"Cats make great companions! Just ask my master... who disappeared under mysterious circumstances."~ Yuumi, The Magical Cat
Arc ends with his chapter.
I will take a day off tomorrow. If I feel like it I'll upload. Lets see.
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"Are we leaving now?"
Rell frowned in the direction of the voice.
"What you frowning at?"
"Do you stop speaking?" Rell asked as she stared at the floating spear. "Not only that, can you make yourself look less hideous?"
Caalyx was whole. His spearhead and shaft united. They looked him look like a true living weapon. The single blinking eye now had veins connecting the entire spear to it, pulsing. Gregori had held the spear.
He had never forgotten that feeling from the first time he had held Caalyx. And his brother.
It was like holding a stick made of meat. It was odd. Unnatural. There were shards of bone jutting out of the spear now but it wasn't the whole spear. In any case, it should have been more flexible that it actually was. But it was hard. Like an actual weapon made of the finest metals. Another thing was the blood pumping through the weapon at all times. He could feel it through touch.
It was not a pleasant experience.
Especially without skin or fur. Just raw flesh.
"Gregori!" Caalyx called, "Discipline this petulant child right this instant!" He spoke with an exaggerated flourish.
"Drop the fake accent Caalyx." Gregori shot back. "And she is right. Stop talking all the time. It is getting old. Fast."
"You too?" Caalyx exclaimed as if wounded, "I thought we had something special Greggy."
Gregori tilted his head in the direction of the complete spear.
WHOOOSH
Runic wrapping flew around the weapon and sealed it completely.
Muffled sounds came out of the sealed weapon as it shook.
"Thank you." Rell muttered as she walked outside to her siblings.
Gregori snorted and smiled.
A few moments later, the group began to leave Eileen's home. To the Southern end of Demacia.
The docks.
Their walk took them through the streets of Demacia once again.
"You know what?" Sydell spoke out loud.
"What?" Daani asked.
"The white. Its growing on me." Sydell said. "Nice and bright."
"I don't like it." Daisy instantly replied.
Sydell turned around, "Why?" He seemed genuinely confused.
"White is for Freljord." Daisy said as if that answered everything.
Sydell just blinked in response.
Faye pushed him forward, "Keep walking."
Briar and Annie walked next to Gregori, vying for their parent's attention.
"Are we going to the sea daddy?" Briar asked the question that was burning through her.
Gregori looked at her and waited.
Briar looked at him without blinking. She had started doing that.
Not blinking.
It was a recent change. After her transformation.
"Natural Darkin." Caalyx had called it.
After what seemed like an eternity to Briar, he nodded with a smile.
"THE SEA!" Briar exclaimed loudly, her fists swinging in happiness.
"Will the sea be fine for Tibbers daddy?" Annie asked. She knew that water stopped fire. And Tibbers was just fire.
Gregori shook his head. "No amount of water can stop Tibbers firefly. None."
"Hear that Tibbers!" Annie hugged the doll, "Nothing can stop us!"
"It." Gregori corrected. "Water will stop your fire." He told Annie. There was no need to lie to her. It would be a bad thing if she began to believe herself invincible and end up getting herself killed.
Harsh truths now would ensure safety later.
A good motto to live by.
The group entered the shops of Dregbourne. The people bustled past as they went to buy fresh produce and the like.
No one cared for them. Except for the occasional person being shook out of their daily routine after coming close to either one of the beasts. The kids found it endlessly amusing. Even Rell smirked each time it happened.
They walked past the center and Gregori caught sight of a familiar store. This time decorated with flowers.
Intrigued, he walked toward the shop.
"Hey!" The red haired shop keep asked. "Been a while since I saw you lot! Got anything you'd like to sell to me?"
Gregori shook his head. The rest of the items from Freljord would sell for higher in Targon. It wouldn't be optimal to sell them here. "What's with the flowers?"
She blushed.
One of the nearby shopkeepers guffawed, an older man. "Celebration lad."
Gregori turned to him in askance, as he tried remembering his name.
"The lad. Roman. He made his move." He pointed to the red haired woman. Millian. He remembered her name. "They are a couple now."
Gregori seemed pleasantly surprised as he looked at the man, Liam. He remembered him too. "Congratulations Miss Millian."
She smiled happily.
"Soon to be missus!" An older woman called from the side.
Those in earshot all chuckled happily.
Millian blushed a little more.
"Lets hope she has as many children as this man here." Another older man pointed toward Gregori.
Gregori smiled at the comment. The people needed positive things. This was one of them.
"Hey! Stop harassing the traveler." Millian sternly said. "I apologize for the fossils."
Gregori shook his head, "No need to apologize. They did not mean any harm from this."
"So you are leaving?" Millian asked.
Gregori nodded.
"Did you enjoy Demacia?" She asked curiously.
"Hmm.." Gregori fell into thought, "Well I did achieve some of the things I had set out to do. So yeah. I enjoyed it."
"Any plans on returning?" She asked.
