Chapter 2 – Du Couteau
The general came inside the room where Talon rested for a few days. He was pretty surprised to see that he could actually get out of bed. With a light attitude, he ignores the restless boy and leaves a few clothes and some bandages.
"It`s been already three days, you know..."
"Who are you?" The kid got it straight to the point.
"Eh?" The noxian general looks at him confused and sighs helpless. "I thought you`ll not wake today. But I brought you some spare clothes though. Sadly, this is what slums breed.. " He comes closer to check Talon`s wounds, but boy dashes back with anger running through his veins ready to start a fight even without weapons.
"Who the f ck are you and what is this place?"
"Who...?" The noxian man stops at a certain distance feeling pity for the boy, then regains his rich man attitude laughing in Talon`s face. "I`am General Du Couteau. And you?"
After a moment of silent tensions, the general takes a seat on the edge of the bed and grabs Talon`s arm grabbing him closer.
"What...?"
"You didn`t know those rogues who stole from the little girl in the back ally, but that didn`t stop me breaking their bones." The man started to tell what really happened. "After I got a hand on you, you gave up too early for a cooky bum. Then I could have an upper hand over those guys from slums and save the little girl."
"So?" Talon wasn`t interested in the story and his attention was stole by the wealthy things worth to steal.
"I had real things to do in slums, but I had to quit because so many random people saw my skills. The gossips are not friendly anymore when you are an important person." The man turns the boy`s head with one hand and holds his head in a fixed position. "All of this because a rat like you wanted to play a game."
Talon`s eyes widen for a moment. He could taste the silent rage in the noxian general`s bitter words.
"But I spared your life." The man added and breaths in calming down.
The truth was that the noxian man could swear that Talon saw the paper hidden in the golden watch. As the boy didn`t die back there, the general couldn`t allow him to go free, so he took him home. His secrets were more important and he starts posing as a good wealthy man for the poor boy.
"I like your guts, kid. I can train you to become stronger." His hand ruffles Talon`s hair in a father like posture. "So, what`s your name?"
"T-Talon." He gasps uncertain about what just happened and how this man is not angry at him.
Poppy met the other elite soldiers of Demacia. One of them, a strong man on steroids with heavy shoulders, started to poke at her short stature, while his ionian friend with long ponytail chuckled behind.
"You better watch your own business, big guy." She growls ignoring the rudeness.
"It`s funny cause you`re so small and you can handle a hammer." The ionian one added with a friendly voice, while the bigger one laughed and patted her head.
"I`m Garen. Garen Crownguard." He answered to the mean yordle and offered his hand to be shook.
"Poppy. Nice to acquaintance you." She shakes his hand wearing the same cruel eyes.
"It seems like you are always mad on people." The ionian said looking at her big hammer.
"..." Poppy tilts her head not impressed.
"I`m Xin Zhao. From Ionia. I live and fight for Demacia." He smiles kindly at her showing the face of a good man, but he didn`t get her attention, instead she backed up her hammer and crossed her arms.
After a moment of stress between them, Garen laughs at Xin and slabs his back.
"I don`t like you guys." She looks at them not taking them seriously at all.
Du Couteau mansion was a really big place dight with expensive forms of art on each corridor. A real french house. As young Talon came down for dinner, he constantly thought about not touching anything because the noxian general will not spare his life a second time. The boy was silly at this point, but as long as he got his word that he will live here and his eyes will see these nice pieces of art for rest of his life, his renegade inner must be controlled.
Just before the great large stairs, he could see a big painting of a red beard man looking almost similar with the general wearing the same watch he wanted to steal. He never saw such painting before. The wrinkles and the scars looked so real and it make Talon`s spine to chill for a second.
Shyly he downs the stairs looking over the other members of the general`s family gathered at the big table. Two girls dressed like princess from fairy tales and a spare chair for the missing one. He thought that his wife must be dead, so he didn`t say anything and lowers his head in front of the man who spared his life, then takes a seat near one of the girls.
"Good evening, Talon" He said with a gladly tone cupping his hands. "These are my daughters. Katarina and Cassiopeia." But the boy didn`t listening and again and his eyes were searching for information on their own. The red haired girl looked about his age and as his eyes were on her she chuckled covering her mouth.
"So his name is Talon?" The older girl said rolling her eyes with a superior attitude, but not because he came from streets, just because that was her usual self being.
Her father gave her a stare asking her to not be rude. Talon was used to guess the other`s words even without talking, so he understood that the older girl wasn`t friendly, so he has to avoid her in future.
To surpass the silent and awkward moment, the general coughed preparing to eat.
Talon shrugs ignoring the scene, imagining the further train with the general.
In a while Demacia is ready for war. Poppy is one of the top soldiers, being covered by the big shadow of Garen. He was so big, he covers her entire silhouette with his great shade.
"You are really big, Garen." Xin came from behind and pokes his ass with his spear.
"Oh, stop you two." Poppy rolled her eyes being used with their silly jokes.
In Noxus, Talon started the training with the general and his younger daughter. Even if he forgot her name in the first instance, he could hear him shouting her name at every mistake. "Katarina!" It was boring to watch how a girl fails her darts test and her father wanted perfection. After all, Katarina was a wealthy girl and she doesn`t have to go rough like those tramps from slums.
At a breathing break, the red haired girl checks her patched hands. He assumed it might hurt, but it wasn`t his business though, so he stood there checking his own scratches.
"Hey, rat, how do you like the training with my dad?" Katarina wildly appears in his face. Her big green eyes proved an excited behavior even if her father were mad at her.
"..."
"You always seem off mood. Something wrong or is this just your normal self?" She checks him from close up didn`t noticing a change, nor a blink from him, only a cold glare. In her eyes he was nothing special, but there was something that bothers her and she actually felt good to call him rat because he never answered back.
"I just expected to play something more fun than darts." He answered in a while and she got excited at every word he said. Why? Because she didn`t have friends before. Not about her age. Only her sister was the closest, but they didn`t share same ideals. Cassiopeia likes jewelry and dresses, while Katarina chose the assasin`s way. She always had a thing for sharp things like her father`s blades and it all started as a darts play.
"Do you call this darts? Maybe I shall show you my blade collection! You know, I want to be an assasin like my father when I`ll grow up!" She starts rambling about things that make her happy, while she was dragging Talon with her.