"It's not about the killing. It's about who's doing the dying."~ Akali, The Rouge Assassin
I'm back! Chapter should be coming out from tomorrow. About 2 a day for a couple days and then back to one a day. I'm still stockpiling chapters for the mass release. The goal is to have nearly a full arc/area done and drop it all in a span of 10 days, right before my exams.
This chapter stockpiling is not for something I will put behind a paywall.... simply because I do not think that I'm good enough to charge people for stories. And for fanfics specifically when the source material is free.
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Gregori led the children into the Rakkor Caves. It was the route to the south side, the way to the Astral Grove.
"They are living in the rocks...." Sydell whispered to him as the kids looked around.
Briar turned to him, "They didn't build the mountain right daddy?"
"No." Gregori answered, "They built into the mountains. Not the mountain itself."
And just like how the children pointed out, the people of the Rakkor tribe and those indigenous to the mountain had built their homes into the very mountain they lived on.
Steps were carved into the mountain and they led it throughout the cave structure.
Openings into the caves were covered with large coverings made out of fur and some kind of tarpaulin to protect the residents from the harsh winds that raked across the mountains.
Everywhere the group looked, people fully covered in cloaks stared back. Their outfits, a stark contrast to their own.
Demacian shirts, pants and skirts were not all that common in Targon. Not completely unbelievable due to the connection between the two lands but it was odd to be seen wearing one in this kind of location.
The flowing winds that still made it through shook the tarps that covered the homes and shops that were lit up by the pale yellow of burning lamps.
It wasn't dark due to the wide open nature of the caves considering that it was built into the mountains side but the inside of the homes were still covered in darkness on all sides. The walls surrounding them had pegs, pitons and footholds shoved into them, once a relic of someone's Climb but now just markings on a wall.
They observed tribesmen crouching over ledges scraping and gathering moss and plants that grew on the sides of the wall. It was food. Mineral rich food. It also helped cover for their intake of water which they did not find plenty of in their vicinity. Every so often, a group of them went on a journey to collect water from nearby lakes and if their luck was great, from giant blocks of ice. Ice was easier to transport and they could bring a larger quantity of it along with them. The beasts they brought along with them could lug it back easily. Normal water on the other hand was worse, they needed to fill up large waterskins and bring those with them and only a certain amount of them could be brought each time since they became too heavy when filled. The only other way for water was rain. Rain water would be collected in large ponds through grooves carved into the mountain side.
Their food sources other than the moss and plants were actual farms that were on the far reaches of the caverns. The ones that were far enough to not get affected by the winds due to the natural shape of the rocks which didn't leave much space for any kind of strong wind while also leaving enough space for there to be plenty of sunlight.
"They are staring at us." Daani pointed out, not liking the fact that so many eyes were on them.
"They are." Gregori nodded, "But that is all they are doing. We have nothing to be worried about until they move." And then he gestured toward the armored figure that stood against the mountain wall. "See him? As long as he doesn't move.... they will not dare attack and he won't move because the big guy who came before doesn't mind our presence."
"The big guy..." Annie clutched her bear close, "His name... Rahvun." She looked up at Gregori in expectation, "You know him daddy?"
Gregori nodded, "Rahvun's the chief of this place. The strongest among their warriors. It is odd that he moved to check on us but maybe it just happened to coincide with a routine check." He looked forward, in reminiscence, "And yes.... I knew him.... from long ago. We didn't interact much but he wasn't a bad person."
"How strong is he?" Daisy piped up. "He looked plenty strong." She stated excitedly. All the strong people she was meeting in her travels was giving her plenty of stories to tell the Freljordians, when she eventually returned to the land.
"That spear of his is like Caalyx." Gregori explained, "Not alive but it is what makes him strong. "
"It was glowing." Briar said as she munched on something.
Gregori frowned, and squinted, trying to see what she was eating. Moss. In the time he had looked away from her, she had managed to snag some of the moss growing on the sides of the caves and was eating it gleefully.
"Briar don't eat everything you see." Gregori reprimanded gently and then turned his attention back to the others. "The spear glows from his faith. His faith as a member of the Solari. The Solari are the ruling tribe. They worship the sun."
"The sun?" Sydell couldn't help but poke fun of the idea, "So they wake up in the morning stare at the sun and pray?"
"The sun has its own Aspect Sydell. Do not make fun of it." Gregori explained, "There are dangers from just invoking the name of the being."
