Legends of Runeterra

"I told you to stop talking," the Runesmith glared at him, "He's here to take care of the beasts, he doesn't need to do anything else."

Marit laughed, her eyes narrowed in amusement. Teneff looked at Tifalenji and asked, "What about you, Runesmith? Where were you sent?"

"A long way from here," she answered, and the strange glint in her eyes assured Erath that this was all the others would hear of her experiences.

Sleep was a luxury for soldiers. Any uninterrupted rest was precious, rivaled only by a good meal or a pair of fine leather boots. Erath had tried to adjust to the Atoniad's rocking, but his sleep was always sporadic. Back on solid ground, he could finally, after work, spread his cloak on the smooth hay bale next to the animal pen, rest his head on his backpack, and sleep soundly. He should be able to sleep for several hours before the morning feeding.

But just as he closed his eyes, he heard a sharp, cold sound. A knife pressed against his neck.

"Do as I say and don't make a sound, or I'll cut your neck."

Erath opened his eyes. It was still hours before dawn, and the moon overhead was like a silver sickle. He was being lifted up. His own knife was taken away. They walked together, Erath cautiously and slowly, his hands raised within sight, as he was led to the edge of the camp.

Several figures stood in front of him. He heard the growls of several hounds, and the figures gradually became clearer. They were Ariel and Marit, and the one kneeling on the ground was the Runesmith.

"What on earth are you doing in Ionia, boy?" a voice demanded, pushing him down to his knees beside Tifalenji. He could make out Teneff's voice behind him.

"I--"

"He knows nothing," Tifalenji said calmly. Teneff removed the dagger from Erath's throat and walked around to the runesmith.

"What do we know about you?" Teneff glanced at the other two veterans. "Documents can be forged, military orders can be forged."

"My orders are true," Tifalenji said with a calmness so remarkable it frightened even Erath. "The power you are testing is equally real. Resistance is futile."

Marit cocked her head. "Does this kid even know who you're looking for? Who exactly do you want us to find?"

"He knows what he needs to know, and that's it."

"Perhaps it's time to let him know," Teneff said, looking down at Erath. "You're looking for a ghost. A Noxian hero who died honorably. Our comrade." She gestured to Ariel and Marit. "Our sister!"

"She's still alive," the Runesmith said.

"Nonsense!" Teneff whispered. "Tell me, why should I believe a word you say? Why shouldn't I kill you right now?"

"Because the forces I serve don't make that mistake. If they say she's alive, then she must be alive. You all fought alongside her on the Empire's orders. Now the Empire orders us to find her and bring her back. My authority outweighs the military here; they don't know our mission, nor should they."

"What evidence do you have?" Marit asked persistently.

"Her sword." Tifalenji sighed. The other women froze.

"What happened to the sword?" Teneff asked.

"She tried to destroy it, you see?" the Runesmith said, taking a deep breath, his eyes pulsing the color of emerald. "But she failed. The magic imbued within the sword cried out at the desecration. My masters heard it. They saw the person who did it, clearly, practically in the same room as she was. That's how we know."

"If she is still alive," Teneff said, "she is a deserter, and you are asking us to become deserters. Deserters deserve death."

Tifalenji met Teneff's gleaming gaze. "Successfully complete this mission, help me track her down, and bring her back to Noxus for trial. You will not be punished. Ask yourselves, we have sacrificed so much here, how could her betrayal not hurt you? How can you forgo justice and ask for answers to why she has lived in shame for so many years?"

A dark silence enveloped the group. Teneff, Marit, and Ariel all exuded tension, ready to draw swords at any moment. Erath steeled himself. He hated these secrets and did not want to die in Fae'lor, his death unclear.

"We'll go with you."

All eyes fell on Ariel. These were her first words since Erath was brought in. Marit turned to the Stalker. "You're just going to make the decision for us?"

"I'm in charge," Ariel said calmly. She cleared her throat, and Erath sounded pained for her. "Because we're soldiers, all of us. Soldiers follow orders. But more than that, she's our sister. And as sisters, there's a way."

Marit glared at Ariel, her black eyes fierce and fiery, but she softened. "Explanation," she repeated.

Teneff gritted her teeth, and the other two veterans nodded. She lifted the Runecrafter by the collar, but didn't let go. "If I even suspect you're lying, I'll chop off your head, old witch."

"I speak only the truth," Tifalenji said. "We have lost time enough. We must journey deep into the heart of the First Lands, and we must do so now."

Tifalenji finally looked at Erath. "What I said to them is as true for you, swordboy. Come with us, care for the beasts, and obey our commands, and you will be rewarded."

"I am a loyal warrior of Noxus," Erath declared. "I will fulfill my duty without backstabbing or threats of death. The Empire commands me to be your swordboy, and I will do it. I ask only one question."

Tifalenji looked at Erath calmly. "Ask."

"Who is she?" Erath asked. "Who are we looking for?"

The Runesmith drew his sword. "She has probably changed her name by now, to the new name of the First Earth."

The runes she had carved on the blade now leaped into the air, drawing a trajectory that led them to that dark and mysterious land.

"But in Noxus, we call her Riven."