ONE FELL SWOOP - CHAPTER 10
Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Action
Author's Note: Finally! This was probably the chapter I most looked forward to writing, and also the longest chapter I have ever written so far. It is also worth noting that after much effort and reflection, I have managed to create a nice balance between dialogue and action, so that it's not just people talking forever. For those who have actually made it this far into the fanfic (I know some readers, for some reason, most likely due to the somewhat confusing first few chapters, stop early on in the story) I thank you all for following along!
This journey's going to be a blast!
I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 10: The Giver
A few hours earlier . . .
"Congratulations Thanatos! After a flawless ten victories in your promotional matches, you have proceeded to the Gold II league! Good luck in the Arena!" The message played out loud on Zachariah's hand-held device
"Tch. Thanatos. What a lame name." Kaleb teased.
"Good work, Kaleb." Zachariah ignored Kaleb's taunt. "But this is just the beginning. I heard that another pair of amateurs did almost as well as we did. They may be our potential rivals."
"Another pair—Ah, I have a pretty good idea at who they are." Kaleb sighed.
"So do I," Zachariah's reply was just as gloomy. "So . . . just how good is this friend of yours?"
"What do you mean? Ekko or Ros—Rayven?" the boy asked absentmindedly.
"Uhh, the other one. The boy—Ekko."
"Good enough. I've only ever watched him fight because we both shared the same alias when we were fighting unofficially so only one of us could fight at a time. But he's got insane talent and skill."
"Do you think you can beat him?"
Kaleb looked up from his bowl ramen and gave Zachariah a look that seemed both sad and confused.
"Probably—but I thought Amina informed us that as long as we don't lose a single match, our chance of encountering them in the Arena is close to 0% until we reach the Challenger league?"
Zachariah's eyebrows scrunched up in thought.
"As long as the chance is not 0%, I want to prepare for the worst."
Kaleb suddenly slammed his fist on the table, spilling some of his soup.
"If we really do end up fighting them, there's a major problem. Ekko may not be completely familiar with my abilities but Rayven knows everything about me, down to my very movements to the smallest detail. She might find out we are." Kaleb bit his lip. "Actually, we might not even have to fight them. The higher on the ranked ladder we climb, the more likely our matches are recorded onto the League's public database. When we hit Diamond or even Platinum, Rayven could easily access our match history recordings if she were to get curious."
"Then . . ." Zachariah began to say but drifted off. His fingers tapped on the surface of the table in unison, as if signifying the gears turning in his mind. His expression then darkened. "We might have to . . . you might have to devise an entirely new style."
Kaleb looked at his partner with a bewildered look on his face.
"And how in Ionia's name am I supposed to do that?"
Zachariah's dark expression brightened. "Oh my, I've just come across the brightest idea."
"Don't get all poofy and proud," scoffed Kaleb lightly, "What've you got in mind?"
Zachariah grinned with a smile that could almost be called mad. "You could use some of the excess energy from your void-stone and channel it into your movements. The magic signature that your abilities leave behind would be completely different due to the void-stone's enhancements. You could effectively get stronger and retain your anonymity."
Kaleb smiled with him. "I guess you do have a brain somewhere in that big head of yours."
"You'll still have to work on new techniques and fighting styles because she might be able to visually discern your physical movements."
"I-I have an idea for that particular aspect but you're not going to like it."
Zachariah breathed out heavily. "Tell me."
"Remember those techniques that Master Rivello—father mentioned right before you disappeared? He told us one of his brightest students had created the techniques."
"You're going to have to be more specific than that," Zachariah frowned, confused, but the answer started to dawn on him.
"I think to call it a sword style rather than a technique would be a more accurate description. After all, Vagus is in the most general perspective, a sword."
"NO. Absolutely not. We are not—we cannot." Zachariah finished the rest of his ramen in one gulp, as if in a panic. "It would be suicide."
"Listen to the rest of my idea before you object. There is a possibility that Amina will find out about Vagus given how suspicious she is. But if purposely show her the weapon in a very specific way, we could rid ourselves of those dangerous suspicions. The only way we can achieve that is to use Vagus against Rayven and Ekko. We could kill two birds with one stone, obscuring our identities from Rayven and show that golden bitch that we intend to use the weapon to serve her." Kaleb explained excitedly.
"I still don't approve of the idea. It's too risky." Zachariah insisted.
"I'm betting that you still remember the name of that special blades-master. Or at the least, you have an idea on how to find him." Kaleb continued persistently.
Zachariah tried his best to suppress the growing excitement within him, but his heart was beating quicker from the one thing that could either mean their downfall or their salvation. It beat with hope.
He clenched his teeth and threw away all regards for safety. After all, there was no safety in dealing with the Golden Watcher.
"Very well." He stood up and carried his empty bowl to the kitchen countertop. "Pack only what you need. We're going to Freljord."
"Frejlord?" Kaleb finished his ramen and did the same as Zachariah. "But I thought he was Ionian?"
