"The time of man has come to an end."~ Blitzcrank, The Great Steam Golem
So. Uni starts tomorrow. That means the schedule goes back to normal. Chapters will go back to every alternate day.
Enjoy the chapter. And I have pretty much finalized how the story through Arcane S2 will go. Some other stuff, I will wing it as I continue.
The other thing is I just found out about the current lore. Which is really annoying now that the story is 75% percent done. So basically, Xin Zhao going to Ionia happens before Sylas's rebellion. That is kinda stupid. Why would he leave to Ionia before the rebellion? Well it is what it is. But other than that particular fact, we are pretty much in line with the story. Only Demacia is throwing up an error. But then again this is an AU. We have fun.
But we get the story behind Aatrox's invasion of Demacia. So lets hope its good.
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Unlike the town itself, the area under the teleporter was protected by gates and a wall. As they approached the gates a golden stick pointed out of a hole in the gates.
"Stop right there!" A voice called from behind the gates.
Gregori raised his hand stopping the children.
"State your purpose." The man called. "Why are you at the gates?"
Pulling out the insignia, Gregori held it out in front of him. "We are here to use the teleporter."
"You are not authorized to use the teleporter." The voice called back.
"Look at the coin in my hand." Gregori pushed, "You wouldn't want to make an enemy of me."
The man stood in silence for a minute before saying, "Bring it here."
Gregori walked forward.
"No." The man hurriedly said, "Not you. One of them." The stick pointed toward his children.
"Daddy why is that man threatening us with a stick?" Daisy asked.
Gregori handed the coin to Annie and sent her along to the gates. "It is not a stick." He explained, "It is a Piltovan weapon."
"What does it do?" Sydell asked as he focused on the stick.
Gregori pointed at the stick, "See the opening in the stick? Right there?"
They nodded.
"It shoots something similar to an arrow." He gave the kids a look, "This one is newer but I suspect it does the same thing."
"Then why are we not going closer?" He asked, "All of us are fast enough to dodge arrows. Except Annie. And even then it would just burn if it got close to her."
Gregori nodded, "But those do not shoot arrows. They shoot small metal balls at a very high speed. Dodging it is very difficult. And from what I remember, they can shoot multiple times a second." He eyed Sydell, "Try dodging a lot of small objects a lot faster than an arrow."
"And it hurts?" Sydell asked.
"It kills." Gregori corrected, "I saw a man's head break apart like a watermelon from one of those."
"Metal balls?" Rell asked for confirmation.
Gregori looked at her, "Do not even think about it." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Annie slip the coin into the hole with the gun in it.
She shrugged in response. "Just wanted to confirm.
"Don't." Gregori repeated as he focused his attention on the gate.
The gun receded inside the hole and the man called once more, "Are you acquainted with the Medarda?"
"Their late son was a friend." He called back, "You can confirm this by mentioning my name to Ambessa."
The gates opened a second later and the group walked up to it.
The guard, in full Piltovan armor stood at attention, he returned the coin and nodded. The man wore a dark blue helmet with goggles in them, with a gold colored gas mask attached to its front. He wore standard dark blue Piltover Enforcer garb which had golden highlights running along it.
"Why are you here instead of a Noxian?" Gregori asked.
The man's head titled a little, "You do not know?"
Gregori shook his head.
"There was an attack. Councilwoman Medarda was caught up in it." The enforcer answered.
"Ambessa?" Gregori's eyes widened.
He shook his head, "No. Councilwoman Mel Medarda."
"Is she alive?"
The man nodded.
Gregori let out a heavy sigh as he thought of Ambessa. "She is rallying every available Noxian soldier to fight the enemies."
The man nodded. "That is why security has been lowered at the stations. But no one outside knows of it."
Gregori nodded. "Keep it that way. Shut the gates now."
The man pulled the lever beside him and the gates smoothly shut itself. "Proceed to the blimp and the captain will assign you your seats." He gestured toward the blimp in the distance.
"So there's going to be fighting in Piltover?" Daisy asked.
Gregori shook his head as he walked toward the blimp, "Fighting? No. There is going to be war."
