Chapter 4

Talon began to suspect he had taken the wrong direction. Mostly because he'd seen no signs of a bustling city yet, only small, rural communities. Communities that frustratingly had very good security. Either they owned dogs, had locks that took far too long to pick, or their windows were reinforced glass.

He approached a signpost at a crossroads, its wooden planks pointing in various directions. The letters were incomprehensible to him, a jumble of shapes that held no meaning. He spat on the ground in frustration, glaring at the useless sign.

The world around him felt so open and expansive. Hills that went on for miles, no tall, towering buildings to act as pointers. Just…fields. Fields and fields with a house popping up every hour. His stomach growled, a reminder of how little he had eaten since the pie he'd stolen days ago. He adjusted his hoodie, the warmth of it offering some small comfort as he trudged on.

Now his eye decided this was a great time to flare up about ten minutes into his journey, making him rub at it with his sleeve. Desperate to relieve the irritation. His eye wouldn't even open now, but whatever was inside it hurt so much.

Talon wondered if it was some kind of bug crawling around in there. What if it laid eggs- That was probably causing the itching. …Maybe he should stop thinking about that. It was making his skin crawl.

Another hour of walking passed. Talon felt his joints beginning to scrape; they were so sore. The flu was starting to make its presence known, he was shivering despite the warm sun. Maybe the flu made him dream that monster in the forest, it'd all been one big fever dream.

A plume of smoke on the distance caught his eye. Another chance to try and get some food and supplies. If he could actually get in the house. He soon found himself approaching a modest farm. It had a barn like the one from days ago, luckily no dog house spotted.

A rather pressing matter suddenly made itself known.

Talon glanced behind himself, looking around to ensure nobody was definitely around. Before going up to the house's wall and starting to relieve himself. He'd been holding that in for the past two hours, fearing if he stopped walking, he'd be too tired to ever continue.

He finished up with a small sigh. A voice suddenly shrieked behind him, loud and angry. Making him jump in fright. "Hey!"

Talon turned to see a girl his age glaring at him, hands on her hips. She had dark hair that, when the sun hit it, almost shone purple. Her eyes were similar in color to his own, a deep gold. But they didn't carry the exhausted look of his own. "What are you doing?!"

She spoke…Common, that was interesting. He could finally understand someone around here.

He looked at her with a frown as he adjusted himself and faced her. Was it not obvious what he just did? She couldn't tell him off for doing it in public like some guards would; this was in the middle of nowhere.

"I had to go," he said, sounding as unapologetic as he felt.

"So?!" she snapped, stepping closer. "That's our house you just... did that on!"

Talon ignored her and began to walk away. Frustration bubbling, his luck never changed. Now he'd starve, struggle and suffer for another night. The annoying girl called after him. "Don't you just walk away! Clean that piss up! What, were you raised in a barn or something?!"

Talon wanted to sneer that he was not lucky enough to even have that. Instead, he tried to leave and get away from this place.

"I said stop!"

He felt her hand grab the back of his hood, that was when all bets were off and he pulled out his knife.

The girl's face paled in a flash. "W-why do you have a knife…" she managed to whisper, backing away as Talon paced after her, keeping it aimed.

"I'm leaving," Talon told her, making it very clear that if she tried to stop him again, there would be a dire consequence. "Don't follow."

"You're-...You're homeless aren't you?" The girl asked quietly. "My…My parents can help you- Forget the pee thing okay!"

"I don't want or need you or your damn parents help!" Talon roared. "Now leave me alone, or I'll gut you-!" He screamed, eyes blazed with a feral, primal fury.

A noise came from above them both. Talon looked up, it sounded like a window opening. He realized in that split second this girl wasn't alone. His neck snapped back to her, ready to stick his knife into her throat for getting him caught. But before he could move something hard smashed onto his head from above.

His vision went white and he staggered, dropping his knife. His legs gave out from under him and Talon collapsed to the floor, a large cut now seeping blood from his forehead.

"Did I get him?!" Came the voice from above.

"Y-yeah…You got him!" She shakily called back to her twin brother.

Quinn and Caleb stood either side of the unconscious Talon. The two eight year old's faces etched with panic and worry.

"Is he…Dead?" Caleb whispered. The weight of his actions dawning on him, had he killed this kid?

Quinn kneeled down and pressed a finger into Talon's neck. "I can feel a pulse. No, not dead," as Caleb breathed a small sigh of relief. "What do we do…?"

"We should- …We should get the guard! Put him in the barn and lock it, then we go get the guard! They're not far!" Caleb said, his voice shaking.

"...Maybe we should bring him inside and wait for mum and dad. They might know what to do…" Quinn mumbled, looking down at the unconscious boy. Feeling a pang of sympathy, as he lay there bleeding from his head wound.

"But he's a freak! He had a knife for Kayle's sake!"

"Caleb, look at him! He's one of them homeless people. I didn't think kids could be homeless too, though…"

She proceeded to take Talon under the arms. Muttering how he wasn't that heavy actually. "He weighs about the same as two of the barn cats…" Quinn mused, dragging him towards their front door. Caleb followed nervously, praying their parents returned soon.

