[Author Note: Hiya, if you like my writing and LoL - do check in this Sunday, 7th of August, where I'll break off from my weekly route and post a stand-alone short story concerning the white half of death and a lady who likes tentacles!]
Poppy sneezed. She wiped her nose and continued guarding the pile of snow, ready to slam down anything with her hammer. Jax had taken the watch on the actual door to the Radiant's chamber.
A short conversation had happened through the flimsy door between Fareed and Quinn. The ranger-knight had demanded passage out of the underground caves without anyone following and she promised to let Shiza and Cara free when they reached the river.
Fareed had suggested to release Shiza and Cara now and in exchange he promised that the trio of Jax, Quinn and Poppy would be let go without any harm. Neither seemed to trust the other one's promise and things had come to a standstill.
Fareed had said nothing since then, either discussing internally with the others on how to proceed, or maybe even planning a break-in. Poppy had to be prepared for anything since magic was in play.
She squeezed the hilt of her hammer, staring at the white cold blocking the hole she had made. The Freljordian boy had tried to one-up them with a giant rolling snowball twice now. If it weren't for Quinn's quick-thinking, they might have been caught again. Even as a yordle who had lived for over a thousand years, she hadn't seen magic similar to what Nunu had. He could summon snow and ice with the blink of an eye, remove her glamour and, according to Quinn, control animals and beasts. The boy's magic seemed to have no limits. The closest thing were Orlon's retelling of the magic used during the Rune Wars.
Poppy's brow crinkled to a point.
No, she had seen something similar. A yordle back in Bandle City with wild hair and a big pointy hat, Lulu. It was a long time ago, before she arrived in Runeterra so Poppy barely remembered, but that silly yordle with her constant chatter could turn humans into toads and stones into cupcakes, and it had happened because of that fae spirit of hers. Perhaps Nunu had a similar encounter with a magical creature, that horned beast fit the picture quite well.
If Nunu was anything like that whimsical yordle, Poppy was sure that the boy would try something unexpected to free Shiza and Cara.
She glanced over towards the white-cloak by the bed. The Radiant had been sitting tall and calm through the situation, with the girl by her side. Poppy was happy to see that the girl had a healthier color on her face now and no bolt sticking out from her body anymore.
That incident had stuck with Poppy for a while. She was afraid that it would happen again, especially after hearing Quinn say that Nunu wouldn't have a chance to grow up if they'd meet again. The more reason she should keep a good watch.
The ranger-knight in question was exploring the room. Quinn had checked the cupboard, rifled through the books and bottles on the shelf, and even inspected the bed sheets, linen and hay mattress. She had begun pacing through the corners of the room, fingers brushing past the carved and polished stone walls. Her bird companion Valor sat perched on the shelf like a statue, facing the hostages.
"You're not going to find any hidden doors that lead out of here," Shiza said. "Except for the one you just made, that is."
Quinn didn't answer and continued tapping the stones.
"Can you let Cara go?" Shiza asked. "I should be enough as a hostage. There's no need to involve a child in all this."
"No!" The young girl shouted, shaking her head to emphasize. Poppy then caught the girl make a strange gesture, a slight nod towards the azurite eagle.
"Don't even think of that." Shiza's tone was firm. "This is not a game, Cara. Just listen to what I say."
"What will you give me," Quinn asked, "if I let her go?"
The lines on Shiza's face deepened. "I thought a knight would have more honor."
"We lost it when you killed our king."
"Why are you clumping us together with the mage rebels?" Shiza asked. "We only wish to run away from persecution and find a safe haven."
"And what happens after you create it?" Quinn countered. "A budding nation with resentment towards Demacia. You can see what will happen, don't you?"
"You're paranoid, ranger-knight. We don't wish for violence."
"Neither do I, but somehow I'm always thrust into violent situations. And if you want to survive, you have to fight back."
"The way Sylas of Dregbourne fought back against Demacia?"
"The way Demacia fights back against their enemies. Whether they are Noxians, dragons or mages."
The air seemed to grow colder as both held each other's gaze.
"Finding and killing the leader of the mage rebels won't solve anything," Shiza said. "He's just a symptom of the disease ruining Demacia."
"A disease?" Quinn asked.
"Magic is shunned because of what happened during the Rune Wars. It's as natural as fearing a sword after witnessing a bloody battlefield, not seeing past the sharpness of the blade."
The Radiant's poise and tone reminded so much of Orlon during one of his lessons that Poppy blurted out her question on reflex. "How do we cure it?" Her ears then folded under Quinn's scowl.
"We have to separate the sword from the blood and see its true worth as a metal. With care, the sword can become a scythe to harvest wheat, needles to sew up wounds, a bowl to hold food —"
"Or a shield for protection," Poppy added.
Surprise flashed past the Radiant's face, softening her lines. "Or a shield for protection. We can't fear the past if we want to face the future."
The white-cloak sounded really like Orlon. Poppy couldn't help but listen to every word, drinking in the information.
The girl with brown hair nodded along as if she was listening to a sermon.
Jax, guarding the door, scoffed.
"Can't fear the past?." Quinn laughed in a dry tone. "What a joke."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Shiza snapped back.
"I'll let the girl go." Quinn walked up to the bed, her eyes studying Shiza. "If you can answer a few of my questions. First, how did you get hold of these Piltover lanterns?"
