Shattered
She felt at peace while in the darkness. All her obligations, and wants seemed to wash away. She enjoyed the feeling of nothingness, but was only allowed this gift for a few seconds. Pain washed over her as her eyelids slowly popped open. She heard talking, but couldn't make out the words or who spoke. All she could make out was how heated the words were. They were driven by pure hatred. She slid back into her sleep wanting to flee from the pain. Sleep took her willingly.
"Quinn what do you want to do when you grow up?" Caleb asks her as he looks up at the night sky. Quinn watches the stars with her brother as she thinks about her answer. She wondered where the question came from, but answered it anyways.
"I'd like to fly and touch those stars," Quinn says entranced as she traces a constellation with her finger.
"We can't fly Quinn, no matter how hard we try we're stuck planted on this earth. It'd be a bad thing if you could fly anyways,".
"How come?" she asks a scowl starting to form on her face.
"I'd be unable to torment you with my games," he says a grin plastered on his face.
"I'd just beat you at all of them," she playfully sticks her tongue out at him.
"I bet I could beat you at one right now," he says sitting up.
"That's what you said last time. Look how that ended,".
"Then you gotta defend your title as gamesmaster. See that tree?" he asks pointing to a small tree a couple hundred of yards away. Quinn nods. "Last one there has to do the others laundry for the next week. Deal?"
Quinn wasn't one to back down from a challenge so she accepted, "Deal,". She expected him to give a countdown, but instead he leaped from his sitting position and sprinted towards the tree. "Hey! No fair," she says quickly getting off of her back and onto her feet.
"You accept your defeat yet?" he yells behind him as he stands halfway to the end goal.
"Keep talking, and you'll get two weeks of my laundry," she says as she sees herself gaining on him. Quinn sprints faster until it feels as if she was running on air. She lived for the feeling as she knew it was her only chance of ever going airborne. She let herself get lost in the feeling, and didn't notice when she passed her brother. She didn't stop running until many yards past their target destination. She yells triumphantly into the air when she reaches the tree. "Not even your cheap tactics can beat me in a foot race," she says as he makes it to the tree.
"I got to level the playing field somehow," he says sagging over out of breath. Quinn stands feeling as if she could sprint another couple hundred yards. "We all know speed is on your side Quinn. If you have anything its your speed. Maybe one day that speed will lift you off of the ground, and let you touch the stars."
Her eyes burst open yet again. Tears fill her eyes from memories lost, and the pain that seems to encompass her whole form. I ran like you said brother, and now I pay for that crime. I should've stopped that assassin… If I had truly been as fast as you claimed me to be I would have saved both you and Albert. She takes in her surroundings as she moves away from her thoughts. She lay inside a tent still clothed in her coat. Her head rests on the cold earth, and she hears the crackle of the fire outside. She sees shadows dance on the outside of the tent, as movement occurs outside. The opening of the tent flap, and footsteps are her final warning that someone has entered.
A man in the purple of the royal guard enters. "Prisoner it seems someone has come to visit you. Don't know why anyone would want to talk with someone of your standing, but he waits for you outside. Shall he enter?". Quinn slowly sits herself up and nods her head. She stares at the floor until the tent flap opens again. She looks back down at the floor in shame as she sees who enters the tent.
"Is- Is it true what they say?" Jared's pained voice asks her. She avoids his gaze, and attempts to hide from his question. What am I supposed to say that all the scouts are working with Noxus? That'll just speed up my execution. "Why did you do it? You always seemed a bit wacky, but it had its own charm. Yet you never seemed to be the type to kill her comrades. Did Albert fall to your blade?"
Quinn looks up at Jared to see him more distraught than herself. It'll be more painful if he knows the truth. She looks him in the eyes and replies, "Noxus rides, and the volunteers fell. Who's blade they fell to matters not. All that matters is those wronged are given vengeance. The dead can't stand for themselves, but they still have a voice, and a burden. I carry this burden as no one else will."
Her response agitates him, "Why do you dance around the truth? What is it you're hiding? Do you truly think yourself innocent of your crimes? Have you gone as mad, as the guards claim you to be?".
"I am not the one who is insane. The people who neglect to see the facts are those who are insane. Noxus marches and we sit. We'll all burn if we just sit. Do you wish to be charred or grilled?" Quinn says not breaking her gaze. Leave me to my fate.
"You ramble on like a mad woman, yet you think yourself sane? What happened yesterday Quinn? What changed you into.. into this thing? This is not the carefree girl I remember a few days ago," Jared says kneeling by her.
"McHenricks talked of being blooded. It truly does change you. I think it matters less about the process, and more whose blood you spill first. The blood of the enemy is sweet, the blood of the friend is bitter. I've yet to see the blood of a bystander, but hope that day won't fall on me."
"Quinn you need to tell me exactly what happened. They tell us nothing except you killed thirty volunteers. I need to hear what happened. You need to hear what has happened." She was surprised by his persistence. She decided to stop dancing around the topic, and instead tell him the truth. She spoke for what seemed like hours. Her story finished, and she found Jared sitting down with his hands covering his face. "What you speak of is treason Quinn. Why would the scouts do this? What do they have to gain?"
