"Think you're a dragon slayer? Come here and try."~ Shyvana, The Half-Dragon
Comment please! Or leave a review!
Man... I'm swamped with assignments. Writing this chapter took so much out of me. So if it feels underwhelming... let me off this one time.
Let me know if the dialogue is falling flat.
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"They refused to stay inside huh?" Gregori pushed out through the exhaustion. "I should have expected it...."
He knew what would happen now. It was all quite obvious.
Standing before him, at the gates, were an entire battalion of guards. All of them stood with their weapons raised in his direction.
The battle was tiring. The walk was even more so. But whatever that happened next would be worse.
If only they didn't kill him by mistake now.
Dragging his feet, Gregori reached the gates and the guards. Their spears were pointed at him as they quickly surrounded him.
"Bring someone higher up will you?" Gregori asked with a smile on his face.
"Shut up!" One guard said as he waved his spear a bit.
Gregori found it cute that the guards thought they were intimidating him. Like children waving a stick in front of their parents. No. His children were stronger than these lot.
They were just pathetic.
"Fine." Gregori replied. He dropped the weapons in his hand to the ground and stepped forward.
The action led the guards in front of him to back up.
A few steps later, Gregori gently placed the boy on the ground and returned to his original position. "That." Gregori pointed to the boy. "Is Lady Fortis's son."
The guards looked at the boy.
"He needs medical assistance." Gregori explained. "One of you should take him to receive the help he needs." He sat on the ground right next to his weapons and leaned back with his hands as support. "I will wait right here."
The guards who had backed up looked at each other and slowly stepped forward. Their spears trembled as they did. As the reached the boy, a couple of soldiers quickly picked the boy up and carried him inside the gates.
"Why are you lot so afraid?" Gregori asked half confused.
The guards did not reply, instead stood still, just watching him.
Gregori sighed as he hung his head. "Fine. I'll just sit here waiting for someone to come talk to me."
As he took some time to relax, he started observing his surroundings, the guards and the sounds around him.
They were all afraid. Afraid of him.
Putting a few things together, Gregori guessed that the guards who had seen him transform would have reported that information to the higher ups.
And the chances of Lady Fortis telling other nobles of his transformation was always present.
He fully relaxed himself. From this point on every action they would take is very predictable. It was extremely obvious what the next steps would be for these people, Gregori didn't even feel like worrying.
The guards slowly inched forward.
Gregori gave them a lazy look and that stopped.
"Want something?" He asked.
"Weapons" A guard brave enough to talk to him said.
Gregori shook his head. "Can't give them to you." He said. His finger tapped on the weapons, "These are cursed. You will die a very painful death if you even graze them."
The guard flinched before visibly calming himself and stepping forward. "You are lying." He said those words with conviction, almost as if he was convincing himself of the fact.
"I wish I was." Gregori replied sincerely. "I can barely use them without dying and that is because I made a deal with this one here." He tapped the spearhead that sprouted out from the wrapping.
"A deal?" The guard asked in shock.
Gregori smiled in a sinister way, his voice dropping, "Would you like to make the same deal?"
The air around them suddenly became colder as he said it.
The guard stepped back but slipped and landed on his backside. He scrambled back to his feet and put some distance between them.
Gregori turned away from the man as he chuckled to himself. It seemed he was scarier than he had expected. Caalyx would have enjoyed that interaction. He could have told him that he couldn't manage another transformation but that would let them think that they would be superior. The wrong move.
Cards like this needed to be kept close to his chest. He wouldn't have ever transformed in any normal case. And if it was any random person who had transformed. He wouldn't have cared if it was a random parent either..... but that expression on her face. That singular expression. That changed everything. Gone were the carefully thought out plans and motions. He needed to bring a child back safely.
And he did just that.
He did not regret that regardless of how much that complicated things.
Lazily, he turned toward the forest. A certain tree under which he had hidden the other half of Caalyx. He needed to locate that spot again.
The fight was another case of luck being in his favor.
He did not need Caalyx to tell him that. It stood out in his memories of the fight.
