A/N: I'M BA~CK! Yes ladies and gentleman I have returned with another one! I am sorry for the terrible delay(s) see the lower A/N for reason(s). For now I have something more important to discuss.

ONE! I am afraid this isn't the longest of chapters, but there were other things in the works that I have been experimenting with, namely another story idea that I may or may not post anytime soon. (Note this grammar may be wrong, what i'm trying to say is I will post it, just it may be a long time is all). Those of you into rebellions and revolutions are gonna love it ;)

TWO! For those that are previously uninformed, Marcus is the General's first name (I think. Don't ask for a citation I remember reading something along those lines three years ago when I was researching canon for this story. could I be wrong? Very much so, but this is fanfiction so who cares :D)

And THREE! I have been enormously grateful for all the support and positive encouragement/criticism this story received. To be honest I expected alot of people to just drop off this story due to all the breaks and their lengths. It warms me heart to see that isnt the case ;u; I truly appreciate you all for the encouragement and for giving your time to read and review. Ok, I've been a pathetic sap long enough. Go on, read. Enjoy! :D P.S. I hope you all enjoyed your respective Holidays, and this one's to an awesome New Year! WELCOME 2015!

"Wake up, Talon. Ta~lo~n." The voice calling out to him was low, soothing, and inviting. Talon could not move, see or feel anything. He was trapped in that stage between sleep and awareness known as sleep paralysis. "Come now, don't be shy." Now the voice slowly morphed into the steady clicks and hiss that have come to plague him so often. "Step into the shadows, and LET. US. EAT!" The voice had turned into a harsh demonic roar with a double voice echoing out into the dark. By twos, fours, and eights, glowing eyes began to open in the darkness before him. As the violet lights began to converge on him, all he could do was lie there and scream without a voice as the inevitable feast began again.

Talon's eyes snapped open, but he found that he could not scream or move. As his heartbeat slowed, and his mind regained awareness, Talon still found himself in the dark. However, in the distance was a small fire with two figures huddled around it for warmth. His eyes attempted to adjust to the small amount of light, however it only blinded him further. When he tried to move to confront the figures, he noticed his hands and feet were bound with some rope, and his mouth was muzzled by a strip of leather.

'What does this remind me of?' Talon decided that it was better if he never remembered and focused on trying to hear the two in front of him.

"He's been getting worse every time it happens."

'Katarina?' Talon thought.

"They've even managed to wound him before. He was alone for just ten minutes and he stumbles out of the bathroom with claw marks on his torso and a bite wound on his arm. I have no idea what's happening to him, but it seems like with every vision he's losing more of his mind."

Talon looked to the ground in shame. He vowed to own up to this fear, but it was easily overwhelming his will and driving him insane. 'Katarina was right… I am a coward.'

The second figure seemed to think for a moment before speaking up in a wise, deep, commanding tone. "It seems like what's happening to him is out of his control. Whatever this is, it's clearly not natural. Fear is an emotion that has been with all of mankind since the day the first human was born. Originally, fear was just another tool in our arsenal for survival. Fear warned us of danger, it told us whether an encounter was survivable or not, and it let us know when it was best to fight or flee. However, as mankind progressed to further reach its full potential, mankind had grown strong enough to have no use for fear when it comes to conventional threats. That is why fear is considered to be such a glaring weakness nowadays."

'No… it… it can't…' Talon broke out in a cold sweat as the man continued to speak.

"Now when we look at the case of Talon, his fear originates from a poisoning of his mind brought by something unnatural and never encountered before. His fear is no different than the fear used by the first men who walked upon Valoran. It warns him he is in danger, it tells him he won't live to see the end of this, and it recommends that he flee and survive. For him to go against such an instinct is to condemn himself to death, whether he's consciously aware of that fact or not. Funny how complicated the human mind can be, huh Kitty."

"Father, I told you to stop calling me that when I was twelve!" Katarina exclaimed.

The warm family moment lasted all of two seconds before it ended abruptly.

