Author's Note: I apologize for my absence! Life kinda took over and I got pretty busy with other things for a while. But I'm back now, and updates should hopefully resume at a steadier pace! Sorry for the long wait, and thank you again to everyone that has favorited, followed, and reviewed this story so far!
Chapter VIII
Talon wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep, or how much time had passed.
He awoke to a warm room, sprawled out upon the bed and staring blankly at the smooth ceiling above. Talon's dark eyes were heavy, threatening to close once more as if in need of sleep, to which, he was; it was rare for the man to actually have a decent night's sleep. Not that it mattered. Years of training left him used to the feeling of exhaustion, pushing through it without a care.
But, Talon was unsure of if he should be glad, or worried that he saw nothing in his dreams while he slept.
Not that he wished to take the time to ponder it, of course. Worrying about something that was currently not in his power was senseless, and only a waste of time in his opinion. Right now, he needed to sit up and see if a certain man was lurking in the vicinity of the home.
During his rest, he was disturbed in the middle of the night by the Prophet slipping away from him, leaving his side in a hurry as though he no longer wished to be near the assassin. It had bothered him, yes; even moreso that he never was told exactly where Malzahar was going when he would leave in such a rush. Perhaps it was just his natural curiosity and his need to know every little detail about a situation, but it certainly angered him that he was left out and not even given a proper goodbye, or even a note to tell him where the Prophet had gone to.
Exhaling a breath, Talon eased himself into a calmer state of mind - now was not a time to be angered, and he needed to relax. The Prophet worked in mysterious ways. The assassin... wasn't too approving of it, in some cases, but he chose to ignore the matter for the time being.
As he leaned himself against the headboard of the bed, Talon blinked and glanced around the room slowly. Nothing, not even a glass of water or a plate of food had been left out for him. Typical, he thought; first having to deal with nearly freezing to death, and now he had to deal with not having a proper breakfast.
Of course, coming from him, that was certainly normal and a natural part of his life.
"Malzahar? Are you here?" Talon called, loud enough to ring out into the other rooms of the small sandstone home and hopefully gain his attention, "Or are you off moping in a corner somewhere?"
"In a corner, yes; moping, no."
Not surprisingly, Talon nearly jumped out of the bed as a voice appeared to the left of him. His head shot in that direction, eyes gaining sight of the relaxed looking Seer, leaning against the corner of the room with his arms crossed and eyes staring inquisitively at the younger man. The assassin could tell he possessed a smile, due to the way his eyelids fell halfway upon being noticed by him – a smile to which Talon met with an angered frown and a hiss of discontent.
"Just where did you come from?!" Talon snapped, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing just in front of the Prophet, "And why must you always vanish without telling me where you're going?"
His lips were met with a single, gloved finger that was capable of silencing him without words.
"Shhh. One question at a time, Talon." Malzahar sighed, heavily, before continuing with what he had to say. "One, I assumed you held enough intellect in your brain to realize that I am capable of teleportation. Two, something came up, and I needed to leave immediately."
At that, Talon rose an eyebrow, the finger sliding from his lips and instead placing itself directly underneath his chin. His head was raised, and Malzahar floated closer, staring down at the assassin from his current position in the air. Well, he didn't seem off in any way, from what Talon could tell.
Still, that didn't excuse him from his actions.
"Something came up? That conveniently? You honestly expect me to believe that?" A sarcastic, mocking chuckle came from the assassin, one that made Malzahar stop and furrow his brow. "No, no... I'm not a fool. You will not play as me as such. Tell me where you went, Prophet."
Talon's words were sharp, demanding, and toxic. The perfect embodiment of a cold, smooth killer that held not many regards for others around him. It was clear that when he spoke, he demanded a proper answer.
It was the augur's turn to sound slightly annoyed, placing his palm upon Talon's shoulder and guiding him back to the bed. "Fine. If you truly wish for an answer, I will tell you. I cannot guarantee you will be pleased, nor believe me... but I will speak."
Talon simply nodded in return, seating himself on the bed and staring up at the Prophet as he leaned against the wall once more. He crossed his arms, plainly seen due to the lack of his cloak, as his eyes shut softly. Talon could tell he was in thought, most likely trying to recall every bit and piece that he could. Not that he minded the wait.
If it meant more of an answer, Talon could wait for several hours.
