Chapter VI
Author's Note: Just wanted to say a very quick thank you to those who are reading/following/reviewing the story so far! Thanks so much, I'm glad you're enjoying it!
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The darkness was endless, swirling about and encasing the lone figure that traveled within. Talon's body shuddered, his mind numb from the small whispers and chants of disembodied voices that spoke to him. They whispered into his ears, guiding him, pulling him along with meaningless threats and phrases.
They were the voices of the Void. Beings that could turn even the strongest of men insane with their whispers of 'guidance'. Their senseless promises of the Void fixing all problems were alluring, but also terrifying; even if they were lacking a body, they still held enough power to strike down anyone who defied them.
If the human's mind was not rendered entirely useless beforehand.
"Forward... forward, and you will find what you seek..." They whispered, earning a growl from the assassin as he trudged forward. "Submit to us, Rogue... we can bring back the person that you seek..."
A tempting offer, but not one that Talon was going to accept. He knew better than to trust them, his eyes focused purely on the darkness in front of him. The dark was laced with hints of purple, soft lights guiding his way as he stepped forward slowly.
Then, he stopped. Movement in front of him, something large was moving around. The darkness obscured his vision to the point that he couldn't tell who, or what it was; he would need to get closer before he could say for sure.
Or so he thought.
Immediately, the area in front of him was illuminated, large purple orbs hovering just above the ground and shining brightly. Their glow was cast over the tall figure in front of the assassin, his eyes immediately widening in shock, mouth going agape. The voices chuckled, and Talon's legs began to move, sprinting as fast as he could towards the figure.
Once he drew near, his hand outstretched, reaching and grasping onto the thick brown cloak that draped over the figure's strong shoulders. It certainly felt real; even through his gloved hands he could feel the fabric, each tiny strand woven just the same way he remembered when he had held the article of clothing oh so long ago. With dark eyes alight with both shock and joy, Talon let out a deep breath he didn't realize he was holding.
Immediately, Talon's arms wrapped around the cloaked figure, hugging him tightly against his smaller body. His face was buried in his back, taking in the familiar scent as his hands clenched onto the brown cloak for dear life. He wouldn't let go this time, even if the disembodied whispers were growling at him to cease his actions and turn away.
"General... I've been searching for so long..." Talon spoke, dark voice filled with bliss as a smile graced his lips.
"Release me."
The command that was hissed in an angered tone made Talon's skin crawl in fear, immediately obeying and releasing his master from his grip. As the assassin stepped back, the General's head turned, a harsh frown adorning his aged face as he looked upon his assassin. Said assassin was frozen in place, unable to move a single finger as he stood in the presence of the man he had been searching nearly two years for.
"You are not Talon. You are not my servant. Step away from me before I remove your head from your shoulders, fiend." The words were spat with enough venom to make Talon gasp. "Look down, upon yourself. You are not the boy that I regarded as a son."
Talon's eyes immediately trailed down, looking at his reflection that gazed back from the thin pool of clear water that flooded the ground. At first, he was confused; he looked normal, his features were the same as always, the clothing on his back the same purple attire that he pulled on each morning. There was nothing out of the ordinary.
"General, I... I do not understand." Talon's concerned eyes darted back up, noticing Marcus had turned his head away from him again.
"Look again. Harder. Look with your mind; not your heart."
The assassin's eyes furrowed in confusion at that saying. But, once again, he looked. And this time, he nearly cried out in terror.
His features were not his own, face distorted and giving way to glowing yellow eyes that seemed to pierce his very soul; filled with hatred, but also desire. Desire to kill, to murder without reasoning, easily also told by the wicked grin that was upon his lips. This was not him... his own clothing was definitely not torn and ravaged, and he held no glowing eyes nor strange markings beneath them... but, one thing immediately stood out.
The markings that were upon his reflection's cheeks were exactly like Malzahar's.
