"After millennia, I am free!" ~Brand, The Burning Vengeance
Had to rewatch parts of Arcane for this arc. Was thinking of teasing a little more with Talon's adventures but I think this would be better.
KR Gavv is over. It was nice overall but for some reason it felt rushed. I know the runtime is always a year but something about it just felt rushed.
Uni just hit me full force. Damn the two months off really did no favors for me.
Also previous chapter had a mistake that I have corrected. Mel wasn't dead but attacked. I just realized that when editing. That will be edited.
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Gregori felt himself stretch as the magic from the orb hit the blimp. For a very uncomfortable second his body awkwardly complied with the magic and boom it was over.
"Welcome to Piltover!" The captain announced from his seat.
The younger members of the group shook themselves out of their disoriented states and jumped to look outside.
"Woah!" Briar exclaimed.
Sydell observed the surroundings silently but his eyes shook from disbelief.
Daani had his mouth wide open.
Pulling out her book, Faye started writing something really fast.
Daisy's eyes were wide open, "People... live in these..?"
"Yes." Gregori answered as he too took in the changes. "The place seemed to have developed a lot since I last visited."
That got the captain's interest. He turned around, "When did you last visit?"
"Before the uprising at the bridge."
The captain took a shaky breath and nodded, "That... that's a long time ago." He smiled as he looked lovingly at the city below them, "But it has changed. A lot has changed."
"Is that where it happened?" Rell asked, her eyes glued to one spot.
The group turned toward a tall building which was still under construction.
"The Council's tower." The man said. "The attack was devastating, nearly half of the council members dead." His voice dropped, "Those creatures from Zaun.... it is their fault."
"How many people attacked?" Gregori asked.
The man looked baffled at the question, "It was an explosion. There was no one else there except the council members. They wanted to give them autonomy..... That was why the meeting was even being held."
"I'm sorry. Did you know someone on the council personally?" Gregori asked the man.
The captain nodded, "Councilman Hoskel. He established all these trade routes and he even picked me from a bunch of enforcers to pilot this blimp. He randomly chose me.... I know that... but he did and it changed my life. Kept me away from all the danger down there."
"My condolences." Gregori wished.
The man sighed, "It is alright. I just hope the attacks stop soon. I've got a bird waiting for me down there and I want her to be safe."
"I suppose that's why the Medarda are here." Gregori looked at the man, "To keep the peace?"
"Hopefully." The man said. "People are getting scared. The attack on the council was the first. There was another. A few days later, at the memorial. Heartless bastards. Wouldn't even let the dead rest. One of the Chembarons fell that night. Good riddance.... just a few more to go."
"Why are we still in the air?" Annie asked. "Aren't we in Piltover?"
The captain turned to her, his smile returning, "I'm sorry miss but we have to stay up here until we get the clearance to land."
"When do we get that?" She asked.
The man pointed at a cluster of blimps on the ground, "When one of them leaves.... that is when we get clearance."
"So what happens if you hit another blimp?" Faye asked, looking up from her frantic writing. "Seems pretty sturdy."
He chuckled, "Well both blimps would crumple and fall to the ground, all while catching fire and blowing up on the way down."
Daani's head shot to the man and he asked in shock, "And this is SAFE?"
"Yes." The man smiled, "Don't worry. There hasn't been an accident since the second trial run nearly ten years ago. Why do you think all this training is given for? No one wants to die flying a death balloon."
Daani nodded but looked at his surroundings with a sort of fear and then inched closer to Annie. "If something happens...."
"Don't worry." She replied calmly.
He let out a breath as he relaxed into his chair.
"Daddy will save you."
He turned to her betrayed. "You'll really leave me?"
She shook her head, "Daddy will save you before I can."
Gregori raised an eyebrow at the interaction.
The captain chuckled, "They really believe in you don't they."
"Ah children believe their father can do the impossible." Gregori responded. "Mine are no different."
"All of them are your children?" He asked.