The last time Talon awoke with a headache this bad was from the time he'd fallen through the flooring of his hovel. He'd smacked his head on brickwork and probably would've died if one of the local teenagers hadn't found him. Strangely, rather than leaving Talon to die so she could've claimed his hovel, she had dragged him to the tavern for help.

He peeled his eye open slowly, the world still spun rapidly, making him groan and slump his head down for another few moments. He then tried to sit up, but a sharp pain in his head forced him to lie back down. As his vision cleared, he saw a figure standing in front of where he lay. A woman, holding a crossbow, her eyes trained on him.

Panic surged through Talon. He tried to scramble to his feet, but the room spun, and he fell back onto what he realized was a sofa. The woman took a step closer, her grip on the crossbow steady. "Stay where you are," she spoke with an authority he only heard in guards. The outfit she wore reminded him of one, all fancy cloaks and buckles. If he was in a position to, Talon would've spat at her.

"How young you are," the woman continued, "to be pointing weapons at people. You're lucky my children are so kind-hearted. To bring you inside when you were hurt."

Talon reached and felt his head. There were thick bandages wrapped around it holding a medical patch in place. He remembered something from above hitting him, making him scowl. "They hit me," he hissed.

"You pulled a knife on my daughter," the stranger said, her eyes narrowing. "Consider yourself lucky. If you were any older, I'd have two bolts in your knees for it."

Talon glared but stayed quiet. The stranger observed him a while longer, watching as he rubbed at his eye again. She set the crossbow down, and Talon felt himself finally relax a bit.

"Your eye..." she muttered, more to herself than to him. "No wonder you're so moody. Let me see—"

Talon snarled the second she knelt by him, looking as fierce and dangerous as he could manage in his current state. He clearly wasn't very fierce at all, as the woman barely even blinked at his display.

Ignoring his growls, she reached out gently, her fingers brushing his cheek as she examined his inflamed eye. "You've got an infection. Needs proper treatment," she said matter-of-factly.

"Don't touch me!" Talon spat, though his voice lacked strength.

"Young man, you're in no position to refuse help," she replied firmly. "Now, sit still and let me see what I can do."

Of course Talon refused. He wasn't letting some Demacian poke and prod him. With what little strength was still in him, Talon tried to push the woman away from himself. Wrestling with her arm that held a salve rubbed onto a clean cloth. "Will you stop that silly fussing?" she harshly scolded him. Talon could barely react in time as he felt her grip the back of his hood, close to the neck, feeling like he'd been scruffed like a kitten.

The unexpected move made him freeze, his body tensing instinctively. She used the moment to apply the salve to his eye with swift precision. The cool ointment stung at first, then began to soothe the burning irritation. Talon hissed, but the fight had long gone out of him now.

"There," she said, releasing her grip and stepping back. "Don't touch it, unless you want to end up losing that eye, boy."

A man entered the home at this point. He eyed Talon with a look of disdain and wariness, like he was a dangerous animal that was intruding in his home. "The guards are here," he said. "The description apparently matches someone they've been after for a string of robberies."

The woman looked back to Talon, slowly shaking her head at him. "Was my home next on your hit list then, boy?"

"Was just looking for somewhere to sleep…I'm just tired" Talon muttered, his gaze shifting downwards. It wasn't a full lie, he was just planning to sleep in their barn. If he'd by chance been able to get into their home…Maybe take some food too.

The man scoffed however. "You've got a funny way of asking for help, pulling knives on frightened children and pissing on their homes!"

"It's alright, Tarian." The woman told him. Talon deduced he must be her husband, maybe the father to that girl and the other child he never saw. He did have similar coloured hair to the girl, while the woman had those same golden eyes. "What's your name?" The woman asked him next.

He thought about not even giving it to her. He was being arrested anyway, taken away to go to a war camp. "...Talon." he finally muttered.

"And where are your parents, 'Talon'?" The way she said his name indicated she clearly did not believe that was his name.

"I don't have parents," he replied.

Her face softened when he said it, which Talon didn't expect. "You've just been living by yourself then? In the wilds around here? For how long?"

"Not from here…" Talon muttered.

Before she could probe further, the door rattled. The guards were here, as the man. Went to answer. There were words exchanged, before two men clad in white and gray armor entered, they also had the same blue strips of ribbon decorating their attire. Demacians Loved their blue, clearly.

"Right you, come with us," the taller of the guards said, taking Talon quite roughly by the arm.

"What will happen to him?" The woman asked, her tone sounded…concerned.

"Well, he's mostly caused a lot of petty theft. The knife incident however we will have to have the parent to deal with-"

"Talon told us he has no parents."

The two men exchanged looks that were hard to read. Glancing to Talon, then to one another again. "You escape Foster care, lad?" The taller asked him.