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A jolt ran through Talon's torso as his eyes flew open, being graced by the morning sunlight. Currently he was in a cold sweat, breathing heavily as his mind raced to recall the events of what he had just seen. The figure... the imposter... it was horrifying to remember. Even as his eyes closed once more, he immediately had to open them again.
The image of two golden eyes staring back at him were still present, and far too fresh to be so easily dismissed.
Slowly, the assassin forced himself up, sitting and placing a hand on his forehead as if to ease the headache that plagued him. As if the nightmare wasn't worse enough; now he had to deal with the annoyance of a headache to start his day off. Ah, this was not going to be a good day at all.
Talon began to run a series of questions through his head as he tried to collect his thoughts. Should he tell Malzahar about the dream, and perhaps get some answers from the Prophet? Or shall he keep it a secret?
Right now, his mind was focused on hiding the dream; there was no need to get the Prophet riled up and ranting about 'the Void' any more than he already does. Especially since Talon was already dealing with a headache. He didn't need more annoyance to add to it.
As he finally stood up, Talon stretched his aching limbs and made his way to the foot of the bed. Once there, he noticed something rather... out of the ordinary. A small woven basket filled with scarab meat was placed at the foot of the bed, still warm with thin lines of steam trailing up into the air; it was certainly ready to be eaten.
On cue, the rogue's stomach rumbled. Before he moved to his knees to take the bowl, Talon glanced around the room to make sure that he was the only one currently present. Indeed, Malzahar was nowhere to be found at the moment, though judging by how freshly cooked this meat was, he was here only moments ago.
And for some reason, that thought set the assassin a little on edge.
Though he was still hungry, so he pushed those thoughts aside.
Hesitantly, Talon took one of the slices of meat and began to eat his fill, sitting against the foot of the bed. A small smile crept to his lips, one that couldn't be helped; Malzahar had remembered how much he had enjoyed eating the delicacy, and kept true to his word to get Talon some more of it. Certainly a nice breakfast, and perhaps it made the day slightly better.
But not by much.
That being said, the morning once again worsened in a span of a few seconds.
Talon froze in place as he caught a glimpse of something peering at him from around the archway that lead into the room. Beady eyes were staring at him, belonging to that of a... dog? Though its features were certainly not of any type of animal Talon had ever seen.
In fact, it resembled more of a bug, and it made Talon's skin crawl just meeting its eyes with his own.
"I see you two have met one another. ...Somewhat." Talon nearly jumped out of his skin as Malzahar once again surprised him, appearing suddenly and now sitting on the bed just behind the assassin. "Talon, this is Kog'Maw. Do not be afraid of him; I have made it clear that you are not a meal to be devoured by his hungry jaws. Just be careful of his drool, as it is acidic and will burn you if you touch it."
Talon could only stare silently at the creature Malzhar referred to as 'Kog'Maw', sharp eyes unblinking and watching the beast carefully. Instinctively, his right hand clenched into a fist as though his blade was fitted to his arm; at least he could still throw a good right hook if something did happen. Even if he found the thought of it to be quite... a bad idea on his part.
"Kog'Maw... And he is... what, exactly?" Talon asked curiously, almost hesitant to take another bite of his breakfast; the creature seemed quite hungry, and it was staring down his food like a starving wolf.
"My son."
At that, Talon nearly spit out his food, immediately staring at Malzahar in disbelief. He earned a simple shrug of shoulders from the Prophet, whom floated from the bed and knelt down next to the small creature. It was panting like a small puppy, wagging its thick tail as Malzahar's smooth, gloved hand ran along the hard shell that encased its head.
"Hypothetically speaking, of course. I am not his real father, I have merely adopted him during his stay here in Runeterra. His actual father resides within the depths of the Void." Malzahar said simply, his voice calm and relaxed as Kog'Maw sat down eagerly next to him. "He is also the one who retrieved your breakfast."
Ah, so this must have been the him that Malzahar mentioned last night. Made sense, Talon thought; the two claws that Kog'Maw had on each... arm, were long, and looked to be pretty useful for digging holes. Perfect way to dig up scarabs.
