"Condemned to darkness, where our power grows."~ Aphelios, The Weapon of the Faithful
Time skip coming soon. The prophesized 5 year skip right into Arcane S2. Nearly a year in the making lmao. Funny how the entire time I wanted to have Gregori and gang come to Zaun and now that we are almost there it seems unreal. I mean..... a whole year of writing this.
Thanks for the comments and support. Lets hope I don't drop the ball on the arc.
Drop a comment. A review if you got the time. Any suggestions? And mayhaps a few stones. Maybe even a rating for the story.
(Not to flex or anything but we are currently the highest rated arcane fic in this website..... then again we are barely even in arcane to be honest. Oops?)
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Gregori took in the Darkin. It floated in the air surrounded by celestial magic holding it in place.
It was burning. Flames licking its body as its eye blinked in their direction.
The lodestone itself was shaped differently. Its base, shaped like the sharp end of an arrow and on its sides were two bat-wing like horns that pointed upwards. All in red black and a golden-gray toward the bottom.
Unlike the previous two Darkin, this one seemed powerful as waves of magic radiated off of it.
"Leona!" It said. "What a surprise! And with visitors?" Its eye landed on Gregori, "You shouldn't have."
Leona looked at Horazi and then turned to Gregori, "Your test."
Gregori nodded and stepped forth.
"Ugh.." Horazi groaned, "Another one to test for mental fortitude? Well lets get on with it."
She focused her magic and began speaking, "What do you desire?"
"You." Gregori replied as he stared at the Darkin without flinching.
Horazi's magic that had extended outward to subtly manipulate Gregori froze. "Hmm?"
"I am here for you Horazi." He replied, "I am here to free you."
The eye turned to Leona in an instant, "Oh what a funny one you have brought here!" The eye landed back on Gregori as it reached out with magic once more.
Gregori felt the magic try to afflict him, but he did not care, "You must have sensed his return." He sat on the ground and placed Caalyx in front of him, "Who will you serve Horazi? Your disgraced general? Your traitorous healer that turned you into this cursed form? Or the true ruler of the land you serve and protect?"
"YOU!" She thundered. "YOU DARE SPEAK FOR THE EMPEROR?"
Gregori shook his head, "Never met him. I am speaking on behalf of this one." He tapped the wrapped Caalyx twice. "You must have heard Aatrox's call for war? We will stop him."
Horazi's magic receded from within him, "You.... you are a host already. I can see the curse taking root in you."
"Yes." He nodded, "If I never accept his help ever again, then it will not matter. But I will and that does not give me long to live."
Rahvun's eyes turned from the Darkin to Gregori. His fists clenched. A price. This man he had looked down upon was bravely walking toward his death in an effort to right his wrongs and make changes for the greater good.
Respect for Gregori grew within him.
"Who is that?" Horazi stared at the wrapped Caalyx. "I do not recognize that one."
"The wrapping." Gregori explained as he picked the spear up, "It hides the magic he releases." Slowly, he began to unwrap the spear, starting from the bottom of the shaft.
Anticipation in the room rose as he continued in a dreadfully slow manner.
"Well would you look at that?" Caalyx's voice rang throughout the room, "If it isn't Horazi? Did you miss me?"
Horazi let out something that was a mix between a laugh and a bark, "Caalyx! To think you would be condemned to the same suffering as the rest of us. Maybe there is such a thing as justice in this world."
"Hey, I'm not the one who did the betraying." Caalyx floated toward Horazi, "And I have a host who is actually useful. We got two others already. And now with my nephew's return who do you think is higher up in the hierarchy? Your idiot general? or this handsome one?"
"I'd rather die than hear more of this from you." Horazi muttered as Caalyx chuckled in the background.
CLANG
Gregori placed the shield in front of him, "We can help you with that too."
Horazi stared at the shield and then looked at Caalyx, who was going around in circles around her. "Is... is that?"
"Yes." Caalyx replied happily. "Eternally resting. Dead. Forever Asleep. The Endless night. Whatever you want to call it." He stopped and flew as close as possible to her prison and then continued, "I can grant you the same if you accept."
"What about the concepts that hold us?" She asked.
Caalyx didn't need a face to smile, the glee in his voice apparent as he watched her fall hook like and sinker, "There is a work around."
"And that is your host?" She looked at Gregori once more.
Caalyx turned around, "The best possible one. He attacked Noxus alone and walked out. Then faced an entire tribe of Freljordians alone and won. Then he faced down the entirety of Demacia and came out on top. Together with me, he has fought and beaten Naga and Joraal." He floated beside Gregori, "Amazing how lucky I got no?"
"Half of what you said makes no sense to me." She replied.
Leona stepped forth, "It does to me. They are the names of kingdoms and regions. You haven't seen or heard of their rise since you here here since the War of the Sunborn." She turned to Gregori, "Have your really done this?"
He nodded.
"And you were once a member of the Ra'Horak?" She asked.
He nodded once again.
"You are to join our forces again." She commanded.
"She is recruiting my host in front of me?" Caalyx gasped, "The audacity! Oi Aspect! The treaty still holds and with Azir's resurrection, there are bound to be more Ascended soon enough."
"The return of the Sunborn are not for me to worry about." She replied. "And the treaty is between you and Myisha and the panther."
Caalyx nodded sagely, "Haven't been called a Sunborn in a very long time. But then again... I like it."
He shook his head, "No." He pointed to the two Darkin, "I have something else to take care of."
Leona looked taken aback at Gregori's refusal and Caalyx's energetic self. Horazi had exhibited many emotions in her prison but never this kind of charisma. Or anything that invoked this much annoyance.
"Forget death." Horazi broke her silence, "I want Xolaani."
"Then you will get her." Caalyx's voice hardened in an instant, "If you wish to fight.... that can be arranged. But your allegiance..."
"You have my word and my magic on your side." Horazi replied, "Get me Xolaani and I will be your ally." She stilled for a moment, "Though that should have been done all those years ago."
"I know." Caalyx replied, "The process of sealing began on the worst possible moment for us."
"SHE WOULD HAVE DIED!" Horazi raged, " HE ALMOST HAD HER!"
"I know Horazi. I know." Caalyx sighed, "Taarosh almost finished the job. Myisha screwed that up there. But she is not alive to be blamed yet unfortunately."
"Then we finish the job." Horazi said.
Gregori stood up, "Indeed we do." He then nodded toward Leona, "Free her."
Leona shook her head, "She cannot be allowed free. It is still too dangerous."
"You do not understand." He explained, "The Darkin believe lying to be beneath them. They do not cheat out a deal once it has been made."
"Then how did he get betrayed." She gestured to Caalyx.
"Ouch." Caalyx commented.
Gregori smiled, "There was no deal between them. They were assigned under him. And once they realized that Caalyx did not want to start a war, they betrayed him for one who was willing. Aatrox. Now, Caalyx is providing the one thing she wants. Her enemy's head."
"That is not enough." Leona said.
"There is one more." He looked toward Caalyx. "One more that would have her allegiance guaranteed."
Caalyx slowly spoke, "There is one. A major one. Though I really think we should have started with that."
He turned to Horazi, "So.... our war is not over yet."
"Which one?" She asked.
Caalyx shuddered, "The most important one." His eye went shut, "I found traces of the Void."
The entire prison trembled.
It stopped.
Then Horazi's eyes closed but she did not stop shaking.
A while later, her voice rang, a little shaky, "The reason for our existence."