"He is. But we'll never find him by just looking for him. There is someone who resides in Freljord and holds the one clue to finding him. She holds the key to finding Yasuo."
. . .
In the Present . . .
"Shit! I can't believe we ran into her out of all people." Zachariah panted. "I've never shadow-travelled so quickly in my life."
Kaleb was just as out of breath as his partner, leaning against the brick wall for support.
"I can't believe you left me behind to die—ack-haah-haah—I barely—had enough time—to warp out of there."
"Oh don't be so dramatic. You wouldn't have died."
Kaleb gave his partner an accusing look. "You're one to talk. One look at your own sister and you panicked like a cornered animal."
"Exactly because she is my sister. She might've recognized my aura."
"Well didn't you make it worse by intimidating her when you released your aura?"
"I-I panicked. And hey, she's your sister too," Zachariah shot back.
"Well—yeah, but . . ." Kaleb hesitated.
"Is there something I'm missing out on? Did something happen between you two while I was gone?" Zachariah raised an eyebrow.
"No, nothing happened," Kaleb said quickly. "We worked hard. We—uhh . . . we bonded quite . . . closely."
Kaleb mentally punched himself in the gut. What are you even saying you numb-nut, he scolded himself.
"Well I'd hope so. I wouldn't want the relationship between you and Karma to wilt just because I left. Then again, she took quite a liking to you the moment she met you. You would know—she doesn't just open herself up to anyone."
Kaleb stared at his feet to conceal his reddening cheeks.
"R-relationship?! W-what are you implying?"
Zachariah looked at him with his mouth open, as if he had just witnessed an idiot attempting to solve a puzzle.
"Your relationship with Karma? I said I was hoping you two continued to grow together as any siblings would. What—I'm not going to step on you and mention your adoptive status."
"Haha, right—yeah." Kaleb laughed at himself and sighed with relief. "Wait—you just stepped on me after saying you wouldn't do so."
Zachariah shrugged. "You asked for clarification."
After a moment of awkward silence, they both stared at each other and burst out in uncontrollable laughter.
"That was a close one." Zachariah wiped the sweat off his forehead.
"If this happens again in the future, can we just run for it instead of doing something stupid like we just did?" Kaleb squatted down and re-did the laces on his boots.
"Yeah. Definitely." Zachariah agreed.
"Now—which way was the Rail-car Station?"
. . .
Damnit. Where did they go?
Karma ran into the alley, searching all the way to the other side, which led to another empty street. The two mysterious figures were nowhere to be found.
Did they somehow escape to the roofs?
She did a half-squat, channelling all her energy into her legs and using the propulsion from the Homeguard spell she cast on her boots, she jumped and launched upwards, landing perfectly onto the roof of one of the town-houses making the alley. To her disappointment, the roofs were just as devoid of life.
And that aura too . . . where have I felt that aura before?
Not giving up, she activated the portable magical comms-unit built into her lavender-jade bangle with a tap.
"Surveillance unit, do you copy?" she raised the bangle up to her mouth and spoke into it. After a few seconds, a voice replied.
"Yes, Commander-in-chief. What are your orders?"
"Surveillance Unit Chief, Zelos, is that you?"
"Yes, Commander."
"Monitor every single individual who traverses the Valoria City Rail-car Station. Blacklist anyone who fits the following descriptions. One man, height of 6 feet 3 inches, and another man, height of 5 feet 11 inches. The shorter man has indigo-colored irises."
"Understood."
"Oh and also, just in case, mark down anyone you observe travelling as a pair."
"Any further orders, Commander?"
"One last thing. Order Irelia and her Special-Ops squadron to standby but be ready for immediate deployment. Station them within thirty seconds of the Rail-car Station."
The man at the other end of the comms-unit seemed to hesitate for a moment.
"I'm speaking now as a friend and fellow pupil of your father for many years, Karma. To call my sister's squadron out—what's going on?"
"A high priority emergency. Two individuals capable of using at least A-class level magic."
"Who are we up against?" Zelos's tone was asking for more, but Karma maintained her professional ambiguity. She replied in a manner that was simple and vague, yet wholly communicative of the situation.
"The enemy."
. . .
Rayven could hear a commotion taking place outside, on the streets, but this was nothing new. Valoria City, being the capital of Valoran and the centre of all League activities, was a place in which conflicts between anyone and anything were a norm. Both she and Ekko had considered this factor before moving to the city in order to live closer to the Arena. They had used their winnings from their past League matches to purchase this modest but comfortable town-house.
As she washed the dishes from the meal they had just finished for dinner, she felt a cold chill wash over her body like a wave of dark ocean water. Alarmed, she dropped the plate into the sink. This—this feeling, was not normal. A rapid thumping that followed told her Ekko was running full speed down the stairs. A few moments, he popped by the entrance to the kitchen.
