A Search Through Runeterra (Arcane)

"You think I'm crazy? You should see my sister!"~ Jinx, The Loose Cannon

OHHHH! Jinx quote everybody! Pull out your rocket launchers!

Hey! This starting portion of the story is similar to the webcomic Katarina. But there are changes involving Gregori and Talon. 

This is not in any way plagiarism. Modification of an existing story to suit my needs. Dialogues are similar and different.

Also I did not write any chapters for the past two days. A well deserved break.

P.S. Three days, because why not. And yes. I am still 10 chapters ahead.

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Talon stood up from his seat as he heard sounds in his house. His senses raised to the absolute limit as he tried to estimate the invaders. The rain falling outside helped mask the sounds of the intruder.

By the sounds, it was one person.

Soft steps. Nearly inaudible but the vibrations on the ground informed him of their presence. 

The person was trained in the art of assassination. 

But they stopped moving. 

Talon ruffled his hair and put on a sleep expression. Sliding a blade into the hood built into his sleepwear, he silently opened the door to his room.

Standing outside was his sister Katarina.

"You could have used the front door Kat." He spoke with one hand on the door.

She turned from the picture of their parents that hung from the wall. "Force of habit. And its best that I keep a low profile at the moment." She answered.

Talon put on a smile, "I suppose the attack on the Tea House was a ruse.... What has Swain gotten you into now?"

Katarina walked up to him, "Worse than usual, Tal. When's the last time you saw father?"

Talon winced inwardly. She didn't doubt the fact that Marcus was alive. No this question was to see if she could deduce his involvement in their father's plot.

She placed a hand on his shoulder lovingly.

"What? The day he died. We were together remember? All of us. Here. Before he died." He answered. It was the last time they had all been in the same place. The last time when his family was together.

Keeping his heart stable while lying was simple for him. The hand on his shoulder was not one for support but one for checking if he lied. 

"What is going on Kat?" He asked concerned, his other hand reaching for his hair as if to rub it.

Katarina pulled away from him and sighed, "Its good to see you Tal. How was your meeting with The Gray?"

Talon rubbed the back of his head, "It was enlightening."

"You are going to repay the favor?" She inquired.

Talon smiled sheepishly, "Yes. I owe him and a debt has to be repaid."

"You never told me that you knew The Gray, Tal." 

Talon reached from the blade hidden in his hood. "There are many things you don't know about me Kat." He watched as a frown marred her face.

"YOU!" She pushed against him with force he did not expect.

"I can smell his scent.... his perfume.....He was here with you." She said as she kicked him to the side. "I know you are working with father. But for how long?"

She asked once more as she pulled out her dagger lunging toward the fallen Talon, "How long?"

Talon spun around elbowing her chin while disarming her at the same moment, "I never stopped. I helped him fake his death."

"These daggers are MINE." He claimed as he twisted Katarina's arm around. "I'll finally carry on the family legacy and replace you as heir." He rose to his feet with the dagger in hand, "As he always wanted."

Katarina struggled to reach for her other broken dagger, on hidden in the sleeves of her clothes. 

"And I will be at his side when we kill the tyrant, Swain. With the daggers of House Couteau. WE ARE NOT SLAVES. Swain holds no power over us. You will do well to remember that."

He began swinging the dagger downward at Katarina when she turned around with the broken dagger. "You can keep them" She yelled as she swung. "They are broken!"

SLICE

The broken dagger sliced into his right eye and cut through.

Talon dropped the dagger and clutched his face crying out in pain. He fell to his knees and pushed himself against the wall.

Blood dripped through his hands, "Been wanting ...AUGH..to do that a long time haven't you?"

Katarina turned back toward him, "No, Tal. You were just a kid back then, following his orders. I never blamed you for the scar you have given me." She took a few steps back, "I never wanted any of this."

Talon huffed and grunted from the pain, "Now?"

"Now you are who I used to be." She said as she picked up the un broken dagger, "Trying to make him the father we wanted him to be."

She crouched down and looked at him, speaking softly, "To him, we were weapons. Weapons to be pointed at HIS enemies." She watched as tears ran down the one working eye.

