Author's notes:

Hey... here's the 3rd chapter of the story, enjoy.

Hope you'll like it.

As always... thanks for everything, and see you next time :D

A little bit of info before reading. Talon's physical appearance is based on the Yosukii SSW Talon art. You can find it on DeviantArt.

2020.11.04 - preview posted
2020.11.07 - a whole chapter posted

Within minutes the flagship of the armada docked at the surprisingly large harbour that was a part of "Hope". To Akali's surprise, the rest of the fleet was most likely ordered to move to another base of operation. The ships did not stop, in fact, instead, they were slowly moving alongside the coastline. To some extent, it was a bit incomprehensible to Akali, after all, the armada was not meant to return to Iona. Or… at least not in the near future.

When the raven-haired woman finally came down from the flagship, her legs were trembling. Throughout the entirety of the voyage, it seemed that she got used to the constant swaying of the floor. A couple of moments needed to be spent to adjust to new surroundings and situation. To the assassin, it was a humiliating experience. She was meant to be a perfect predator who could take down anyone anywhere at any given time. But… it seemed that sailing overwhelmed her without any problems.

"Judging by who miserable you're looking currently… it was your first time travelling by sea," the Might of the Noxus said in a plain tone.

"Should I award you for your obvious observation skills?" the young woman muttered cynically.

"I think I'll be good even without it," Darius replied with a hint of boredom in his voice. "Shall we continue to the brothel, or you need more time?"

"We should go… I will be fine," Akali responded as cooly as she could. "Let's go."

The raven-haired Ionian allowed a heavy sight to escape her throat. After that, she straightened up and gave a sign for the tall man to lead. Even though she did not want to show, she needed a hefty portion of her strength and iron will to walk beside the warrior as if she was perfectly fine.

"You know… I thought that you should be a better actress," the Noxian warrior chuckled.

"Ehhh… I am that bad at hiding my current state?" the ninja asked, sighing.

"No, you'd be able to fool probably most of the people, but not me," Darius exclaimed, proudly pointing at his broad chest.

"And… what makes you so special, general?"Akali wanted to know.

"As you might know… it's not the first time I was assigned to lead Noxian's forces into battle," the warrior started, the proud tone could be heard in his voice. "There were many times when I needed to make sure my soldiers would not break down while fulfiling my commands. Sometimes… I could just send them home, sometimes I needed to kill them myself," he added in a quiet tone.

"You talked with them… to verify whether you could put your trust on them," the raven-haired Ionian stated. "If they were to die, you wanted to be the last one who looks at their eyes, and kill them, am I right?"

"Yes… it was the least I could do," Darius sighed heavily. "I'm a leader that earns the trust and respect of his soldiers. If someone must be killed due to the law, it's my responsibility to deliver the law."

"I understand… I would agree that someone who can not make difficult decisions and live with the consequences of them, should not lead," the assassin said in a plain tone. "If you have to know… I was the one who was executing the people who Kinkou wanted dead. And… I do not feel that it was much easier than your role," she whispered.

"How so… ninja?" the man hummed. "I'd assume that your targets usually were adult men," he added.

"And that assumption would be true, but as you said yourself, they were usually adult," the raven-haired woman replied in a low tone.

"Oh…" Darius chuckled. "Did they force you to kill someone you didn't want to?"

"The balance must be preserved," the assassin whispered under her breath.

"What did you say?" the intrigued man wanted to know.

"It was the one sentence that was I taught to remember and respect," Akali started. "It did not matter whether I felt pity toward my targets. It did not matter whether they were adult or not. If the leaders of Kinkou decided that someone was presenting or could present a threat to the balance, I was just a tool in their hands. As you might know… the tools, they don't feel, they don't regret, they don't think. It is who I am toward the order."

"Hmmm… surprisingly, you've opened up, but… in that flood of words that you just said, there weren't meaningful details. They were only words," the Noxian soldier summed up Akali's statement. "You're trying to hide something, something that bothers you, or… which is more likely, hurts you," he added after taking a deep breath.