"Rosalyn." His expression spoke everything that needed to be understood.
"I'll be right there." She hurriedly rinsed off the remainder of the soaped dishes with water and then just left them sitting in the sink. Grabbing a black cloak that sat neatly folded on one of the chairs, Rosalyn swiftly strode to the hallway leading to the front door. With Ekko following closely behind her, she threw the cloak over her shoulders and made sure it covered every part of her body. As soon as it did, its texture rippled and began to shift, creating patterned creases across the entire cloak. Rosalyn shook her cloak once and the rippling texture merged with the creases it created; within an instant, the cloak seemed to be made entirely of meticulously woven overlapping black feathers. The feathers of a raven.
Throwing the door wide open, Rosalyn took a deep breath as if channeling some form of innate mantra. As she did so, a majority of the cloak split down the center of Rosalyn's back and morphed into large wings, while the rest of the feathers enveloped her arms and legs. The wings flapped once in unison and then Rosalyn literally flew out. Curving upwards and soaring into the grey skies. Ekko tried to follow as close behind as he could on foot, climbing to the roofs in a few seconds, and leaping from roof to roof to keep up with his partner.
As Rosalyn soared higher, she spotted a small, feminine figure standing on a nearby rooftop. It was Karma. She headed towards the Order of the Lotus's Commander-in-Chief.
"Commander-in-Chief. What happened?" Rosalyn landed beside the young lady, her thick Raven cloak shrinking into that of a thin, hooded cape. It felt weird to think of Karma as a young lady, given that her title was 'Commander-in-Chief' to most of the people who knew her.
Instead of answering her question straight away, Karma stared at her in befuddlement.
"Did . . . did you just land . . . did you just fly here?"
Rosalyn was not completely sure but she had a feeling that Karma's current expression was a rare one. A hint of smugness hit her but she brushed it away, preferring the cold emptiness.
"Yeah, it's this cloak I'm wearing."
"Did you make it yourself or . . . did you buy it?" Karma felt foolish for saying the last bit. Of course it wasn't bought. I don't know a single tailor in all of Ionia, the center of all magics and the home of organic magic, who could make such a cloak and even if there were such a person, they wouldn't simply sell it off to anyone.
"A man—a man gave it to me as a gift when I was a child."
"Hmm, I see." The Commander could sense that the statement was true, but for some particular reason, was missing a key factor. However, she brushed the thought aside as Ekko climbed up onto the roof to join them.
"What's up?" He asked with eyes wide. "Did I miss anything?"
Karma chuckled. "You both missed it. Two suspicious individuals heading towards the Valoria City Rail-car Station passed by just as I was about to return to Ionia. I attempted to apprehend them for interrogative purposes but one of them used intimidation magic. Dark magic. He caught me off guard and they both escaped, though, how they escaped, I still have yet to figure out."
"Someone caught you off guard?" Rosalyn asked with wonder. "According to the stories I've heard about you, Commander-in-chief, you're quite the fierce opponent. One of the 132 top-tier, legendary champions—considered an X-Class powerhouse when threatened—and on top of that, a champion of the Five Kings—"
Karma interrupted her to keep her from going any further.
"Oh? You seem to possess quite a lot of information. Then again, having worked alongside with Kaleb, who was, might I specify, on par with me in terms of combative capabilities, you must be at least quite capable yourself."
Rosalyn scoffed at the mention of her dead acquaintance.
"I think you're overestimating your brother, Commander."
When Karma looked at her with a surprised look on her face, Rosalyn shrugged.
"I did some digging of my own. Found out you were related to him. Though I must note: you look nothing like Kaleb. Or rather—he looks nothing like you."
"Regardless—we have reason to believe that the two suspicious individuals were connected to the incident a month ago." Karma swiftly changed the topic.
"What do you mean?" asked Ekko.
"I mean, we have reasons to believe that they might be the perpetrators, or perhaps two of many perpetrators—we're not sure how large this plot is—that were responsible for the thievery of Kaleb's deceased body."
At this, Rosalyn suddenly choked on her own spit.
"Rosalyn—oh my goodness—are you alright?" Ekko was by her side at once, supporting her by the shoulders.
"Yeah—uh—just feeling a bit—sick, er—faint."
"I thought you didn't care about Kaleb." Karma was starting to question Rosalyn's true thoughts.
"I don't." said Rosalyn weakly. "I've just been ill the past few days, that's all it is."
It took all of her mental energy to maintain an expressionless face but on the inside, her heart was churning with a river of conflicted emotions.
I don't understand, Zach. Why are you in Valoria City? What are you trying to pull here?
Rosalyn covered her mouth with her hand. She felt as if she were about to vomit.
Are you that insistently against my competing in the League? Against my . . . my quest for vengeance? To go as far as this . . . conspiring with others to hinder my efforts—that's below you—
Rosalyn collapsed into a fetal position, hugging her knees.
"Are you sure you don't care?" Karma questioned her again.