Though, he was a little curious about these Void creatures. Kog'Maw was one of them, as Talon came to understand. As he slowly approached them both, it was hard for him to hide the small fear that he held of the small dog-like creature.
"...Thank you, for getting me breakfast, Kog'Maw." Talon began, slowly, carefully reaching forward to touch the smooth surface of the creature's head. Odd, it felt almost like... bone? "It is nice to meet you."
"As nice as it is for you two to meet, he needs to leave now. His father will be expecting him home soon." Malzahar began, standing up and moving towards the door, motioning for the small creature to follow.
"Bye-bye!" Came a strangled, almost gurgled farewell from Kog'Maw, which again made Talon freeze and stare blankly. It could talk?!
"I will be back soon. Wait here." Malzahar stated, leaving the room with an excitable Kog'Maw trailing at his heels.
"...Not like I can really go anywhere else." Talon spat once he was alone once more, huffing and moving towards the window.
Thunder boomed in the distance. Dark clouds were shadowing the blue of the sky, nullifying any light that existed in their direction. A storm was coming; one that was rare for the Shurima desert to receive. But also one that was welcomed.
A little rain might just be nice for a change.
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Of course, when Malzahar said he would 'be right back' Talon wasn't expecting it to take nearly four hours for his return. The storm had arrived a few moments ago, and the land was being drenched in a heavy rainfall. With him not back yet, Talon only assumed that he was camping out somewhere else for the duration of the storm, leaving the assassin alone in the peace and quiet.
Not that he minded that fact. As he sprawled lazily across the bed, he played silently with several strands of his long, dark brown hair, lazy chocolate eyes scanning over the chains that attached him to this room. The assassin couldn't find a single dent, no matter how hard he tried; there was nothing weak about them, and nothing that he could pry at them with to make them come undone.
Rather unfortunate, but by this point, Talon truly wasn't surprised.
Suddenly, the door to the home flung open with a loud crash, shutting just a loud as it had opened. Odd, Talon thought; the Seer was usually never this loud when he arrived home. Staring at the archway that lead into the room, Talon waited for Malzahar to appear there.
Sure enough, he did. But not as Talon was expecting. In fact, his dark eyes grew wide when he saw his altered appearance.
Malzahar's clothing was torn in several places, blood dripping from numerous cuts and bruises that ran along his soft, tanned skin. He was panting lightly, clutching the doorframe as he made his way into the room. Nearly stumbling over his own two feet, Talon moved to meet him halfway, catching the Prophet as he fell forward into a heap in the assassin's arms.
"Malzahar...? What happened to you?" Talon's voice was laced with concern; for once, he had a reason to actually be concerned about this man. Mainly because he was the one keeping him refuge and feeding him, and without him, he would surely die within this house.
"Let us just say... Void creatures are none too happy when their son arrives home a little late..." Though his lips did not move, Malzahar's voice still rang out in Talon's head. A method of speaking when the Seer was too exhausted to speak normally, no matter how much it unnerved the young assassin. "Place me down, please."
Doing as told, Talon quickly shoved the new blankets out of the way before he carefully placed the Prophet down onto the bed.
"Can I... trust you enough?" Malzahar began, looking at Talon with tired eyes, "I need you to get something – bandages and salve, from the kitchen drawers."
Talon's eyes immediately lit up. He was being trusted, and with that, his chains may very well leave his arms long enough for him to escape. A devious, terrible plan that could perhaps put Malzahar's life in jeopardy; but if it meant his freedom, finally... he would be willing to take that risk.
...Right?
"Of course. Whatever it is you need..." Talon kept his voice quiet, filled with concern as he gently brushed a few stray strands of dark hair from the Prophet's face. "Tell me where the kitchen is, and I will go get them for you."
Immediately, his chains fell from his arms with a dull thud, as though unlocked with an invisible key. Rubbing his aching wrists, Talon spun on his heels and made his way towards the door, slowly, to not raise suspicion. A long, dark hall stretched before him, two rooms on each side, with a large living room at the very end.