Joraal wasn't sane. He was reacting solely on instinct. His attacks lacked ferocity and resembled the thrashing about of a wild animal.
The fight was abnormally easy.
Evident in the fact that the only blood lost was the amount used to stay in the form. Both Joraal and him did not bleed.
Galio's appearance made things easier.
It was an extra enemy, yes but that did not matter.
Both his enemies were subpar in the mental area. They were out of their depth while facing Gregori. His experience, despite his weaker state, led him to victory.
And if Galio wasn't present..... beating Joraal would be harder. He couldn't touch Petricitehimself and forcing Joraal to do the same was nigh impossible.
Then came the appearance of literal characters of legend. Demacian legends. It was worrying how many secrets of the world he had become privy to. He just wanted to travel with his children, pick up sealed Darkin weapons and just move on with his life. And when time for his death came... he would relinquish control of his body and let Caalyx come to life to complete the rest of his mission.
His smile widened as more reinforcement arrived. This time they were fully decked out in armor and held large shields. Gregori snorted. As if those flimsy things could hold off a Darkin. Anything to make them feel like they had control though.
Pushing one hand up and leaning on the other, Gregori waved to the guys.
He couldn't afford to fall unconscious here. He couldn't appear weak or tired.
The relaxed pose and the smiling face would keep them afraid.
That was optimal.
WHOOOOSH
Tilting his head upward, he spotted Silverwing raptors flying down toward him. The sun's rays blinded him at that angle, so he raised his hand to cover his eyes. Squinting, he could make out multiple riders on the back of the raptors.
The higherups had arrived.
As the raptors landed and he could finally recognize the figures.
The king and his attendants.
Jarvan IV stood in full dragon plate armor. The gold and black accents on it separating it from the others. "Messenger Gregori Hastur." He said as he walked forth, his spear clutched tight in his hand.
"Your highness." Gregori responded from his position, choosing not to stand up, not only to appear calm and unbothered but also display the feeling that he didn't care for such pretenses. Though the main reason was that he was very tired. The others were just added benefits.
"I heard that you can transform into a monster." The king spoke carefully.
Gregori nodded. "Only when I have to face a similar monster. Part of a deal." He winked at the guard who had tried to take the weapons from him.
Tianna stepped forth. "Surrender your weapons and willingly enter custody." Her order was shaky at best.
He raised both hands up, "I willingly surrender." He folded his fingers to let the forefinger alone stand. "But on one condition....."
They all tensed.
"I require a public sentencing." Gregori finished. "Can't have someone like me, a messenger, punished for helping you guys sort out a problem that could have destroyed your whole nation."
"You claim to be that strong?" Tianna asked.
"Not claim. I know this." Gregori shrugged. "I do not need to prove myself to you or anyone. I have a purpose and as long as I stay true to that, I am fine."
"Guards! Collect his weapons!" Jarvan ordered.
Gregori slowly moved his forefinger sideways, "Tut tut. You cannot do that." He pointed to the weapons once more, "There are cursed and they will kill you. I'm the only one who can touch them... much less wield them."
The guards hesitated.
He frowned for a moment.
Thought at this point there was one more who fit the criteria. A natural Darkin wielder.
The young Fortis.
Maybe he needed to get closer to the lad. Teach him. The boy would grow to become one of the strongest throughout the lands. This was without a Darkin weapon. On the chance that his crusade failed... Caalyx might have a new wielder.
"You expect us to believe that?" Tianna replied but even she could see the hesitation in the eyes of the guards.
"I don't." Gregori answered. "You are free to touch them.... but I do not think you would live to carry them."
He pushed himself to his feet and stretched. "Which is why.... I shall carry them for you."
Every weapon was instantly pointed at him.
He bent to pick them up. "I will not attack you. It is my honor as a messenger from Avarosa. Any actions I take would reflect badly upon them." He cracked his neck. "And I wouldn't want to make relations between you and them, sour."
Turning toward the gate, he asked jovially, "Lead me in then."