Of course I care!
Of course I do . . .
"No. I don't. I'm sure of it." Rosalyn forced out, but as she did so, a memory surfaced.
She remembered the warning.
"This specific power that you've drawn from the Pool of Dreams — it requires the individual to sacrifice all of those he/she cares about. In other words, you're going to lose everyone you love."
"Hmph, and that's why I told you, I'm quite lucky to have drawn such a good deal. I don't have anyone I care about."
A sharp pain struck her temples as she recalled the next phrase.
"Somewhere along the way, girl, you will find someone, or some people you care about. And you'll regret it because you know you'll eventually lose them."
She was a fool and but she couldn't admit it. The phrases flooded back to her.
"You will lose those you care about."
The sharp pain struck again. She fell loose from her fetal position, tumbling down the slant of the roof and falling three stories down. Fortunately, she collided into the powerlines that stretched in front of the town-houses half way down towards the ground, which slowed her fall. She landed, sprawled across the uneven stone road.
"Rosalyn!" Ekko yelled without care for using her real name before Karma.
Rosalyn could hear his footsteps, slapping against the road, feel the thumping on the ground. Yet, the phrases flooded back to her, overwhelming all her other senses.
"They're just acquaintances, individuals who happen to share the same goals as I do. Nothing more, nothing less."
They kept flooding back. Stop it—I don't need this—I don't want to remember— Rosalyn pleaded vainly.
"Nothing will touch this heart of mine. No one will be able to make it warm."
They memories refused to stop. Eventually, the pain was so intense that in one sudden moment, all she could see was an immense white space. Her eyes hurt from the brightness of the pure white.
Haha. It was laughable.
The physical pain was almost liberating.
Her heart rate was returning to normal. Her breathing steadied.
"Rosalyn! Rosalyn, can you hear me?"
It was Ekko's voice. Her senses—they were returning.
I'm fine, you fool. She pictured herself scoffing at the boy. It almost made her happy.
"We're going to take you to the Valoria City hospital, Rayven."
That was Karma. Even the Commander-in-Chief. Hehehe. I must be dreaming.
"Stay alive, Rosalyn—stay alive . . ."
. . .
One year ago . . .
As shots of gunfire littered the battlefield with dead bodies, it was becoming increasingly difficult to navigate back to the main road, especially through the scattered forestry of tall trees. A strange, thick mist was beginning to settle, making it difficult to discern an enemy from an ally.
Rosalyn had just made it down from the hidden cavern located near the top of the Ionian mountain from the Pool of Dreams and suddenly found herself in the midst of a battle between the invading Noxian soldiers and the defending Ionian warriors. It was another raid-type attack from Noxus, which was happening more and more often in the past year.
What surprised her was how far the Noxian soldiers managed to make it from the Ionian border. The mountain area was quite a significant distance from the border.
Nevertheless, it was a perfect opportunity for her to test out her new abilities. The words came to her naturally.
"Spatium Negativus." Negative Space.
An invisible hemisphere expanded with Rosalyn as its epicenter. A black-and-white image rushed into her head—a birds-eye view of everything within a 100 metre radius of her. She instantly knew where every individual was. Friend and foe. The Noxian soldiers—their weapons left a magic signature that was a darker green than the Ionian signatures.
"Scum of the earth." Rosalyn said under her breath as rage filled her veins. She channeled this rage.
"Deconstruction."
This ability allowed her to target every enemy within the invisible hemisphere and disassemble magical signatures, destroying their ability to use their weapons driven by dark magic. It also caused the weapons to combust in the process, effectively killing most of the Noxian soldiers from the collective explosions.
"What was that?" an Ionian soldier shouted.
"Our enemies! A majority of their force has been wiped out, Captain! The rest of them are retreating!"
"Devote half of our remaining forces to begin a chase. Leave the other half to examine and analyze the outcome of the battle."
"Yes, sir!"
Their voices. Rosalyn thought smugly. They're all scared. As expected of these humans.
"Commander! Commander Malekai has arrived! Salute!" the Captain shouted abruptly.
A Commander of the Order?! I don't know if I can take one on yet. Let's get a closer look first.
A tall man dressed in purple robes with a black kimono overtop stepped out of a large dark-purple rectangle that had materialized out of thin air. She could only see his backside from the direction he was facing.
A Gate? That's at least S-Class magic—
"I can see you, little girl." The man turned around and looked straight at Rosalyn. Or rather, she could tell that he was looking at where she was hiding—behind a large tree 25 meters from his position—using her Negative Space.
That's ridiculous—he detected me without breaking a sweat even with the concealment spell I had cast over myself!
"Commander—?!" The Captain was just as surprised as Rosalyn.
"Don't make any sudden movements, little girl. Step out from behind that tree. Slowly." Commander Malekai ordered coldly. The way he said it—danger was emanating from each word. This was definitely someone she could not fight with her new abilities. She scarcely had any time to test them out and here she was, thrown into the lion's pit.