"Ha… haha… ahhahahahaha!" Talon began laughing hysterically through his muffle catching the attention of the pair by the fire.

After all this time, he had finally done it. He found the man who gave him his life back and then some; the man whom he could never repay. And it all starts by hearing about how insane he's gone followed by a warm family moment in this hellish landscape. It was all just so… ironic.

Katarina quickly came over to him and removed the leather strip from around his mouth. She gazed worriedly at him, hoping he didn't hear too much. He released a few more chuckles before finally being able to control himself enough to speak.

"It is good to see you again… mi'lord."

"Haaaaah!" Darius roared as he brought his axe down upon another solid steel wrecking ball. He managed to split it completely down the middle in one clean cut of his Noxian Guillotine.

"Finally." Commented Draven from the sidelines. Darius only offered a death glare as he breathed heavily from the act. The strength required to split said wrecking ball was immense. Considering the fact that Darius had been attempting to do this for the past hour nonstop just added to the exhaustion he was feeling.

Currently Darius and Draven were at the training grounds within the Mountain getting prepared for the League match that would be occurring the next day.

"Welp, now that Garen guy is sure to be screwed, but don't forget about their mage. We're going to have to work on our timing so we don't get in the way of each other when we handle those bastards." Draven drawled.

Darius grunted in agreement and lifted his axe once again. Draven set up two training dummies that were augmented by Viktor. Said augmentations allowed the dummies to move and fight as though they were real living fighters, thus vastly improving the methods of training among high ranking members in the military. Once they were "killed" the dummies would automatically switch from training mode to repair mode, and the pieces would begin to repair and rearrange themselves. As it stands, due to the rarity of the resources required to build them Viktor has only built four all of which were sold to Noxus for high amounts of "research funds".

"Ready, big bro?" asked Draven once the machines were ready.

"Let's do this." And with that, Darius charged forward while Draven threw his axes to cover him from the second dummy.

The sun had risen high in the sky over Demacia. The masses had gathered below the Demacian High Palace in the main city square. On this day, the King and Prince Jarvan the Third and Fourth, respectively, would announce the League match that would severely cripple their eternal enemies, the Noxians. Every citizen was in attendance to see their highnesses give words of future victory and a boost of morale in support of this political match. It was now that the king broadcasted his voice and image across every inhibitor crystal display within the city-state.

"I come before you, the people of Demacia to tell of our impending victory against the Noxian threat!" At this, the masses cheered for quite a few moments before settling down.

"The last match of such importance was four years ago when Ionia challenged Noxus for the second time to gain freedom for their lands. It was four years ago that Noxus fell victim to their own arrogance and that their reign of bloodshed in a once tranquil land had come to an end. I come before you all to tell you that Noxus has fallen once before, and they shall fall again!"

Once again the masses cheered on as their king promised them victory over their mortal enemies once and for all. As they quieted down, Prince Jarvan the Fourth came to speak.

"I know that the League has had unpopular favor since the Kalamanda Scandal from the past year, but that corruption has been weeded out and destroyed. The League of Legends was created so that we may do battle and prevent the loss of life that war so easily brings en masse to our people. It is with these words that I wish to impart on you that tomorrow I along with Garen and Luxanna Crownguard, Shyvana the Half-Dragon, and Xin Zhao shall be participating in a League match to ensure the crippling of Noxian operations, and the destruction of the weapon of mass destruction they are believed to be building out in the Shurima." The crowd was in an uproar as the people called out for the defeat of Noxus. Jarvan the Fourth raised his hand for silence, and his people obeyed.

"I would like to have my people's blessings for this match, so that we may fight, with no doubts, in the place of a people who refuse to be oppressed! I wish for your blessings so that we may know that this is the answer you desire! I desire your blessings so that we may end this ancient feud once, and for all!" And with these words, the citizens of Demacia screamed their approval at the images of their Prince. Prince Jarvan smiled softly and closed his eyes, now being sure that he made the right decision in fighting without first asking for the consent of his people. He then raised his head with resolution coursing through his being.