Gregori shrugged, "Maybe one day."
"I remember these beasts." A voice spoke as it came closer. "I remember you too."
Gregori turned.
It was the boy in question. Roman.
Gregori smiled, "Congratulations."
Roman looked at Millian with a lovestruck smile, "It is because of you, you know?"
"Me?"
"Yes. She thought I was asking for a meeting through you." Roman explained, "Then we did meet up and the place started shaking. Rumors of giants fighting and a war on the horizon began. In that moment I made the decision. I asked the one question I thought I would regret not asking if I died." He turned back to her with a dopey smile, "She said yes."
"Wow!" Faye exclaimed as she clutched her hands.
Daani looked happy for them as well.
The others just seemed uncaring.
Roman took in their packed bags and the like, "So..... leaving?"
Gregori nodded.
And then heads began turning. All the way toward the center.
Gregori turned as well.
Walking toward them, in full armor, was an angry Eileen.
"Ah." Gregori sighed. He had forgotten to say goodbye in the morning and Eileen had gone to take care of something. He guessed that they had said their goodbyes yesterday and that would be enough.
"You left without a word!" She exclaimed.
"Milady!" The nearby people bowed.
Eileen stared at Gregori, who replied, "I thought you would be coming too late."
"Yoouuuu-" Eileen began.
"Look!" Briar said as she pointed to the couple. "Daddy made them a couple!"
"Huh?" Eileen turned to the two. "What?" Then she turned to Gregori, "You knew people in the market?"
"It seems so?" Gregori answered with a question of his own.
"Well congratulations to the two of you." Eileen wished them happily before turning to Gregori. "And you forgot Willa."
"No we didn't." Gregori shook his head.
"She said that she would come to the docks by carriage with some of the items. We didn't want to burden the beasts." Gregori explained.
"You know each other?" Millian asked incredulously.
Eileen turned to her exasperatedly, "He is my brother."
The eyes of the people nearby widened as they looked at Gregori. Their eye color and hair definitely matched.
Gregori nodded, "Unfortunately she is my younger sister."
"I am wringing your neck for that." Eileen pushed out as she reached for his neck.
"Aunty! Daddy!" Daisy called, "Lets go!"
Eileen stopped and sighed, "Fine."
Gregori turned to the couple, "Congratulations once again. I hope the two of you have a happy family."
"Uh.. Thanks.." Roman answered in confusion.
Millian nodded with a smile.
The group then continued toward the docks.
"He was a noble?" Liam asked out loud.
Roman kept looking in the direction, "Not like any noble I've ever seen."
"Seemed like a normal lad." An older woman spoke, "It seems they come in all shapes and sizes."
"Never seen one with a happy family though." Another commented.
"Well you saw one today." Millian muttered before turning around, "Get to work now. We have got stock to empty."
-x-
"THE SEA!" Briar squealed as she ran to the edge of the docks, her arms spread wide open as she took in the vast expanse of blue in front of her.
The others also ran up to see it. They had seen pictures of it. But none of them had seen an body of water stretching out do far that they couldn't see the end.
Gregori looked at the group with a smile as he began to load up their belongings on a ship. A ship that was a curtesy of the king.
As he bent to pick up another large bag, a sturdy pair of arms picked them up and began to move it onto the ship.
"We are here to see you off." Pieter said as the two watched Garen move the bags. "Say the word Gregori." Pieter said seriously. "Just one word."
Gregori shook his head, "I.... I can't Pieter. Not yet."
"Why?" Tianna asked. Her eyes held unshed tears. "Is it that I was married before?"
Gregori shook his head immediately. "Demacia is the reason Tianna." He looked past them and at the kingdom behind them. "It is going to need all the help it needs for now. And you are one of their core military members. Your family will need you and your strength. Once things are stable here and I have created a solid footing for myself in Targon..... then.... we can try out whatever that exists between us."
Pieter looked hopeful, "I hope you are not joking about this Gregori."
Gregori shook his head. "We both have things we need to do beforehand. Once it is done. Then we can try."
"Then I will be waiting for your letters Gregori." Tianna informed.
Gregori nodded, "I will be expecting your replies as well."
"Meanwhile, I think I will try my hand at being a parent as well." Tianna smiled.
Gregori seemed surprised.
"Rayn." Tianna said. "She needs someone. And I think I can be there for her."
A genuine smile sprang up on Gregori's face. "Then I will expect the two of you when all is said and done."
The group then boarded the ship. Willa included.
As the ship pulled out of the docks and into the open sea, Gregori and the children turned to the people at the docks.
The Crownguard trio and Eileen.
"BYE BYE!" Briar screamed as she waved both hands.
Gregori followed her example and waved to them.
The children, all did the same. Stopping and turning around after a couple waves. But Gregori and Briar kept looking back.
"Will you miss them daddy?" Briar asked.
Gregori placed a hand on her head an ruffled her hair, "I think I will Briar." He looked at the shrinking city of Demacia. "I think I will."