"I've heard a lot about this hero with a hammer, can't wait to meet him."~ Poppy, The Keeper of the Hammer
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A few days passed as they made their way through to the mountain pass.
SKREEEEEEEEEEEE
The kids stopped in surprise at the sound. Gregori turned to them, "Don't you remember hearing this screech before?"
"Silverwing...." Rell answered.
He raised a finger at her and smiled, "Correct! You remember! That is from a Silverwing Raptor."
Turning to the rest of the kids, "Are you afraid of it?"
They remained silent until Daani answered, "No."
"Why are you not afraid?" Gregori pushed.
Daani answered, "You told us that they won't go after children because we are not filling."
"Exactly! I'm glad you remember." Gregori smiled and patted Daani. Suddenly a thought passed through his mind, something he had overlooked. He knelt facing Daani. "Hey Daani? Son?"
Daani looked at him attentively.
"Demacia is not known for accepting magical people. You know this right?"
Daani nodded.
"So I want you to do something for me... Can you change your color to look more like mine while removing the tail and the spikes? Just you but more like me." Gregori looked at the boy hopefully.
Daani nodded immediately and changed.
Instead of his previous look, Daani now looked..... human. Like the rest of his kids. He even resembled him.
Surprised and impressed gasps and exclamations were heard form the other children.
"Is it good?" Daani asked shyly.
"Very." Gregori answered. "No one will doubt you if you say that you are my son." He flashed a thumbs up. "Well done!"
Daani gave him a wide smile.
After which Sydell jumped onto him. "Now no one will question us if we say that we are brothers either!" He called out happily.
The other joined in saying similar things.
"Daddy?"
Gregori turned to his daughter. "Yes firefly?"
"Do you want a son?" She asked, clutching onto Tibbers.
"No." He replied confusedly, "Why?"
She didn't answer, instead turning to look at Daani. Gregori understood her intentions.
"It isn't that. All of you are my children and I don't care how you look. But if Daani looked very different, then there are people who will make things hard for him." He then tapped her head, "Son or daughter doesn't matter to me Annie. Only your happiness matters. Now go join them."
Annie nodded and then turned to the group. But she stood still, not knowing how to join in. But then she felt a hand on her back pushing her forward. She looked up to see her father with a kind smile.
And without another moment of hesitation, she joined the kids in complimenting Daani.
SKREEEEEEEEEEEE
But even that was broken as another ear-splitting screech was heard. This time, closer to the group.
"Kids hurry up, lets get under some cover." Gregori called out to the group.
"But it won't attack us daddy." Daisy informed him.
Gregori nodded. "But it will attack me, so lets get going."
That got the kids chuckling. Making them feel happy, for once, that they were children. But they still rushed toward Gregori and followed him to the nearest group of trees.
The Avalance beasts were wary of the screeches but chose to ignore it. They were smart creatures. Having seen how Gregori and the rest were behaving it was only right for them to assume that this screeching was of no consequence.
They did enjoy this lifestyle. No whipping. No yelling. It was just a simple and relaxing life with this little group they found themselves in. What they liked most however, were the hugs. Those were plentiful.
WHOOOOOSHHHH
Just as they made it to cover underneath the trees and away from the mountain roads they felt the wind whoosh against them.
"Look at that!" Sydell exclaimed as he pointed upwards.
Craning their heads upwards, they all spotted it. A large dragon like beast soaring through the sky, its feathery wings flapping, sending forth whooshes of wind. Despite the distance between them, they could spot the talons on the creature and its sharp looking beak.
Gregori, pointed at it. "See the straps on its side?"
The straps stood out on the creature. The brown coloring of the leather in sharp contrast with the silvery white bodies of the beasts.
They all nodded.
"That means that this particular Silverwing Raptor belongs to Demacia. It is a beast they ride into battle. Chances are that this is currently being ridden by someone." He taught.
"Can I ride one?"
All heads swiveled to Briar. "I want to fly!"
"I don't know Briar." Gregori confessed truthfully. "Maybe there might be someone willing to let you have the chance but we would have to get to the capital for that to happen." There was no need to lie to her saying that she would definitely be able to ride one or outright deny the possibility. It could happen.
Briar nodded, her face hopeful but her eyes held a mischievous glint. One Gregori did not fail to notice.
"Are you planning something Briar?" He asked her.