"Does it matter whether I hide something or not?" the brown-eyed Ionian replied with a question of her own.

"Haha," the Might of Noxus burst out with laughter. "I think I like you, little Rogue," he added with a hint of sympathy in his voice. "It'd be in your best interest to stay in a good relationship with us – Noxians – during your stay here. So… the answer to your question is, yes it matters. The more you open up, the easier it'll be for you to work with Du Couteau's family," the man stated. "So… what would you like to say?"

"Ehhh…" the young woman sighed heavily. "Fine. It was not uncommon for me to be tasked with the elimination of entire families," she said quietly.

"Wait… are you trying to tell me…"

"Yes," Akali nodded with her head. "Even though I had little to none problems with killing the adults, the infants were a totally different case. Every single time I had to kill a child… I was playing with it, waiting for it to fall asleep, then as quickly and quickly I would break its neck. I did not want it to feel any pain, after all, it was not its choice to be born into my target's family. So… I was trying to be as gentle as I could. Still… with every single time, I was forced to kill a child, something deep inside of me was dying," she finished in a sorrowful tone.

"Yeah… killing kids is never an easy task to fulfil," Darius agreed, turning around to look at the assassin.

To say that he was shocked, it would be a definite understatement. Even though Akali's face was mostly hidden under the mask, it is evident that she was crying. The trails of the tears could be spotted on her skin, more than that, her eyes got swollen. To Darius, it was quite a shocking experience. He knew that Akali was young, but that minor detail did not stop her from making a name in League. It was quite the opposite, to be frank. The tall man remembered the day when all of the champions were summoned for the very first time by Summoners. Most of them looked like serial killers, seasoned warriors, criminalists in their peak, to be frank, they were quite an odd group. Of course, there were exceptions to that rule, and one special case, Akali. The raven-haired Ionina was both very young and surprisingly experience. To most of them, it seemed as if someone took away the girl's childhood, or her body was possessed by some demon. It would be an utter waste of time to seek any sign of innocent in her deep brown eyes. No…all one would found there was an emptiness, cold. What was so surprising to Darius, you would all probably wanted to know. The answer is quite trivial, to be perfectly honest. It was so shocking to see the raven-haired assassin to show emotions, to show hurt. After all, the girl was probably one of the most dangerous champions that ever took a stand on the Summoner's Rift.

"Do not look at me that way!" the woman whispered, but there were no doubts, it was a direct order. "The last thing I need is someone to have pity on me!" she added in a cold tone.

"Alright," the surprised man replied. "Can we proceed?" he asked.

"Yes… just give me a moment to wipe out the remnants of my weakness," the Ionian responded.

"Fine, but hurry up, I'd love to be already in that damn brothel," the Hand of Noxus stated.

"Come on, big man, we can go," Akali sighed, wiping out the tear with the cape she was offered by Noxains on the flagship.

"Ohh… you haven't planned to have a moment for yourself?" the general mocked.

"I am not a useless woman that you are most likely used to, I can take care of myself," the brown-eyed assassin replied playfully. "Come on, big man, I want my bath," she nagged.

"Are you certain that you're so different from your kind?" Darius sighed.

"If you want, I can be more of a nuisance than I am already. You call," Rogue said while shrugging.

"I certainly don't want that," the tall man responded. "Follow me," he ordered.

"Do you honestly think that I would lose myself in such an 'enormous' city?" Akali mocked. "I thought better of you."

"Oh come on, damn it, it isn't time for your mockery!" the Hand of Noxus growled. "Just follow me."

"Ok, ok, fine," the raven-haired Ionian responded.

With nothing more to say, they started their walk towards the gates of the "city". From the very first glance at the "Hope", it was evident for Akali that the rulers of that settlement cared only about the square. The walls were built precisely to separate the rich part of the outpost from the poor. Tens of caricatured-looking builds could be spotted near the city walls. Some of them were built so close to the stone construction that they were adjacent to it. It seemed as if the builders wanted to somehow magically penetrate the wall and find themselves inside the better part of the "Hope".