Shiza stayed silent.
"Fine," Quinn said. "Let's focus on you instead, a Radiant from the Illuminators. When did you enlist and what rank do you hold?"
"Six years ago," Shiza said without hesitation. "Senior cadet."
"Do you know of the house Buvelle?"
"They're one of the noble houses in Demacia. They also sponsored your knighthood."
"That's all?" Quinn asked.
Uncertainty flashed past Shiza.
"I met with a white-cloak back in Uwendale," Quinn said. "I think his name was Eyn, do you know of him?"
Shiza's visage turned grim as if it was cut out of stone. "Yes."
"We just chatted a little bit," Quinn assured. "Nothing else. I asked him about the Buvelle and he didn't seem familiar with the name even though he's a white-cloak."
"Not everyone knows about the noble houses," Shiza countered.
"But you should know of your greatest supporter." Quinn cut back. "Lord Barrett and Lady Lestara not only donated huge sums to your order, they also volunteered and helped out whenever they had the time. Do you know that their oldest daughter Kahina is a Radiant Knight of the Illuminators?"
"It's…" Shiza's posture was crumbling. "I haven't been in contact with the order for a while."
Cara looked at Quinn and Shiza with a puzzled expression. Even Jax glanced at the situation from where he was guarding the door. Poppy perked her ears.
"You don't seem to know about the Noxian named Kynon," Quinn continued. "He's suspected to have murderer the wake-tender of Uwendale. He wears a black mask shaped like Wolf of Kindred. Short after his arrest, Jax and Poppy found four corpses that somehow still moved and attacked travelers. The corpses didn't stop attacking unless their masks and heads were crushed."
"Masks?" Shiza's voice was almost a whisper.
"One of the corpses caught my attention," Quinn continued. "All the others had some details that might've shown some identification like village clothes made of wool or heavy boots for marching. But her clothes were plain. As if someone had stripped her off her belongings and replaced it with the blandest options."
The Radiant touched her necklace, fingers brushing against the crest of the Illuminators.
"Now that I think about it." Quinn eyed her up and down. "I think she was around your size."
The implication dawned on Poppy a second before the girl.
"Liar!" The young girl lunged at the ranger-knight but got pushed to the ground with one swift movement.
"Cara!" Shiza rose from her seat but froze.
"We can't fear the past?" Quinn's voice was cold as the bolt tip pressed against the back of the girl's head. "How dare you say that with such conviction when you're just an impostor. You said it yourself, The Buvelle's sponsored me. They were also heavy supporters of the Illuminators. You don't think I'm familiar with the order? You don't think I can sniff out an impostor when I see one?"
The Radiant seemed struck and slumped on the bed.
"She's not an impostor!" Cara said in a muffled tone. "She's saved so many of us!"
"Quinn…" Poppy's lips felt dry as she tried to find words to calm down the situation. "She's…" Poppy's eyes widened in surprise as she saw her own breath. The room was getting colder. She tried to move but found her boots stuck to the ground. "Quinn!" she warned. "Jax!"
The pile of snow blocking the hole exploded, blinding Poppy. A whistling sound made her raise her shield-arm and something thumped against it. A deep chill spread through her limb. The frozen shield fell to the floor and shattered.
Nunu slid past, gliding through the floor of ice, and swinging what seemed like a flute. Poppy swung her hammer but with her feet stuck to the ground, the move carried no momentum and was too slow for the Freljordian boy.
"Don't worry, Cara, Shiza!" he shouted with a confident voice, "The hero is here and will save —"
A bolt pierced him with such force that he was knocked backwards, rolling on the ice and leaving ribbons of red blood behind.
The ice began to melt, freeing Poppy's feet and she hurried to the body. She looked out of the hole but found nothing but darkness. No torch or lantern, or reinforcements. Had the boy just charged in all by himself?
"Hey," Poppy said. "Hey, Nunu, right? Look at me."
The boy was pale but sweat soaked his face. He grimaced and squirmed when the bolt lodged to his side grazed the ground. His breathing was weak.
"Move, Poppy." Quinn ordered, reloading her crossbow.
"He needs help!" the yordle shouted. "Shiza, can you —"
Cara screamed. Her high-pitched shout was accompanied by the screech of Valor. The azurite eagle spread out his wings, talons glinting, only to get swatted by a lamp post.
Quinn stared at her bird in shock, then her face contorted in fury as she lay her eyes on the brown-haired girl on the ground.
"Stop!" Shiza rushed forward, putting herself as a shield in front of the girl. "Stop! Cara you too! I'll tell you what I know!"
A small cough pulled Poppy's attention back to Nunu. His eyes fluttered unfocused and he seemed to say something. She leaned down with an ear to hear better.
"Mom?" His voice quivered with fear. "Mom, I'll save you. This time, I'll save you."
"You'll be okay," Poppy said. Field-dressing procedures scrambled through her mind. Stabilize the shaft so it doesn't move around, check if an artery or vein has been cut, apply pressure to the bleeding point. She took off her scarf and applied it to the wound. "Quinn! Jax! Anyone?"
Back in Uwendale, the noise of the festival had flooded Poppy's ears and she'd felt like she'd struggled in currents to stay afloat. As the boy turned silent, the absence of sound was somehow even louder.