Talon just tilted his head. That was a word he'd never heard of before. 'Foster care', at least such a thing did not exist in Noxus to his knowledge. "What's…That?"

"You don't know? Well… It's where a family looks after you. Keeps you out of trouble, clearly something you need." He grunted. "Going around thieving and hurting innocent people."

"Orphanage," Talon started. "Long ago."

"No orphanage has ever reported a missing child," the guard said, kneeling down to Talon's level. His armor clinked slightly.

"Border. Take me to the border, that's where I'm trying to go." Talon tried to quickly say. Realizing the direction this conversation was headed.

"Why? Which border?"

"Noxus."

"Why would you ever want to go there? You don't look Noxian, boy…You're not telling me you are one, are you?"

There it was, the tone changed. False kindness swapping to wariness.

"What am I going to look like then, idiot?" Talon snapped at him in Noxian. "I know yordles who are Noxian!"

Not a word was understood by the guard clearly, but he knew very clearly the boy just growled in perfect Noxian to him. The man stood up, immediately grabbing Talon's arm and hoisting him painfully to his feet. "Right, come now. No trouble, Noxian."

"Hold on-" The woman stepped in. Much to the worry of her family. "You're not suggesting he's some sort of spy, are you? Look at this boy! He's a starved stray."

"I don't…Serve anyone…" Talon managed to get out in ragged sentences. "Noxus…Sent people after me."

"Pull the other one, boy." The guard sneered.

The indignation of being presumed a liar got to Talon. He had lived with the feeling of his neck hairs raising every night, knowing someone was coming up behind him. Had to run for his life as he was shot at. He paused, going into his jacket pocket and slowly retrieving the paper he'd looted from his would-be assassin back in Noxus.

He turned to the woman who raised a brow at him, before offering it to her. Hoping the writing hadn't been destroyed in the river. Whatever was on it, he just prayed added some validity to his story.

She took it gently, unfolding the parchment and squinting. "It's smudged quite badly in places. Written in Noxian, but the boy's name pops up in it many times."

"Do you speak Noxian?" The guard asked her.

"Not a word, but I know someone who lives in the city. He's a fellow ranger…" She got up and pulled Talon from the guard in a surprising move. "I will handle this, you are both no longer needed."

The guards exchanged incredulous glances, clearly taken aback by her assertiveness. The taller one started to protest, "But ma'am, this boy—"

"I said I will handle it," She repeated firmly. "As a ranger, I have the authority to take him into my custody for further investigation. Your involvement is no longer required."

She had taken him out of the home and onto a wagon after that. Neither Talon nor this woman spoke for a good while, his eyes never leaving the crossbow that lay by her side as she held the horses' reins. Eventually, Talon said something, his throat so dry at this point he was surprised she even understood him as he rasped it out.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Into the city, like I said. I know someone who can hopefully confirm your story. From there…we'll see what we do with you." The woman explained.

"What do you mean 'do with me'? Kill me?"

She frowned, like he'd said something outrageous or impossible. "No! We don't execute people over petty crime. We're not savages, Talon…" She looked at him for a moment. "Did they—kill people in Noxus over theft?"

"No," he replied.

"Oh–"

"You get sent to the front lines, then you will die, fighting."

She shook her head. "Even if you're a child?" When Talon nodded, her nose wrinkled in disgust. "Children used as soldiers, what an evil nation."

"Do you think I'm evil?" Talon then asked, but he wasn't really sure what it meant. He'd only heard it a few times. Often describing some of the worst the slums had to offer, scorned even by the cutthroats and master thieves.

She looked at him, her expression softening. "No, Talon. I don't think you're evil. You're what I'd call a victim of circumstance. It means you don't know better. Granted, I'm not thrilled you pulled a knife on my daughter, but—"

"I'm sorry." He interrupted her. "She grabbed me…I don't like to be grabbed."

She nodded, understanding dawning in her eyes. "I see. You've had to defend yourself for so long that you react on instinct. That's no way for a child to live." She sighed, guiding the wagon through the bustling streets.

"Is that bad?"

"Somewhat, yes."

"Why are you helping me if I'm bad?"

She sighed, her expression softening. "Because I have children of my own. Quinn and Caleb, the ones you met earlier. If they were ever lost, scared, and alone, I would hope someone would show them some kindness. Mercy, compassion when they need it most…"

They rode in silence through the streets. Talon stole a few looks at people walking by. They seemed to pay him no mind, despite how different he looked compared to this pristine, white city. "My name is Monarri, by the way."

"I didn't ask your name," Talon replied, still peering out of the cart curiously. She just laughed, however, finding the bluntness rather endearing it seemed.

"You really are a little Noxian. Rude to boot," she said with a shake of her head as they rode onwards.

Talon's curiosity finally got the better of him. "What is this place?" He asked, wide eyes taking in the large stone buildings, the…perfection of it all.

"Welcome to Demacia's capital, Talon."

A/N: Reminder that this is a crosspost from AO3, if you'd like to read further ahead you can do so at my ao3 which is in my bio.