The Placidium was a beautiful place. The natural splendor of Ionia's mountains and waterfalls were abundant in this place. It was hard to consider that just a few years ago this place had been marred by the hand of Noxus and its allies. The scars were well-hidden, but visible. Memorials here and there, marks on buildings that hadn't quite been able to be covered by new construction or paint, and the memories of the events that unfolded that day were all still present. However, the happenings of that day were largely missed by one person who walked through the capital's streets on her way to the Military Headquarters.
By the time the Battle of the Placidium had taken place, Fury Company, and its commander, had already been decimated at the hands of Zaunite weapons. As such, Riven had never laid eyes on the Placidum before, and as she walked, she was overcome by the beauty of the land and architecture working as one. Still, though, she had a mission to accomplish, something of dire importance not just to Ionia, but to Runeterra and Valoran as well.
It had taken her well over a month this time to recover from the wounds she suffered at the hands of the Order of Shadows, and by Zed's strike to her back. Now, it was in the thick of the Ionian summer. The air was full of the fresh scent of flowers and misty waterfalls, and the humidity was something to be respected. Still, with her back and ribs still sore from her ordeal, she had traveled across the Ionian landscape to make her way here.
The arrival of a League Champion at the capital would be a big occasion under most circumstances, but the arrival of Riven was taken with quiet caution and wariness. It was to be expected, though, after what she'd helped do to these people, just as the guards that trailed some distance behind her as she made her way through the city were to be expected as well. They made no hostile actions toward her, she was a champion of the League, after all. But she noticed that they watched her carefully, and their grip tightened on their weapons any time her hand got close to the blade at her side.
Finally, she arrived at the Placidium itself, and the Military Headquarters of the Ionian Guard. As she approached, several Ionian Guardsman rushed out to meet her, several blocking her path with crossed spears., and others taking up positions around her sides. The guards that had been following her stood behind her, some distance away, still watching her as one of the men in the front moved to speak.
"Champion Riven... Your arrival here has not been expected or announced. You have a great deal of nerve to show your face in this place after what you have done to our people." The man's face didn't change as he continued. "As such, I can only assume that your being here is of some matter of importance." He looked to her, expecting some kind of reply.
"I have business that concerns the welfare of Ionia, and possibly Valoran and Runeterra itself." Riven spoke clearly and distinctly, not mincing words. She had nothing to hide here. "I've come to speak to the Guard Captain, the Will of the Blades." As Riven finished, the guard scoffed.
"You come here and demand an audience with the Guard Captain? You have a great deal of audacity, Exile. The Guard Captain has more pressing matters that require her attention, like the fires at the old Kinkou Temple and an upcoming meeting with the League."
"I have information regarding the incident at the temple, and what I have come to discuss may be very important information for her to hear, especially if she plans to meet with the League soon." Riven looked to the guard, her amber eyes urgent, but soft. "Please. If she is busy, I will wait for as long as needed. But, I must speak with her." The guard listened to Riven and waited a moment, as if considering his options. Finally, he spoke.
"Very well, Exile. I will send a messenger to alert her of your request. You will wait here until she either comes to get you herself, or you are called to her chambers."
"I understand." Riven bowed in an unpracticed Ionian show of respect. "Thank you for your consideration." The guard seemed unimpressed and scoffed, before heading away and disappearing out of sight, presumably to send someone to get Irelia. In the meantime, Riven had nothing to do but wait, surrounded by guards, and a few civilian onlookers who had gathered to watch the goings on, even as more guards attempted to have them go about their business.
Post by The Will of the Blades on Feb 13, 2014 17:08:36 GMT -5
The day was harsh and challenging for Irelia's guards. She decided that it was a good day to put them under a heavy test to see how fit they were and if they were keeping up with her expectations. Everything was flawless in her eyes, the men were strong, determined, and willing to break their limits to gain more strength through the massive amount of training. She decided to cut off the trainings for three days after this test to give them some air to breath. After all, too much training could break a man and actually give negative results. At the end of the session, the court slowly became deserted as the guards grabbed their equipments and left the area, giving Irelia a respectful bow before they disappeared in the hallways, making their ways to the quarters.