"I assume that only true Noxians living here are hidden behind that stone wall?" Akali asked after a couple of moments of looking at the settlement.

"Isn't it evident?" Darius replied. "Of course, they do. After all, most of the citizens of that damned city are foreigners who were brought here under the decks of numerous armadas."

"Yes… it was all too obvious," Rouge agreed. "How are we going to get to the main 'city'?" she asked.

"Quite easily, to be frank," the Hand of Noxus stated. "We're going to reach the gate, I'll show the guards a trinket that Du Couteau's family sent me, then we're free to go wherever we damn please," he explained after a small pause.

"Alright, that is all I wanted to know," the brown-eyed assassin exclaimed.

"You have too many questions, little Rogue," Darius sighed heavily while scratching his nape.

"I heard that," Akali replied playfully.

Even though the raven-haired Ionian did not mention, she was more than certain that they would see the inequality among the citizens of the settlement. With every single step that they took, the "city" was closer and closer, but with it, the young woman could spot at least a couple of unwanted details. She saw the poor lying between the buildings. Some of them were clothed in rugs, some did not have anything on. At least a couple of people were wounded, they were not being helped. In fact, instead of landing some aid, stray animals were slowly separating them from the others. It seemed that such events were common here. No one was chasing away the animals, no one was getting close to the poor.

When Akali and Darius got closer to the city gates, the Ionian spotted another detail. Between the huts, there were bones. Some of them completely cleaned off of meat, the others still stained in red. The eyes of the assassin followed the trail of the bones. It was leading to a cluster of damaged buildings. Nearly all of them had their ceiling collapsed. In front of what seemed like the main entrance, two stray dirty dogs were sleeping. Their furs were covered in mud, dirt, and God-knows-what else. That mixture was entirely covering the natural colour of their furs. They seemed ill, hungry, feral.

"How many people were eaten alive by those animals?" Akali asked as soon as she averted her gaze off the pitful scenery.

"Do you really think that I know the exact number?" the man replied in a mocking tone.

"No… I do not expect you to know the number. I ask whether you know the person who allows for that?" the assassin stated sternly.

"Of course… I know all of the rats that are ruling this God-damned city," Darius exclaimed with disgust.

"So… tell me their names!" Akali ordered. "I will have them killed before midnight myself," she stated in a cold passionate tone.

"Easy, little Rogue," the Might of Noxus chuckled. "Wait… you're not joking, right?" he asked, surprised.

"Do I look like a woman who jokes around?!" the raven-haired Ionian growled. "Consider that as a training session for me. And… I am more than sure that the head of Du Couteau's family would appreciate that I am in my peak form," she added in a much softer tone.

"Ughhh… is there any sense for me to argue with you over that?" the tall man loudly groaned.

"No… I want them dead. It can not be helped that some people will be poor, but as a ruler, you can do quite a lot to make their life better. Those 'rats' as you called them, they did not do anything, and that is unacceptable. I will make sure that their corpses will end up in that pit-hole that is a nest of those stray animals."

"Ehhh… you know that we don't have time for that," the Noxian tried to reason Akali.

"I do not care. You can either help me or stay out of my way," the young woman replied.

"You don't even have…"

"I would assume that you already acknowledge your misconception," the assassin interrupted in a harsh tone.

"Yeah… you don't really need a weapon, you're the weapon," the man sighed heavily. "Fine… I'll tell you everything I know as soon as we get to the brothel, ok?"

"What kind of game do you play, Darius?" Akali asked. "With everything that you said yourself, I would assume you would be more than thrilled to remove those degenerates. And… yet, you are buying them time. Tell me why?!" she wanted to know.

"As I said… you're a property of Du Couteau's family… and I'm responsible for bringing you in one piece," the Hand of Noxus whispered. "Long story short, it'd be best for both of us to reach the noble's mansion as soon as possible. Then… you'll be under Marcus Du Couteau's command."

"So basically, you are too scared to follow what you really want," Rogue summed up. "Pathetic!" she added.

