The Bridge before the Counselor's Castle
Acilus du Coteau stood at the edge of the bridge, staring into the raging river where the thieves had recently fallen. He doubted they could have survived, yet he couldn't afford to let them escape. The painful blow one of them had managed to land on him had severely wounded his pride. He was the blade of the Empire, the best of the best, and yet someone had outmatched him in skill. Though he wouldn't admit it aloud, he might have lost if not for the dead weight of his companion—he would likely have perished in that office.
"Sir, we've dispatched several groups of soldiers to search along the river," said a soldier who had approached.
"Good. Send a few soldiers with me; I'll join the search," ordered Acilus.
"But what about your wounds?" the soldier protested.
Acilus had already stopped the bleeding, and one of the sorceresses had healed his wounds with magic, but he still needed rest to regain his strength.
"There's no time for rest when our empire is under threat," he replied coldly.
Realizing that arguing was pointless, the soldier fetched a horse and brought it to Acilus. Mounting the saddle, he spurred it into a gallop, followed by a few others. Only one question occupied his thoughts: who was behind this? They couldn't have acted on personal initiative; they seemed to be after some documents—no valuable items were taken, only papers. Acilus knew all too well the country he lived in—lies, intrigue, and deception had been foundational, laid down alongside the blood and sweat of Noxus.
He had a suspicion as to who stood to gain from today's incident.
"The Pale Lady," his lips whispered. Internally, he cursed her with a string of vile words but feared to utter them aloud, for the witch was capable of unspeakable horrors.
Once again, he would have to dirty his hands and wage a secret war in the shadows.
Unknown Location
In a dark room, where an altar stood in the center, only a few torches illuminated the space. A silhouette sat in the shadows, with a small, purple flame seemingly floating beside it. In the silence, heavy footsteps echoed as a man in a cloak entered the room. If Kailen were here, he would recognize the Stranger who had given them their mission. Approaching the silhouette, the man quickly knelt and pressed his forehead to the floor.
"Mistress, your loyal servant has come at your call," he said, not daring to lift his head.
"Raise your head," a woman's voice commanded.
"Forgive me, Mistress, I have failed you. The people I entrusted with the task did not succeed," he immediately began to apologize, knowing that her wrath could be unbearable.
"Hmm, no, you have done better than expected," she replied as her face came into the light.
It was a woman with a pale face and dark makeup that adorned her lips and outlined her eyes. Piercing yellow eyes, and a crown with a large ruby on her forehead. In her hand was a staff, its tip glittering with a purple crystal.
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"Forgiven?" the servant asked, confused.
"They accomplished what they were meant to. The Du Coteau clan takes their duties seriously, and it would have been difficult to slip past them. But now, they have drawn attention away, and my plans have been executed. And you did well to persuade them to participate," said the Pale Lady.
"Then, should I find them and eliminate them?" the servant asked.
"No, they have fulfilled their part of the deal. If they do not perish by Acilus's hand, then they have earned their lives," the woman replied, retreating into the shadows.
She was the head of the ancient cult, the Black Rose. Many who had seen her in life described her as a cunning woman with a thousand faces, changing like masks, making it impossible to know who she was or where she hid. Illusion magic was her primary weapon. Her age was so great that she herself no longer remembered when she was born.
Throughout her life, she had witnessed much, and only intrigue and games with interesting players entertained her boredom. The High Ruler of Noxus had long been under her spell, with only the counselor defying her plans. He had resisted for a long time, skillfully hindering her, deftly using the Du Coteau clan against her. But now she had something that would destroy him, and he would come and kneel at her feet. It gave her special pleasure when a victim resisted with all their might, but eventually surrendered, like thousands before him.
"You may go," she said.
The servant quickly jumped to his feet and hurried to leave, for he was terrified of her, and staying in the same room was unbearable.
The Pale Lady continued to weave her cunning schemes, spreading her influence across the entire world.