"It is with your approval that I make this solemn vow! Tomorrow, Noxus shall fall under the might of Demacia!" And with that, the city bellowed in a war cry that could be heard from miles away.

'It's been too long.' She thought as she approached the gates of her old home.

"Halt!" called one of the guardsmen from the gatehouse above her. Her only response was to raise her sword high above her head. The guardsmen gasped, and then scrambled to raise the portcullis and allow her passage into the mountain. She made her way past narrow alleyways, bustling underground markets, and the iconic moat separating the slums from the city. She passed through three more checkpoints before she finally entered the mountain.

'They've excavated more of it since I've been gone.' She thought idly as she made her way up the granite tunnels into the military district of the mountain.

She passed many guards, all of whom had higher ranks and titles the farther she ascended. All of them kept wary eyes on her, but allowed her to pass on until she reached her objective. Before long the air in the tunnels began to feel thinner and it required some effort to fill her lungs with enough oxygen. Higher still she climbed until eventually she came across two stone doors that were painted crimson and had onyx Noxian Insignias with gold rungs in their jaws. She pulled on one of the golden loops and entered to find an old man with a limp in the midst of feeding a large, six eyed raven. The room was cozy; it had a hearth tucked away to the side surrounded by lounge chairs, a large oak desk covered with stacks of paper, and a doorway that would lead further in to reveal a living space large enough to house all the officers in Noxus; all for one man.

The elder man spared her a glance before he continued feeding the carrion eater. He didn't seem overly surprised, or even the smallest bit happy, flying completely in the face of her hopes of a warm welcome home. As her high hopes faltered, the old man began to laugh.

After all this time, she decides now is better than any to return to her home and joy. With everything that has been happening, for her to arrive in the midst of all of his troubles is perhaps the only good thing to happen since this madness began. Now in a jovial mood, the elder fed the last of the rabbit leg to his raven and limped over to his desk to take a seat. He grabbed a stack of papers, organized them, and then placed them to the side as he reached into the bottom cabinet on his right and pulled out another, smaller, stack of papers and placed them facing the chair in front of him.

"Come, sit." He commanded.

The woman walked over to the desk and eyed the leather padded chair before his desk warily.

"That was an order." The old man said in a stern voice.

The woman sighed, and sat down. The old man then slid the papers in front of her with a pen on top of the stack. She raised a single eyebrow in question.

"I have been waiting a long time for you to finally come back. I began to think that I would succumb to old age before you decided to return." He said with a chuckle.

"And just what makes you think I came here to return to my old life?" She asked.

"Because if I remember correctly, your vow was something along the lines of, "I shall never return to Noxus until I can be redeemed for my sins." Well, it would appear as though you're back, so you must have ended your self-imposed exile. Isn't that right, Riven?"

The woman now identified as Riven nodded her head. "Yes, Swain, I did say I would not come home until I've found my redemption. But I still do not belong; I have not yet completed my task."

Swain raised an eyebrow and waited for her to explain herself.

"I have noticed the happenings recently around the world. Many blame Noxus for the mana out in the desert, but that is false. I know; I've been there. And the only Noxians out there are only old bones and torn flags. Now the world aims to use this to end my home, and while I may not yet have earned my return, I refuse to stand aside and see it burn."

At this Swain scoffed. However, what she said had some inkling of the truth. Noxus' odds would be vastly against it, so they would need to prepare for the worst. And preparing has been all he has done the moment the first report of Demacian aggression came in.

"Swain, I have returned home to lend my strength to its defense. I may not feel as though it is time, but I believe that maybe this is my redemption. To fight for the future of this land, so that the image of strength I once believed in may return with me."

Swain closed his eyes and took on a thoughtful gesture. While she may not have the ideal mindset, her strength and resolve are absolute, and she would make a vital asset should war come to pass. Swain then faced Riven with a look that would break the minds of many a lesser man.

