A Search Through Runeterra (Arcane)

"Spineless? No. Flexible? Extremely."~ Cassiopeia, The Serpent's Embrace

Cassio has a lot of erotic voice lines.

If you haven't yet figured out.... Aatrox is the big bad of the story. Not just him, the other Darkin are also involved.

P.S. The GOAT has done it once again. Five time world champion. The fifth time is for Rekkles.

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The next day arrived faster than Gregori would have liked. He spent the rest of the previous day with Daisy. He held her close to him every waking moment. Even though he was confident about completing the mission, the additional worry of Aatrox made his belief waver. He would be pushing himself beyond his limits to get the hand off the sword without dying.

That is if he came across him. If he didn't, then why tempt fate. Misfortune came at him in spades and that could spell disaster for him. He would rather not fight him. But he would still go look at the carnage left behind by the Darkin. If he was still in the location, then he would fight. Otherwise the mission and his daughter took priority.

It was not like Gregori could catch up with him. Aatrox had functioning wings. He had probably long flown away.

His attack on the barbarians had been a week ago. Around the same time as his house being attacked. It did not make sense for him, to stay in the same place for a week. Unless he had something to do.

Then again, what would a Darkin be doing in the Freljord? Why move all the way from Targon to Freljord? And why was he not spotted in the past ten to fifteen years? It did not seem like Aatrox. That bastard made a show of his existence, he would not be doing anything with secrecy. Simply out of the belief that no one on this planet could touch him and live.

It did not make sense.

Being clueless was infuriating.

"Daisy... flower? Wake up." Daisy stirred from her sleep. He slowly ran a finger across her cheek. She blinked, the drowsiness slowly slipping from her eyes.

"Daddy?"

"Wake up flower.... daddy has to go now. Will you see me to edge of Rakelstake?"

Daisy teared up but nodded all the same.

Gregori was ready for the journey ahead of him. He emptied his large bag and the two smaller bags. Only filling the large bag with water skins and dried meats. He packed some rope and a small axe he procured from the tribespeople.

He wore heavy furs to keep himself warm in these frost covered lands. His fingers were wrapped in cloth, which slipped all the way to his forearms.

The past two weeks had put him body worse for wear. He had lost weight. His body was still large. But his hunter's frame and gotten more compact. His body could only hold so long until it started to actively degrade from the near instant change of diets. The muscles were only holding on due to the constant use. He had carried a lot for large distances. After this journey, he would have to find good food or just make it himself. A short rest before his search for Annie would be necessary.

He slid his right hand into the shield and held the wrapped spear with his left. The bag was slung across his back and along his shoulder to the hip.

Daisy walked with him all the way to the edge of Rakelstake, where a group of people were already waiting for him.

The Warmother Ashe, her trusted aide Sigra, who had found home like most of the other tribes that had created an alliance or integrated themselves into the Avarosa tribe. Beside them was Braum and Tryndamere both deep inn conversation. Tanen had also come to watch him leave.

When he reached them, he turned around. Kneeling he looked his daughter in the eye. "Daisy. Yesterday I told you about the god who put that star for us didn't I?" 

Daisy nodded hard.

His wrapped spear lay on the ground. Tryndamere had his eye focused on the spear.

"If you are very scared, you can pray to her to see if I am fine. She will send a star flying across the sky to say that I am okay. You shouldn't do it often because it hurts her. She will always reply so you cannot do it as a joke."

Daisy nodded once again.

His words about this foreign 'god' was near heretic to the ones around them. They had their eyebrows raised. What he was saying at that moment was not something anyone would be well advised to say. But he did so anyway.

Placing a hand on her head, he continued, "The god's name is Soraka. She is a god... not from this planet but from the stars, I met her in Targon when I was younger. One day, when all of this is done, I will take you to meet her. She loves all living things and actively helps them. So, if are ever afraid, pray to her and she will respond."

Gregori ruffled her hair and stood to face the rest.