Irelia was left alone in the empty training court, staring at her levitating blade as if they were talking to one another, sharing their thoughts about the current situation of Ionia. She was still worried about the Noxian hold of the northern island, even though they claimed that they were peaceful. Irelia never trusted them, nor will in the future so long as they stayed in Ionia. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as her emerald gaze peered at the azure sky before she took a deep breath and walked back to her office. It was a long day and she still had work to do, there was no break for the Captain.
As she reached her office, the Captain made her way behind her desk and crashed in her chair, letting out another sigh as she pushed herself back and gazed up at the ceiling for a brief moment. She turned her attention to the report that held the information about her investigations, but it all led to nothing which really bothered Irelia. She stared at it for a few seconds before she growled and shoved it away from her desk with force and anger. She was getting quite desperate and she had this burning sensation in her heart that lifted her emotions into a state of anger. Her elbows crashed down on the wooden desk while her hands grasped the sides of her head, hoping for a miracle to reach her and enlighten her path.
The door knocked, the Captain sat straight as she inhaled the air around her and said with a stern tone. "Come in."
A guard walked in, and bowed to her before he noticed the file on the ground. He quickly walked towards it, picked it up and placed it on her desk before he stood back in front of her and said "Captain, Riven, the Noxian league champion wishes to speak to you. May we let her in?"
"Riven?!" Growled the Captain as she slammed her palms on the table and stood up. Anger lurked in her emerald gaze as it pierced the guard's eyes. "How dare she step in Ionia after what she has done to the people? Has she no shame of what she has done to the Ionians? Ugh! What does she want?"
"I understand my Captain, but apparently she has important information she would like to discuss with you. I suppose I should let her in?"
"Very well then. Let her in." Said the Captain as she huffed and crossed her arms before resting on her chair once more, waiting for the Noxian to come and speak to her. The guard bowed to her before he took his leave to bring Riven to Irelia's office.
A few minutes later, the sounds of footfalls would be heard across the hallways leading to Irelia's office. Irelia, being the warrior that she was, would be able to discern three sets of footsteps. Two would be the heavier, ornamented sound of the Ionian Guard. There was no mistaking their gait when wearing their ceremonial armor and carrying their weapons. The third set, however, would be much less familiar. It was somewhat uneven, one foot walking just a little faster than the other. It was an almost imperceptible difference, but Irelia would be able to hear it. The footfalls also signalled that the owner wore sandals, not boots. A moment later, Riven appeared at the doors to Irelia's office, flanked by two guards.
"Captain, the Exile, as requested. We have been instructed to wait outside just in case. If you require us, do not hesitate to give the order." Both men bowed after one of them finished speaking, and would move to guard either side of her door, standing at attention.
As they left, Riven would bow her head in a show of respect and speak to Irelia. "Thank you for seeing me, Guard Captain. I understand you are very busy, but the matter I have to discuss with you is of the utmost importance." As she finished speaking, she rose and turned her amber gaze to meet the emerald one of Irelia. Riven had nothing but respect for the woman. She had proven herself time and time again to be a force of great strength on the Fields of Justice, and to stand before her now only compounded that aura of strength and duty that the woman possessed.
"It concerns what happened on the night the Order of Shadows was attacked by the Hadoi Village, and who, or what, may have been behind the strangeness of the attack. It also concerns what happened recently at the old Kinkou temple." Riven's eyebrows lifted as she continued. "I understand that many consider me an enemy of Ionia, but, in order for me to be sure of the information I have gathered, the plots I believe I have uncovered...I need to see records that only you possess..."
Her eyes were the eyes of a soldier, exactly like the eyes of Irelia. They were eyes that had seen too much death, lost too much, and still somehow found the strength to lead a life for the betterment of their homeland. These were eyes that did not lie, did not deceive. To Irelia's enlightened gaze, Riven's words and actions would ring true. "What I might have discovered could have sweeping consequences if found to be true, and you are the only one who can help me help us all, Guard Captain."
As she finished, Riven would exhale softly, and place her hands at her sides, waiting for the reply of Irelia.
Post by The Will of the Blades on Feb 15, 2014 6:11:35 GMT -5
Irelia carefully listened to Riven's inquiry, her fingers drumming on the wooden material of the desk as her jade eyes gazed at the Noxian who stood before her. She had mixed feelings about the situation: Part of her felt like she wanted to commit a bloody murder and slice down the Noxian for what she did to Ionia, yet the other part of her wished to help her and end this alliance. Irelia's blade began to speak to her, whispering its thoughts to the Captain as she closed her eyes and paid attention to what it had to say.