"While I cannot say that you will come to accept my methods, I understand that no one knows war better than old veterans like us. That hell that we so thrive in is still a land of only death. There is no glory, no honor, no fame, and no fortune to be had from fighting in some godforsaken mud pit. I don't know what it is that you were hoping to find when you left us, but I can probably guarantee you that you won't find it anywhere fighting for a nation of war. Hearing this, do you still believe that this place is worthy of your sword, and life if need be it?"

Swain's words cut into Riven like a frosty dagger, chilling her to the bone and pushing her to brink of her resolve. He was telling her that this land was not worth her life, and that she should leave. And yet, despite hearing this, and despite the creeping doubt beginning to take root in her, she couldn't find it in her to say no. This place was her home, her birthplace, and the only place where she could truly belong. If she were to turn her back on it, then she would be an exile to the end of her days, and there would never be a chance of having a home again.

Forcing herself to meet Swain's gaze, Riven raised her head, and reached over to grab the pen. She signed every form, and then slid the pen and papers back to Swain.

"Are you certain that this is what you want? I won't have you joining my army with any lingering doubts." Swain asked, offering one last chance for Riven to leave and never return.

"I have spent enough time running away. This is the one place where I could ever belong, and so I will fight to keep it." Her mind cleared itself of any possible regrets and with the same determination that allowed her to wield her sword when she was a newly appointed officer Riven stood at attention and saluted Swain.

"Grand General Swain, First Lieutenant Riven reporting for duty."

After his fit of hysterics, Talon had forced himself to calm down. After finally being able to prove his sanity to the two wary DuCouteaus, he was untied and allowed to join them by the fire. He never realized how cold this place was until he sat by the warm flames and felt the vast difference between them and the air around him. To say that dinner was an awkward affair was an understatement. Between Talon's sanity slipping away, the unnatural and malicious aura the dark city emitted, and the fact that no one was willing to speak up after his awakening led to a tension so thick one could cut it with a knife.

Talon glanced over to look at the General. General Marcus Du Couteau had not changed much since his disappearance. He still wore the same crimson trench coat (although this one was sanitized of all medals) over a vest of black dragonscale armor. His pants were wool dyed a dark navy blue, and his boots were a dark grey that, like Talon's, were armored and rose up to his knees. On his back in a scarlet leather scabbard was an old, black iron longsword adorned with an obsidian Noxian insignia on the pommel.

His face barely changed at all. He certainly aged well, being at age forty-three and looking to be in his late twenties. His face held few if any wrinkles and he still managed to avoid earning any scars; just another testament to his skills as a soldier. His hair was still the same red as Katarina's, despite the few gray hairs weaving in among his locks. His once clean shaven face now hosted a stubble beard, and his hair had grown down to just above his shoulders.

Talon continued to eat his meal in silence along with the others, until eventually the last scarab beetle on his shish kebab was consumed. Still no one spoke, yet no one made any move to leave the fire.

Talon eventually grew tired of the silence and decided he may as well give his own report of the events leading up to this moment. "General, I believe Lady Katarina has already informed you of the events since our journey began."

The General leaned back and appraised him from across the fire. It astounded Talon how all it took was a slight curl down of his lip and the unblinking stare from his mirthless eyes to set him off. Talon kept his bearing and remained a passive statue despite his rebellious instincts telling him to return the gesture.

"Yes. I find it unsettling that she was the one informing me when I had clearly stated in my orders that I was expecting you, and you alone. Care to tell me why my daughter is the one upholding your duties?"

Talon sighed. He had expected this conversation to go poorly, but pressed on nonetheless.

"I had left Noxus alone in search of your whereabouts; however my disappearance brought about Lady Katarina's wrath. She searched for me in order to take disciplinary action-"

"Stop. Since when were you under her jurisdiction?" The General's voice cut sharp and deep, like a cold knife.

Talon hesitated before answering, "I pledged loyalty to you and you alone. When you vanished I continued to pay my debt to you through service to your family."