"You don't see it now but I am done trusting him." Katarina said as she stood back up.

Despite the pain, Talon kept his act up, "Swain was gotten to you... You are just another traitor now." He called out to her as she walked toward an open window. "You turned you back on family.... all for a demon."

"My allegiance...." She answered softly, "Is to Noxus."

Dropping the broken dagger, "I hope you realize things someday Talon." She flicked the other dagger into the wall next to Talon's head, "Or else I will come for you."

With that she jumped off and disappeared into the rain and darkness.

He looked out of the window for a few seconds before lying down completely. All that could be heard were slow heaving breaths.

A few minutes later, he removed the hand covering his eye. It was badly cut open.

He concentrated for a moment, and the wounds healed completely. No scarring. Nothing.

He blinked as the sight returned back to his eye. There was no indication of the severity of the previous wound but the pain from it was still there.

It would remain for a while. That was a side effect from his healing. Some secret Ionian magic in his blood that healed him from wounds. He had discovered it for the first time, when he had been stabbed as a child. The wound healed but the pain lasted months.

Talon grabbed at his head once again, the pain starting a headache.

Pushing himself up, Gregori grabbed both blades and brought them into his room. With a flick, they landed in his armory.

He had never cared for the blades. They were meant for Katarina after all. Weapons did not matter for him.

Landing roughly back into the chair, he took a shaky breath, ignoring the pain. He proceeded to look through the pile of information he gathered about magical experimentation and the places were magical children were being held.

He compiled a list and eliminated ones that were quite improbable. Leaning back, he examined the list.

Five schools and two fortresses.

Some of the information he would need to give would be quite dangerous to be written down. No. He needed to go to Gregori personally.

Talon's thoughts fell back to his family as he closed his eyes and leaned back in to the chair..... Katarina's words were ringing in his head, amplified by the pain.

Gregori had said that he could rely on and trust his sister.... this meeting just proved his claim. She could have killed him or at least have gone for a killing blow..... but she did not. She let him live.

From her perspective.

He had let her have every win in that exchange and she hadn't even realized. But it was the thought that mattered.

In that moment Talon made his decision. 

Marcus's plan tomorrow. He would strike then. 

Two birds with one stone. Marcus would take out Swain while he took out Marcus immediately after. The man had already been delving into blood magic and had established a relationship with the Black Rose.

All while not realizing that his wife and other daughter were already among their ranks.

They all thought of him as the naive young assassin who was only good for taking orders. But he knew everything. He kept his cards close and helped his family live. Everyone single one of them had had their lives saved by him at some point of time and they did not even know it.

But Talon knew everything.

The all knowing darkness. Keeping his loved ones safe from the shadows.

He would continue to do so. But unfortunately..... his father would have to die. He had already tried to have Katarina killed with the assassin already within the Demacian King's Guard. But she lived. Swain had tried to have her killed with the mission itself but she had still lived.

He was being made to choose between his sister and father. And he had made the choice already. Marcus would not make it past tomorrow.

Swain on the other hand was a cancer. Both to the lands of Noxus but also to his sister. He had infiltrated Swain's quarters multiple times and had seen what the man had to hide.

That arm of his.

The one that had been removed by the Ionian girl.

It was somehow back on his body. No one reattaches body parts. It wasn't possible. But Swain had made it so.

But he had instantly realized something wrong there. Swain was not magical. He had never exhibited any kind of magic.

So why had he radiated that much magic.

That single curiosity led him to shadow the man and figure out his secrets.

A demon.

He had made a deal with a demon. 

The arm? It was not a real arm but one created through demonic magic.

He did not know what kind of demon was involved but it was a demon nonetheless. 

The discovery had sent him on a journey to figure out everything he could about demons.... knowledge he needed to figure out how to kill the man in an instant despite the presence of the demon.

The same reasons had him research blood magic. His father would not be surviving because of a random chance created due to blood magic.

He closed his eyes as he listened to the rain fall. Trying to ignore the pain. Trying to fall asleep.

A plan formed in his mind.

A smile sprouted on his face.

A plan Gregori would appreciate.