"Wait!" the tall man growled, grabbing the left wrist of Akali.

"I really thought that you are more than a coward, but as it is said, actions speak louder than words," the brown-eyed beauty spatted, breaking free without much effort. "Let go of me, I will deal with them, and then I will find you to fulfil my end of the bargain."

"Sadly… we can't allow that to happen," the cold manly voice sounded.

"Talon?" surprised the champion of Noxus called.

Out of the shadows, the medium-heigh man clothed in partial armour and white mask appeared.

"Darius," the masked man greeted the general with a nod. "I see you're having a bit of trouble here. Should I lend you some assistant?" he asked.

"No, Sir," the Might of Noxus replied immediately, bowing. "I have everything under control."

"I doubt that, Darius," Talon chuckled while taking off his mask and lowering his hood. His medium-length dark hair was slightly messy. "Hello, Akali, it's been ages since we met last time," he added after a short pause.

The man focused his gaze onto the raven-haired woman. The colour of his eyes would be difficult to describe. Sometimes they seemed to be light brown, sometimes they seemed like an amber. After a few seconds of silent stare contest, Akali decided that the amber option was closer to the reality. The right ear of the assassin was pierced with two small silver rings.

"Could you explain why are you here, Talon?" the Ionian said in an annoyed voice, slightly lowering her head.

"Oh, gladly, thanks for asking," the Noxian assassin cheerfully replied. "My master – Marcus Du Couteau's – sent me with a few of his soldiers to act as your escort. He wishes you to reach up the mansion as soon as it's possible," he explained.

"Oh… well," the brown-eyed beauty replied, raising her head, and rolling her eyes. "As I already said that, but I will gladly repeat that for you. I will fulfil what I promised as soon as those 'rats' die," she repeated in a cold tone.

"Yes, yes… I've heard it the last time you've mentioned it," Talon replied in a bored tone, making gestures. "Let's make a deal, shall we?" he asked.

"You Noxain… are very eager for making deals," the raven-haired assassin sighed, shaking her head. "Firstly… tell me what kind of deal you want to propose, hmm?"

"Sir… I don't think…" Darius started in a low tone.

"Darius, Darius, Darius," the Noxian assassin said. "I thought that I wouldn't have to tell you that, but… your job is done here," he stated in a cold, low voice. "From now on, you're going to act as a part of the escort that Du Couteau's family generously sent here. Am I clear?" the man asked not even looking at the general.

"Yes, Sir," the Hand of Noxus replied immediately.

"Splendid!" Talon exclaimed loudly. "As of the deal… I'll make an appointment with the rules of that God-forsaken city, then you can kill them nice and easy," he explained his offer.

"What is the catch?" Rogue immediately asked. "What do you want in return?"

"Not much… I want to see you back in action," the dark-haired assassin chuckled. "As you said, my master wants you to be in top form, and… I'll gladly confirm it with my very own eyes," he smiled mischievously.

"Oh… so that the deal," the ninja hummed. "You are going to test me not only by killing them but fighting you, am I right?" she asked a moment later.

"Ooo… certainly, you ain't going to show even a fraction of your potential on these 'rats' as you generously named them," Talon replied cooly. "I'm going to be your test, after all, if you can't beat one of the best, how are you going to fare against the tasks you'll end up assigned to, hmm?"

"Deal," Rogue responded simply. "I am not a coward to run away from a challenge," she added while starring at the amber-eyed man. "Make an appointment, and we can start the dance."

"I love the way you express your confidence," the dark-haired assassin whispered. "I've always loved to see people as confident as you falling before me. But… I must admit if you're even remotely close to the level you showed in Institute, it's going to be a great fight. I can't wait for it," he added with a broad, maniacal smile.

"Another maniac, pfff," Akali scoffed. "You Noxains do like to make speeches and devote yourself maniacally to someone. But… I guess I am still going to accept the deal. Let's proceed with it."

"Splendid!" Talon exclaimed cheerfully. "Du Couteau always send their regards."