Riverside
A man, limping on one leg, was desperately trying to pull his friend out of the water; his body was drenched in blood, and it seemed he was almost dead. It was Buck, struggling to save Kailen.
"Come on, don't make me beg, wake up, come on," Buck grabbed his head in despair. Kailen had swallowed water, and blood had filled his lungs; a knife was lodged in his side, and he couldn't remove it. He needed to get the water out but couldn't touch the chest.
"Think, think, how can I help him, don't be stupid," Buck smacked himself on the head, unsure of what to do. Precious seconds were slipping away, and he was losing hope.
"Of course, he mentioned a remedy in his homeland that could raise someone from the dead. No, you fool, you were in prison with him; they took everything. But maybe he knew how to make it and prepared a couple?" Buck muttered to himself as he rummaged through Kailen's pockets, searching for anything useful.
He found a small wooden cylinder with a lid. Opening it, he was hit by an unpleasant smell of herbs. Closing it quickly, he turned Kailen over and began pressing on his stomach, forcing water out. Turning him back, he helped him drink the potion.
Although the exact recipe for the remedy was known only to the Frostguard, and this was merely a semblance, it still contained herbs that boosted regeneration and stopped bleeding.
Buck searched Kailen's belongings and found another cylinder, which he poured into him. But Kailen still didn't come to.
"Damn it, forgive me if I kill you," Buck said, closing his eyes as he pulled out the dagger.
He began pressing on Kailen's chest, pausing to breathe air into him. He kept going, though there were no signs of life, and he was beginning to lose hope when Kailen let out a small cough, expelling clots of blood but also beginning to breathe. He coughed violently but eventually calmed down and started breathing weakly. The potion had helped stop the bleeding and prevented his lungs from filling with blood, though there wasn't much of it left inside him.
"You know, this adventure of ours is something I'll remember for the rest of my life," Buck said with a relieved sigh. His own leg, now throbbing with pain, reminded him of his serious injury. He had forgotten about it in all the chaos. "Damn, we need a warm place and to get out of Noxus. Even though they didn't see our faces, they might still find us."
After resting a bit longer, he headed into the forest, found a stick to help him move, and returned to Kailen. He carefully lifted him onto his shoulder and started walking. The pace was slow, and he had to stop frequently to catch his breath. As they reached the forest, he heard the sound of hooves. Quickly, he hid Kailen in a secluded spot under a tree and lay down beside him.
Soon, an entire cavalry unit emerged on the riverbank. They moved along the shore and stopped near the water. Luckily, the riverbanks here were rocky, and there were no visible tracks.
"They must be nearby; we can't let them slip away," said what appeared to be the commander. He walked along the shore and stopped at the bloody marks on the stones.
"Everyone spread out; they were here recently," he ordered, scanning the area more closely.
Realizing they couldn't stay hidden any longer, Buck lifted his friend and, limping, quickly tried to escape. The soldiers were already entering the forest and searching the area.
Captain, who had lost his ship, didn't sleep all night. They had come close to being discovered several times, but they managed to avoid detection and get closer to the port. Now, they just needed to find his crew, and things would get easier. His leg had begun to rot, and he realized that the blood was infected. He felt terrible, his body swinging between fever and chills, and he was reaching the limits of his endurance.
"For the first time in my life, I'm thinking about someone other than myself. Funny," Buck said, spotting the port in the distance, though it was heavily guarded. "In the past, I wouldn't have hesitated to leave you behind; my life always came first. But here I am, dragging you along despite my wounds. When we get out of this, my debt to you will be paid, my friend," he said, looking at Kailen, who was in no better condition.
He was pale, his heart beat slowly, and his breathing was irregular. Only because his body had once endured such extreme conditions did he remain alive. Buck had no choice—he had to get to the port. He needed help; if he didn't get rid of the infection, he would die, and Kailen would follow. Gathering his strength, he hoisted Kailen onto his shoulder and resolutely moved forward.
With each step, his fear grew. What if they didn't believe his story and realized they were the thieves? Their clothes were the same, though damaged, but still recognizable.