Her face lit up in alarm. "No! No. Nothing!" She spoke flustered in an effort to cover up something.
"Hmm." Gregori squinted at the girl.
But she refused to crack.
"Okay then. Lets head onwards." He stood up and pointed forward. 'But lets stick close to the trees just to be safe from wild raptors."
Words that would usually get them to come close to him and huddle together didn't get them to move. They had figured out that staying close to him would probably mean death and hence maintained their distance. Gregori was downtrodden at that. A little proud but still sad. They made the correct decision but they weren't coming close to him.
But Briar just walked up and stood next to him.
He sighed at her naivete but smiled at the fact that she came near him.
They continued walking until they made it to the highest part of the mountain pass. After taking a moment to take in the views they continued down the path.
A few hours later, they set up their tent a little away from the path and inside the forest. After placing the ward stones, Gregori lit a fire and started cooking some of the meat while also cutting some fruits they had collected along the way.
The travel was tiring to say the least. And that was how a grown man felt. The children? They were all beyond tired but the excitement of seeing new things overtook any of the exhaustion.
But after setting up the tent, they were all just lying about talking to each other and pointing out things they had spotted along the way.
Sydell had made it his mission to describe the Silverwing Raptors with incredible detail with Briar jumping in to assist him.
The two of them had impeccable vision and were able to see it more clearly than the rest.
Gregori had a careful eye on the kids. They were young and the younger one was the more reckless they were. It was just one of the world's unwritten laws. Children learnt from pain. But these kids had already suffered enough, they could learn from him alone.
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Gregori jolted at the vibration and the sound.
Briar clutched at her ears and bent down screaming.
The alarm rune stone had gone off.
Someone or something had entered the wards.
Gregori rose to his feet and his shield and axe shot to his hands. "Stay here and stay close." He told the kids as he started to observe his surroundings.
And then a voice cut through, "What is that noise?"
A pause. "I just wanted to take a nap under my favorite tree!" The voice exclaimed.
Gregori raised his weapons.
The voice was high-pitched.
Female.
Young.
He stepped closer to the voice.
A hammer lay on the ground.
An incredibly large one. Regal looking. He could feel weakness expand within him as he edged closer to the weapon.
A Petriciteconstruct.
He couldn't let this come close to his children. Not when everyone except Daisy were deeply shrouded in magic.
He had imagined the effect of Petriciteon his children could be negligible since they required contact. But a weapon that emitted the anti-magic properties? Extremely dangerous.
Gregori squinted, spotting a head of blond hair behind the hammer, twin tails.
He walked around and made eye contact with the owner of the hammer.
"Hello!" The Yordle spoke. Her blue skin in sharp contrast with her hair.
Gregori stared at her and then the hammer. Its size was massive and compared with the wielder, it seemed impossible.
"Hello?" The yordle waved in front of him.
"Yes?" He composed himself, "Hello."
"I'm Poppy. What's your name?" She introduced then asked him.
"Gregori."
"Well Gregori.... want to lift this hammer?" Poppy asked.
Gregori shook his head. "I would decline that offer. I'm a mage and that is Petricite."
"Oh..." Her head dropped in disappointment.
"How did you enter the wards?" He asked the non-combative Yordle.
She shrugged. "Just walked in."
The wards did not work against Yordles?
That was something to think about.
"Do you want to journey with me?" She invited him. "I'm headed toward Uwendale."
"Us too." Gregori spoke. Yordles were straightforward. If one did not want to initiate combat and appeared peaceful..... they most likely were. They were incapable of changing their behavior like humans.
Immortal creatures of magic would go crazy if they weren't like that. Childlike. Wonderous. Kled was an example of what happened if they encroached other emotional domains.
"Us?" Her eyes shone.
Gregori nodded. "My children, our beasts and I."
"Can I join?" Poppy asked hopefully.
"You are welcome to."
"Thank you!" She hopped to her feet and picked up the hammer and swung it over her shoulder.
Something about Gregori's expression as she picked it up must have alerted her but she started laughing. "Why do you look like that?"
He shrugged.
"That is a nice shield." She said pointing to his shield. "My shieldy is smaller but just as strong."
Gregori doubted that claim but assessed the buckler on her arm regardless.
"Come." He pointed. "I'll lead you to our camp."
But before that he moved to the ward stone closest to the location, lifted it and placed it back, resetting the wards.
"Safety." He answered the confused looking Yordle.