"People fear what they cannot understand."~ Syndra, The Dark Sovereign
Now if you feel like chapters are dragging out. Its because I am trying to figure out how to put the coming plot lines together.
The Aspect part was a last minute addition and from what we know of about a few of them, I feel like this would be an interesting direction to take it in.
Leave a couple comments on how the story is going. Do you guys have any ideas? Things you want more focus on? Just a couple comments from a few people would do. That's it.
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"I see a lot more members in your family now Gregori." The who walked out spoke. "You seem happy." The man commented.
"BLUE!" Briar exclaimed.
Gregori placed a hand on her head, "You shouldn't say that to another person Briar." He turned apologetically to the man.
The blue man smiled softly. Markings a darker color ran throughout his body. His torso was uncovered with a sling going around his shoulders. The sling held a scroll that was massive. His bottom half was covered in leather pants with connected boots. The only hair on his head was a sizable beard and sideburns.
"It is fine Gregori. I have lived through a lot. The innocent words of a child do not anger me." He turned to the group who looked at my with heavy interest. "I suppose you can introduce us?"
"Yes." Gregori turned to the kids and Eileen. "Children, Eileen, this is Ryze. He is a friend and a reliable person." He turned to Ryze and completed, "And as far as I know, he is the only one in this world to have fully explored every land."
"You've gone everywhere?!" Briar asked excitedly.
Ryze nodded in reply.
She then turned to her father then back again, "Daddy is going to take us to see the sea! Then I'll also have travelled everywhere!"
"Well Briar, you would still have to go a lot more to have travelled everywhere." Rell spoke from behind her.
"Huh?"
"Yeah, you have only been to three out of nine different lands." Rell shrugged. "There is so much more left for you to explore."
Briar's head shot around, "REALLY!" Instead of feeling disappointed at the revelation, Briar was happy. There was a lot more to explore. More to experience. She never said it outright but she despised having been confined to a single prison cell. This freedom. This was all she wanted. All she needed.
Rell nodded uncertainly. Briar's reaction had thrown her off.
"And Ryze, these are my children.. Briar, as you have already met." Gregori began introducing them.
Ryze gave the girl a soft nostalgic smile.
"This is Rell, Daisy, Annie, Daani and Sydell." Gregori introduced all of his children.
His eyes swept over the children almost assessing them. Ryze nodded to them and looked up at Gregori. "All extremely gifted in magic I see."
Gregori nodded.
"I'm an Iceborn." Daisy chirped up at the comment.
"I know." Ryze replied. "Iceborn are products of magic too."
Daisy's eyes lit up, "Really?!"
Ryze nodded.
Daisy turned to her siblings and squealed, "I'm magical too!" And she leapt onto Faye and Annie, pulling them into a hug. Neither child pulled away.
The other kids joined the hug.
They all knew how Daisy felt like she wasn't a part of them because of her lack of magic but that wouldn't be a problem anymore. She was just as magical as them.
"Iceborn aren't magic though." Eileen spoke up, "Petricitedoesn't stop them."
Ryze turned to her, "I believe we haven't been introduced."
Gregori stepped in, "Ryze... this is my sister, Eileen Spiritmight."
Ryze turned to Gregori in surprise, "You have made up with your family? I am happy for you."
Shaking his head, Gregori replied, "No my friend. That still hasn't come to pass." He looked at Eileen, "Though my sister seems to enjoy my company."
Nodding, Ryze turned to Eileen, "Well Miss Eileen..... Petricitedoes not work against them since their magic is internal. It isn't pushed outside. The magic works as a form of permanent enhancement, boosting their body's natural capabilities beyond what would be possible. But the fact still remains that they are magic."
Eileen looked surprised at the answer. "But doesn't Petricitestop magic?"
Ryze shook his head, "I wonder who taught you that..." He spoke thoughtfully. "Petriciteinhibits magic yes... but it cannot stop magic. Nothing can. As long as life exists.... magic will continue to exist."
"How do you know all this?" Eileen asked.
"I have seen many things Miss Eileen." Ryze replied. "And I am older than I look." He winked at her.
Eileen fell into thought at those words.
Ryze shifted his gaze from her to Gregori, "Lets get going shall we?"
Gregori nodded and they began walking through the forest.
"I witnessed your battle previously." Ryze spoke as he led them. "They are all moving now?"