"They are.... but blood doesn't make a family does it?" Gregori eyed the man.
The captain nodded, "You are a good man." He smiled, "My siblings aren't related to me by blood but it doesn't really matter does it. We grew up together. That is quite enough."
Gregori felt his respect for the man increase. He grew up in a similar situation as his children and he didn't seem hateful.
Maybe... his eyes fell on his children.... maybe they might end up like him too.
"Ah there it is." The captain said as a blimp rose to the sky.
"That's the clearance?"" Sydell asked. "You just estimate when to go down?"
The man pointed, "See that man waving the flag down there? That's the clearance."
"Ohhh." They all leaned to spot the man in a blue outfit wave two flags with both hands.
The blimp slowly began its descent. "So... how did you guys get past the enforcer at the gate is Nerimazeth? As far as I know they don't let people on board easily."
"Medarda insignia." Gregori answered.
His eyes widened but he kept them on the controls as he brought the blimp toward land. "My apologies for the treatment."
"No. It is fine. I just know the matriarch." Gregori waved the man off. "We are just normal people."
The man shrugged, "Anyone who has travelled through Valoran is in no way just a normal person sir."
BUMP
The blimp made contact with ground, the captain turned around and flashed them a smile, "Welcome to Piltover!"
"Thank you!" Briar said as she hopped off her seat and began to walk off, "Bye bye!"
The others wished the man a good day and followed her.
"Take care." Gregori told the man as he too walked off toward his children.
The man then looked at the group and then back to his controls as he slowly began to switch everything off. "What a nice group of people..." He murmured to himself. "Not like the other nobles I had the misfortune of ferrying."
Gregori exited the blimp and looked toward an enforcer who was marching toward him. With a flick, the coin rose to his hand and he held it out to the man.
The man seemed suspicious before reaching for the coin. The moment he saw the insignia, he straightened and then gave him a salute.
Gregori nodded and waited for the man to return the coin. After placing it back in, he went toward his children who spent their time in awe about their surroundings.
"A weird fascination with blue gold and white." Sydell commented, "Much like Demacia."
"Indeed." Gregori nodded as he stood beside the boy, "Demacia has no choice but Piltover choses to. Gold symbolizes opulence so they use it a lot."
The other children slowly made their way to him.
"How do you like the City of Progress?" He asked.
Faye shrugged, "Better than Demacia."
"Yep." Annie said as she popped the P.
"They don't seem to carry swords with them." Daisy eyed the people, "Weak." Then she caught sight of a large shield an enforcer was carrying, "Wow! That shield looks beautiful." She turned to Faye, "Draw that quick! We can send it to Braum!"
Faye looked at the large rectangular shield that covered the large man's entire frame and just drew an outline of the shield, showing its overall shape. And then flipped the book to Daisy, who nodded sagely as she took in the art. "Good." She said, giving her sister a thumbs up.
"Rell?" Gregori asked the silent girl.
Rell was looking about and turned to him when he called, "Yes?"
"How do you like this place?" He asked.
"Lots of metal." She answered and continued looking around.
Daani walked up and placed a hand on his father's shoulder, "I suppose we have a little bit of fun before carrying on?"
Gregori narrowed his eyes, "What kind of fun?"
"The eating kind." Daani quickly answered before squinting back at him, "What kind were you imagining?" He asked with a growing smile.
"Oho!" Gregori let out a short laugh before turning around and grabbing his son, "What kind of fun are you thinking about now Daani? Has our Oovi grown up?" He gave the boy a soft whack on the head, "Teasing your own father."
Daani took a couple steps to the side and looked at him sheepishly.
"Are you talking about the sexy kind of fun?" Briar interrupted.
"Huh?" Gregori's mind shutdown for a moment because of the absurdity behind the statement as Faye and Rell clambered over to cover Briar's mouth.
Sydell and Daani rolled around in laughter.
"Now who taught you that Briar?" Gregori said with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes and suddenly Rell, Faye and Sydell could not quite meet his eyes.