The General grinned devilishly. "And this gives her power over you?"

Talon clenched his jaw shut tightly and remained silent. He lowered his head and hid his eyes under his hood. If he didn't, his anger would show clear as day.

The General narrowed his eyes and muttered, "I thought so." Then, his mood swung from cruel to jovial as he clapped his hands and announced, "To be honest I had thought you would have left on your own the moment I was gone. I expected you to take your freedom and perhaps return to see how the family was doing every once-in-a-while. To find that you stayed and even forged a bond with my daughters is a welcome surprise!"

To say Talon was caught off guard was an understatement. His mouth hung open in surprise and his eyes, though hidden from view by his hood, were wide open.

The General smiled toothily at him and said, "Gods, boy, did you really think my first order of business in this place would be to decapitate you for bringing my daughter? It's been three years, if anything I can only be glad to see you and one of my daughters again."

Talon recovered from his mental shutdown enough to ask, "But what about my failure?"

"Oh, don't worry boy. Your punishment will come soon enough, but first we will need to finish this." The General answered offhandedly.

Once again the General became serious and motioned for Talon and Katarina to lean in and listen.

"Now listen Talon, and you too Kat. Now that you're here you may as well help us finish this. Three years ago during the beginnings of the Kalamanda Scandal, some agents of mine had started mentioning strange occurrences taking place in the eastern desert. I kept receiving reports of rampant sandstorms, disappearing caravans, and even some Noxian patrols disappearing never to be seen or heard from again. Normally I'd just blame it on the desert, or perhaps nature running its cruel course. What made me doubt that was the fact that all of said occurrences happened in the same general area, on the same day of the week. That day happens to be tomorrow."

"So then what happened to make you decide that it was important enough to investigate it yourself?" Katarina inquired.

"Because after I had ordered my agents to investigate I stopped receiving reports." He answered.

Katarina's and Talon's expressions turned grim.

"I had the exact same reaction. However, I couldn't just leave; my responsibilities as a general and as a father would have me remain here until I was truly needed by the state. I needed to leave, but without permission from the Grand General there was no way to. I had already been aware of the scandal for a long time by then, and I saw no need to pay it any mind until it became convenient for me. I decided to head here using the events of the Scandal to cover my escape. I cooperated with Jericho Swain in order to both fill in the role of General and allow me to leave undetected. Then I made my way to the place on the map marked by my informants."

"So that is how Swain was able to gain enough momentum to make the push for Grand General." Katarina remarked.

The General grinned half-heartedly. "I didn't hear news of that until I made my way back to Bilgewater to contact Talon. To think that old sod Boram killed over while I was gone is still slightly unbelievable to me. All my life I've lived under his reign. To think such a constant in my life is now gone… Well regardless he's gone and not even his necromancy is going to change that anymore. And we still have a mission to do."

"So what happened when you made it to the Shurima?" Talon asked.

"When I had arrived, I was at the base of the trench that led to this city. The strange thing was, there was no opening when I had arrived. So I searched for any evidence of my agents or for any signs of life. When I realized there was none to be found, I waited. And on the fifth day, in the middle of the night, the opening appeared. And with the opening on the next day came them."

"Them?" Talon asked.

"Yes, them. They are the monsters that we believed to be old legends, and stories made to scare us away from wandering in the desert. It turns out Icathia was real, and this place is it. Tomorrow when night falls an opening in the barrier between our world and the world we know as The Void opens. However the opening is closed for now due to old spells and seals woven into the infrastructure of this city. Whatever ancient civilization built this place had known what was happening and managed to seal it away forever, like the old tombs of Shurima. But nothing truly lasts forever, and everything weakens with time. It appears as though this place is no different."

"So that means…"

"Yes, Talon. The seals are eroding, and the Void-born are making a push to create a tear in the barrier between our worlds. The ones that I saw were vastly weakened from the amount of power it took just to cross the dimensional plane. I finished them off with ease, however a few have managed to slip past. From what I understand, those are now the void creatures currently bound to the League. If they accomplish the task of creating a new portal, then the world will be nothing more than a feast for those monstrosities." Marcus concluded.