"Left door. Rightmost drawer of the counter."
After nodding to the Prophet, Talon made his way down the hall, lips curved into a sly smile. He passed the door that Malzahar had told him to enter in favor of moving into the living room, gloved hand reaching for the metal latch on the front door. This was it; it was finally here, his freedom that he had been waiting for.
As he clicked down on the latch, his hand paused.
A frown appeared on his lips, eyes staring at the warped wood in frustration. He knew he couldn't do this; he couldn't just abandon him. The Prophet may die without his aid, and Talon could tell, perhaps very, very deep down that he had some good left in his corrupted heart.
Even if he was overtaken by the Void's will, the assassin could easily tell that Malzahar's heart was still intact.
It was that single thought that made Talon rewind his actions.
A loud, angered growl came from the assassin as he released the door's latch and stomped back into the hallway, making a beeline for the kitchen. Talon couldn't believe he was doing this; returning, just to save the one that had captured him in the first place. Perhaps it was the General's words that were ringing in his mind, and the chance that the Void could perhaps lead him directly to his whereabouts.
It was that possibility that kept him here, kept him bound to Malzahar like a dog on a leash.
As he grabbed the thick roll of bandages and salve, he exited the small kitchen and made his way back to the bedroom where the Prophet lay. As soon as he stepped through the door, Malzahar's eyes met his own, following him as he moved to the side of the bed. Weakly, the Seer sat up, swinging his legs over the side and looking up at the young Noxian.
"I will need assistance removing my clothing."
Those words made Talon raise a single eyebrow. He understood, but that thought was a little... awkward, to say the least. Though perhaps it was only him who thought that way.
A slow nod, and Talon placed the bandages and salve down on the bed next to Malzahar. He started with the hood and scarf, slipping both from the Seer's head and placing them down onto the floor. For some reason, without the guise to protect his face, Malzahar looked rather... normal? Soft black jaw-length hair, a delicately chiseled face with soft lips; the worst part, was that his blue eyes now really captured the assassin, making him freeze in place entirely.
What was this emotion that he felt? This strange... fluttering emotion that filled his chest, and the heat that was in his cheeks. It was unlike anything Talon had ever felt before, something odd, but also small. He could tell the Prophet noticed it too, by the way his glowing eyes met Talon's dark orbs and stared silently into them as a soft smile curled on his lips.
This emotion... wasn't him actually feeling attracted to this man, was it?
"Finish your job, Talon." Malzahar's voice rang out in his head, snapping the assassin from his daze. "You may daydream later, but not now. I need your assistance for right now."
"R-Right... Sorry." Talon gulped, almost hesitant to slide the vest from the Prophet's shoulders.
His body was well toned, for a Seer. Unlike Talon had expected, he had strong abs and arms; it wasn't something one would expect, from a Seer. The strangest part, however, was that not a single scar adorned his tanned skin that Talon could see through the blood that coated him; judging from wounds like this, and the way he spoke of the Void's creatures, one would assume he would at least have a few here and there.
It was something that ran through his mind even as he applied the salve and wrapped the bandages around the Prophet's wounds. Delicately, and gently; he didn't wish to harm him. He figured he did a good job, judging by the way Malzahar didn't seem to make a single hiss of pain throughout the procedure.
"Is this alright?" Talon asked, inspecting his work and staring at the white bandages that were slowly becoming a dull red from the blood seeping into them. They looked well done enough - not too tight, and wrapped neatly so they wouldn't be undone accidently.
"Yes. You have done well, thank you." Malzahar graced him once more with a smile, making the same feeling arise in Talon's chest once more as he stared in silence, lips lowered in an unsure frown. "What's wrong, assassin?"
"...Nothing." Talon grumbled, though his eyes didn't shy away from the Prophet.
"Very well.., I suppose for aiding me, and not running away like I assumed you would... you require a reward, do you not?" Malzahar asked, making Talon's eyes light up in curiosity.
