Karma took another piece of paper from the giant pile on her desk with a heavy sigh, reading through the lines informing her about a new trading agreement with a tribe somewhere north of the capital. They demanded protection and were willing to share some resources with them in return. It was an absolute joke of a trade, just short of insulting to demand something like that for just some resources. A small tribe asking for protection from the biggest, most influential place in Ionia should've been laughed at and then dismissed, but as much as she wanted to do just that, she couldn't. They needed every bit of resources that they could get their hands on, even if they had to agree to unfair terms.

Signing the contract with a heavy heart, Karma put the paper onto another massive pile on her desk. She glanced at the first pile with disdain, tempted to just set them on fire with a spell, but that would only lead to more work, so she leaned back into her chair instead, glaring at the ceiling of her office like it was the reason for her suffering.

She was exhausted and severely overworked, but the almost complete annihilation of their troops combined with the sudden retreat of the invaders was taking up all of her time. They had yet to find out why the enemy was retreating, but it presented the almost defeated nation with an opportunity that they could absolutely not ignore. She and the other council members were already forming plans on how to reclaim some of the areas that the Noxians had taken over.

Another thing to add to the list of concerns was the arrival of Lee and Irelia. Well, it was less of an arrival and more of them stumbling through their gates like a pair of undead. Lee had just barely made it back to the capital with an extremely wounded Irelia before he himself had collapsed. The news of two almost dead champions arriving at their gates had quickly spread throughout the city and their morale had hit a new low after that.

As it was now, Lee had already recovered from his wounds and had gone back to wherever he lived since the Noxians were not a threat anymore, but Irelia was still in the process of healing. She had of course already recovered from most of her wounds, but the champion was still very weak, so she stayed in the hospital as much as possible. Karma made sure of that herself.

A knock on the door shook the tired woman out of her thoughts.

"Come in."

A young man in Ionian guard attire stumbled into her office, his chest heaving and sweat dripping from his forehead.

Karma's instincts immediately went crazy, and she sat up straight, all thoughts of sleep forgotten as she impatiently waited for the man to catch his breath.

"L-lady Karma! There are p-people at the west gate!"

He took a few seconds to catch his breath again, leaving Karma confused. Why would he be telling her this? She might be the leader of the council, but she was not in charge of overlooking any newcomers that either looked for refuge after Noxus' destruction or just wanted to join the city.

Unless the people were not just anyone. She narrowed her eyes.

"They claim to have captured general Duqual and want to talk to someone in charge immediately. Also, one of them looks like Riven from Noxus!"

A thousand questions formed in her head as she stood up fast enough to make the man at the door flinch, dashing past him without another word.

To say that they had general Duqual was one thing, but if it really was Riven who was at the gate, then things just got a lot more complicated.

She ignored the questioning looks of the people she ran past, using her magic to reach the gate as soon as possible once she was outside.

A gust of wind announced her arrival on top of the wall over the gate, and she immediately scanned the people below her for any signs of the champion the guard had named. True enough, four people and a horse with someone on top of it stood on front of the big gate, one young-looking brown-haired man, two children with long hair and a woman with short white hair and a huge sword attacked to her back.

The woman was Riven, no doubt about it.

"Give me one reason to not immediately kill you, Riven." She said with an even voice, but her insides were on fire with rage.

How dare a Noxian general just show up at their front gates after all the Ionians they murdered?!

In an act that surprised even her, the Noxian champion laid down her sword and got onto her knees, raising her arms in a peaceful manner. It was one thing for a Noxian to spout some empty words, but to actually lay down one's weapon and getting into such a submissive position would mean the death of any Noxian's pride. She had seen enough of them to know that they didn't simply do such a thing, no matter the circumstances, so to see the general do that completely took the winds out of her sails.

"I don't belong to Noxus anymore. I apologize for my unannounced appearance, but I wish to do no harm to anyone. Not anymore."

She stared at the kneeling champion, but there didn't seem to be a lie in what she had said. The white-haired woman barely even twitched when she let her magic roam over her body, which told the leader of Ionia more than enough. With her mana covering every surface of the former Noxian, she could crush Riven with a single thought, so for her to allow that without any form of resistance convinced Karma of her words. For now, at least.

With a sigh, Karam retracted her magic and turned to the guards.

"Open the gates and escort Riven to the anti-magic cell. One of you also take the sword and bring it to my office." She turned back to the still kneeling Riven and her companions. "Even if you mean no harm, please understand that we cannot just let you enter our city like that."

Instead of showing any resistance like she had half expected the warlord to, the woman just nodded and let herself get bound and escorted away. Karma watched the champion go until they were out of sight, leaving a small magical mark on one of the guards' arms to know if the champion would change her mind all of a sudden and cause some trouble.

