Talon stood under the shadow of Galio, the massive colossus towering silently above him. Talon glanced around, hands tucked in his new cloak's pockets, waiting for Lux to arrive.
The journey here had been a hassle. The cart rides alone were draining his coin purse, and he was already debating whether to ask Lux to meet him somewhere closer to his home. But that ran the risk of one of his foster siblings snooping. Caleb had already joked about following him to ensure he was "behaving."
Talon got in trouble for punching Caleb in the crotch shortly after.
His thoughts were interrupted by a low rumble beneath his feet. Talon froze. His amber eyes darted to Galio's massive form. The statue's stone joints protested as it shifted slightly.
Galio groaned as he shook his mighty shoulders. Feathers, twigs and all sorts of nesting material fluttered down onto both the ground and Talon. The statue's stone joints crunched worse than his foster father's did when Tarian sat down for too long. The colossal figure stepped off his pedestal and gave a comical stretch, arms extended skyward, tail curling slightly behind him.
"Hello, Galio," Talon nervously greeted. He was looking around for Lux, she must be about if the golem was coming to life.
The stone giant paused mid-stretch, tilting his head as if hearing something faint. Slowly, he turned to scan the square. "Hmm?" Galio rumbled. He looked under one arm, then spun in a slow circle.
Talon ducked just in time to avoid a petricite tail swinging dangerously close to his face. "Down here!" he called, stepping into Galio's line of sight. "Turn—slowly, please."
Galio's glowing pupils locked onto Talon, expanding with what could only be described as delight. The colossus dropped onto all fours, his stone brow lowering until it hovered inches above Talon, who suddenly felt very, very small.
"It is good to see you, small sharp man!" Galio rumbled, his voice booming with what sounded like genuine joy. "How is your giant stab wound?"
Talon straightened up, brushing some stray twigs off his shoulders. "It's healed fully now, thanks," he replied, his tone dry.
Galio's glowing eyes brightened further at Talon's response. "I'm glad to hear it!" he rumbled, his massive stone hand rising and Talon felt himself tensing like a feral cat. "I thought you might not make it. But now you're standing and talking! Come here, small sharp man!"
The colossal hand loomed closer, fingers outstretched like a boulder slowly descending and the ground around Talon darkened threateningly. Talon's eyes widened in alarm, and he instinctively stepped back. "No—no, no, no! No petting!" he yelped, waving his arms frantically.
With some reluctance, Galio withdrew his giant hand. It returned safely to the grass where Talon hoped it would remain. "I am not going to squish you! I am very gentle!" Galio protested.
"I don't care," Talon told him firmly. "You're not petting me."
"Small girl person lets me pet her head!"
"Do I look like Lux?" Talon answered back, as he folded his arms and raised a brow.
Galio made a face, as if deep in thought and actually pondering Talon's rhetorical question. "No, you are quite different from her!"
"Yes, so don't pet me."
"You have dark hair and her hair is light like the sun," Galio rolled on.
"Yes, thank you." Talon sighed. What had he just started now?
"And her eyes are blue, and yours remind me of little coins."
"Again, thank you."
"Those are all the differences I can think of right now," Galio finished and sat up on his haunches. "Are there more?"
Talon blinked slowly. Was the stone mocking him now? "Well I'm a man and she's a woman so that's a big one you missed."
Galio stared at him. "I do not understand?"
"As in I'm a guy, she's not?"
"I still do not understand."
"Oh for goodness–" Talon huffed. "Are you trying to be funny, Galio? You clearly understand gender because you call me a man and Lux a girl!"
"I am told those are the words to describe you both, yes? I overheard much, but never fully understood why these words are used. I did not know they were defining descriptors. There is still so much to learn about you small folk."
"What are you then?" Talon scoffed. It was mostly a joke, but Lux called Galio a 'he' so Talon was curious if the statue actually understood the word's meaning.
"I am petricite."
Yeah, he should've seen that coming.
A familiar, cheerful voice cut through the air.
"Galio, you're awake already?"
Lux stood a short distance away, hands on her hips. Her eyes were wide, a mix of surprise and delight. She looked between the giant stone colossus and Talon, who was still standing warily at the edge of Galio's shadow.
Galio dropped down onto all fours again with an earth-shaking thud. His glowing eyes lit up even brighter. "You are here! My best friend! It is so good to see you!"
Lux laughed, taking a few careful steps closer. "It's good to see you too, Galio! But—how are you up and moving already? I thought you only woke up when there was…" She trailed off, glancing briefly at Talon.