"...A reward of what type? Money? Food? Clothing?"
After the small list of his curiosities soft fingertips latched themselves underneath the assassin's chin, drawing his head and body upwards until he and Malzahar were on even level with one another. He didn't even have a moment to react as a strong arm pulling him forward until he was seated nicely on the Prophet's lap, staring down into half-lidded, amused blue eyes. What came next, only made the feeling in Talon's heart accelerate to an even greater level.
A softness graced his lips then, one that he had definitely never felt before. Their lips were locked together in a gentle, welcoming kiss from the Prophet. Except, Talon didn't make any move to return the gesture.
He remained frozen on Malzahar's lap, allowing the Seer to hug him tightly and gently slide his warm lips along the Noxian's. It was a new feeling, one that Talon didn't know how to react to in the slightest; he had never been kissed before, and simply didn't understand why his heart was beating so quick and so loud that he thought even Malzahar would hear it. The sheer delight in his heart was, however, riddled with shock and uncertainty, unknowing of what he should be doing, or how he should be reacting.
For a short moment, Talon's hands moved to rest on Malzahar's shoulders, gripping lightly as he tilted his head to hesitantly push back against the Prophet's lips. Though he swiftly gave up on the action as he heard a quiet snort of amusement from the Seer, making embarrassment rile up inside the Noxian as he feared he had made the wrong move entirely. With the negative emotion mixing with the shock that he already felt, Talon's grip on Malzahar's shoulders tightened as he then acted upon the only thought his mind could currently process.
Talon gave a rough shove at Malzahar's shoulders, one that broke the kiss and hug long enough for Talon to scramble away onto the floor until his back met the wall of the room. Talon sat there, panting loudly, shivering slightly with wide eyes as he looked up at the completely calm Prophet. And at once, his heart ached from his decision. It wanted more, but the Noxian wasn't too keen on continuing.
Though the sensation was nice, it was too foreign for him to desire it for too long.
"What was that for, Talon? Is that not what you wanted?" Malzahar asked, slowly standing and picking up his soaked shirt and scarf from the floor. "Or are you just so surprised, that you've no words left to give me?"
"I... I..." As much as Talon wanted to form words, he simply couldn't. His mind was in too much of a daze to even function properly at the moment, and as much as he wanted to ask for more, his mind wouldn't allow it. "U-Um..."
"That was your first kiss, wasn't it?" Malzahar chuckled, placing the soaked clothing on the round windowsill to dry before he seated himself on his knees in front of Talon, a grin on his lips. "You know nothing of love. Just as I expected. Your reaction... could use some work, but other than that... It's alright to be new to experiencing it. As you said last night, you wish to be closer to me, yes? Or did I misunderstand your words?"
Talon simply stared silently in response, eyes flashing with what seemed to be anger.
"Come now, at least form words. Say something to me rather than staring at me like a startled deer." Malzahar grinned, finding the situation to be quite... amusing. Though, Talon certainly didn't find the situation the least bit funny.
In fact, he felt as though he were being mocked by the man in front of him. Of course he didn't know what love 'meant' or how it 'felt', being that he had been denied the feeling his entire life up until now. Unlike the Seer, he didn't have parents or... past relationships, to which he assumed Malzahar had. So it wasn't surprising that he couldn't steady his breathing or thinking properly at the given moment.
"I... I h-hate you..." The assassin spat, angered, voice low and threatening as he let loose an animalistic growl. It was the only thing he could make due with, eyes narrowing as he saw that single eyebrow raise in question.
"You are not capable of hating me. Not after all I have done for you." Came the Seer's wise retort, "you are not as vicious as others make you out to be, Talon."
A small hiss and a lowered head was all the Prophet received from Talon in response. It was clear that he was thinking hard about his words, but also clear that his words had angered him in a way. Mainly because they were true, and it burned the assassin to know that someone else was capable of reading him so well.
"Doesn't mean I like you." Talon looked up once more, his sharp, hawk gaze meeting Malzahar's as he leaned forward slightly, growling under his breath. "I could never fall in love with someone who has sentenced me to a cage."