A few seconds passed and Irelia remained silent, sorting out her thoughts before she lifted the veils off her eyes and let her voice resonate in the air and shatter the silence that weighed upon them. "The records are in this file right here." Her voice was icy and steely. It held no emotion whatsoever and the numb expression that covered her face even reinforced that feeling of coldness. She placed her fingertips on the file that was beside her and slipped it towards Riven, waiting for her to open it up and see the records for herself.
Riven nodded as Irelia slid the file toward her. It was an unspoken acceptance of it and a thank you all in one. She took a few steps to close the distance between her and the desk, and her hand slipped out to pull the file to her and open it. Inside were many papers, all written in the Ionian Language. Her Ionian was not what it used to be. During the war, she had been trained to read and understand the language in the case that she or her men intercepted communications. However, after all these years, she'd gotten a little rusty. The characters on the pages were somewhat unfamiliar to her, but she understood enough to make out what was being said.
The reports told her exactly what she had wanted to know. The villagers that were still alive had not been very forthcoming with information when she'd been there. It was one of the reasons she'd decided to go into the Order's territory in the first place. Gathering information from the source might have proved more fruitful. However, that did not work as planned. Regardless, armed with what knowledge she did have, she set to work scanning the documents.
They spoke exactly what the villagers had told her. The bodies were drained of blood, and no blood was found anywhere in the village or on the battlefield. Pictures of the grizzly scene were included, showing the wounds of the soldiers in graphic detail in order to carefully document the entire event. The public reports had stated that they had suffered damage beyond that which a normal human being could sustain. The images proved this.
She flipped through more pages, each one shedding more light on the situation, and adding to her base of knowledge. The villagers that were interviewed spoke of the strange, almost bloodthirsty actions of the warriors. The call to arms came in with no prior indication of violence. And no one seemed to challenge it or protest it. This did not sound like a village of peaceful farmers. It sounded like war-hungry barbarians. Ionians were, by tradition, abstinent when it came to violence. They avoided it to seek enlightenment and work at peace with their surroundings. It was one of the reasons Noxus had gone to war with them, she thought.
However, between the strange actions of the warriors, and the lack of blood, and her own personal encounters with the Order of Shadows, Riven felt she had enough evidence to support her claims, or at the least give them enough weight to be taken seriously. She sighed and looked to Irelia.
"This is exactly what I needed." Riven closed the file and slid it back to Irelia. "I'm now convinced I know what happened that night." Riven's face turned dark, as if worried about what her next few words would spell out. "As far as I am aware, Guard Captain, I have reason to suspect Noxus was directly involved in the attack on the Order of Shadows, and that they masterminded the Hadoi Village attack. Or, at the very least, they had a hand in it." It was a bold claim. But Riven waited for Irelia to reply. Surely she would want evidence to support the accusation.
Post by The Will of the Blades on Feb 17, 2014 18:17:47 GMT -5
Irelia paid little attention to Riven as she scanned through the papers of the report, not until Riven mentioned the word Noxus. Her attention was suddenly caught as the woman spoke. Her eyes widened up, a gleam of anger sparkled in them as she clenched her fists, clearly showing off her annoyance and disgust. If Riven was right, then Irelia could finally move forth towards her goal of getting rid of the Noxian presence in Ionia.
But how, how could they prove it? There should be something to complete the puzzle, something that only Riven could possibly know. She narrowed her eyes as she gazed at the woman who stood before her and said. "Do you have anything to support such claim Riven? If so then this is something big... not only for me, not only for you, but for the good of Ionia as a whole." She always knew that there was hope, even if the light seemed to have faded away, there was still a feint gleam around the corner. "Please, do tell me everything, I will be truly grateful if your words and actions save me from such burden and rid Ionia of a possible menace."
Riven sighed and nodded. "Very well..." She opened the report once more and scanned down to the discussion of the bodies themselves, along with the graphic images alongside them. "I have seen my share of death, Guard Captain. I have seen bodies ripped and torn and punctured by every kind of weapon of both Noxian and Ionian make. I know how much a berserker can take before collapsing from their body's inability to continue onward." She pointed to the images, bodies carved up like roasts, and filled with more holes than one could think were possible.
