before actually summoning you. But that's an incredibly advanced technique. I heard it was Takura that summoned you, and there's no way he could have managed that. He's a class below me in terms of skill…'
Riven considered this for a moment. She was still almost sure the summoner had introduced himself as Falnic. She wasn't overly concerned about it though. She was just glad she wouldn't have to deal with him again.
'Just what skill level are you, anyway?' Riven wondered.
'I… Well, I'm not the worst, I guess? I'm a Grade Level 12...'Nigel answered. Riven could hear the embarrassment in his tone of voice. Or thought. Whatever.
'12 out of what?' She inquired further, becoming a little concerned.
'… 30.' He replied sheepishly.
'But you don't need to be worried about that,' he continued before Riven could respond, 'There are many limitations in place for newer summoners. We can't do anything that would endanger the summonee.'
'Isn't summoning a dangerous thing in the first place?' Riven asked, remembering his failed attempt the day before.
'…'
'Never mind…' Riven gave up, 'Let's just get this over with.'
Riven swung her sword around and stretched properly to loosen her joints. She knew she would need to be in peak condition to face Irelia. After the war had ended, Riven heard of how Irelia, at a young age, had almost single-handedly won the deciding battle at the Placidium, effectively ending the assault on Ionia.
This wouldn't be easy, especially with Nigel in control. She didn't imagine he had nearly as much combat experience as she did.
'I heard that.' Nigel complained.
'Oh. Sorry. I didn't mean…' Riven apologized uncomfortably. Yes, this was definitely weird.
'It's alright. I can't claim to be the best fighter, but as a summoner, I do have experience. And I think I've got a grasp on your style.'
Riven sighed inwardly. Every time she'd heard that phrase coming from a sparring partner, they'd lost. She didn't have a style. Her focus allowed her to adapt on the spot, and that is exactly how she fought.
If Nigel heard that thought, he didn't let her know. Instead, she watched as he moved her body into position behind her minions. Irelia followed suit, keeping a careful eye on Riven the whole time. Riven wondered if her summoner was in control of her too.
There were a few minutes of general peace as the two sides warily swatted down minions.
Finally, Nigel stepped forward to finish off a minion, and Irelia struck. She dashed forward, with her sword leading the charge. Riven was ready. But Nigel wasn't.
The attack knocked her off balance, allowing Irelia a free slash. Nigel quickly forced a Ki Burst to halt the attack, and jumped back to gain some distance. Irelia didn't chase. She slowly began circling Riven as Nigel stood his ground.
'I probably could have countered and come out on top there.' Riven thought, frustrated.
'Sorry. I panicked a bit.'
'This is no time to panic. Focus,' Riven lectured. Her life was on the line here. She wished she could pass on her ability to think on the spot, but she knew it was her gift, and not everyone could pull it off.
Riven watched as Irelia slowly paced, looking for openings. Their attention was focused completely on each other. Despite not being in control, Riven constantly formulated plans of attack, hoping they'd reach Nigel and give him a better idea of how to fight.
Then she saw it. A minion behind Irelia had taken a step backwards for whatever reason. It was perfect.
'Attack!' Riven commanded.
'But-'
'Go!'
Nigel brought her forwards, surprisingly following one of the plans Riven had formulated. Irelia attempted to step back in anticipation of the blow, only to bump into the back of the minion. It wasn't enough to trip her, but it did interrupt her stance. She swore under her breath and tried to reposition herself, but Riven was already on top of her.
Nigel swung quickly, but all that came was a 'clang' as metal hit metal.
"You underestimate me, Riven," Irelia declared, her floating blade protecting her, "I don't need to absorb the blow like you do."
'What are you waiting for?' Riven questioned Nigel. This wasn't a social gathering.
'You didn't tell me what to do after this…' Nigel replied unsurely.
'That's because- Ugh, never mind! Just give me my body back!' Riven replied. Watching someone fight so meekly was driving her mad. Why was someone attempting to battle for her when she was clearly capable herself? This whole process made no sense.
'But…'
'Just do it!'
The transition was quick this time. Riven clenched her fist against the hilt of her blade. She was back.
Irelia noticed the change and smirked, "Practice time is over already?"
Riven pushed her blade against Irelia's. It was forced closer to her body. Irelia's look intensified. Riven could see her concentrating to push it back away. Now she understood.