I might be able to run for it. Rosalyn glanced around her, looking for a clear path out of the scattered forestry. Ugh. I'm too deep into the forest. I'm not even sure which way is the right way to run.
"Don't even think about it, little girl. I will restrain you without holding back if you try to run." The man threatened.
Hesitating but left with no other choice, Rosalyn stepped out from behind the tree.
"Now you will answer my questions from where you stand. Who are you? Which faction do you belong to? And what is your purpose here?"
"I have no intention of answering any of those questions." Rosalyn said defiantly, but her hands shook with fear. She was sure of it—this man was willing to kill, or at least maim, to get results.
If only I knew how to fully utilize these new abilities. Rosalyn was beginning to regret the notion of testing her newfound powers on the battlefield. She should've been more patient. Waited for an opportunity where the risk of being discovered was at its lowest.
"Hmm, a defiant little girl we have here . . . I can smell the fear of your skin. You can't fool me. And I think you can sense what I am capable of, what I will do to you if you do not do as I say."
"I won't—" Rosalyn began, but the man took a step towards her and gave her a twisted smile.
"—answer my questions?" He finished for her. "I'm afraid you're sorely mistaken, girl."
He put his hands together and when he spread them apart, a weapon materialized between the space he created with his palms. It was a Hextech rifle—a custom model.
"It isn't as powerful as a Hextech Gunblade but it's five times as accurate. I wouldn't take my chances."
His finger rested on the trigger.
"You've made a grave mistake girl." The Commander said as he aimed and fired at her. Rosalyn barely had enough time to react as the Hextech projectile flew towards her. Swerving to one side, the projectile grazed her right leg and hit the ground behind her, exploding in a blast of colourful shrapnel. It was an explosive shell. She managed to dodge most of the blast but as she prepared herself for the next shot, she winced in pain. Several pieces of shrapnel had lodged themselves right below her shoulders. Luckily, the wounds were not too deep, but they would slow her down significantly.
I might not be able to dodge the next shell, she realized. But I have no choice. It's not my time to die yet.
As Malekai casually reloaded the weapon, an idea popped into the girl's head.
I don't have to dodge the shells.
The Commander placed his finger on the trigger again.
"You know you can't dodge the next projectile, little girl." he confirmed for her.
"I know." Rosalyn said as her breathing became more ragged.
"So be it." The Commander closed his eyes in disappointment and pressed the trigger.
"Barrier!" Rosalyn yelled, stretching out her hands, and true to its name, the protective spell instantly created a translucent, yellow barrier around her.
As the projectile collided with the barrier, it exploded on impact. But this time, the barrier took the brunt of the explosion and the shrapnel bounced off harmlessly. As the colourful flames surrounding her subsided, her barrier dissipated and the last of the explosive energy seared the flesh off her palms. Falling backwards, she cried out, her hands shaking violently, unable to cope with the sudden, extremely agonizing burn. When she hit the ground, she felt her stomach lurch before she coughed up blood. Apparently, the impact had hit her more severely than she had realized.
My barrier—it wasn't enough?
The frustration and fatigue were steadily eating at her mental fortitude.
"Impressive!" Malekai seemed amused. "I did not foresee your ability to use Summoner Spells."
He reloaded his Hextech rifle.
"But this—this will be the end of it. As merciful as I am, you have another chance to amend for your mistakes. I'm giving you three seconds to surrender yourself."
Before she could answer, the space in front of her distorted and in a blur, a boy emerged out of nowhere. His hair was a mess, his light blue, long-sleeved shirt wrinkled and too small for him. He was also wearing tight black pants. When he lifted his arms up in the air, his midriff and lower back was in clear view. She couldn't catch a clear view of his face though as he had his back to her.
"Stop! Malekai, she's not an enemy!" the boy yelled.
"Reiyver? What the hell are you doing here?" The Commander's cold demeanor broke into a hot fury. It was obvious the two didn't have the greatest history together.
"I'm telling you, you're the one making a mistake," The boy insisted. "She's Ionian—she's one of us."
"Well would you then care to explain why I'm detecting significant amounts of dark magic signatures radiating from her?"
"I'll explain later, just leave her to me."
"Hey, I'm not just gonna let you take me." Rosalyn backed away from the boy but he reacted quicker than she thought he would, whipping around and stepping towards her. To her shock, instead of aggressively attacking or restraining her, he gently caressed her left cheek with one hand.
"Sleep." He whispered and all of a sudden, Rosalyn grew drowsy. Her vision swam and she fell to her knees. Shaking her head roughly and blinking as fast as she could, she tried to regain focus but whatever spell he had cast over her was stronger than she could handle at the moment.
Strange human, she thought.
"I don't need your help!" She mumbled stubbornly
"Shh—just keep still for a while will you?" the boy told her.