"These bodies should not have been able to fight until they looked like this. It is physically impossible to fight when an arm is that severed, or a leg is that damaged." As she spoke, her finger moved to point to different pictures, each one displaying a different instance of what she was talking about. "Many of these wounds should have been fatal, even, and yet, these bodies took many more than should have been possible. Even a berserker's rage has its physical limits." She shook her head. "The only way one can get wounds like this is if the body was forced to move by an outside force, reanimated by necromancy, or perhaps by blood magic..." She lifted her head to look briefly at Irelia.
"As far as I am aware, no such sects exist with such abilities within Ionia, and certainly not blood magic." She continued. "However, both necromancy and blood magic do exist within one place on Runeterra and Valoran, and that place is Noxus." Riven paused for a moment before bowing her head again to flip through the report, her finger running along the text that spoke about the lack of blood on the field and clothes of the fallen villagers. "Blood magic requires blood, and every single one of the bodies found on the field were drained of it. There was no sign of it anywhere. " She pointed to another paragraph.
"Here, it says that it rained during and after the battle, but blood does not simply vanish from all bodies and clothing after a rainstorm, especially if bleeding out. It stains from the inside out, and is more protected from washing away that way. I've seen it myself when trying to clean my own wounds and clothing." She shook her head, her eyes still stern and set. "The only explanation is that the blood was removed by an unnatural force, likely by a hemomancer to recharge his supply of power. This, again, fits with The Crimson Reaper, and Noxus." More flipping of pages and rifling through facts, and Riven again pointed to more writings, talking about the details explained by the few survivors of the attack.
"The Hadoi people were not militaristic. Yet here it openly states that everyone was called to arms without others questioning their orders. These people were not bloodthirsty by nature. So, why, suddenly, would they decide to rise up and attack the Order? It makes no military sense, and I have found Ionians to be more gifted in tactical planning and consideration that most. And even if they were, they were attacking The Shadow Master's forces. They are not to be underestimated." Riven's back felt a twinge of soreness as she replied, remembering the recent events that took place there, and the wound she'd suffered.
"A village nearly wiped out The Order of Shadows. A village of farmers, not warmongering barbarians." She glanced to Irelia once again. "The mind is a difficult thing to master and understand, Guard Captain. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that. I have seen the actions of the Matron with my own two eyes. I have seen how she can manipulate even the most noble of intentions to make them appear foul, to make them be convincing in the worst possible way. I've seen them nearly inspire others to outright violence..." Her amber eyes dimmed and she recalled her visit to Noxus, and her rallying cry, which was turned against her by what she could only assume was the Matron, LeBlanc. She'd been cast out of her home by that woman's actions, and to manipulate something like this situation would be even more simple.
"I can not prove that the Matron was there, but she is the only one I know that can make the mind see things that aren't there within Noxus. And, as the only bloodmage I know about resides in and is loyal to Noxus, the evidence only makes it clear that Noxus had a direct influence in the attack on the Order of Shadows, especially when it comes to gaining a foothold in another territory, and especially when it comes with the reward of gaining a powerful Noxian ally in the form of the Order." Again, she looked to Irelia, standing up and crossing her arms.
"Noxus preaches peace, but prepares for war. They step out of their alliance to the League, and rebuild their army. They then happen to acquire two powerful champions for themselves by happenstance, and then, they make an alliance with the Order of Shadows, after an attack on them leaves them doubting the effectiveness of the League. An attack that I believe was perpetrated by Noxus on your soil, resulting in the deaths of your people, all to get boots on the ground, and gain a foothold in your territory, again, under the guise of protection. " Her amber eyes were stern as she looked into Irelia's emerald gaze.
"Demacia has been weakened by an attack. Freljord has been as well. The League is scrambling to maintain control in these turbulent times, and Noxus prepares for war under the guise of peace. The facts speak for themselves, Guard Captain. Ionia has been attacked by Noxus, and its citizens corrupted for use in whatever Jericho Swain is planning." She paused just a moment to let her statements sink in. "If that is not cause for alarm and outrage, I don't know what is..."