"I don't care about what they have to gain, or why they're doing this. I know one thing. They have the same fate as Darius's Second if I make it out of this. They'll need to learn through blood what they have done to those I've lost," pain clouds her voice as she continues, "Now you see why I tried to dance around this subject. This is a path no one should take yet I find myself on it." I need a purpose I can't end up like her. Noxus or the scouts won't steal this purpose.
He lifts his face from his hands, "If they truly killed them all then I need to join you on this path. One soldier can't stop a general, and an entire army division,".
"You think one more will make a dent? This path is mine and mine alone,".
"What if you don't deserve to travel this path alone? What if others don't want you to travel the path alone?" His statement causes her to blush as she sees his intent.
"This matters not anyways. I'll be dead in a few hours, and no one will be able to stop Noxus. They'll take all of Demacia, and then all of Valoran. The king has underestimated the general, and we're all about to pay for it. At least I'll be given the mercy of still seeing part of my nation still standing when I die,". Her words cause them to sit in silence.
The silence continues until Jared speaks up again, "I should have been the one that got left behind, and you sent forward. I know you let me win the duel. I should have been with them when they died,".
"None of us were with them when they died. You would have fought to defend them just like Albert. If you want to give up on Demacia, and fight for justice then you can pick up the torch when I drop it. The shield stands as long as one of us live. Demacia falls when we fall. Your life is your priority, once you die all that have fallen behind you are lost,".
"Quinn… you can't die. I can't lose all that I've known. A purpose is not enough to carry me forward. I need the push of a friend to keep me on the right path. There has to be some way to get you out of this,".
"The prince and his word is iron. I cannot escape this sentence. Anyone who opposes it opposes the prince himself. Someone of great power would have to oppose it for my execution to be postponed. I know none who would stand for me. All see me as a traitor besides you. I don't know what you see in me, but it is appreciated," she says giving off a weak smile.
"I see what McHenricks saw in you. A soldier that is held back because of what she was born as. I also see one who gives themself for the honor of others. I see one who is gentle of the heart, but is burdened by duties greater than most could even dream of holding. I see a knight, I see a woman who isn't afraid to follow justice over law, I see Quinn."
A guard enters the tent, "It's time for you two to break this up. You've been in here longer than you're supposed to anyways." The two stand, and wonder how they should part. Quinn hugs him and whispers, "Thank you,". The two break apart and Jared nods before exiting the tent.
She sits back down on the cold earth when the guard exits. She pulls her knees to her chest as she thinks about the exchange that had just occurred. I've forbid myself to grow close ever since her death. I couldn't harm someone like my father with my selfish desires. Why am I breaking apart now? What do I even like about the man? That he sees me for who I really am? That he isn't afraid to follow my insane ideals? She looks down at herself and wonders how anyone could like who she was. I look like a monster, my actions over the last days make me all but one.
Quinn sits up and begins to pace her cramped tent as she begins to recollect on the past few days. So much life lost… for what? A man to show he is superior to another? Why would a man want the death of the volunteers? Would the King order men to kill unarmed combatants? Would the men under his command follow the order? Would I follow this order? Her thoughts begin to trouble her causing her to sit on the floor yet again, and wait for her execution.
Hours pass before the guard informs her she has another visitor. This one does not wait, and enters without permission. She stands up immediately and salutes as soon as she notices who it is. "At ease," Garen's hoarse voice commands. How long was he yelling at Jarvan? "The prince and I have come to a disagreement on your punishment. He sees that you should lose your head for the lives you took. If I believed what the scouts were saying I would likely agree with him. I know the kind of woman you are though, just from our brief talks, and from your duels I've witnessed. You are not one to kill a comrade."
"What is the meaning of this? Do you come to say that you wish me a swift death by the axe? Do you come to laugh that no one can stop the prince's judgement? If so laugh away knight. They've done enough of it outside already I'm used to it,". Quinn says getting a shocked expression from Garen.
"I've come here to give you an option that isn't death. It will be much harder than death, but it will be life. I ask you to work under the house of crownguard. To break your ties with the military, and work for me and my family. You'll be given the duties of a soldier, but your obligations will be tied with house crownguard. Do you accept?"
"I need to know the condition of my bird, and to know that he follows me where I go. If Valor can't go then I'd rather test my luck with the axe."
"You're allowed to bring your bird, and he is safe. Feisty thing from what I've heard the guards say,". Probably trying to fight his way to save me. Stubborn bird.
Quinn thought on his proposal for a few seconds before she answered. She kneeled and placed her head in front of his feet, "I pledge myself to the house of Crownguard. I shall be the bearer of your will. The protector of your possessions. The hunter for your wrongdoers. I give my life to your house, and shall hold my duty until you break my oath. This I promise, this I swear."
Authors Note: Well I've hit 12 Chapters now and some 25k words. This process has become an experiment of sorts for myself to create a certain style for myself. That's why it may seem a bit wacky at times. With each word I write down I take great satisfaction that I'm recreating a world in which I can enjoy recreating, and you can enjoy discovering. Hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am. Winter break is in a couple of days, and I should be able to get quite a few chapters done over it. Expect an increase of uploads in the weeks to come, or longer chapters.