"I do not know!" Galio replied innocently. "One moment I was asleep. The next, I heard small sharp man talking and thought, 'Oh! I should stretch!' And now here I am!"
Lux turned her gaze to Talon, her surprise softening into a warm smile. "You're wearing the cloak,"
"Yeah, thanks again by the way. It's very warm, it definitely keeps me cozy." That sounded so much less awkward and stupid in his head, but Talon didn't dwell on it.
"I really love the bracelet too," Lux replied, her wrist sporting the mentioned jewelry.
"I'm glad you do," he said and awkwardly patted his sides and fidgeted a little.
"Was it expensive?" Lux pressed and Talon gave a shrug and a noise that didn't really answer the question.
Lux's smile didn't waver, but her tone grew softer. "Talon… how did you manage to get this?"
Talon hesitated, scratching the back of his neck. His amber eyes darted to the ground, then to Galio, who was now focused on his tail, trying to grab the end of it.
"I, uh…" he started, then cleared his throat. "Well, I went to a shop in the city and…um…yeah."
Lux tilted her head slightly, but she was unrelenting. "Talon, I know."
That single word made his shoulders tense. He knew there was no way to dodge this conversation forever. She was too perceptive, too kind hearted to let it go.
"He wouldn't even let me try to get you it," he finally admitted, his voice quiet. "I didn't want to steal it, I just-!...I really wanted to get you this present. To show you that you're a good friend to me."
Lux sighed and patted the ground beside her and Talon took a seat. She was wearing some kind of strong fragrance that made his nose wrinkle, but he didn't comment he didn't like it. That'd be rude. "You don't ever have to steal for me, but…I have to admit I was a little flattered you did."
"It was admittedly easy," Talon muttered nonchalantly. "Turned invisible and just–"
"You used your magic?! So the paper wasn't just scaremongering?!" Lux cried.
Galio looked up at the very word he loved to hear. "Did you say magic? Is there a mage to squish, small girl person?"
"No, Galio! Go back to catching your tail!" Lux quickly called. Then she turned back to Talon. "That was so dangerous! What if a mage seeker had detected you!"
Talon spluttered childishly. These mage seekers were hyped up as dangerous hunters, but he was yet to see them do anything other than wave weird contraptions around people before letting them enter certain areas of the city. The guards intimidated Talon more than those robed idiots.
"I didn't even realise I'd begun using it, until I walked into the shop," Talon explained. "I think I'm noticing the pattern though. I get this headache, and my vision blurs slightly. That's when I know it's happening, if I could just …learn to trigger it at will!"
"So you can steal more pretty things?" Lux teased.
Talon shook his head with a mock frown. But he couldn't deny that when he began to notice this pattern, he'd been…limit testing so to speak. It started with moving his foster brother's belongings around, which caused Caleb so much confusion.
Or when a woman took the last meat joint Tarian had reached for first, but had it snatched from under him. The moment Talon felt out of sight, the meat somehow was removed from her basket and into his foster father's. Tarian hadn't even taken notice until they got home.
These were just little things, to try and understand his new power. Finding out how long he could remain cloaked, could people hear him, see objects he picked up, Talon had been discreetly taking notes everytime he learned new things.
"I do appreciate you risked so much for this, Talon," Lux said, breaking the short silence between them. "I just want to ask and I'll speak openly and just come out with it." She took a deep, steadying breath. "Do you…Only want to stay friends?"
Talon blinked at her, caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone. "What?"
Lux looked away, her fingers fidgeting with the bracelet. "It's just... I've been thinking a lot lately. About us. About you, specifically. And I feel like maybe... maybe I've been hoping for something you don't want, Talon."
She sighed softly and adjusted her hair, Talon watched silently.
"I know you don't really… look at people the way I do. Or think about relationships the way I do. And I've tried to ignore that, but it's… hard. But it's not fair to force something onto you you clearly don't want."
Talon stared at her for a moment, his expression softening. He ran a hand through his hair, struggling to find the right words. "You're right," he said finally, his voice low. "I don't think I'll ever feel that way about anyone. It's not you—I'm sorry."
"Hey," Talon felt her hand take his cloak's front in a firm grip, making him look her square in the eyes. "You have nothing to apologise for, okay? This is just who you are."
Talon nodded slowly. But the feeling of being this person, this man who doesn't even care when a girl of this standing likes him, still didn't feel correct. His foster brother started insisting he just doesn't get out enough and there has to be a guy or girl out there for him, but Talon didn't care to ever find them. "Thank you." Was all he managed quietly.