Finally, she turned to the remaining people who had been silent the whole time, inclining her head with curiosity as her eyes met red ones.

"And who are you?"

The man's mouth turned into a small smile, though she could see how strained it was as his eyes kept darting back to the point where Riven had been led to.

They were probably quite close.

"My name is Narlou, and these two are Yasuo and Yone, my two brothers. May I ask for your name before we talk about anything else?"

Her eyes widened in surprise as she stared at the man beneath her. She couldn't remember the last time that someone didn't recognize her at first glance, especially when that someone was coming to the capital of Ionia.

The surprise was quickly replaced by amusement, and she put a hand in front of her mouth to hide her smile. This was so unexpected that she just couldn't help it. Quickly regaining her composure, Karma straightened herself.

"I am Karma, a Champion and the leader of the Ionian council."

There was a slight pause as something shifted in his eyes.

"Ah, please excuse my rudeness. I wasn't aware."

Karma waved it off.

"It's alright. But let's talk about why you are actually here. I have been informed that you are in the possession of a Noxian general?" She said while throwing a glance at the horse behind them.

"Indeed. I have come across him during my travel here and wish to trade him for someone."

Immediately curious, Karma gracefully floated down to the man until they stood right in front of each other.

'Now that sounds like something much more interesting than reading through stacks of papers!'

Regarding the man once more, she noticed how he was a bit taller than her, his presence giving of a powerful feeling that not many people could compare to. Though there was something more to him, something that she couldn't see with a simple surface level check. He was… Intriguing to say the least.

"Why don't you follow me, and we can talk about this in private?"

A nod was all she needed.

"Guards, take the man on the horse to the prison and wake him up for interrogation."

Not waiting for the armored men to follow her command, she turned back to the three young men, giving them a calming smile.

"Shall we go?"

They arrived in Karma's spacious office a few minutes later, and the only woman of their group sat down behind a large paper-filled desk.

"You can take a seat." She offered, and the three quickly sat down, facing Karma.

"Alright, please tell me what you desire in return for giving us the general." Karma started, watching Narlou carefully in the process.

While he might seem like a nice and respectful person, he was still a stranger. A stranger who was not only close to a Noxian general but also significantly more powerful than the average magician from what she could feel.

"I would like to ask for two things. The first would be the release of Katarina Du Couteau."

A tense silence fell over them as Karma observed him with narrowed eyes, placing her elbows onto the desk and folding her hands in front of her.

"Why?"

"She is a friend of someone very close to me."

He closed his mouth, and Karma stared at his burning red eyes with such intensity that most people would've already broken down into a crying mess. Yet, Narlou's gaze didn't waver once, his eyes full of conviction that he was doing the right thing.

"She is one of the strongest assassins of Ionia's biggest enemy. She killed many people, many of whom were Ionians. She is dangerous. Why should I ever grant her freedom?"

Once again, the man in front of her didn't even flinch. Instead, he leaned forward, his expression showing only determination.

"She has been betrayed by Boram, just like Riven was. They will want revenge, especially someone like Katarina. If you play your cards right, you might have this powerful assassin on your side instead of against you. And even if you don't convince her, I'm very sure that she won't ever bother you or your nation again."

Silence once again reigned as Karma thought about his words. Katarina, during her time in Ionia as a prisoner, had never once acted up. She behaved well and showed no signs of hostility, and the few times that she had actually talked to her, the Noxian was more polite and honest than even a few council members.

Still, this was a Noxian champion they were talking about. She might've fooled both of them for all she knew.

"I will have to think about it. Please tell me your second wish."

Taking a deep breath, the man in front of her straightened himself, his brows scrunched up and his eyes rapidly switching from the ground to her face while his hands were fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

"Please accept Riven into Ionia, but not as a criminal."

Karma paused, giving the young man a long look.

"You are asking for a lot here."

"I know."

"Why?"

"It's her wish. She deeply regrets what she had done and wants to make up for it by fighting for you."

First a Noxian assassin possibly fighting for Ionia just to get revenge and now a Noxian general wanting to make amends? They were still talking about the same people here, right? Still, as unexpected as that was, having those two on their side would be a massive support, and though it was a dangerous plan, it was definitely worth at least considering.

"I have to think about your second request for now, but if you wish to, you can talk to Katarina for a few minutes. I can't give you more for now though."

Allowing a stranger who she'd met less than an hour ago to talk to one of Ionia's worst enemies was stupid and she knew it, but if there was one thing that Karma trusted the most, it was her intuition, and right now it was promising her that the man in front of her was the furthest thing from an enemy. In fact, from the moment she'd first seen him, her intuition had been telling her only the best things about this person. He was someone special, and she would be lying if she said that he didn't stir her curiosity.

