Sooo yea, I feel like crap for not getting this out earlier. I ended up rewriting this chapter a total of three times before I felt like it was good enough. Even so, I kinda feel like this isn't gonna have as much love as my other chapters seem to be getting. Either way, here is the next chapter of Tales of the Possessed.
"So, you're telling me that you have been attacked thrice in your own room already, and are just now informing me of them?" Darsaj had a slight scowl on his fair face, and I felt slightly uneasy, even with my blades at my back. I feel like an unruly kid for some reason. Like I got caught with my hand in the sweets. I was sitting in a chair in Darsaj's quarters, facing him across a desk set in the middle of his room. There were books stacked neatly on one side, and a collection of various stones and crystals on the other side. There was a small wardrobe set against the left wall, and a queen-sized bed against the other. Between them was a full-sized window, stretching across the entire outside wall. The plains in front of the institute stretched out endlessly. The shadow of Mount Targon was just visible on the horizon. The view was truly breathtaking.
"Well, I told Kayle, the Judicator about Vayne's attack," I said with a shrug. "But that was only because the Piltover Sherrif ordered me to. I didn't feel that I should burden anyone with unsuccessful attempts on my life." Unsuccessful? Vashirik asked, his voice incredulous. You do remember being unable to move after those thrice-damned bolts got done with their work, right? Be quiet, I told him.
Darsaj's face grew dark, and I felt even more uneasy than I had before. "Burden anyone? Alexei, you are a Champion of the League! One of the select few that serve as the go-to for any political problems in Runeterra. If you were found dead in your room, do you realize how much trouble would ensue?" Darsaj was standing now, hands on his desk, and I saw a faint orange glow start to emanate from his normally emerald green eyes. "The murder of even one Champion, no matter what their affiliation would be, could destabilize the entire system that the Institute of War has in place! Accusations would fly everywhere, and no one would trust us if it was seen that we Summoners could not protect the Champions! It could even lead to another Rune War!"
Suddenly, the stack of books next to his hand burst into flames, and I jumped up and over my seat in surprise. When I landed, I saw that the whole desk was awash in flame, the flames reaching towards the vaulted ceiling. Through the glow, I saw Darsaj reach a hand out towards the burning desk. "L'rathier vanas anzhat'h'um," I heard over the roar of the increasingly building blaze. The flames swirled and stretched from the desk towards his waiting hand. They twisted around his hand and writhed up his arm, leaving it completely wreathed in flame. He breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly as the last bits of fire settled into his hand, flickering despite having no fuel. His eyes flashed blue and he clenched his arm. The flames suddenly died, leaving no evidence that there had been a fire other than the stench of burning wood. He closed his eyes and turned towards the window, stepping forward and resting his forehead against the glass.
His voice came strained. "Forgive me, Master. I lost control again. Thankfully there was no one hurt... this time. I just hope there isn't a next time." I crept slowly forward, passing the charred desk and placing a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head, his eyes returned to their bright green coloring, and smiled weakly. "Sorry about that, Alexei. I kinda got carried away in the heat of the moment." He chuckled a little at his joke. I grew concerned as he kept on laughing. The laughing grew more choked before he suddenly collapsed to the ground, sobs tearing from his throat. I took a step back in surprise, then knelt down to place my hand back on his shoulder.
"It's alright, Darsaj. Losing control happens, trust me. All we can do is try and keep someone from getting hurt." He turned his head towards me and smiled, then shivered and passed out. "Darsaj? Darsaj!" I shook him, but he just slumped and fell away from me. Panicked, I dashed to his door and yanked it open. The Summoner wing of the Institute was decorated and blues and purples, but I paid it no mind as I frantically looked left and right to see if there was anyone walking by. "Hey! Can anyone hear me?" I yelled. "I need help!" I heard a rustle of cloth the opposite way I was looking, and turned towards the sound.