The ground shook and Talon and Lux turned to see Galio on his side, finally holding his tail in his own grip. Lux spluttered and shook her head.
"At least he doesn't have to bother with this type of stuff," Talon remarked.
"You say that, but he finds the dragon statue near the city beautiful," Lux whispered, low enough so Galio hopefully wouldn't hear. "I should introduce them both!"
Talon smirked and shook his head.
xxx
Two years passed by like nothing for the small family.
Talon had grown taller, his frame lean but athletic from the relentless lifting and work he subjected himself to at the smithy.
With the passage of time, Talon found he'd mastered his magic better. Everyday he'd travel deep into the belly of the forest, to train himself with it, as Lux had advised.
Talon crouched low, his sharp eyes fixed on a cluster of rocks ahead. He took a deep breath, feeling the familiar tingle in his temples—the telltale sign of his magic stirring. In a blink, his form shimmered and vanished, leaving only a faint ripple in the air.
Shadows enveloped Talon and he took out three throwing knives. Today's objective was to finally master a little trick he'd learned he could do. It was hard, but Talon pressed himself more and more everyday.
With a sharp twist of his body, each blade embedded itself into a surrounding tree. A shadowy, mist-like essence lingered on each blade, tethering itself faintly to its previous welder. Talon's eyes drew to a fixed point, a large branch on the top of the tallest tree.
Previous attempts to try this manavour resulted in three cracked ribs and a broken arm three months ago. It had been very, very difficult to spin a lie to his foster parents about how he'd fallen in the smithy and landed on armour. Tarian at least felt it proved his new armour sets were fit for purpose.
Talon darted forward, picking up speed as he rapidly rushed toward the large tree. His eyes never left that exact branch. Talon felt the strain almost immediately. The magic tugged at him, a relentless drain on his focus and energy. His breathing grew shallow, his muscles tense. He pressed through it, when he was coming up close it was now or never.
He jumped, squeezed his eyes shut and envisioned that exact point.
The feeling of crashing into the dirt was braced for, but when he opened his eyes a split second later– He was about to crash right into that branch. Talon held back panic, and his hands gripped onto the branch and he pulled himself up with the strength of a wild cat. He wasn't done yet, with an inward pulling gesture, his blades once embedded into the tree trunks violently tore from the bark and came hurtling back towards him.
Talon braced himself, his eyes narrowing. His hands shot out, catching the first blade by its hilt with practiced precision. The second followed a heartbeat later, his fingers curling around it with barely a pause. The third came fast, a bit too fast. But Talon twisted, snatching it mid-spin.
All three blades were back in his possession and he'd finally managed this strange ability that allowed him to travel a short distance. For a brief moment, he allowed himself a grin.
Finally.
His limbs ached and his head felt like a hammer had smashed him right between the eyes, but he had done it. He'd finally managed the 'blink' as he'd been calling it. The forest below seemed impossibly far now that he had no magic left to blink back down. That proved a new problem for the young man.
The sound of a voice calling made matters even worse.
"Talon!" Quinn's sharp tone echoed through the trees, growing louder as she approached the clearing.
Talon's eyes widened. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me," he muttered under his breath, glancing nervously at the ground far below. How was he getting down?! If she caught him up here she'd have a million and nine questions he'd never be able to lie his way through.
"Talon!" Quinn's voice was closer now.
The only way down was going to hurt.
Quinn paced further into the clearing. She swore she had heard something here, taking three cautious steps more. "Talon, I'm calling you one more time and if you don't come out–"
There was the sound of something falling hard behind her, before the shrubbery rustled and sent twigs and leafage everywhere. Quinn froze at the noise behind her and whipped around, quickly approaching the bushes and peering in.
"Talon?" Quinn asked, parting the bushes to find her foster brother sprawled amidst the leaves, looking thoroughly battered and annoyed. His face was covered in tiny scratches thanks to the twigs he'd broken. "What happened here?"
He glared up at her, her amused expression just added to his annoyance. "I fell," he muttered and picked himself up. Giving his clothes a hard tug to free them from a plethora of sticks and thorns.
"You look like you just lost a fight with a rose bush." Quinn laughed. She reached and plucked a stray twig from inside his hood's cloak. "That cost a lot of money, don't ruin it with…Whatever you're doing out here."