'Besides, I can use this opportunity to get a better grasp on Katarina's true intentions.'

Standing up with the grace of a cat, Karma motioned for Narlou and his brothers to follow her, hiding her smile upon seeing his excitement. It always felt good to be the reason for someone's happiness.

She led them through the spacious halls decorated with all kinds of pictures and colors, thick curtains with golden trimmings and huge windows with a beautiful blue shine filling out the walls to create the image of a very noble house. She never really liked all the decorations and pictures, being a firm believer in less being more, but the council insisted that their house should represent wealth and honor to the citizens of the capital, though she was fairly certain that this was just an excuse to fill their need for surrounding themselves with expensive stuff.

"Excuse me."

Turning her head to the side, Karma spotted Narlou looking at her with a curious expression.

"Can I ask you something?"

Slowing her steps to talk more comfortably, Karma motioned for him to continue.

"Why are you willing to give me so much for just a general? Is he someone special?"

This took her by surprise. Duqual was a fairly famous person even outside of Ionia for his insatiable thirst for brutality and mass murdering of innocent people, not to mention his infamy coming from murdering a Champion's family. Narlou trading the general despite not knowing of him was not something that she would've expected. He could've just killed him when he found Duqual without ever knowing what rewards he would've missed out on and she, or rather Irelia, would've never gotten their hands on the man.

'Looks like we both got very lucky.'

"General Duqual not just any general. He is very wanted in Ionia for murdering and doing unspeakable things to innocent people. Plus, he murdered the entire family of our Champion and general Irelia. We have been looking for him for quite some time now, so you did us and especially Irelia a giant favor which I have to deeply thank you for."

A small bow accompanied her words, and when she looked up again her vision was filled with the face of a disbelieving young man with striking red eyes. His mouth hung wide open, and his eyes almost seemed to pop out of their sockets with how wide open they were. It was quite an amusing picture.

"Narlou? Are you alright?"

The smaller of the two brothers poked a finger into Narlou's side, successfully waking him up from his state of surprised shock.

"Ah? Yes! Sorry about that. What you said just took me by surprise."

"I noticed as much." She answered with amusement coloring her voice.

"Looks like we got really lucky!" Narlou said as he practically bounced on the spot while swinging an arm around each of his brothers who also wore a big smile on their young faces.

"You certainly did."

Once he calmed down and let go of the two, karma continued leading the way, waiting patiently for Narlou to walk beside her again.

"Talking about Irelia, she will be wanting to meet you once she finds out about this. She always pays back what she owes."

Though her first thought while telling him this was really just to inform him, she couldn't help but to also think of this as an opportunity to see what he would do with someone this powerful in his debt. Whether money or power, Irelia would give him whatever he desired as long as she could do so, and when faced with a chance like this, most people's true nature came forward.

"Oh, well, uhm... You can tell her that it's fine. I don't need any money."

"…"

"…"

"I-is everything alright?"

"Yes, please excuse me. I will of course relay your message to her."

"T-thank you."

Turning her face away from Narlou, Karma pressed her lips together so tightly that they became white as she tried her hardest to suppress the laughter just begging to be released. Just imagining Irelia's face once she'd tell her that was enough to make all of this worth it.

'I am definitely looking forward to that conversation.'

They continued walking through the halls in silence for a while until they finally reached the exit which took them out of the building and onto the streets of the city. With the sun shining brightly in the clear blue sky, a group of children were playing just a few steps away from them, laughing excitedly as they threw small balls of dirt at each other. A pair of adults were leaning against the wall to her right, casually talking with each other and a small family was just slowly walking past them so that the children could keep up.

The moment she set foot on the pavement, all of them stopped with whatever they were doing and gave her a small bow while the children cheerfully waved at her. It was just a short gesture of respect for their leader, but it made Karma happy, nonetheless.

"Seems like the people here like you."

Karma glanced to the side, catching Narlou smiling at her with a curiously cheerful expression.

"I try my best to be friendly to everyone." She answered honestly, watching how Narlou's smile only widened.

"That's nice."

He stayed silent for a few seconds during which she waved to another group of children, but when she turned back to him, his happy expression was gone, replaced by a hopeful one.

"Will we be able to visit Riven until you have made your decision?"

She stayed silent for a few seconds, just listening to the sound their steps made as she let the words go through her mind. She already knew the answer to that question, but that didn't make it any easier for her to say.

"I fear that I can't allow that."

She could list all the reasons for her decision, but it seemed as though Narlou already understood as his expression turned into one of acceptance, though the frown told her exactly how he really felt about it.

