Quinn whimpered hands pressed against her ears, eyes shut tightly, desperately trying to ignore the girl's screams. It didn't make any difference, she could still hear clearly the little vampire's sobs, the distinctive sound of metal colliding against flesh filling the basement every time the golden gantlet came down raining blow after blow against Shauna's bruised body. The scout swallowed loudly forcing the bile back in her stomach, eyes still carefully closed. This wasn't the first beat down of Shauna she was forced to witness, the revolving images seemed to center around her nemesis' past, shedding light into the darkest days of the Night Hunter's life.
The scout waited patiently wincing every time Vayne begged for mercy or at least she tried to, the vampire was in too much pain to form coherent sentences at this point, her words transforming into pitiful cries of pain and breathless sobs the moment they left the huntress' bloodstained lips.
Shauna's torment continued for almost an hour until the ironclad madman tired out and had to take a break, the barrage of blows suddenly stopped and Shauna let out a small sound of fear as the prince kicked her one last time before he made his way out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Quinn heard the sound of the key being turned inside the lock and Shauna breathed in relief, or tried to, her body was too damaged to produce the appropriate sound at the moment so the sound came out as a wet croak.
The young heiress stayed still, face pressed against the cold floor of the basement waiting for her bones to heal, trying to muffle her sobs in the meantime. Too much noise and Jarvan would come back to silence her, she had learned that lesson a long time ago. The scout kept her eyes closed as seconds turned to minutes, she had seen the scene repeate itself enough times to know what was going to happen next. The child would wait patiently, sobbing weakly until its body would finally be restored enough for her to crawl back into her bed and the dirty blood packs lying underneath the ragged pillow, Vayne would then proceed to tear the packaging and devour the bag's contents in order to lessen her pain before passing out. Shauna would be allowed to sleep for a few precious hours before the torture continued.
Quinn had almost counted to four hundred by the time the telltale sound of shredding and choking reached her ears informing her that Vayne had just finished her meal, she opened her eyes the moment Shauna's head hit the mattress. The vampire pressed its back against the wall of the basement, tired crimson eyes staring at her prison's door, before finally curling up into a ball and losing consciousness. The scout approached her, opting to sit on the floor next to the slumbering creature, her amber eyes observing Shauna's shallow breathing, her gaze darting across the bruises and cuts covering the child's small body.
Nobody deserved that treatment, not even Vayne, the person responsible for her brother's murder. Quinn could still remember that fateful night in the woods, her sibling's frantic screams, the monster's scarlet gaze staring into her soul observing her from the shadows, the sight of her brother's corpse slumping into the forest's floor. Her horror turning into confusion when the beast's bloodied features twist in gut-wrenching agony mirroring her own the moment she laid eyes on the boy's motionless body.
No, Vayne wasn't the sadistic coldblooded murderer she had first though she would be, Quinn knew that even before their reunion, she had seen Shauna's terrified expression that night, the soul consuming sparks of quilt flaring into her eyes the instant their gazes met. Caleb's death was unintentional, a mistake, an accident, Quinn had realized that even before she started plotting her revenge, but Caleb's soul cried out for justice and Vayne would have to pay for her crimes if only so her brother's spirit could finally rest.
The ranger hadn't even though of what she was going to do with the vampire after she had chained her into servitude, she had spent hours upon hours racking her brains, searching for a punishment suitable enough for her childhood tormentor, but none seemed to be appropriate. She could hit Vayne, torture her, starve her, beat her into submission, talk to her about Caleb and their childish dreams- the ones the vampire had so cruelly shattered- until Vayne crumbled under the weight of her own consciousness and begged her on her hands and knees for mercy. Begging for the scout to end her pathetic her life. And then Quinn would laugh and slap her in the face, she would then walk away leaving Shauna scarred and broken as she had done to her so many years ago. Or at least that had been the plan until Shauna had announced her infatuation with her and Quinn had found an even better way for her to torment her.
Real or not Vayne's tender feelings and insecurities were another weapon on the ranger's arsenal and the vampire was too sincere to lie anyway. Shauna hadn't made any attempts to break her shackles and escape her punishment after all. The scout respected that. A small sniffle drew her attention and Quinn glanced downwards only to realize that little Shauna had started crying in her sleep. The scout frowned and her hands turned into fists, her nails digging into her palms the moment the door burst open and a guard walked in startling the child awake.