Riven quickly kicked out with her left leg, releasing the pressure on the blade. Irelia's sword flew outwards as the Ionian switched attention to block the kick, but the force knocked her over the minion behind her. Riven dived forward, ready to press further with a downward slash. Her attack came up short as Irelia continued the roll backwards. Again, Riven jumped forwards. Irelia dodged it – just barely – with a grin on her face.
"You really are the one-minded type. Who taught you how to fight?" She taunted.
Riven heard the blade coming up behind her and deflected it without much effort. It continued past and stopped beside its owner.
Riven glowered at the girl.
'Nigel.'
'Yeah?' He answered with a sigh. Or was that her sigh? She couldn't tell.
'Can I fight this one? I'll make it up to you next time,' She did feel bad for yelling at him before, but this battle was becoming personal.
'I thought you might say that…' He sighed. It was definitely his this time.
Riven dived in once more. She was met with Irelia's blade. The two clashed with each other for several more minutes as Nigel watched. Sparks flew from the impacts of the swords, momentarily lighting up the dark surroundings. Riven moved fluidly, while Irelia's blade danced around her. From an outsider's perspective, it would seem that they were evenly matched, but Riven was quickly growing tired. After one large collision, the two separated.
"Shall we take a breather?" Irelia suggested, "You seem like you might need one."
She wasn't wrong. Riven realized how much she was sweating. She wondered how much was from fighting and how much was from watching it anxiously. But she also saw Irelia was in the same condition. It seemed that using her sword still caused strain on her body.
Riven nodded to Irelia. She wasn't used to having any sort of sportsmanship in sparring, but she would take it in this case. She needed to take a minute to think and focus. Irelia smiled back.
"Take your time, Riven," She said politely as she walked over to the minions.
Riven was caught off guard by the sudden change in mannerisms. Irelia was quick to switch moods.
Riven went over the previous scrap in her mind. She had learned some valuable information, but that wasn't enough. She had to get close to fight, and Irelia's blade could prevent that.
'This would go a lot easier if I had my full sword...' Riven thought, frustrated.
'… I think that can be arranged.' Nigel replied.
'What?' She asked, confused. The thought wasn't a serious one. She hadn't actually meant it.
'When you showed me your memory before, I noticed the other summoner reforged your sword halfway through. I've been wondering about how he managed that. But it just clicked. He simply summoned the rest of your sword.'
Riven was shocked at the idea. She'd thrown aside the notion of ever having her sword back. It went against the entire purpose she'd had when she gave up on the Noxian military. It was meant to be a reminder of how things shouldn't be.
But, she considered, this concept of sentimentality didn't make her feel any better about anything. She wasn't only searching for some way to atone for her past, but to find a future for herself and Noxus. She wasn't sure what the next step should be. Should she just give up on that feeling she'd had back then? No... Perhaps 'give up' wasn't the right wording…
'I believe the words you're looking for are 'move on',' Nigel offered.
Riven smiled. Yes, that was right. If she held on to silly restrictions and ideals, she'd never become stronger. It was time to move on. And continue to become stronger in the future. Like a true Noxian.
'Let's do it, Nigel.'
'Okay,' Nigel agreed eagerly, 'Now, I'll need you to remember the location where you broke your sword. It'll be a lot easier to do if I know roughly where it is.'
Riven pictured the area in her head. It was one of the clearest memories she had of her time in Ionia. It had the most significance, after all.
On top of a hill, nearby the area where her final battle for Noxus had taken place. A view of the tragic battlefield lay below her. It was a mess of bodies and scorched land. The red of blood mixed with the black, green, and blue mixtures of the chemicals. It was a painting of the most gruesome deaths imaginable.
Her stomach lurched, and she turned away from the sight. Slowly, her hand shaking dreadfully, she took her sword towards a large rock close by. She took one last look at the enormous blade. This was her token of success. This was her reward for following the Noxian way.
But now, now it was simply mocking her. Why use a sword when you have weapons capable of taking out an army from a distance? Why use strength when you can simply weaken your enemies instead? Noxus was changing. It wasn't about being the most powerful anymore. It was simply about coming out as the winner. Any means necessary.
But it was wrong. This was not the reason she was here. She could not be a part of this anymore. She'd done too much already. Every battle she'd fought in Ionia had ended the same way, but she'd turned a blind eye up to this point. Now, with the reality forced upon her and her battalion… Or rather, former battalion…
Riven felt her eyes watering, and rubbed them quickly. She had never cried before. She had never experienced sadness, loneliness, anything like that. She didn't want to. She was stronger than that. But even as she fought the feeling, it only grew worse. The tears wouldn't go away. It was infuriating.