"Yes." Gregori answered, "There is one running around in the Freljord that I have yet to find but the ones in Demacia and Noxus are sealed now, weapons I met through pure coincidence. Their leader.... Aatrox.... he has sent a call throughout the world. Calling them to him. I just have to stop them all before they convene."
"A tall ask..." Ryze commented.
Gregori nodded, "It is all I can do. But the search for them continues."
Ryze glanced at him and spoke, "What I have learnt is.... if you go searching for them... your search will only grow longer. You haven't actively searched for them but you have already found two with a possible location for the other."
"But I cannot let them rampage." Gregori retorted.
Ryze nodded, "Yes.... but humor my words. In my own search chasing after them just makes your goal more elusive. Let it come to you.... whether it be the weapon itself or information regarding the weapon. Once it comes... you just need to be ready."
"That is just a waiting game then." Gregori spoke.
"Yes it is." Ryze replied. "But you have time Gregori. Time to live. Time to love. Time to watch your children grow. Cherish that over your quest. If the Darkin indeed start a war.... there are other powers that would move to stop them. There would be destruction..... of course..... but you are just slowing down an inevitability." He seemed to be reminiscing something as he spoke those words.
"The same can be said about you." Gregori replied.
Ryze sadly shook his head, "Mine is worse Gregori. There is nothing in our world that can stop those things. And the only thing stopping the end of our world is me."
Eileen stepped forward asking a question, as the previous conversation had been out of earshot. "How do you know the layout of the forest?"
"I live here." Ryze replied.
"How has no one seen you then?" Eileen asked. "Gregori. He might be an enemy." Eileen turned to Gregori in urgency.
Gregori waved her off with a smile.
Ryze shook his head, "I can make it so that I'm not seen." As he finished those words, he shimmered out of existence.
Everyone other than Gregori stopped walking.
Ryze reappeared a few steps ahead of them, "Why stop walking? Do you need a break?"
"They were surprised by you." Gregori deadpanned.
"Ah." Ryze chuckled.
Eileen distanced herself from them, her experience and training kicking in. The man was suspicious and his ability to fade out of existence was too dangerous. "He is dangerous! Stay away from him!"
Ryze chuckled once more. "That I am young lady. But I hold no interest for Demacia or any land for that matter."
"But you are in this forest." Eileen shot back.
"Yes." Ryze nodded. "But if we really go into specifics then Demacia as a whole would need to relocate."
"What?" Eileen sounded confused.
"I've been living here since before Demacia was founded." Ryze answered. "Your Aspects respect me and these trees bring me calm. And unfortunately aging seems to fail me and my immortality has caused more harm than good."
"H..... How... old are you?" Eileen whispered.
"I should be a little over a thousand years old... do not aske me for specifics young lady I have long stopped counting." Ryze waved off the question as if it was of no consequence.
"You are an old man?" Annie asked him.
Ryze nodded. "Very old."
"Older than uncle Caalyx?" She asked.
"No. No." Ryze shook his head. "Your uncle Caalyx is multiple thousand years old. I am just in my first thousand."
"But you are strong?" Annie asked. "Tibbers says you are." She thrust the bear forward as she spoke.
Ryze nodded, his eyes flickering toward the demon. "Your Tibbers is right. I am very strong."
"Stronger than daddy?" She pushed.
Ryze looked at Gregori. And Gregori stepped in, "Yes firefly. He is stronger than me. So strong in fact that I can never beat him."
"Never?" Annie was wide eyed.
"Never ever." Gregori confirmed.
The kids all looked at this blue man with shock. They had seen their father fight a Darkin. They had heard of their father facing an army alone. Sydell had told them stories of The Gray.
But their seemingly undefeatable father could never beat this man?
"But daddy can beat anything." Daisy refused to believe it.
Gregori lifted her onto his hips, "Flower..... the world is very big okay? There will always be someone stronger. You need to know this. Daddy isn't invincible but he is very strong. Probably among one of the strongest in the world with Caalyx but even then..... there are stronger and more dangerous people out there." He pointed to Ryze. "And uncle Ryze is one of them. And after picking up Caalyx, he will tell you some stories.... how about that?"
Gregori looked to Ryze pleadingly. Ryze nodded, "Of course. I'll answer anything you want to know."