"Oh come on! Just give her a break!"
The man ignored her and Quinn helplessly averted her gaze when Shauna started screaming. No one deserved that kind of torment and certainly not an innocent child. Quinn tried convincing herself that all those demented visions were just nightmares but sadly the itching on the contract mark etched upon her arm told her otherwise, the scout was reliving Shauna's most painful memories. So the ranger kept watching unable to do otherwise as the events of Shauna's life kept unfolding one after the other, heart wrenching scenes flickering randomly in front of her eyes as if someone pounded the Hunter's head into oblivion and then threw the remnants of her memories into a hurricane and Quinn had no choice but to keep watching trapped in an eternal nightmare.
The scenery changed again and Quinn witnessed another day from the huntress's hellish training, then a bittersweet memory of Vayne playing with her parents in the park, followed shortly by a huge hallway covered in blood, small footsteps moving towards the sound of her parents' screams and a child's cries of despair. The scene flickered and Quinn witnessed Vayne's desperate escape attempt as she run away fleeing the manor, the frantic chase leading her into the woods until she collapsed on the forest floor too weak and injured to take another step forward.
Quinn closed her eyes when she saw Caleb rushing to help the fallen woman, but it was of little importance, the sound of her brother's screams made her relive the traumatic event in all its tragic glory. And curiously the moment her eyes closed, the actors of the little drama paused to stare at her, sinister smiles creeping on their faces, their irises turning a milky white. And all the while Nocturne kept observing her from the shadows.
Xxxxxx
Vayne scowled in annoyance, blinking groggily, her back sore and stiff from spending the night on the floor. Shauna felt the scout moving on top of her, mumbling something in her sleep and suddenly the vampire's scowl melted, the faintest hints of a smile making their way to the huntress' lips. Quinn had fallen asleep on top of her, the vampire blinked a few more time, shaking the sleep away from her eyelids, her gaze darting across the deserted hallway searching for threats, the first rays of sunlight already touching the marble floor.
She didn't spot any threats, no Noxians, no mercenaries, no dagger wielding redheads, nothing out of the ordinary. It seemed that the Noxians were preoccupied at the moment or decided to leave her alone and ambush her some other time when she least expected it. Vayne sighed in relief, rising carefully, gently tacking the sleeping woman inside her arms before lifting her up effortlessly due to her vampiric strength. Cold ruby eyes bearing into the scout's vulnerable form as if burning the image in her mind, a faint glimmer of pink slipping under the hunter's pale cheeks before Vayne shakes her head dismissively.
She grumbles unnerved by the amount of joy sinking through her ribcage for just being in the presence of the scout before she sighs again this time in defeat, this woman was going to be the end of her. Quinn moved in her sleep, her head now resting against the huntress shoulder and Shauna grumbles silently, casually making her way towards the ranger's room. Their trip was an uneventful one only accompanied by the distant echoes of footsteps coming from far away hallways and the scout's calm breath unintentionally caressing the vampire's neck, Vayne might have blushed a little bit. The vampire had almost reached her room when the sight of golden locks dancing in front of her makes her pause, her eyes narrowing suspiciously eyeing the Lady of Luminosity with silent contempt.
Shauna has always had a sore spot for bluebloods and Counts even if she herself had been considered as one at some point during her life. Lux blinks in surprise, her cheerful facade of innocence faltering for just a moment, baby blue eyes darting between the brooding vampire and her friend's unconscious form. Her eyes narrow, her body stiffens, the hand holding her baton moves swiftly bringing the magic wand closer to the fallen noble, gaze still locked on the scout's sleeping form.
There is a pregnant pause as both women seize each other, ready to spring into action as blight blue orbs meet cold crimson ones. Lux is the first one to move, she clenches her teeth and steps forward, baton rising only to stop at the level of the huntress' eyes, prismatic crystal pointed towards Vayne's face, her usually innocent features turning dark and serious after spotting the old bite marks littering the unconscious scout's neck.
"Release her."
The mage's voice is a low whisper, her words uttered like a command even if the huntress can perceive a small glint of fear hidden into the depths of the woman's eyes, Vayne growls lowly, her fangs extending inside her mouth. She doesn't really want to fight the mage, Lux seemed like a good person even if Shauna wasn't one for bubbly laughter and cheerfulness and also the woman was just trying to defend her friend from what she perceived as a threat. Shauna would really like avoiding a confrontation with someone that cared so deeply for her scout. The huntress sighs, opting to remain motionless, her hands still occupied by her not-quite-mate's weight as Vayne willing herself to relax, her fangs retreating back in her mouth.