None of this was right. She was supposed to be a warrior. A strong warrior of the most powerful city-state. What was she now? An expendable. A casualty of war. An emotional wreck.
Noxus used to take pride in its individual strength. That was the way she was raised. That was the reason she existed today. And that would be the way she would live tomorrow. But from now onward, she'd do it her way. She'd leave these cowards and pretenders behind, and fight with her strength alone.
With a decisive smash on the sword's broadside against the rock, it shattered. Green light exploded from the cracks as the runes released their stored energy. Riven watched intently. This would be a new legacy for her. She memorized every detail as the light faded from the segments that lay on the ground. She looked at her now shattered blade, only a third of its former size, and still the length of a longsword. One rune remained, glowing softly and likely keeping the blade from cracking further. The other pieces were similar, though their glow was slowly fading. The source of their power had been removed. Her spirit was not in tune with them.
She thought of burying the pieces, but decided it would be too much effort. Even if someone were to stumble across them, they would be useless. Without the rest of the sword, it would be impossible to return their powers. Besides, she felt some sort of satisfaction in leaving them out in the elements. Like they needed some sort of punishment for betraying her trust. She couldn't really understand the feeling. It was new to her as well.
She looked to the west. The sun was nearing the horizon, casting an orange glow over the fields below her. Just another foreign colour adding to the mix of hideous gore. She shook the thought away. If she wanted to cover any distance today, she needed to get moving. There was a port town nearby. She wondered if the villagers would let her… borrow a boat to get off this island. She doubted she was welcome to wander here. This would be the only way out.
Riven took a deep breath. She hadn't planned on remembering all that. She had only meant to give Nigel the location, but it all just swept together.
'Okay. I think I've got it.' Nigel confirmed. He didn't comment on the rest of the memory. She was glad for that, but… Was he not even affected by it?
Riven felt their bond weaken a little as he focused on the new target.
'Are you sure this is safe?' She worriedly asked.
Nigel didn't answer for a moment.
'Relatively,' He replied.
Relative to what…?
'Actually, you might be able to help further. I noticed your sword sometimes retraces its former shape with its Runeglow. Is there any way you could make that happen right now?'
Riven looked at her sword. She knew what he meant, though the term he used was new to her. The issue was that she had no idea how to force it to happen. She tried channeling her power for a Ki Burst, but that only caused it to glow ferociously.
She tried to recall the last time she'd noticed the effect. It was at the end of her League Judgement. The time before that was when she'd decided to head to the League in the first place. She wondered if it reacted to her thoughts. It wouldn't be the first time she'd heard of a weapon responding to its owner. A prime example was the woman standing right in front of her, picking off minions.
She focused for a moment. She needed to clear her head, and convince herself into feeling resolved in some way. But it was difficult to suddenly will an emotion into being. She gave up after a few failed attempts.
Her mind wandered as she tried to think of some other way. Lux's actions last night came to mind again, and she quickly shunned the memory away, hoping Nigel hadn't noticed.
But then she realized that it might actually help. She thought of the events again, before the awkward moment. The feeling of having Lux as a friend, and the relief and happiness that came with it…
A smile slowly crept across her face as she watched her sword react. With a few faint glimmers, it began tracing out its former glory. It touched Riven the same way every time she saw it, and up until now she couldn't figure out why. This time, though, she made the connection.
She heard Nigel's voice, but was too distracted to listen to it. She'd realized her sword was more of a metaphor than she had intended. It was a perfect example of Noxus. Once brilliant and powerful, now broken and shamed. But she was in the process of changing that. Could she do the same for Noxus? Could she take what was broken, and reforge it?
Her smile grew. She felt bold, all of the sudden. She had found her next, and possibly most important mission. She would take everything wrong from her home, and recreate its true purpose; by her own strength if need be.
'Riven!' Nigel's voice cut into her thoughts. Just as she snapped back to attention, there was a burst of blue-green light from her weapon. Riven winced from the sudden flash, but as soon as it appeared, it receded, leaving only her sword in its full, undaunted form. Its runic energy buzzed loudly and glowed along the cracks and edges. Its weight had returned as well, giving Riven's muscles a nostalgic tug. It felt much heavier than before, which only reminded Riven of her recent deterioration. She gave the sword a few practice swings, and decided to spend more time training.
Finally, she looked to Irelia, who was watching curiously.
"It's certainly impressive," The Ionian noted, "I'm amazed that you can wield such a thing with your small stature."