A moment later, they sat in the blimp. The captain was a younger man. In his twenties and a smile, welcoming them in and having them seated.
"What now?" Daani asked.
The captain turned to the group and asked, "Never been in a blimp before?"
"Nope." Daani replied.
The man looked taken aback, "Then lets get you a different set of seats."
"It is fine." Gregori said.
"No. NO." The man waved, "It is an experience. Let your children come and witness from the front."
He led them forward and had them seated in the cockpit, immediately giving them a massive view of the surroundings.
"Buttons!" Briar seemed excited.
The man waved a finger, "Cannot be pressing them if you aren't the captain miss. This is quite dangerous if you haven't received the necessary training."
"How do I become one?" Briar asked.
He shrugged, "Apply? I guess."
"How'd you become one?" She asked.
"I was an enforcer but then three years ago they just told me to do this instead." He turned around and made his way to the captain's seat.
"So how'd you get here then?" He asked with a smile.
Daani flinched as he reminisced, "Ship." He shuddered. "And walking."
"All the way?" The man was genuinely shocked. "From Noxus?"
Daani nodded, "Had a few stops along the way but yeah."
"Yeah I hoped you would have stopped along the way." The man pressed a few switches on the blimp. "Well travelled then?"
"Noxus, Freljord and Demacia." Daani answered.
"Oh wow." The captain smiled, "I'd like to travel one day. After things have settled down."
"It is fun." Faye told the man, "We saw so many beautiful things."
The man gasped, "I can only imagine." The blimp started with a slow hum, "Tell me.... is the Freljord really just a land of ice and snow? We don't get any of that in Piltover. Ice is something only the noble families can enjoy. Just gets really cold in my area, no snow."
"It is like the desert in Shurima." Annie answered, "Just snow and ice instead of sand. Just white instead of yellow."
"Plenty cold then?" He asked.
"Yes. Very." She answered.
"How safe is it?" Gregori asked, focusing on the true thing that mattered.
"The blimp?" The captain turned, "Pretty safe once it is in the air."
"Once its in the air?" Gregori asked confused having never seen a blimp before.
The vehicle was created a few years after Gregori's departure of the place. It was also an early prototype. These ones were powered by Hextech and it worked like a charm.
The captain nodded, "Most blimp accidents happen at launch. Rarely is there a problem after launch. Unless a fire breaks out."
"There is no worry of that then." Rell looked toward Annie who shrugged.
"Yep they have some great safety features these days." The captain said as he didn't understand her words. "You have nothing to worry about."
"And in the air?" Gregori asked.
The blimp lurched as it moved. The entire group gripped their seats tightly as they to rose into the air. All eyes wide and hearts beating out of their chest.
"Now that we aaaaare in the air..." The man spun the wheel and began to position it in front of the giant orb that began to glow blue. "We get sent to Piltover."
"Is that it?" He asked.
"Blink and its over."
ZWOOOMP
The blimp disappeared.
-x-
"And they are gone." Talon had his hand above his eyes. And once the blue light faded, he turned around and sighed, "Now.... what do we do about you?"
His eyes landed on a man tied up in shadows. The man's eyes were wide in fear.
The shadow receded from his face leaving his mouth open.
"Answer my questions and I might leave you alive." Talon told the man as he squatted and flicked his hand, sending a knife out into his hand. He traced the knife with a finger as he observed the man nodding rapidly.
"Why were you following them?"
"For... for....off... offerings." The man shivered.
Talon nodded, "For whom?"
"I....I...I..I cannot say his name." The man replied.
Talon nodded as he spun the blade, "Is he here?"
"Underground." The man replied instantly.
"Well...." Talon stood to full height. "Goodbye."
The knife lodged itself into the man's heart.
"Wh...Why?" The man whispered. "You said that you'd let me live."
"I said that I might let you live." Talon explained as he raised a finger to stop the man. "And it seems luck wasn't on your side."
The man died with his eyes open and hands gripping weakly at the blade.
Talon slipped into the shadows and appeared on the ground. "Underground huh? Why not take a look?"
Another man walked out and rubbed his eyes when he saw a man just disappear into the night.