Chapter 4 - "You f cking rat!" -Katarina
After Noxus surrendered because of the Riven incident, Demacia returned to the previous serenity. Inside a large ceremonial room, the crowned prince Jarvan the 4th were delighted with the imperial musician`s play. She was a ionian pastel blue woman playing a chord instrument. Her long twin tails fall on the generous chest as her mellow fingers made a mistake on the chords.
"Ahem." Jarvan senses it, but didn`t complain. It was one of the demacian hymns that he learned as child. Unfortunately for the audience, the musician was mute, but in the prince`s head it was perfect. Even if it wasn`t a real victory against Noxus, the others rounded at the table drinks together under the enchanting music.
"Cheers, Sona!" Garen clinks his cup and Poppy lifts her forehead looking at the blue dressed woman who stops the song and giggles softly.
Meanwhile on the Noxian shores, the Bilgewater pirate fleet rises against Noxus. Pirates downed the ships and started to steal and kill. Katarina was sent alone in mission by her father, while her formal mate, Talon, had to assist the general in other mission.
Bilgewater had something to deal with one of noxian regions named Zaun. Some special poison containers from Zaun got missing and the pirates returned for more. As far as Katarina knew the story, so she was spying over the angry pirates.
On the other hand, the general and Talon arrived at the negotiating table with the main noxian strategist who ordered the capitulation in the previous battle against Demacia.
The general made a short sign to Talon before starting. At first, the raven guy didn`t get why he had to participate too, but he tried to figure it out. It seemed that the strategist accepted to surrender not only because of the rebel. There were secret reasons and as he checks in the general`s eyes, he could say that neither this one trusts the strategist.
"Jerico, the female soldier got exiled. I wait your further orders." General Du Couteau called the strategist, Jerico Swain, by his short name, giving Talon a new suspicion.
"Marcus, I am glad you entrusted me and presented me your right hand man. Now that I know with who I am working, I can..." Hearing these, Talon was about to burst out, but a large bird resembling a crow entered from outside on the wide opened window and landed on Swain`s arm.
The general coupled his hands chuckling at the private moment when Swain petted his crow, while Talon suspects everything and his eyes didn`t fall from the general.
The two men talked for long hours under his off-hand presence. The general laughed and joked with Swain, but Talon couldn`t forget the first glare like a sign when they gathered in Swain`s chamber. It was something that must be learned the hardest way for the adopted street boy. Now that his fighting skills were mastered, he need to balance the truth from lies and the right.
It was almost boring and uninteresting to watch the two telling stories from old battles, but when they finally ended the meeting, the general patted his shoulder reading his mind. "Next time, you have to tell your victorious stories to the further generation. Even if it`s boring for the teenagers, they`ll always remember something useful."
"...like hell." Talon growls pissed off fallowing the Katarina`s father on Swain`s unlighted corridors. "So what was all about?"
"I just wanted to present you to an old friend. He will be a reference icon for what will come next." The man wears a pleased smile all this time, while Talon was intrigated by the meeting.
"What was all about?"
"Talon. Take this as the last lesson." The general stops in front of Talon looking serious for a short moment giving him another hint that something is bad. "I am going to leave for a while."
"When are you return-...?"
"I can return tomorrow or in ages, but you have to know something!" This serious side of the general made Talon to remember the first day he meet him.
"...uh-...huh... f-father...?" His eyes search in confusion when golden watch was entrusted to him today.
General feels proud to hear the boy he rescued from misery years ago seeing in him a parental figure. The moment didn`t last enough as the corridor`s crushed on them. The man closed Talon`s hand telling him a few words and in the same time wanting to be sure the raven will take the watch and with the falling stones, he falls in dark destruction of the passage.
It wasn`t real. It all felt like a dream. A nightmare. Everything seemed to get clear when the black flakes disappeared from his view. The raven was lying on a cold paved street. There was nobody around that sole place except him and the birds. Suddenly he remembers about Swain`s crow like a flashback and as he reaches in his pockets he finds the general`s watch. It wasn`t a dream! The general is missing.
In three days, the battle started again as Talon figured it out that it was Swain who ordered that. For his safety, he returned in slums. He didn`t feel like facing Katarina. He wasn`t even sure what happened back then. Too many questions and the general`s last words made him want to back up. Responsibilities made him realize that he is such a coward and maybe he was not worth from the start. After all he was a street rat from slums and he never knew that high life is full of double edged choices.
But what he didn`t know was that Katarina was worried for the two men who suddenly disappeared. After Cassiopeia uses to go in dessert Shurima, not wondering what happened with her father, Katarina remained all alone. The mansion`s maids and butlers didn`t replace the missing ones and she didn`t feel strong enough to go and check what was going on. She just stood there waiting for everyone to return.
It was withdraw. Again. Jarvan returns hurt from the demacian front line fallowed by Garen and Xin Zhao. In their back Poppy delays because of the heavy hammer. All of them looked exhausted. This war lasts forever and the battles are wiping their lives apart. As they enters on the fortress gates a young cheerful blonde lady jumps on Garen`s shoulders hugging him.
"I`m glad you`re home, brother!" Her blue eyes sparkles in the sorrowful ones of the returning home soldiers.
"Hey, Lux." The strong demacian lifts her up with one tired arm.
"I just took the demacian magic exam! Now I can join the battlefield and protect you with my light spells!" She was very excited about the war, but for the veterans it was hell.
And the battle ended as fast as it started. Noxus soldiers returned home too and Talon thought it is the time to face the situation at the general`s mansion.
Katarina was so happy to see him home, but after she heard that her father disappeared, her mood went down again. He gave her his watch and talked with her to make her feel a little better.
In the end they started to fight again. He wanted to leave, she insisted to stay. He denies the offer and she clings on his arm. He shakes his arm to let go, but she continued whining and so on.
"You f cking rat! You belong to the family!"
"F ck off! I`m leaving."
"Fine! Until dad returns!"
"I said no."
"And I don`t care!"
She hangs on his back like a younger sister and didn`t set him free til his answer was by her side.
"I`ll stay around and keep an eye on what`s going on for you." Talon made his promise, but deep inside he was hiding the last words the general entrusted him just to make it less disturbing for Katarina.