Riven had heard the same comment too many times to count, though it usually involved the word 'scrawny'. It also usually involved the commenter winding up on the floor in vast amounts of pain. Against Irelia, though, Riven wasn't sure how to proceed. She felt confident in her skills, but she wasn't sure of her feelings.
Irelia grinned, "What's the matter, Riven? Are you still too weak to fight me, even at your peak?"
'Is she trying to provoke me now?' Riven questioned. As troubled as she was at the thought, it was working.
'Hey Riven,' Nigel chimed in. His voice seemed tense. 'I hate to break it to you, but I don't think I can hold this up for very long. If you're going to fight…'
Riven acted immediately. With a quick dash forward, she managed to surprise Irelia. She felt herself transition into her focused state in the second she charged. It usually took longer, but with the enhanced senses provided by her link with Nigel, she was able to clear her mind easily. Her goal was clear. She swept her blade heavily at her opponent, who just barely managed a parry in time. The weight of Riven's blade, however, knocked Irelia's off balance, causing it to slice her own hand.
The blue streak of light was all Riven needed to convince her to press the attack. She followed with her combination strike she'd affectionately named "Wings." Another quick horizontal slash as she stepped into her opponent made direct contact as Irelia recoiled in an attempt to create distance. Irelia hopped back. Riven jumped forward, slamming her blade downwards. It missed Irelia by an inch, but the force of the strike exploded upon the ground, causing her to stumble backwards.
Riven didn't break her assault. Many soldiers would need a chance to gather their strength at this point, especially with such a huge weapon. But for Riven, even in her current unfit state, this was nothing. She was just getting started, and would stop at nothing until her mission was accomplished. In this state, the thought of defeat never crossed her mind.
She stabbed forwards with the intent of finishing the duel, but Irelia managed to block this final blow. She smirked at Riven through heavy breaths.
"I can see why my people feared you. You're quite the capable warrior after all."
Riven hesitated. That comment bothered her in more ways than one. She realized too late that Irelia intended it to. Her floating blade struck out quickly in its wasp-like stab. Riven attempted to block, but even with her full blade it was futile. Two of the prongs dug deep into her hip and shoulder. If this were a match outside the League, she knew she'd be in serious trouble at this point. Instead, she simply felt the odd sensation of being stabbed, without the pain, and the aura around her weaken. Irelia's blade pinwheeled against Riven's, sending a myriad of orange sparks and green energy flying. Annoyed, Riven knocked the blade away to attempt a counterattack, but Irelia had vanished.
'Riven! Dodge right!' Nigel chimed in. Riven attempted to do so, but felt a weapon cut through her left shoulder.
"Too slow!" Came Irelia's voice from behind.
Riven used the momentum of the blow to flip around and face her opponent. Irelia stood with her blade in front of her, and now three more smaller ones hovered above her.
'Careful. She's sending the pieces individually. It's her most dangerous ability.' Nigel explained. His voice seemed severely weakened in Riven's mind. She knew her time was running out. A plan quickly formulated in her head. She needed to get closer.
Riven charged. With her first step, Irelia's first piece shot out straight towards her. Riven's reactions felt slow with Nigel's extra strain, and she couldn't dodge it effectively. It cut cleanly through her arm. She felt her aura weaken, and noticed Irelia's strengthen.
So that was how it was. Change of plan. She needed to get much closer. That would mean being hit twice more. She wasn't sure if she could take it, but it was her last chance.
She ran directly at Irelia, who stood her ground confidently. She shot out another blade. Riven took the full force as it swept through her midsection. Again, if this were a true battle, she'd have lost then and there. She had taken into account the leniencies the League offered her. But she knew she was still cutting it close. She continued running.
Irelia was frowning now. Good. She was worried.
"I'm sorry, Riven. It's been fun," She called out. Riven ignored her. No more taunts.
"This'll end it!" Irelia yelled as she shot out her final blade.
'That's it!' Riven noted and launched herself forward into the blade. This time, she felt the pain as it pierced her aura and sliced cleanly through her side. But just as she'd done so many times in the past, she forced herself through the agony.
Irelia's blank face revealed her shock as Riven reached her. Before she could react, Riven had thrown a fully-charged Ki Burst at her. With a downward slash afterwards, Riven wound back her swordarm behind her. Her body throbbed in pain, but her focus kept her intact. She needed to pull this off. It was her trump card.
With all the strength she could muster, she swung out her massive sword. The runes on it buzzed energetically as the blade's momentum increased.