Sitting on her heels, she managed to maintain enough focus to understand most of the interaction between the boy, Reiyver, and the furious Commander.
"You're committing a capital crime, Reiyver. This is an act of betrayal against your own nation."
"I'm telling you, this girl is innocent of any danger."
"I told you, I don't need your help!" Rosalyn tried standing up but stumbled forward. Before she could face-plant into the ground, to her annoyance, the boy caught her in his arms.
"Watch as the dog bites at his master's hands, Reiyver. That girl will backstab you the moment you let your guard down. That's what dealing with dark magic does to you. It makes you into a vessel for corruption." The Commander sneered derisively.
"I'll take care of it." The boy insisted again. He leaned Rosalyn against the base of the tree she was hiding behind.
"You're naïve, Reiyver. You think I won't shoot you to get to that creature?"
"She's not a creature. She's as human as either one of us."
Rosalyn glared at the boy the best she could in her condition. "Don't compare me with you! I'm nothing like you dirty humans."
"Hah! Even she denies her own humanity. Now, if you keep defending that creature of darkness, I will shoot you. The Grandmaster will understand when I explain to him your traitorous actions. The witnesses that stand behind me are there to prove it."
"Stand down Malekai. You're a Commander; you know many other better ways to resolve such an issue."
"Stand aside, Reiyver. Move—hey, what are you doing?!"
The boy had removed the suffocating black cloak around Rosalyn and tied it around his waist. Underneath, she was wearing what appeared to be a black sleeveless summer dress that went down to her knees to provide more mobility.
"Reiyver! If you take one more step in assisting the girl, I'm going to blast a hole through your stomach." Malekai raised the Hextech rifle up, aiming right below the boy's chest.
"Let go of me—!" Rosalyn beat her fists weakly against the boy's chest.
However, the boy paid no heed as he wrapped a half-conscious Rosalyn's arms around his neck and used his palms to support her legs, carrying her on his back. As he started to take a few steps back cautiously, Malekai flipped a switch on the backside of his firearm.
"You take me too lightly." He said with disdain, then fired without hesitation.
In the small time it took for the Hextech projectile to reach him from the Commander's rifle, he side-stepped faster than either of them could blink in an attempt to prevent the projectile from piercing through him then hitting Rosalyn. Nonetheless, the weapon's accuracy was as true as the Commander had claimed and it pierced his side. One moment he was whole, and the next, he stumbled back from the force of the projectile that blew a hole in his side. As blood gushed out of the deep wound, the boy struggled to stand up and managed to continue walking away from Malekai through sheer willpower.
He coughed up blood. "Heh, you actually—shot me. In t-the time that you take to reload that rifle, I will have escaped with the girl. So don't bother."
Indeed, as fast as Malekai had reloaded the weapon, the boy vanished from the scene with the girl. To the Captain and the remaining soldiers' eyes, it seemed as if he had simply blurred out of existence.
"Damned boy." The Commander swore under his breath. He gestured for his men to reorganize themselves. "Listen up! We're returning to Headquarters and reporting every detail of the defensive mission."
"Commander, what about the two that escaped?" the Captain asked nervously.
"Hmph. I will personally report the matter to the Grandmaster. He will decide the fate of that boy."
"There will be no such necessity," a lady's voice spoke out from behind the Commander. Malekai searched for the source of the voice and found himself face to face with a tall youthful-looking girl who looked to be about the same age as Reivyer.
"Commander-in-Chief Karma!" the Captain bowed in respect. "What brings you here?"
"News of today's events have already reached my father's ears. He has decided to trust in Kaleb's judgement in terms of dealing with the mysterious girl."
"What?!" Malekai was outraged. "The arrogant boy cannot always get his way—the Grandmaster's should not be softening his judgement even if Kaleb is his son."
"Are you challenging both mine and the Grandmaster's orders?"
"Since when did this become an order?" the man asked spitefully.
"Oh I'm sorry, did I not make myself clear enough when I stated there was no such necessity? My apologies. Let me make it clear for you then. It is an ORDER."
Karma used her height to her advantage, challenging Malekai's fierce gaze with her own cold stare. As she expected, the man could hold her stare for no longer than a few seconds before averting his eyes and swinging around, walking the other way in contempt.
"Alright, recall your men, Captain. There is no need to chase the Noxians any longer. We will return to Headquarters and report the events of today's defensive actions, as Commander Malekai has ordered." She said as she tried to give the spiteful man some credit.
She stood expressionless, with her hands behind her back, taking an observant stance as the Ionian soldiers ran about, counting bodies and scavenging unused equipment. Despite her seemingly calm poise, she had other, more disturbing thoughts on her mind.
What are you thinking, Kaleb? I rushed over here as soon as I received your emergency transmission, but are you really doing the right thing? I really hope you are.
For just a split second, Karma's eyes betrayed a look of intense worry, but as soon as it revealed itself, it was gone.