"So who's he?" Sydell asked.
"She." Gregori corrected, "She has been the Aspect for a hundred or so years. Again.... I will not say her name. Not when the sun is still up. She is stronger now."
Rell furrowed her brows, "If there are people worshipping the sun.... then I suppose there are those worshipping the moon?"
"Yes."
"Where do they live?" Asked Briar intent on exploring every inch of the place and meeting new people. "Can we go see them?"
"I do not know were they live." Gregori answered, "I haven't seen the Lunari ever but I do know that they have their own Aspect."
"Oh!" Faye exclaimed, "But its morning now.... you can say her name!"
Gregori smiled exasperated at the children's behavior. "Alright..." His voice dropped, "Her name is Diana."
"Why'd you say it so softy?" Sydell asked. "It is not nighttime."
Gregori shook his head, "But we are among the Solari. And they do not like the Lunari. The two groups fight for power here and every few hundred years the rulers flip. Bringing up the other name would easily mark you as an enemy. And saying it aloud..." He gestured to the eyes on them, "That would be enough of a reason for all of them to attack us."
"So they hate each other." Annie nodded sagely, "Though Tibbers says they are all weak."
"Hmm...." Gregori fell into thought, "I do wonder if Tibbers would beat an Aspect at full power."
Annie looked at her bear, "Can he beat at full power?" She asked her father.
"I don't know?" Gregori replied, "Is it possible for him to use his full strength?"
"He says he can.... though it would take some time." She replied.
Gregori shrugged, "If he can then would he be able?" He asked.
"He says easily." Annie looked at her father. "The Aspects are still up there and he is down here."
His eyes fell on the bear as he considered those words. It was possible. Winning wouldn't be out of the question if Tibbers could endlessly feed off the guilt from those around him. No. It was very possible. Tybaluk was one of the Ten. And he held power of flames. Now.... the only thing to wonder was whether the Flames of Guilt overcame the Flames of Justice.
"Daddy?"
His line of thought broke as he looked down at Annie.
"Tibbers is asking when you would talk to uncle Caalyx." She repeated.
He frowned, the demon had never cared for or showed interest in Caalyx before. "Why?" He asked.
Annie looked at the bear and so did the entire group, while continuing their walk.
"Something big happened and he thinks Caalyx should be the one to say it to you." She said expectantly, hoping that her father would bring out the weapon for a chat.
Gregori sighed, "I cannot do that yet firefly. Too many dangers."
"So..." Rell interrupted, "Where are you leading us?"
"To the south?" Gregori explained turning back to face the direction they were heading, "There are cave systems that go through the mountain and we just take one and end up in the south side. We have to taaaaaakeeee-" He frowned and then squinted as he tilted his head in confusion.
The route seemed to have disappeared leaving behind a mountain side.
There seemed to be no indication of there begin a route there at all ad the group were just stood outside staring at a rocky wall.
"Another route then...." He said as he changed directions and began walking. Apparently, things had changed a lot more than he had initially expected. The minute changes in Demacia had influenced him into thinking that every other place would be the same..... but it wasn't.
The wall had him questioning his memories for a second. But this kind of thing he would never mix up or forget. He had taken the route many times before. It was the fastest way through the mountain and was quite famous.
He walked toward one of the Solari guards and pointed to the wall, "The path through the mountain... what happened?"
The man looked from him to the wall and then back, "Haven't been here in quite some time then?" His armor grinding against the rock as he pushed off it, his hand instantly snaking around his spear.
Gregori nodded and kept his hands in front of him and in vision of the guard. There was no need to let the man think he would escalate.
"Those moon-loving scum attacked through it and the Aspect deemed it right to shut it off." He answered as he looked at the kids and the beast.
"That doesn't look like someone closed it off?" Gregori pointed out once more.
The man's eyes rose to him, almost annoyed, and pointed upward, "She brought the ceiling down."
Gregori followed the finger and spotted the gaping hole where the rocky ceiling should have been. He nodded calmly, "Then can you point us in the direction that would take us south?"
The man pointed left and Gregori spotted a couple cave openings there.
"Those should be new to you." Said the man, "The middle one with our crest. That takes you through our temple and out through the south."
Gregori nodded and reached into his bag and handed the man one of his furs, "A gift for your help."
The man tensed as he saw Gregori reach into his bag but then nodded and pocketed it.
"Lets go then." Gregori turned to his crew. They nodded. And the group continued into the cave with the crest.