"But you are not caged right now, are you?"
Swiftly, Talon eyes shot down to look at his wrists and ankles. Sure enough, the chains were still not around them, and his brow furrowed in question. Did Malzahar truly trust him enough to not run away...?
If so, he was foolish, Talon thought; trusting a rogue to not take a chance at freedom when offered to them was a silly thing to do.
"If you truly desired this 'freedom' of which you speak... You would have claimed that once you received word of the General's disappearance." Malzahar's lips twitched up into a smirk as he sat down on the floor in a more comfortable position, eyeing the assassin carefully. "You are not as difficult to read as you make yourself out to be, Talon. You had your freedom for nearly eighteen years, and you decided that sort of life was 'boring' to behold. Thus, you prefer this style of life... chained, being ordered around and following at someone's heels like a lapdog while they use your abilities to their full potential."
As a hand gripped his chin and forced his head back up to stare at the snickering man in front of him, Talon snarled. In a sense, the words he spoke were true, but that still did not ease the venom-filled glare that corrupted his dark eyes. Likewise in return, Talon gripped harshly tight onto Malzahar's wrist with enough strength to make most wince in pain.
But, the Seer simply laughed in his face.
"I like that look you hold right now. Intensity within your eyes – hate, yet filled with a certain type of sorrow that only a few could understand. The sorrow of being openly read like a book written in bold lettering."
"Shut up!" Talon barked, dark voice growing in intensity along with his anger. "So what if you can read me? What do you mean to prove from it?! Congratulations, you can read my emotions and read what I'm feeling! Great! Do you expect me to grovel at your feet?"
That short outburst only made Malzahar roll his eyes, a bored expression filling his features as he released Talon's chin from his grasp and leaned forward. His hands gently grasped both of the assassin's wrists, head lingering next to his ear. Delicate and soft was his voice as he gave a tiny whisper into the rogue's ear.
"You are mine. And soon to be the Void's. Make yourself comfortable; these next few days may be filled with joy, or pain, depending upon your actions."
At once, the room was filled with silence, only broken by the occasional crash of thunder and the pitter pattering of the raindrops as they pelted the roof above. Talon had several choice words that he wished to say, to lash out at this man once and for all and fight back while he wasn't in chains, but he knew it to be a foolish action. There was no sense in trying to get himself killed, after all; he had no doubt that this man wouldn't hesitate to kill him should he oppose him.
He had almost achieved that several times before with minimal effort.
"So what do you say, Talon?" The warm breath that tickled his ear was tempting him, the same heat arising in his chest once more as his hands balled tightly into fists.
"...I will do as you say." It pained him to accept to freely, and without a fight; but there wasn't much choice that he held in the matter. His blades and weapons were all gone, and he couldn't even hope to match the Seer in a fist fight, judging by his dirty tricks. "But that doesn't mean I will enjoy it."
A low chuckle came from Malzahar, head pulling away as he released Talon's wrists from his grasp and stood tall, seemingly unhindered by the wounds that decorated his body under the white bandages. "Good. Cooperation is all I ask of you, assassin. ...I just wish it did not have to be this difficult."
Talon kept his head low, hearing the small, quiet sigh as Malzahar walked from the room. It was only when the assassin also made a motion to stand did he hear the familiar sound of clanking chains, feeling the weight once again appear on his ankles and wrists. Mumbling a small curse, he made his way to the window to stare out at the plummeting raindrops.
He had missed his chance to escape, thrown his freedom away once more and now he had to pay the price for it. Once again, listening to his heart had doomed him. Perhaps forever, this time.
But he couldn't ignore the feeling that came about in his chest from the sudden kiss brought on by Malzahar. There was...something there, he knew – but he didn't know what that something may be. Love? Perhaps... if he knew what the feeling was.
Judging by the way that he just handled the situation, though... Talon was certain that he didn't want to feel any more of said 'love' or attraction for a long while.