"As you may know, I am an entity of the Void. Humans are... rare, to come by within the Void... The only ones that exist there are ones that have been sentenced to sacrifice, and are soon feasted upon by the monstrosities that live within its twisting depths. ...But there was one man that made it through. Resisted its will, but at the price of accepting its essence into his body to ensure his life, and prevent its spawns from feeding upon him."
Malzahar seemed to trail off, then. Eyes opening halfway and head tilting slightly to the side as his eyes flicked over to the window. He appeared as though he were in a haze, and remained completely still for several moments before resuming his speech.
"I met him for the first time long ago. But I did not tell him my purpose on that day. We spoke... grew closer... and eventually, formed a strong bond and relationship with one another."
"And what of him now...?" Talon questioned, leaning forward and resting his arms upon his knees as he listened to the tale. It was interesting, at the very least; he never knew that most humans didn't make it out of the Void alive. Yet, it was also worrying.
"I... well, eventually, I had to tell him of my plans to overtake Runeterra and allow the Void to consume it and its residents. To say the least, he didn't take it in the least bit well... and from there, we became enemies. Now each time we see one another we often times quarrel, instead of smiling and speaking in a civil manner. Sadly, there is nothing 'civil' about that man any longer. He seeks to destroy me, my cause, and the Void – but that is a goal he will not achieve alone. From what my visions have granted me, I have already foreseen his downfall."
"So you plan to kill him, then?"
"You make it sound rather simple, but... yes, more or less. Those who oppose the Void's will do not deserve life, much less deserve its powers. But..." Again, he trailed off into a heavy sigh, placing a hand upon his forehead and pinching the bridge of his nose.
"But...?" Talon questioned, gesturing with his hand to tell the other to continue his speech.
"He is a key. We both are. With his blade, and my dagger..." As he spoke, Malzahar lifted a small dagger from the sash around his hips. A golden bladed dagger inlaid with beautiful jade markings and pulsating turquoise gems – its mere presence nearly made Talon's jaw drop. "We could open a rift large enough to either suck in a majority of this world into the Void, or... release the nether's creatures upon humanity. Either way, we are a lock and key. When put together, he and I could do anything... but at the same time, cannot exist without the other."
"So he seeks to eliminate you in order to destroy the 'lock' as you would call it? Sounds like he has his plans in check." The assassin nodded, quite impressed. If he were in the same situation as the man Malzahar spoke of, he would formulate a plan that did something along the same lines. "But if he hates you, and the Void, how do you plan to turn him over towards your side?"
Malzahar chuckled, turning his head to stare down at the curious boy as he placed his dagger down on the small bedside table for the time being. "Simple. I don't. I plan to kill him, and take his blade for my own usage. With it, I can do as I please with this world, and I will possess both the lock and the key of the Void. But, even then, it would pose a problem... as I do not possess the powers that he does. Our abilities are different, though bestowed upon us by the same source. Try as I might, I will never change that man's mind, no matter what method of approach I decide to use. Speech, coaxing, seduction... I've used just about any trick I could possibly think of."
"Honestly, I can't blame him for standing against you." Talon huffed, noticing the hurt that immediately went into Malzahar's eyes as a frown appeared on his lips underneath his mask. "You want to destroy everything. It's crazy, and selfish; you don't care about anyone but yourself and this stupid Void of yours."
At that, Talon stood, stepping in front of Malzahar and gripping onto his scarf with both hands, pulling him close so their faces were mere inches away form one another. The assassin's eyes narrowed, snarling at the other man who simply stared blankly back at him. His next words were a low hiss, angered and menacing.
"Mark my words right now, Prophet... I don't know what you intend to do with me, or how you plan to sacrifice me to the Void. But if I escape, and if I resist its will just like he did... I will find you. And I will stop you. Don't think for a moment that I'm afraid to run a dagger through your throat, regardless of how we may treat one another, or how 'nice' you may be to me."
"Such hostility, Talon..." The Seer smirked, grasping onto the rogue's cheeks with his hands and holding his head in place. "Your determination is outstanding. It only makes me even further attracted to you.. I cannot wait until you join my cause, and remain by my side in immortality forever. That is, if you actually survive the sacrifice..."
A low, animalistic growl erupted from the back of Talon's throat as he released his grip on Malzahar and shrugged off the hands on his cheeks as he stepped away. He began to pace back and forth in the room, nearly stomping as he muttered incoherent sentences under his breath in a fit of rage. If anything, it was amusing to watch; at least to the Seer.
"Calm yourself, Talon, I merely jest. You will live through it. The void has already assured me of that fact." The Seer stated with a slight wave of his hand, Talon's threat seemingly not even having the slightest of impacts upon his mood. "You are far too easy to rile up."