There was a robed and hooded figure hurrying towards me. I couldn't make out any of their facial features under the cowl, but their body shape indicated a woman. They made it to Darsaj's door and pushed right past me without so much as a word, making me stumble slightly. By the time I had righted myself and made it back through the door, the figure was already kneeling by Darsaj, his head cradled in their lap. There was a light blue glow emanating from their fingertips that were spread over Darsaj's forehead. I noticed that whoever they were, they had very long and graceful fingers. I moved closer and tried to get a glimpse under the persons hood, but was surprised when they pulled it lower over their face. I settled for kneeling down next to Darsaj, my blades crossed over my back. I decided to take some time to discuss the events with Vashirik.
So what do you think about that? What? he asked. The part where he immolated almost half the room in an instant or the part where he made the fire curl around his arm like a pet? I snorted in my head. I don't think that is the normal amount of power a Summoner holds. If it is, they are more devious than I thought before. Or modest, which I personally see no evidence of. You are also an embodiment of Chaos, modesty would never occur to you. Hmmmm, Vashirik mused. Yea, you're right. Modesty is overrated. I shook my head and focused back to the outside world.
The other Summoner took their hands off of Darsaj's head and raised their hands to their hood. With a weary sigh, they threw the hood back, and for a moment I was stunned. Long cerulean hair framed a heart shaped face, the eyes being just a shade darker than the hair. The woman smirked at my stunned expression and waved her hand in my direction. "Come now, Alexei, surely I am not the only female you have seen in your long life, am I?" her voice was like liquid silver given sound, even more appealing than Darsaj's.
I sat back on my heels for a moment, shaking my head. "Well, no. But it's not often that I get surprised by one as beautiful as you, if you will forgive my forwardness." The woman chuckled, and I felt my pointed ears twitch at the pleasure they felt at the sound. Do all the Summoners have such pleasing voices? Or is it just coincidence? I thought to myself. I shook my head again and turned my gaze to the unconscious for of Darsaj. "Is he going to be okay?" I asked.
The woman snorted and threw her hands up. "Oh, he'll be fine. He just overexerted himself. Let me guess, he did something stupid?" Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the destruction, one eyebrow arched. After a moment, she nodded. "Yep, he did something stupid."
"Well, it wasn't fully his fault," I started. "Some lies with me. I caused him to lose control when I told him about there being attempts upon my life. He got very angry, saying that my death could ruin the authority of the League, then the desk just burst into flame." The Summoner nodded as I was finishing, her hair bouncing slightly on her shoulders.
"Sounds about right," she stated. "He is very... passionate about the League's role in the world. I'm actually surprised he didn't burn half the wing down. His grasp of the Ignite spell is very strong, almost ingrained into his being." I cocked my head. "Ignite spell? I haven't heard of it."
"Oh, it's a Summoner spell, like Flash or Ghost. It sets your target on fire for a few seconds. Some Summoners can inflict more damage with it than others. Me, on the other hand, I am more in tune with the spell Heal. It varies with Summoner." She stood up and gestured to Darsaj. "Any chance I could ask you to pick him up and carry him to his bed?" I immediately moved forward and slid my hands under Darsaj's body. It only took a small amount of strength to lift his body off of the floor. I carried him to the bed and laid him on it. He made some light sounds as the female Summoner drew his light blanket over his body. She turned to me and motioned towards the door.
"He just needs some rest. I left a note within his mind to let him know what happened. Come." I opened the door for her and stepped through, pulling it closed behind me. I turned back to see the Summoner running a hand through her hair. "Ugh, moving through someone's mind always makes me feel like my skins crawling. I need a shower." She started walking down the hallway, and I bounded forward to stop her. She turned back with her eyes wide.
"It just occurred to me that I never caught your name," I started. "Might I ask for it?"
A smile lit her face up for a moment before she replied. "I am Demacian Summoner Calukah, primary Summoner for the Champion Fiora Laurent, Grand Duelist of Demacia. But please, just call me Luka." With that, she turned away and resumed walking down the hall, rounding the corner and disappearing from my sight. Hmmm, she was extremely beautiful, I thought as I looked back at Darsaj's door. I decided against going back in and started walking towards the Champion's Hall. Maybe I can find something to do until Darsaj wakes up. You could always try and find someone to spar with, Vashirik suggested. I'm sure there are plenty of other Champions who could use a fight every now and then. Sounds like a good idea.