As he approached the guards, he saw that they already had their hands on their swords, but they showed no aggression, just tension. The leader stepped forward, wearing a bright red cloak, indicating that he was an officer.
"Identify yourselves," he said, carefully examining them.
"I'm Sam, and this is my younger brother Rick. We're hunters and trappers, and we came to the port to sell furs. I heard that many traders stop here, and we wanted to make some money, but bandits attacked us and took everything. We barely escaped with our lives," Buck replied, hoping they would believe his story.
"The wounds—bandits gave you those too?" the officer asked, stepping closer and giving them a serious look, particularly eyeing Buck's scar for a long time.
"Yes, my brother Rick is in bad shape; we need help," Buck answered, trying to stay calm and not betray his nervousness.
"But it seems to me you're definitely not a hunter. I've seen many people in my life and learned to tell what they do. Your hands haven't held a bow, your hair is perfectly groomed despite your disheveled appearance, and that scar is definitely not from wild animals," the officer observed, finding inconsistencies in Buck's story.
"It's true, I don't use a bow. We mostly catch small game with traps," Buck quickly replied, recalling stories from Kailen about the times he used to hunt.
"Really?" the officer said skeptically. "You know, I'm tired of this charade. Put your brother down and hand over your hands. You're going to the dungeon, where we'll find out who you are and where you're from," he said, signaling his men to approach.
"Captain Ulman," a voice called out, and a stranger wrapped in a cloak emerged from the shadows. Buck immediately recognized him. "These men are telling the truth—they're just hunters who found themselves in an unfortunate situation."
"Is that so? Well, I don't think so," Captain Ulman replied angrily, clearly showing his dislike for the newcomer, but he didn't take any action.
"Let them pass, and don't forget who once helped you," the stranger commanded.
The officer clenched his jaw, muttered a few curse words, but ultimately ordered them to be let through. Buck continued walking, scarcely believing his luck.
"Our agreement is fulfilled. Your ship will be repaired, and you must sail away on it and never return to Noxus," the stranger said before quickly disappearing around a corner.
Buck didn't have time to fully grasp what had happened, but one thing was clear—he wouldn't be coming back here.
Finally, after another hour, he reached their lodgings, gathered some money, and asked the crew, who were already there, to help. Together, they headed for the healers. When they found the right one, Buck was told that his leg had to be amputated, or he would die. He gave his consent, enduring a range of unpleasant sensations, particularly the phantom pains that tricked him into feeling a limb that was no longer there.
Kailen's condition was even more dire. The infection had spread throughout his body, and it was only by some miracle that he remained alive. The only hope was that he could fight off the illness. All Buck could do was care for him and feed him liquid food.
A whole month passed. Unfortunately, Kailen did not regain consciousness, though he did seem to be improving. He constantly grimaced in his sleep, unable to wake. Meanwhile, Buck had acquired a new wooden leg and spent a long time adjusting to walking with it.
The ship was halfway repaired and would soon be ready for departure. Knowing they couldn't stay, Buck decided to sail with Kailen, even in his current state.
He began preparing for the journey, gathering the crew and resources for the trip. As he had promised, he planned to sail to Ionia, a place renowned for its magic. He was confident that someone there could help his friend.
So another month passed, and the crew of Retribution was finally ready to set sail. The ship, once again free, gracefully sliced through the waters, gaining speed as the port of Noxus faded into the distance.
"I won't miss this place. Damn, I hope I don't find more trouble in Ionia," Buck said, staring at the horizon. Demacia and Noxus had become dangerous grounds for him, though they had always been treacherous. He had often walked the line, taking on perilous deals and smuggling to quickly amass wealth, but now all those efforts were gone, and he was starting over again. There was nothing left in his pockets, not a single coin, just emptiness.
"Well, how do you say it, Kailen? If life gives you another chance, you should take it, right?" Buck said with a smile. Trusting in his luck, he steered the ship towards distant lands.