Jinx Unchained

Chapter Two

The mood was grim in the Council's chamber as Caitlyn and Calvert walked in. The entire Council was seated along their judge's bench, raised up on its dais, and seemed to almost be glaring at the two of them. Calvert, for his part, didn't appear to be in any better mood, as he hadn't spoken a word to her since their encounter with Martin, Jinx and Lux at the Hextech shop, a little over twelve hours ago.

As they approached the dais, Caitlyn saw that two podiums had been erected, centered in front of the Council's and facing towards them. Calvert took the podium on the right, and Caitlyn, without any instructions to the contrary, took the one on the left. She frowned slightly at the setup. Things were never this... formal, normally?

Jayce stood up from his seat in the middle of the Council's bench and almost absent-mindedly straightened his white jacket. Caitlyn pursed her lips as she observed him, her mind racing. She doubted anyone but her and Mel Medarda even recognized that gesture on his part, but it meant he was faced with something he didn't want to do. As she looked at the Council in front of her, she noticed almost absently that they were all dressed in white. She began to get a suspicious feeling about the way things were arranged in the room.

"Sheriff, Lieutenant," Jayce said, his voice loud and clear. "Please present the Council your report on last night's robbery."

"Sir!" Calvert said, giving off a smart salute. Caitlyn ground her teeth together in annoyance. He was such a toady. How had she never noticed that? Or had he really changed that much from before she was relieved from her duty as Sheriff and went to Ionia?

"Last night, as the dinner you so graciously provided came to an end, and as you and Lady Medarda know, we were alerted by an alarm coming from the new Hextech shop owned by the Ferros family, which was due to open today. I, as well as our lieutenants, Caitlyn Kiramman, Damira Drakefell and Kelana Neilannar, responded immediately, as did our newest lieutenant, Camille Ferros. We arrived in time to interfere with the robbery that was in progress."

Caitlyn was barely able to contain her snort. The four of them who were human hadn't arrived in time at all. If it hadn't been for that... woman, Camille, they would have all arrived just in time to watch Martin and Jinx take off in the distance, with their newly acquired weaponry.

Calvert continued, "We engaged in battle with the perpetrators, whom we soon learned were, in fact, the Outlaws: Jinx, Martin and Luxanna Crownguard. They were also—"

"She is a Crownguard no longer," Councilor Tariost interrupted. "We have received word from Demacia that its government is aghast at the acts of terrorism perpetrated by their official representative, and they have offered an official apology to Piltover for her betrayal. Her family has disowned her, and the Demacian crown has assured us that any political protections she previously enjoyed have been revoked. She is now merely Luxanna, no longer of Demacia. Whatever fate we deem fitting for her horrifying actions—and her culpability in the Airship assault on our citizens—will not be opposed by the Demacian Crown."

"That is excellent news," Jayce said. "Did your father inform you of this?"

"Yes, Lord Talis. He arrived early this morning, two days earlier than expected due to favorable winds, and..."

Caitlyn's attention dwindled as she pondered the implications of that statement. Surely Luxanna would have known that the Crown would take such actions against her, if perhaps not to that level of detail. For her to still go through with it, and betray her home country like that, had to indicate that she really loved Jinx. Why else condemn yourself to a life as a pariah, disowned by your family, outcast from your country, with no-one else on your side except for Jinx and Martin. Would the same thing happen to... She felt a pang of pain shoot through her stomach as her thoughts turned to Vi. Had Vi just done the same thing? Turned her back on Piltover forever, causing her to become Outlaw? Would she be forced to denounce Vi the same way Luxanna's family had denounced her? Her lip wobbled at the thought, and she had to ball her fists and dig her nails into the palms of her hands to not burst into tears in front of everyone.