An image of Kaleb and his mischievous smile entered her head for no apparent reason but it relaxed her, reassuring her of Kaleb's powerful drive for righteousness.
He sees the light in people that even father cannot see and brings it out of the darkness. That is his true gift. And that is what will shine brightest in his most perilous time of need. Karma knew this from the many years she spent with Kaleb. From the years she spent falling in love with him to the more recent years she spent still deeply caring for him, but respecting his decision.
Little did she know—that light was currently shining brighter than it had ever before.
. . .
An unknown time after Rosalyn's escape from Malekai . . .
The last thing he remembered was treating the girl's wounds before succumbing to his own. He had brought her to the Omikayalan, the sacred grove of Ionia, intending to carry her all the way to where the God-Willow once stood. At the base of the God-Willow's resting place was an oasis of pure nature magic which had highly effective healing properties. Though the God-Willow was gone, destroyed by a tribe of Freljordians centuries ago, the Chimeric Beings—half-human, half-animal— still protected the secret area within the grove, mercilessly cutting down any unwelcome trespassers. Luckily, when he was a child, he had wandered into the Omikalayan, unaware of its dangerous protectors, and through his innocence, befriended the Chimeric Beings. He was one of the only, if not the only individual in all of Runeterra who could pass through without trouble.
He remembered getting halfway to his intended destination before collapsing from exertion. Fighting against the waves of exhaustion and numbing pain, he gathered the herbs necessary for a healing salve, mashed them into a thorough mixture, and removed the top half of the girl's dress, leaving her undergarment on. He somehow found the energy to push through the entire process of applying the salve and wrapping the girl's wounds with long strips of gauze (he always kept a spare roll by his side).
Despite remembering all this, he could not remember when he actually fell unconscious.
Then again, nobody ever does remember the exact instance they fall into deep slumber.
Kaleb could feel his consciousness slowly surface. It was like a bubble of air rising from the bottom of a lake. It had been a while since he felt so relaxed. Perhaps he didn't realize how much stress he had put on his body in the recent months that he spent training his successor as leader of the Special-Ops. Agent Irelia had improved significantly quicker than he anticipated, forcing to him to increase the intensity of her training at an outstanding rate.
The feeling first returned to his back. He was lying on top of something soft and fluffy.
Is that Moss . . .?
His arms felt as heavy as lead but he managed to move them and rest them on his stomach. Surprised by what he felt, Kaleb looked down at where his wound should've been. He wasn't sure if it was just his hazy vision that deceived him but his abdomen was bandaged up quite nicely with white gauze. He could feel a cool, soothing paste-like texture underneath the bandages, and his wound no longer hurt. Someone had applied an herbal salve to the hole burned into his side.
It was difficult for him to blink as his eyelids seemed to have lost their flexibility, but the more he moved his eyes, the easier it became. Blinking the blurriness away, he shifted his head, attempting to loosen his shoulders and look around but found that his neck was too stiff. He could only move his eyes and was met with soft, green grass caressing either sides of his face.
A figure loomed over him.
"Stay still. You've lost a lot of blood." It said.
Was it the girl? But that was impossible. She should still be unconscious—
"I'm going to clean your wound again and re-apply the salve. Try to stay still for me."
Yeah—it was definitely a girl's voice. However, it was not the cold, harsh tone that had rebuked his offers to protect her from Malekai, but a warm, tender voice of serenity. He watched this girl with fascination as she kneeled down beside him, as her hands gently removed the bandages, unwrapping them as carefully as possible, and as her fine fingers delicately danced across his skin, spreading the fresh salve around the wound as evenly as possible.
Her touch sent pleasant tingles all over the surface of his skin. This was the touch of an angel, not the claws of a cornered animal. This girl was definitely not the girl he rescued from the forest—right? As she treated his wound, her long black hair fell gracefully down the side of her face, brushing against his bare chest.
"Y-you . . . removed . . . my shirt?" the words tumbled clumsily out of his mouth. It was clear that he had not regained his full capacity for speech yet.
"Well, you treated my wounds the same way and you were unfazed, so you should expect the same from me. I'm not bothered by a little baring of the skin." The girl took his hand in her's and held it firmly. "Now save your breath and try to bear the pain."
"W-wh-y?" his voice broke even as he whispered.
"My negative space ability tells me there's a small piece of shrapnel still stuck deep in your wound. I can't fully seal the wound until I get it out or you'll risk getting an infection. I'm going to try pulling it out telekinetically so as to avoid opening any new wounds. It's still going to hurt though. Here I go."
The girl positioned her other hand an inch above the wound and closed her eyes, using negative space to search meticulously through the layers of Kaleb's flesh and muscle until she found the faint magic pulse of Hextech shrapnel. Once she focused in on the exact location, she tensed her hand and slowly lifted her hand little by little. Her fingers twitched individually every once in a while, navigating the shrapnel through the original path of flesh and blood opened by the projectile entering Kaleb's body.