When I reached the Champion's Hall, I found it pretty much as full as it was my first day at the Institute. There were a few differences, such as a large Earth Elemental that hadn't been present before, nor had its companion, which was essentially an enormous walking tree. Flicking my eyes across the large room, I saw Katarina leaning against a wall, the same hooded figure from the cafeteria sitting on top of a pedestal next to her. There was a potted plant next to it, the normal user of the pedestal, I assumed. Well, if there's anyone here that would fight me, it would probably be her, I thought as I moved towards them. The hooded man noticed me immediately, and a large blade sprung out from his right arm, unfolding in an instant to become larger than his forearm. I hesitated for a split second, which he must have seen, for his eyes narrowed and a ghost of a smirk crossed his lips. I noticed that his purple cloak seemed to be nothing but blades, their edges looking sharp enough to cut the air in two.
Nevertheless, I kept walking towards them. The man nudged Katarina with his foot, and she turned to watch me as well. When I got close to them, I greeted them with a less formal version of the Ionian salute, touching me first two fingers of my right hand to my forehead. Katarina raised an eyebrow, then returned a Noxian salute, her right fist impacting over her heart. The hooded man snorted and returned his blade to his sleeve. I heard him mutter something to her, but I couldn't quite catch it over the din of the Hall. She looked at him and shrugged, then turned back to me.
"Well, to what do I owe the... honor of speaking to an Ionian?" Her voice held just a hint of contempt, but I pretended not to notice it. I did notice that she looked very different from the last time I had seen her. Instead of her leather clothing being black, it seemed to be more green, her short jacket being a brighter shade. The obvious knives and kunai were absent from this outfit, but I was sure there were more than a few hidden on her person. The most shocking difference was her hair, which was not her normal deep red shade. Instead, it was snow white. I took a moment to appreciate the change, then responded.
"I find myself with a need to fight. I was curious as to whether the Institute had a sparring ground. And I was also curious if you would do me the... honor of being my opponent?" I bowed to her, and was surprised when she laughed.
"There is a Field of Justice that isn't used in the main battles that is open for Champions, yes," she stated. "And I can understand a need to fight. However, I do not think I can spare the time to spar with you right now." She leaned back against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest, and nodded her head upwards towards the hooded figure. "Ask my little brother if he would deign to spar." Her brother? I thought in surprise. There doesn't seem to be any resemblance, Vashirik said. And they look to be about the same age. I turned my gaze towards the man. "Then I redirect my offer to you, sir. Would you do me the honor?"
The man snorted again and shook his head. "Only fools pledge life to honor," he said. His voice was hard, the voice of someone who had had a rough life. "But I could use a fight as well." He jumped off of the pedestal, his feet making no sound as he landed. He turned and picked up the plant, placing it back on the pedestal with care. He faced me again and offered his right hand. "Talon Du Couteau, Blade's Shadow, assassin for Noxus, at your service." I looked at his offered hand, then looked at his face again with an eyebrow raised. Instead of taking his hand with my own, I offered my left hand. He smirked and took it.
"I am not very familiar with the layout of the League, so please, lead the way, Blade's Shadow." He nodded and started walking towards a set of doors I had not been through before. I followed, wary of his blade-cloak swaying behind him as he strode along the outskirts of the room.
Before we got out of earshot of Katarina, I heard her call out to Talon. "Make sure not to kill him too quickly. I want something entertaining to watch later." He turned his head towards her without breaking his stride and smiled, the expression filled with malice. "This will be no challenge," he replied.
As we walked through the doors at the end of the Hall, I felt my blood start pumping faster. I can already tell this is gonna be fun...
Oish, this took too long. Anyways, Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more :D