It was only when arms draped around his shoulders and pulled him back against a strong body did Talon stop his pacing. A hand immediately gripped onto his neck, lightly, but enough to hold his head in place as Malzahar nuzzled their cheeks together. Talon snarled at the action, finding this becoming more of a sick game rather than anything else; this man was crazy, but he realized that fact long ago.
"Dearest Talon... one way or another, you will become mine. I will see to it." Talon hissed in reply, struggling against Malzahar's iron-like grasp. "Stop trying to resist it. I'm not going to harm you, and neither will the Void... I will see to that."
His words only made the assassin calm down slightly, and although his struggling stopped, his growling continued. Though that only lasted long enough for their lips to connect with one another once the Prophet rose Talon's head back a bit more, placing a hand upon his chest and pulling his body back until he rested fully against Malzahar. While it may have been a bit awkward, Talon seemed to be the only one that disliked it; but only because he was frustrated out of his mind and wanted to be alone for a while.
Determination fueled the assassin from henceforth, shown easily as he aimed a strong jab at Malzahar's abdomen with his elbow. It was enough to break the hold the Prophet held on him – enough to allow Talon to scramble away until he was nearly on the other side of the room. A fierce glare made home on his facial expression, brown eyes dark and filled with anger as he carefully watched the other male recollect himself.
"...Was that necessary?" Even though he was in a small amount of pain, Malzahar still found the nerve to smile wide at the assassin, though once he saw that Talon's expression was unmoved, a loud sigh escaped his lips. "Talon, what is it that troubles you? Why do you reject me today, when you did no such thing yesterday?"
Talon's eyes averted themselves, flicking over to the far wall. They fell shut as he crawled onto the bed without a word, keeping his back turned to the Prophet, no longer wishing to even see his face at the current moment. Yet, just as he expected, a warm body was soon placed against his back, arms wrapping around him as Malzahar nuzzled his face against Talon's cheek.
"I shouldn't allow myself to get close to you." Talon's voice was a low whisper, one that Malzahar barely managed to pick up on. It was hushed, and almost sounded uncertain; inwardly, the assassin battled against his own emotions. "Just as I've never allowed myself to be close to anyone... I can't allow myself to start now."
Malzahar lay against him, blue eyes narrowing in thought, until a quiet huff of breath broke the silence.
"Talon..." His voice was stern, arms wrapping tighter around his assassin as though hugging him would ease away any negative feelings he currently held. "Please, do not be upset with me... What I do is merely for your own good. Even the Void has told me so."
Talon listened, though the only thing he gave in response was a low grunt of annoyance.
"The Void will grant you immortality, something that will rid you of any weaknesses you currently possess. Mortality is weak – you, are not. With my help, you can become even stronger than you are currently."
Malzahar spoke gently, trying a softer tone of voice in hopes it would make Talon believe him. It took nearly a minute, but soon, he felt the assassin shift slightly in his arms, the Prophet raising his head back as Talon's turned to look back at him. However, his dark eyes were still cold, and their gazes met for only a split second before the Noxian snarled and allowed his head to fall back down to the pillow.
"Save it." Talon grumbled, a puff of warm breath tickling the back of his neck as Malzahar moved away from him, standing from the bed and looking down upon him.
"Very well. I will leave you be for a little while. Is there anything you need?"
"Food." The assassin demanded simply, trying to ignore his stomach that was groaning in pain from not being fed for nearly a day. "Food, and water."
It was then that the Prophet left his presence entirely, vanishing from the room as he would normally do. A wave of relief rushed through Talon, thankful to finally be left alone to gather his thoughts in silence. Yet, as he rolled over and opened his eyes, they instantly trailed to a curious item that now sat on the small table at the side of the bed.
Immediately, he shot up, crawling over and sitting at the edge of the bed. His hands snatched the item, holding it as though it were the most fragile work of art to grace his fingertips. It was a dagger. A golden bladed dagger that rested in a dark sheath - Malzahar's dagger, the 'key' to the Void.
Pulling it from its sheath, his fingertips ran along the sharpened edge, nearly cutting into his skin from the slightest of touches. His lips twitched upwards into a near grin as he inspected the item, the blade gleaming in what light was allowed entry into the small bedroom. This... could just be his ticket out of here.
Finally, he would be able to not only make his mark, but also break his shackles and free him of this place.
All he'd need... is a little bit of patience.