True to her words, the operation was quite unbearably painful. As the piece of shrapnel was occasionally caught in the pockets of his muscles, it tugged at his flesh, causing him to shut his eyes tightly and inhale sharply. The girl squeezed his hand lightly to comfort him. Finally, with one last pull, the piece of shrapnel exited the wound. She then applied one last layer of the herbal salve and sealed the wound again with fresh bandages, placing one hand on his back, supporting and slowly helping his back arch up in order to wrap the gauze all the way around his body.
She smiled kindly at him before standing up again.
This cannot be the same person as the one on the battlefield. I mean, she's—
He was certain of it.
"—beautiful." He whispered out loud. No matter how much he tried to convince himself of the contrary, it was the girl from the forest.
"Sorry, did you say something?" the girl tilted her head, but Kaleb was out of breath again.
"Alright then," she said as she ruffled her black dress.
"I brought you something."
The girl turned around and walked a few paces away, then bent down to pick something up from the grass. She returned to his side with what looked like a few wet, thin brown pieces of a kelp-like herb. Tearing a piece in half, she brought one half to his lips.
"This is the dried bark from an Omikayalan sapling. It'll help you heal quicker than a herb would. I dipped the pieces in water to allow for easier digestion. Now, eat."
He opened his mouth and she slipped the half-piece into it, careful not to choke him. Kaleb closed his mouth, then opened it again, and closed it vainly.
"Chew." The girl guided him.
He tried using his teeth to soften the thin piece of bark and although it had already been soaked in water, it was still tough. Scrunching his eyebrows from the effort, he bit down as hard as he could, but the bark remained in one piece. Giving up, he opened his mouth and the piece fell onto his chest.
I'm sorry, I can't — Kaleb thought sadly and closed his eyes. Perhaps he should simply sleep for the time being.
To his relief, the girl did not seem disappointed nor discouraged. She took the bark, put it in her own mouth and chewed it until it was pulp. Then, without hesitation, she bent over, leaning in close to his face and placed her mouth against his. Locking her lips against Kaleb's, she fed the mashed bark into his mouth. Her audacity took him by complete surprise and he was, for a moment, jolted awake. Instinctively, he tried to raise his hand and stop her but after a moment of uncertainty, he lay his hand back down to his side. The girl's lips lingered for a moment before she sat up again.
"You have to eat." The girl emphasized. She did not show any sign of embarrassment whatsoever, as if mouth-feeding Kaleb was the next-most natural solution to getting him to eat.
Nevertheless, the girl's method worked; the half-piece was now easier to chew and he swallowed the mashed bark without any difficulty. Seeing this as progress, she repeated the process: first chewing the Omikayalan bark herself, then feeding it to him mouth-to-mouth. On the third cycle, the girl was still chewing the bark when she paused, raising her eyebrows in wonder of what she saw before her. Despite the boy's closed eyes, tears were streaming out from beneath his eyelids. Dismissing her thoughts, she mouth-fed him the last of the bark she had collected.
The tears had stopped flowing but Kaleb's heart remained engulfed in passionate captivation. This girl held more darkness than he had ever seen in a person but her light still shone brightest out of all he had ever come across. He had never been so deeply moved. Swallowing the last of the mashed bark, he opened his eyes, already feeling slightly rejuvenated.
"How did you know to bring me here—to the God-Willow's resting place?"
"The Green Father's little friends brought me here. When I left to collect the herbs I needed to make the same salve you made for me, The Green Father visited you himself and breathed life into your lifeless body. He doesn't really show himself before people openly." The girl explained.
"The Green Father?"
"They call him Bramblefoot. Ivern Bramblefoot. Successor of the God-Willow and creator of the Arena."
"He created the Arena? Like, the World-class Arena they use in the League's Challenger Series?" Kaleb tried sitting up but moved too quickly and exerted too much energy, causing him to fall back onto his moss bed. The girl placed a hand on his chest lightly, telling him to stay lying down. His heart skipped a beat.
"Yeah. That Arena." She answered. "Oh and he's also known by some as 'The Watcher who Gives.'
"He's a Watcher? I've never heard of him."
"Sadly, that name has been stolen from him by another. 'The Watcher who Takes'. At least that's what the legends say."
"Huh. That's interesting. Well . . . I know I was the one who brought you to the Omikayalan initially . . . but I don't exactly know who you are."
"My name is Rosalyn. Thank you for saving my life."
"Wow—that's quite a way to introduce yourself," Kaleb smiled feebly. "I'm Kaleb Reiyver. Thank you for saving mine."
"His heart skipped a beat."
Yeah, mine did too when I wrote that part. WHO SAYS A WRITER CAN'T BE AS INTO THE STORY AS THE READERS AND THE CHARACTERS ARE. We're starting to see the backstories behind all the characters' relationships with one another so get ready for the CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT HYPE TRAIN.
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Thanks for reading!
Peace!
~Nightrous