'Go,' She commanded. As she reached the precise midswing, the blade responded, transforming its momentum into magical energy. It flashed brilliantly, and from its tip burst a shockwave that spread out in front of Riven.
Irelia cried out in pain as she took the full force of the attack. The wounds she'd received already were torn further as the blast ripped through her. After the attack dissipated, the area was silent, save for Riven's rasped breaths. Her sword had returned to its normal state.
Irelia dropped to her knees. "Amazing," She choked out as she collapsed. Her blade dropped lifelessly beside her as the blue light began to envelop them both.
Riven's legs buckled. Her mission accomplished, the pain from her wound washed over anew. So this was how it worked. The aura only gave her protection to a point, and after that it was simply her own strength. She wondered if she'd die as well. A dark thought in her head suggested she deserved to. She had killed the leader of the Ionian forces. Permanent or not, it felt terrible. What was she accomplishing here…?
She winced. This wasn't the time to sink into despair. But she wasn't sure she could face Irelia the same way now. She had gone back to her old habits of ignoring everything but her mission, and now the guilt was catching up to her.
"Nigel. I'm done," Riven said out loud.
'Okay,' Nigel answered, 'Hold on. I'm bringing you back.'
Riven closed her eyes as she felt her body be tugged back to the Institute. She didn't want to look at the shadows in the process. She felt nauseous already, and didn't want to make it any worse. She felt the pain from her wound disappearing and touched the spot gingerly. It was gone. She breathed a sigh of relief. She felt her sword disappear as well. Nigel told her he was returning it to her room.
As soon as she felt herself land on hard ground again, she opened her eyes to find a surprising sight.
"Riven! That was brilliant!" Lux shouted as she tackled Riven with a hug. But she quickly gasped and pulled away again.
"Sorry. I did it again," She apologized squeamishly, "But my goodness was that an exciting duel!"
Just a few seconds into the meeting, and already Riven couldn't keep up. "Lux… What are you doing here?"
The room lit up in its blue hue as Nigel powered down the central platform and stepped towards them.
"Good afternoon, Lux," He greeted her.
"And to you, Nigel," She responded cheerily, "You look like you're working hard."
Nigel looked down at the floor with a sheepish grin, and then to Riven. "Yeah, we had to work a bit harder for this one."
Riven frowned. She was still being left behind, "You two know each other?"
"Oh, yes!" Lux brightened up, "I've known Nigel for ages! He summoned me once a long time ago. He was actually one of my first summoners! Though I recall it didn't go so well…" She explained, touching her chin thoughtfully.
"But how did you know I was here?" Riven asked.
"Well that was fairly easy. I recognized Nigel's voice last night, and when I didn't see you today, I simply looked for him."
"You recognized his voice? From one encounter beforehand?"
Lux smiled, "Yes, I have a knack for that sort of thing. I'm also great at imitating them. Want to hear?"
Riven recalled Lux's attempt at her own voice the other day. "I'd rather not."
Lux shrugged, her smile unwavering, "Suit yourself." She turned back to Nigel. "Now, if you don't mind, Nigel, I'd like to steal Riven away from you."
Nigel was surprised, "Are… you sure that's a good idea?"
"Positive," Lux answered, her eyes gleaming.
"If you say so… I think we're done for today. Right Riven?"
Riven frowned again, "I'm guessing I don't have a say in the matter?"
"Nope." "Not likely." Lux and Nigel answered at the same time.
Riven sighed, "Yeah, we're done. Where are we going Lux?"
"Lunch! I've got some friends I want you to meet!" She exclaimed gleefully as she grabbed Riven's hand and pulled her along. Riven looked back to Nigel.
"Thank you," She managed before she was dragged out the door. Nigel just smiled apologetically, as if it were his fault Lux was dragging her away.
The girls left and continued down the hall. Lux was already excitedly rambling about her morning. Riven listened as she emphasized every detail with such a happy expression. It was hard to imagine what Irelia had suggested about the girl. She seemed so innocent. How could someone like her be lying?
Her thoughts drifted along further into the match. She had regained her sword. It felt good to have it back, even if she needed help to do so. She felt she had realized something important then as well, but it was still difficult to imagine. Could she really change Noxus?
Behind them, the door to the adjacent summoning chamber opened. Irelia exited, smiling, and heading towards the next room. But upon seeing Lux and Riven walking away, she stopped.
"Missed my chance," She muttered unhappily.
She turned silently and walked the opposite way. "You've won this round, Lux, but I'm not giving up."