The rest of the way was spent in silence. The more time passed, the less people did they came across until they reached a part of the city where not a single person remained. Old, crumbling, and decaying buildings now surrounded them with nature already having reclaimed many of them. This was the most abandoned area in the vast Capital, and it all was due to the Prison that they were going to visit right now. Technically, people could still live here, but after the Prison had been built, which was long before she'd been born, many had left out of fear that someone might escape one day and chose them as their next victims. Rumors had quickly spread, and less than a year after the finished construction of it, the entire area was empty.

Nowadays, parents use it to tell scary stories to misbehaving children.

Finally, after a few more minutes of walking along a small trail that she used whenever she had to go there, they stopped in front of a giant building with a pair of massive metal doors and a set of marble steps leading up to them.

"Here we are, at the most secure prison in Ionia."

The behemoth of a building towered over everything surrounding it like an unclimbable mountain. Grey color coated the tall walls without any cracks or dirty stains on them, the steps were glowing ominously under the reflection of the sun and the guards at the thick doors stood tall and alert.

No matter how many times she came here, there was always this feeling of dread accompanying her steps up the stairs. Not because the building itself intimidated her, but because of the people inside of it. These were living and breathing beings that had committed crimes so horrendous that just thinking of them made her want to throw up.

Murder and rape were just the tip of the iceberg.

Finally reaching the doors, Karma wordlessly held out both her palms to the guards, who placed their hand against hers. After a second, they retracted their hands and knocked on the door in a complex pattern that would be a different one in an hour. A few seconds passed and Karma could already feel the curious stares of her temporary companions on her back, but before any unnecessary questions could arise, the insanely heavy doors screeched open, the sound sending shivers down her spine in a way that only this prison could.

"This way."

With quick steps to make this visit as short as possible, Karma walked them through the maze of magically light hallways and staircases, every step echoing through the silence that was only broken by occasional screams and laughter from behind closed doors.

"I apologize, this must be very uncomfortable for you, but we are almost there so just try to ignore whatever you might hear."

A quick glance back showed that while Yone and Yasuo looked only mildly uncomfortable, Narlou's eyes were wide open, his mouth pressed into a thin line and his hands clenched tightly. He flinched at every scream that rang through the halls, but he also flinched when there was nothing.

Or maybe she was just not hearing it? Did Narlou have super-hearing?

Quickly turning back to the front, Karma shoved that horrifying thought deep into her subconsciousness, trying not to imagine what the man might be hearing in this unholy place.

Ultimately, Karma stopped in front of a big metal door somewhere deep underground. With a ton of magical enhancements on it, it was virtually impossible to get through without her permission. She, along with the Head of this Prison who was a man she trusted a lot, were the only two people who had access to this specific cell. It was by far the most protected and secure one in all of Ionia, reserved only for either the strongest or the most important people.

Katarina was both.

"You will find Katarina's cell behind this door."

The still a little pale Narlou nodded, his posture suddenly rigid and tense as if he was about to face a strong enemy.

'I thought they were friends?'

Shrugging, Karma retrieved a small jewel from her pocket, inserting it into a small notch in the center of the door. While waiting for the mechanism to unlock it, she turned to watch Narlou talk to his brothers.

"C-can you wait here while I go talk to her? I promise it won't take long."

"Don't worry, we'll wait here. But… are you alright?"

Karma watched as one of them, likely the older one, reached out to hug the taller man who immediately wrapped his arms around him, shaking slightly. She felt wrong watching such an intimate moment between them, but for some reason, she couldn't look away.

"No… Yes. Don't worry about me, I'll be right back."

Karma quietly watched as the young brothers threw each other concerned looks, but no more words were exchanged as Narlou stepped up to her, his face pulled into a neutral expression.

"I'm ready."

Not a second later, a tiny click was heard, and Karma had to silently admire this man's timing. She took the jewel out of the notch and put it back into her pocket, causing the door to slowly open. Thankfully, this one didn't make any sound while doing so, unlike a certain other door.

When it was fully open, Karma put a hand onto Narlou's shoulder, ignoring how he tensed under her touch.

"Knock on the door when you are finished. Good luck."

Without another word and under the worried stares of two brothers, Narlou stepped through the door, vanishing behind it as it slowly closed again, leaving only silence behind.

"Thank you for being so nice to us, Miss."

She smiled down at the kids who had already sat down against the wall, getting two small smiles in return.

"Of course."

Waiting for a few seconds to make sure that they didn't have anything else to say, Karma closed her eyes, focusing on the feeling of the mark she had left on his shoulder when she touched him. Quickly connecting her hearing sense to it, Karma could now hear everything as if she stood right next to him, and she had to admit that she was very curious about what they would be talking about.

"…"

"…"

"Long time no see, Katarina."

Very curious indeed.