Last Edit: Feb 17, 2014 19:21:20 GMT -5 by The Exile
Post by The Will of the Blades on Feb 20, 2014 19:27:22 GMT -5
Irelia's fingers interlocked with each other as she listened to Riven's inquiry. It seemed like her feelings and heart were right this entire time. Noxus was behind this and their words did not match their actions at all. Peace, what a joke, this was frustrating and her anger began to boil her blood that rushed through her veins. She fell silent for a few moment before she lifted her head up and gazed at Riven, letting her cold words echo in the air as she said. "Noxus will not get away with it... I have a summit to attend soon, and I will use that moment to expose their malicious plans to the League."
Riven nodded, her posture relaxing somewhat, relieved to hear that her decision to come here had not been in vain. Finally, after so very long, after looking for a way to make a difference, to show the world the true corruption and darkness of Noxus, to expose the leadership for what it really was to the people of her homeland... She felt something she had not felt in a very, very long time. She felt a sense of justification, and pride.
"It will be a difficult case to make, as all the hard evidence has gone by way of the crows. But what still remains in the report on your desk, coupled with my claims that fit the evidence should be enough to, at the very least, cast doubt onto the claims made by Noxus." She shook her head. "As I said, I cannot give you undeniable proof, simply offer claims that fit the evidence and mesh with the past actions of the Grand General in Kalamanda. After all, this would not be the first time he instigated conflict to gain a strategic edge..." She bowed.
"Either way, thank you for listening to me. I feel most Ionians would not have done the same as you."
Post by The Will of the Blades on Mar 16, 2014 17:22:37 GMT -5
"You're not the first nor will be the last to doubt Swain, Riven. I myself can not trust the man as much as he wants me to, I can not trust the Noxian government and forces long as they maintain the same mind set of power." She closed the files and placed them inside the drawer in her desk before shifting back her emerald gaze to Riven. "If the strong only survives, then there will be only one being left in this world. How much would you enjoy life in solitude?" It was more of a rhetorical question that the Captain asked herself, but nonetheless, Riven might disagree with her. She folded her arms over the wooden furniture and said. "I still thank you for your help, and I will be sure your name will not be brought up at all for your own safety."
"There was once a man that believed in the strength of every person, from slum-dwelling child to righteous upstart, as long as they had the potential for greatness. His strength came from empowering these people, lifting them up, and allowing them to realize the power they held within themselves..." Riven spoke as Irelia asked her the question. It had been a long, long time since she'd discussed the General with anyone...
"That is the Noxus I wish to help create, where we can rely on our strengths, and empower others without stomping out those who are simply less fortunate." She sighed, nodding as Irelia talked about keeping her identity a secret. That was probably for the best. Of course, those in the know would likely point fingers at her anyway. That reminded her...
"As you will keep my identity secret at the meeting, I also offer you this." She reached into her tunic and pulled out a letter, written in a hand clearly not her own, and placed it on Irelia's desk. "I was asked to give that to you in person, and to guard it with my life if necessary, and that their identity remain as quiet as my own." As she finished, she slid the letter forward so Irelia could read it. When she did, it would read as follows...
Noxian Forces consist of a full battalion of one to three thousand men. These soldiers are receiving supplies and men are being exchanged, yet their numbers are not increasing. They have established a perimeter around the temple consisting of a moderately high fence or wall, and watchtowers. They are not constructing weapons or siege weapons at this time. Furthermore, they are honoring their agreement and have not stepped foot outside the Order of Shadow's territory. Around fifteen Noxians, that were handpicked by Zed, are learning the Shadow Arts and training with Zed's disciples. Word going around the troops consists of how they believe the other regions of Ionia are going to attack, and they consider this a serious possibility and threat. Furthermore, there has been news that Zaun is being militarized by Noxus.
The forces of the Order of Shadows are around 2,000 men and growing each day. Zed is training them daily, to ensure they become stronger. However, like the Noxians they also fear that the other regions will attack, but are not constructing any defenses or weapons. However, the group is hunting for what Zed has called a "mordicant pack". Only Zed has all of the details.
-The Lotus Hunter
"You have trusted me, Guard Captain. I would hope I can also trust you to remain silent about the source of this information as well." Her eyes would study Irelia and wait for her reply.
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