Talon lowered his head, and clenched his jaw shut tight. His fingers slowly curled into fists and shook. He looked furious, but inside another state of mind took root; he was terrified. The visions, the nightmares, the torture, pain, suffering, and horror were all really warnings of this. If he failed here then nothing would stop them all from coming true.

He could see them now, the mandibles and mouths snapping in anticipation. The greedy, beady-eyes of the acid spitting larvae like Kog'Maw forcing tubes of poison and corrosion down his throat. His stomach rupturing and spilling even more acid over his-

"Talon?"

Talon snapped his head up and immediately relaxed. Katarina had moved next to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. She looked worried, and right behind her he could see Marcus giving him a look of sympathy. Talon lowered his head in shame and lightly shook her hand off of him.

"I'm sorry…" He muttered.

"Don't be." She replied.

Marcus watched the two's interaction with interest, but decided this would be the part when he gives the two a cold splash of reality.

"While I am definitely intrigued by this development, unfortunately we have a job to do." He announced with a wide grin.

His student and child nodded their heads towards him quickly; one trying desperately to prevent the flush from appearing on her cheeks, the other angling his head to the floor to hide his face among the shadows.

'Three years and messing with you both is still too easy.' The old general thought with devious delight.

"Alright! When you two are ready, follow me."

A/N: GOOD GOD ITS BEEN AWHILE! Now I apologize, I understand these long breaks are terribly frequent, but I feel they are necessary. I am busy with college (although as of late I have been on break so that's no excuse) as well as fighting writer's block with a fiery passion. Just to clear up a little if I haven't already, the reason I don't have a set update schedule is because I write when I feel the overwhelming urge to create something people can enjoy. I know that all of you wish to see more and see it sooner, hell so do I since I am an avid reader on this site, but I feel like on the writing end of it I won't make something worth reading if my heart and soul aren't in on it. So there's times that come and go when that inspiration hits me hard and I write for a few hours, and then there's a week or so of boring mindless drole. I could force myself to write more frequently to try and improve these delays, but then I look back and I say, "NON NON NON, THAT IS THREE NONS!" (Brownie points to my fellow Otakus out there that can list this reference). Generally, I look at it and say that's not worth posting. I hope that enlightens those of you a bit more, and if not, oh well. Write a story about how you'd brutalize me until I write more (Wait... didn't Steven King write a book like that? (Its called Misery ;D)). Anyways, I'm sorry about my posting actions. It may seem inconsiderate, but to be honest I do it so that I still enjoy writing this as well as keeping up your enjoyment in reading this.

Also, I don't know how well this... is interpretation the word? Whatever, I don't know how well my showing of Marcus Du Couteau might play over to my wonderful audience, but I just went with the first kind of personality that came to mind. A bit carefree, but with an underlying seriousness that can take hold when it so desires. I imagine that all those years ago when Talon and the General had their confrontation that Talon would have backed off if he knew how dangerous the man really was. Instead he stayed and fought, which means for some reason he had to see Marcus as below him. Perhaps Marcus' personality was so unprofessional, or carefree that Talon saw him as some old fool, only for that assumption to cost him his freedom (but it did reward him with so much more). Anyways, I know it may seem ridiculous to worry, but all the interpretations shown by other authors of the General have some kind of dark, foreboding, yet caring father type mindset. I wanted to try and replicate that, but in my writing I constantly reverted back to the kind of banter I showed here. So, any criticism on how I did, if its sensible or not to leave him that way, etc. is vastly appreciated.

And I believe that covers everything I wanted to ask you all. As of the moment I post this, it should have just turned to the new year, so I hope you all had a wonderful holidays, and a memorable (in the good way) past year. I raise my glass to you all in hopes for an even greater New Year! Cheers!

Until next time, Live and Die By the Blade.