Should We Meet Again

Chapter Five

There were a number of things Talon was not a fan of in the world. Mages, for one, always managed to get on his nerves. Whether it was due to his own inability to control magic as freely as they did, or the arrogance that came with having vast amounts of power at one's beck and call, something about them rubbed him the wrong way. Another thing that tended to get on his nerves was senseless optimism. The world as he knew it was a cruel and unforgiving place that didn't care about you at all; and there was always someone bigger than you ready to step on you to get a leg up for themselves. In a place like that, optimism seemed wildly out of place. It was almost always unwarranted, and when it did make its way into people's hearts, it seemed more like a weakness than anything else. To Talon, optimism was just denial, a childish refusal to see things how they truly were: indifferent and unfair. The third and final thing that Talon couldn't stand was naiveté. It was irresponsible and utterly foolish to waste opportunities to learn. Knowledge is the greatest weapon one could have, and as such, everyone should strive to know as much as they could. That was the least you could do to keep your head above the water's surface. So how was it that he managed to get stuck with someone that was the sheer embodiment of all three of those things?

Talon looked over his shoulder and leered at the woman behind him. Brown hair, tan skin, she was a typical Shuriman nomad. But of course, she was a mage, so it was to be expected that high command send him all the way to Mount Targon to escort her back to Noxus the second he could walk. They had been on the road for days, passing from noxtoraa to noxtoraa, and yet the dignitaries accompanying her still hadn't run out of rosy bullshit to feed the poor girl about how well she would be treated in Noxus. To make matters even more irksome, he had to watch her eat it all up. Perhaps Shuriman nomads weren't exceptionally well versed in the ways of diplomatic sophistry, but this was unbearable. He almost felt sorry for the girl. She was following them expecting a new life free from the chains that her uncontrolled powers had on her, but in reality, she would be trading her proverbial set for real ones. She would be bound to some lord or general and forced to become their instrument. She would learn, but she would have to act against her will. If this woman's spirit was as free as it seemed, Noxus would be hell for her.

The girl's eyes met his, and he turned away having realized his gaze had lingered too long.

"Hey, you," she called, her voice cutting off the ramblings of the two dignitaries that accompanied them.

"Milady," one of the dignitaries said, "it may not be wise to seek conversation with our escort; it is likely you will not find him very agreeable."

"That's nonsense," the woman answered. "No one willing to spend days on end guarding a complete stranger can be all bad." She returned her attention to the hooded assassin in front of her. "Hey, I know you hear me. I never got your name."

"It's Talon."

"Talon huh? Not your real name I take it."

"I don't have a real name," he replied.

"Well I just wanted to say thanks for this. I really appreciate it." A short grunt was all that came as a reply. "You know I'm not really comfortable not knowing the only person in our group with a weapon. Do you mind if we talk a little?"

He really didn't want to talk to her, but at the same time, it would probably beat listening to her being lied to for the remainder of their trip back to Noxus. "If you insist."

The young woman broke her leisurely stride and jogged a short ways, stopping and matching pace once she had reached Talon's side. "So what do you do Mr. Talon?" she asked. "I doubt they would send just anyone to escort a mage."

"I'm an assassin that works under one of Noxus's highest ranking military officials."

"An assassin? Why would they send an assassin as an escort? Why not some kind of warrior?"