"This is not what it looks like, I am just carrying Quinn back to her room because she fell asleep in the hallway."
Lux frowned
"And I am guessing that those bite marks just magically appeared on her neck."
Vayne remained silent and Lux's scowl deepened, the magic baton in her hand started glowing dangerously and Shauna shifted slightly readying herself for the unavoidable confrontation. The intensity of the baton's light increased tenfold and Lux pulled her hand back ready to bind the vampire's feet with concentrated light beams, an angry caw and a blur of ruffled feathers was all the warning they got as Valor descended from the ceiling landing between the two agitated noblewomen. The Demacian eagle screeched loudly, pinning both of them with a scorching glare and Lux stopped incantation, making her spell dissipate harmlessly.
"Valor?"
The eagle paused, moving its head as if nodding before abruptly jumping, beating its wings a couple of times in order to gain enough altitude to perch itself on the huntress' shoulder as if she was the scout. Vayne eyed the bird cautiously and Lux blinked, her gaze traveling between the unconscious scout, Quinn's feathery companion and back to the accused vampire only to return to the small bite marks decorating the ranger's neck. Valor was more than a simple pet, loyal as he was clever the eagle was an invaluable companion that Quinn trusted with her life.
The eagle would never allow any harm to come to its partner as long as it was alive, so if Valor defended the usually antisocial huntress with the same fervor he reserved for his loving owner/partner then that could only mean one thing. Vayne was telling her the truth and also the vampire was closer to the kind soft-spoken scout than Lux would have guessed… Much closer.
The implication of the wounds real identity hit the light mage with the force of a blacksmith's hammer and Lux gaped in surprise. Quinn and Vayne were dating! Lux heard a small gasp and her eyes moved searching for the sound's source, it didn't take her very long, her eyes wandered around the corridor only to stop upon witnessing the vampire's scarlet face. Quinn must have been dreaming of something really pleasant because she had wrapped her hands around the huntress' stiff body while rubbing her face against Shauna's previously pale and now vibrant-red cheek. Lux found the sight adorable, she lowered her baton in an instant, graciously bowing her head in apology.
"I sincerely apologize, I saw the.. hickeys on Quinn's neck and just because you were the one carrying her I assumed the worst. I didn't know that Quinn and you were together, please forgive my previous outburst."
"It is quite alright, all the signs pointed in that direction. Quinn is very fortunate to have a friend like you."
Lux blinked in surprise, had Vayne just praised her? The day was becoming weirder by the second. Lux never would have guessed that the usually distant and solitary vampire was capable of exchanging pleasantries and even small talk and it might have been the sunlight illuminating the hallway or the absence of Shauna's signature sunglasses concealing her eyes or maybe it was the tender way that she was holding her slumbering friend and the obvious blush that still colored the woman's deathly complexion, but suddenly Lux thought that Shauna might actually not be that bad of a person after all. The mage raised her head sending Shauna one of her best, one could say luminous, smiles.
"Thank you, I hope we can also become good friends in the future."
Vayne paused for a moment before also showing Lux a small reserved carve of her lips, the expression was entirely too awkward and forced to be considered a smile as if Vayne had long since forgotten how to smile properly, but Lux appreciated the attempt nevertheless.
"I think I would like that, now if you would excuse me, I have to get Quinn back to her bed."
"Of course, I am usually spending the evening reading in the library so please feel free to join me in case you desire some company."
And then Lux sidestepped and the vampire marched forward heading towards the scout's room completely ignorant of the kind azure gaze bearing into her back or Valor's strong talons giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. She also missed the brief instance in which Quinn's features twisted in pain before softening back into a façade of tranquility in less than a heartbeat, but Vayne felt the change and glanced down curiously.
I have been tweaking this chapter for almost two weeks now and I am also afraid that I am turning Vayne into a serial killer. The worst part is that it actually suits her but it collides with Quinn's personality. I am trying really hard not to turn Vayne into an unstoppable beast or something... But that might actually be too fun for me to resist. I also fixed some typos on the 6th chapter.