[Fanfiction] Fracture - Chapter 8 (2)
PROLOGUE: http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/fancreations/fZAXxjHA-fanfiction-fracture PREVIOUS CHAPTER: http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/fancreations/2zQ3Hvbc-fanfiction-fracture-chapter-7
Fanfiction.net link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10770866/1/Fracture
Genres: Suspense/Drama/Mystery/a lot of others Characters: Leona, Caitlyn, Nasus, Kassadin, too many to list
Summary: The machine that sustains the lethal matches of the League fails. Events spiral outwards. (Character death.)
Note: Thanks to word limitations I have to separate this chapter into two parts. Previous Part: http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/fancreations/9OfywUzq-fanfiction-fracture-chapter-8-1
REPRIEVE
He despised forests, and he despised long treks through wilderness, but most of all he despised not having some kind of alcohol on hand to sugar the pill.
Graves squinted, shielding his eyes with one hand in a somewhat vain attempt not to get blinded by the morning sun. With a little bit of shade, he could see a road in the distance, just barely visible through the thicket.
"Found the main path," he reported over his shoulder, glancing briefly at what remained of the group of stragglers that'd emerged from the Institute's ruins.
They'd lost two and gained two. The sheriff insisted she had other business to attend to and broke off with them soon as they cleared the area. The swordsman only stuck it out with them as far as the first forest, but he set off his own once they'd hit one of the tributaries that branched off the Serpentine River – told them that he'd get to Demacia faster on his own, the slippery bastard. He probably didn't want to deal with the newcomers. Now they were more of an interesting story.
The Outlaw cast a wary look at the remaining members of their party. They met up with the first when the sounds of destruction had quieted and he convinced Fortune to come with him to check out the facility quick-like and make sure it was all empty. The second was an unpleasant surprise they'd found skulking around in the Ionian branch.
Really, if he wanted to be technical, they'd only actually gained one other person. The second wasn't honestly with them by will.
"How long do you think she can keep him bound like that?" the Bounty Hunter whispered to him, coming up on his right side.
"Well, if Miss Karma's got as much force of will as she claims," he replied lowly, "I reckon long enough."
"Why do you think he was even in the clinic in the first place?"
"Hell if I know. Was hanging around in there like he had business."
"I don't like it." She shivered, rubbing at her arms. "I remember when he first came to the League. A real nightmare, that one. Now he's loose and wandering around, and for who knows how long before then."
"Well." Graves shrugged, gesturing towards the pair behind them with the slightest nod of his head. "She seems to have him under control."
"See if it lasts," she muttered under her breath.
If he hadn't been sure that the woman in question was probably completely focused on keeping Nocturne tethered to her and completely incapacitated, he might've had qualms about yapping about her while she was standing right behind him. Regardless, she was reciting some weird Ionian incantations about a mile a minute, so he highly doubted it was going to be an issue.
The Eternal Nightmare seemed to glance at him – empty eyes that drew a shudder from the base of his spine despite himself – straining slightly against his spiritual chain. For a moment, he thought he could see a sneer, but the Outlaw shook the image from his mind. A few days out with the ghost was getting to him was all it was.
They came onto the road, finally – a gravel piece of work. Hell for horses, but good enough for walking, he supposed. If memory served, he was relatively certain it was one of the many winding paths that could get them to that high-horse mess of a holier-than-thou city-state. Even if it couldn't, wasn't like they much cared where they ended up. Graves had a feeling the Terror of the Void hadn't run off to frolic in the meadows of the wilds, and he was none too keen on seeing him again.
The only reason why they were trying to get to Demacia in the first place was because of Karma. He paused very briefly in his trudging up the gravel road to shoot a quick glance at her. How the woman walked all this way with her eyes closed was beyond a mystery to him, but Ionian mysticism was some crazy stuff. Still, she had informed them up-front that her tether would not be indefinite, and if they didn't think they were capable of putting him down, they'd better get someplace with the facilities to contain him.
Personally, he suspected she was leaving out that she was itching to hitch a ride back to Ionia via airship. If Demacians had anything worthwhile, it was convenient transportation. And liquor, he supposed, but nothing compared to Bilgewater grog – that stuff practically burned through your liver. Fortune made him try her concoctions sometimes, when she was preparing for the annual GrugMug Grog Slog.
"What are we going to do once we get there?" asked the Bounty Hunter with a huff, fiddling with her hat. "I'm not like you careless lot, I still have a ship and a crew to get back to."
"Cross that bridge when you get there," he answered gruffly, not even bothering to look at her.
"And I still need new clothes!" she cried, completely ignoring his reply. "These rags are filthy." He could almost envision the pout he would see if he snuck the glance.
"Three days ain't gonna ruin your clothes, Fortune. You been on a ship - they can last at least that long."
"That's because you're a slob who doesn't give a damn about good hygiene," she shot back. "Some of us like to be clean."
"Spending a little time on the road every now and then don't make me a heathen, you know."
"Really?" Her voice practically dripped sarcasm. The woman could be so catty sometimes. "I wouldn't have guessed."
They were reaching a bend in the road now, where the surrounding forest became thick again, and the sunlight spotty. To his irritation, the morning had shifted towards noon and it was starting to get hot. He had a considerably high tolerance for heat, but that didn't mean he liked it.
On top of that, walking was just dull; nothing to look at but trees and trees and dirt with no real company for the road. He liked Fortune, really, but when she got onto her harping it was enough to make his ears bleed. Graves sighed to himself, rubbing at his beard. He just wanted to swing into some town, some tavern and eat some real food. Squirrels got old after a few meals – the little varmints didn't even have that much meat on them anyway.
"I'd fancy some chicken," he muttered to himself, gazing around at the overhanging foliage. "Or something tender, like – "
Something came bursting out of the trees – several somethings, in fact – thrashing around in the air and cawing at the top of their lungs.
"Crow," finished the Outlaw thoughtfully, stopping to watch the spectacle before him.
Fortune made a shrill kind of sound, whirling around to look as a huge flock burst from the forest. In the midst of them, a figure tore through, landing in a heap on the gravel road. A familiar hat tumbled to the ground.
"Damn he's persistent," the newcomer grunted, getting to his feet.
Graves reached slowly for his gun.
The figure snatched up his hat and brushed off his coat, looking up to greet them. "Howdy-do, fo- oh shit."
"Howdy-do," returned Graves with a wide grin, "partner."
Twisted Fate backed up, a hand placed defensively on his hat. Crows were still cawing in the distance, but the Outlaw hardly cared.
"Well isn't this a coincidence?" laughed the Card Master, and to his grim satisfaction, Graves thought he could hear the slightest tone of nervousness in his voice.
He pulled up his shotgun, giving it a good cock. "I guess you could call it destiny."
The false pleasantry in his former partner's face melted away into stone-cold seriousness.
"Now you listen here, hotshot, I'm in a little bit of a hurry."
"Well that's just too bad, isn't it?" replied the Outlaw, smile turning steely. "You know what I have to do."
Miss Fortune took a step back, falling in line with Karma and Nocturne. The storm of crows seemed to be getting thicker and thicker.
"Malcolm...?" she called, warily.
"Figures," muttered Fate, voice low. He scowled, spitting in the dirt. "Only two jokers in the deck and I get dealt you."
.
.
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Next Chapter: http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/fancreations/Wksy4MBf-fanfiction-fracture-chapter-9-1