Talon grumbled and brushed wildly at his hair and swatted away Quinn's hand. He tugged his hood firmly over his head, but felt another twig stab him in the ear, much to his foster sister's amusement. "What were you even doing climbing a tree?" She asked, her gaze going up to where she presumed Talon had fallen from.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Talon grunted, while fishing in the back of his hood to find that pesky twig.
Quinn rolled her eyes, and went to pluck the twig out after Talon failed for a solid thirty seconds. "Yeah, I would actually," she remarked. "Because you're making a habit out of sneaking off every other afternoon, before coming home covered in fresh injuries."
The other's eyes rolled, still refusing to answer as he gathered up his things. It wasn't much, just his small satchel bag and his little notebook.
"Seriously, Talon," Quinn pressed. "Is everything alright? Nobody's…hurting you are they?" she asked, far more gently this time as she placed a hand on his shoulder. It just made Talon frown. Why would he come out into a wood just to let somebody beat him up?
"No," he answered calmly. "I was just enjoying the quiet."
She didn't look convinced. "Okay, try a different lie, bud." She cockily said. "When you want quiet, you skulk off to your bedroom, never the woods. I'm your sister's Talon, can't you just tell me?"
No, Talon thought to himself.
Talon glanced around the woodland. All this vast space yet Quinn left him feeling so entrapped. "Very well, you want to know the truth?" he opened up his notebook, one page in particular he was after. It'd been dogeared, as Talon had envisioned the day either her, or Caleb would accidentally stumble into his training session.
He thrusted the book at her and Quinn took it, a growing frown gracing her features. "Talon, you've been…Drawing birds?" She said slowly, and turned the book back towards Talon presenting a page of sketches.
Talon nodded. "I like to climb up and see them up close, sometimes I fall trying to get down again. Hence my injuries."
His sister shook her head and slapped the book back into Talon's waiting palm. "You're so weird," she tutted softly. "But everyone needs a hobby, I guess. Come on, the parents are getting curious where you are and I doubt they'd accept your art as an excuse!"
Talon rolled his eyes. "Whatever," as he let her begin to lead him back out of the forest. He'd gotten away with it, at least.
The closer they got, the more Talon's steps slowed. Quinn noticed immediately. "What's wrong? Your legs still sore from that fall?"
"No," Talon replied quickly, his thoughts were elsewhere. This place was all too familiar. His mind flashed to a chase, his ribs being smashed brutally as somebody stood over him..
As the trees thinned, the clearing came into view. The sturdy old tree that Talon had come to view with contempt was there. A simple, weathered memorial stood at its heart, adorned with wildflowers and a carved stone plaque.
Talon didn't need to get any closer to know who's name was on it. Talon's jaw tightened, they were not alone here either.
A figure knelt by the memorial, her head bowed. Talon froze, recognition hitting him like a punch to the gut. Dulran's mother. Her eyes fixed on him, her gaze was sharp and disdainful. Talon felt himself tensing up and Quinn nervously took his cloak to keep pulling him by. "Sorry to have intruded," Quinn whispered respectfully.
"You shouldn't be here," she said quietly, though her voice carried a sharp edge. "None of us have forgotten."
That was Quinn's cue to start pulling Talon's arm a lot harder. But the young man had almost rooted his shoes into the soil, to stare down the older woman. "The creature that did this is dead," Talon stated.
Dulran's mother slowly stood and shook her head. "The monster that murdered my son, stares me down as it speaks lies so freely."
Quinn tightened her grip on Talon's arm, her eyes darting between him and the grieving woman. "Talon, let's go," she urged in a low voice, but he didn't move.
Talon's jaw clenched, his gaze tightening. "I'm not lying. I killed it with my own hands. Your son—I got him justice whether you like it or not."
Dulran's mother took a slow step forward, her expression filled with grief and fury. "You expect me to believe that? That some beast was responsible, and not the boy who was always lurking in the shadows? The Noxian no one trusted? We all know you did it and your bleeding heart adoptees covered for you!"
Quinn stepped between them and pushed Talon back gently. He stared at her in complete offense, why was he being treated as the aggressor? "She's grieving," Quinn whispered, like she read his exact thoughts. "Please, let's just go peacefully."
Talon gave a final glare before he let Quinn move him along. They departed without a second glance the woman's way.
The older woman turned away, her voice trembling as she spoke. "One day, you'll feel every ounce of the pain you've caused us. You'll suffer the way my poor boy did, I will ensure it!"
A/N: Just to keep everyone on track the characters ages at the end of the chapter are as follows
quinn 18
caleb 18
talon 19