"I do not expect you to follow my beliefs but do not stop my daughter from doing so. The god is benevolent and sacrifices herself to help us. She will not harm you even if you bad mouth her. But please don't. If you do not want to believe, then do not bother. No need to harm those who will never harm you."

Prayers had power. Celestials and gods all relied on the power of prayer. It helped condense faith and belief. That gave them more and more power. They were nothing without them. Soraka never asked for prayers but she helped unconditionally. Gregori would never abuse that goodwill but there were those that would. These Freljordians.... they would not. Simply because they did not believe in her. She seemed too good to be true.

"Ashe, Braum. Look after my daughter. Teach her about being an Iceborn. I will find a way to bring back a True Ice weapon along with the head for my quest. Tryndamere... if I find him, I promise to avenge your people."

And mine.

He ended in his mind.

"Look up Daisy. When someone leaves on a journey or to war, you look them in the eyes and bid them farewell. Both me and your mother expect you to be a disciplined young girl."

Daisy did just that. Despite the tears falling from her eyes, she stared him in the face.

"I love you my flower. And I will return as soon as possible."

"Braum wishes you good luck my friend."

Gregori turned to him and nodded. He offered a hand which Braum grasped firmly and gave it a shake.

He did the same to Tryndamere, who followed Braum. 

"Is that the spear?"

Gregori picked it up, nodding, "Caalyx..."

"Live. For your daughter." Tryndamere spoke.

"I will. Lets hope you can reign in your rage by then." Gregori chuckled at the end.

"Well then Ashe, thank you for your hospitality but I shall get going."

She nodded. 

Gregori preferred it like that. They didn't need to speak. It was her sending him on the quest in hopes that he would die. She will not be wishing him luck, that would be counterintuitive. A nod was enough. What these kinds of people needed was proof. Proof that they had forever broken and bridges before they could be built.

And like that, Gregori ventured toward the North as the sun rose.

He walked without once turning back, fearing that if he did, he would not bear to leave his daughter.

"Can he kill a Draklorn Inquisitor Warmother?" Sigra asked.

Before Ashe could reply, Braum cut in, "He promised to beat an immortal creature for Tryndamere, Braum does not think he is afraid of an Inquisitor."

Ashe looked around in alarm and confusion.

Tryndamere had long walked back to join his group of barbarians.

Braum had his hand on Daisy's shoulder, "Well little one, come let Braum teach you about Iceborn. You can show your father everything you have learned when he returns."

Daisy nodded and followed Braum as he led her back to the tents.

Ashe turned back to face the direction Gregori had left, wondering if she had made the correct decision.

Gregori trudged through the snow. It was putting up a lot of resistance. Thick snow was worse than desert sand. 

Why?

Because it was wet.

But it was not completely doomed. Cold was better to handle than heat. He wouldn't be sweaty and sticky. Humidity in Shurima was unbearable. But he pushed onward anyway. The only good thing was the winds, it was cold but the kind of cold that was refreshing.

An issue he seemed to be running into as he walked was that he kept thinking. Thinking was bad. Spending large portions of time in his own head was going to be an issue. It was one of the first things that would lead to a failed mission. Not having a group near him or even his daughters was getting to him. The more he walked, the more he thought. The more he thought, the more he came to regret. The more regretted, the more angry he got. Since the anger had no where to go, it just kept building.

Anger towards everything.

The human mind was fragile. It needed just as much work done for it as keeping the body healthy, maybe even more.

This was doubly true for anyone who had participated in war. Or anyone who went through a lot of pain in a short period of time. A shock of that kind often left underlying issues. Gregori knew it. He knew his issues and instead of addressing them, he kept it locked up.

There was no time to perform self reflection. His entire life had been constant jumping from one hurdle to another. Never had he taken some time to himself. He had found his mind constantly occupied by one thing or the other and subconsciously he had begun to crave it. The need to work toward something had become a necessity. Continuous motion.

And despite obsessing over what could have been, he simply moved. Onward and onward. He had a mission to complete. And he would complete it. Like he had always done. Like he would always do.

That was all his life was.

Maybe...

One day....

He could just stop moving.