A Search Through Runeterra (Arcane)

"Whom should I obey? Master Zed, or the farm implement with delusions of grandeur?"~ Kayn, The Shadow Reaper

If you feel like the previous chapter was a little out of the blue, then yeah. It is. I wanted to move the plot forward. However, once this arc ends, expect chapters for Annie and the Ravenbloom Conservatory. Talon and his escapades. As well as Tybaluk's grand plan.

I should have written the chapter during the time skip before Gregori left Freljord but I did not plan it. I write as I come up with stuff, except for the big scenes I want to get to and describe. Unfortunately, that throws off the narrative a little bit.

The meeting between Gregori and Telsi might also seem flat but I will rectify that with a future chapter. Intermediary chapters that come at the end of this arc which might be in another 10 chapters.

I apologize for that.

Early chapter today!

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Gregori ran through the conservatory hallways and arrived at the room where they had left their things.

"Hello Morgan." He said as he slipped next to the man.

Morgan looked up at him with a smile, "Mister Gregori! You are back alread-" The kids ran in at exactly that moment. Morgan looked at this in confusion, before it changed to shock and anger, "You are not supposed to be here!"

That was the last thing Morgan saw as Gregori swung his fist into the man's face instantly sending him to the floor.

Morgan stayed down for the next hour.

Without a moment to spare, he slung on his bag and slipped his shield onto his left hand and picked his spear with his left.

Before running out of the conservatory, he turned to face the kids. Briar looked unfazed at the interaction but three of the children had expressions of awe and only Faye had an expression of fear.

Gregori looked at her and then at Morgan's unconscious body. Making eye contact with her again, "Don't worry. He is just sleeping."

After saying those words, he ushered the kids out of the conservatory and down the long stairs.

"Right!" He called out to the children as they reached the bottom of the stairs. He sped up and overtook them, leading them into the alleyways.

They couldn't take the straight and narrow route. Running would catch the eyes of those who would like to take advantage of the situation.

They quickly made their way through quite a few twists and turns. Before he heard a loud cry, "Daddy!"

Gregori skidded to a halt and turned around. Annie was quite a bit farther than the rest of the children. Briar was right next to him. Her body was naturally resilient and endurance was a by product of all the things done to her. Her more developed bottom half provided enough power to keep running.

Daani was Ionian. His natural physical capabilities were beyond grown humans. He stayed close to them with his body's natural capabilities.

Faye was quite close. That was because of her use of magic. She was levitating or rather, flying. She was flying alongside them. But he could see the struggle and exhaustion in her.

Sydell was the most interesting however, he swung his hands and strings shot out of them. Gregori was quite surprised at that. The boy pulled himself forward by using webs and started running as he landed. A very novel but interesting way to move. He also looked quite tired but not as much as Faye.

Finally, the source of the disturbance, Annie. Gregori watched as she struggled to run. Her little feet not helping the situation. Even among the children, Annie was smaller. She definitely wasn't stronger either. And her magic? It didn't give her any mobility. In any case, she was just a child. And she was tired.

So he stopped. Right in the middle of an abandoned alleyway.

After Annie caught up, she raised at her indignantly, as if telling him to continue. But Gregori gave her a small smile and reached for her. She leaned into his touch quite eagerly. He wiped the sweat on her face. And looked at all of them, "Lets take a break now okay?" He said.

He gave the kids resting a look as they rested. Annie was practically collapsed on the ground. Faye was leaning against a wall for support. Daani looked fine. Sydell was seated on the ground cross-legged. Briar was walking up and down the alley looking around the place excitedly.

Gregori could force them to run more. But the next destination couldn't be reached with three tired children and one tiring child. Briar looked like she was having a light jog, she barely even broke a sweat.

If there was any chance for combat, he couldn't protect five children. Maybe even more, if the school was in a similar situation to the Ravenbloom Conservatory. 

Who was he kidding? It was probably just like that. Their name was Roseguard Academy. There was no chance.... not even a sliver of it not being in the control of the Black Rose. And if it was under their control, it housed children being experimented on.

The chances that he ended up running an orphanage after this was quite high.

He then felt a tug against his side and spotted Faye who was staring at her feet. "Yes Faye? Is there a problem?"

"Are you my father?" She asked, still not looking up to face him. Gregori instantly understood why she wasn't making eye contact with him. She was holding onto hope. Hope that could be crushed if she looked at him.

"NO! HE IS MY DADDY!" Annie's voice cut in.

Faye turned around and looked to Annie, "He can make people float like me. He can be my daddy too." She then turned to finally look at him, "I read that parent's and children have the same magic..... are you my father?" She asked pleadingly.

"HE IS NOT YOUR DADDY!" Annie yelled again.

"Annie. It is rude to scream." Gregori admonished. He then looked at Faye and spoke as softly as possible, "Faye, how old are you?"

She raised ten fingers and said, "I'm ten."

"Well, if you are ten then I cannot be your father." Gregori said softly, "I was with Annie's mother for four years before she was born."

Faye's face dropped and she sniffled.

Something in Gregori rose up to the surface as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Faye didn't look up but tears fell down her face. "But Faye... and you three as well," He spoke to all the children, "You are coming with me and you will live with me. So you can call me daddy or father or whatever you want and if you want."

"But Daddyyyy!" Annie whined.

Gregori gestured her to come to him, she got up and trudged to him, "We can be a big family Annie. See, it will you five and Daisy. You will have three sisters and two brothers. A BIIIG family. Just how you always wanted." Gregori consoled his daughter by reminding her of her dream to have a big family. "We will go on big adventures together! It will be great." That got her smiling.

"Big adventures?" She asked.

"The biggest!" He exclaimed, spreading his arms for added effect.

With his attention on Annie, he did not notice the sparkling eyes of the kids around him. Briar and Sydell fascinated by the idea of adventures with Faye and Daani taken by the idea of a big family.

"So...." He looked at all the kids. "What do you want to do?"

"Can I call you my daddy?" Faye asked, her voice shaking. "Can I really?"

Gregori nodded, "If you want."

Faye rushed him and grabbed both Annie and him in a tight hug. A few seconds later, Daani and Sydell also joined. Briar looked at the huddle confused at first before thinking it fun and jumping at the group with her arms wide open. Gregori welcomed it fully.

Why not? His luck with wives was not anything to celebrate and he was done with romance. But his behavior as a father was still acceptable. What was a couple more kids going to do to him?

Nothing.

He would face the struggles as they came.

The hug continued for an uncomfortably long time. Worsening only due to the sweatiness of the participants.

"O...Okay.." Gregori grunted out, "We still need to escape Noxus. Hugging can come later."

That separated the group quickly.

"Are you all rested up?" He asked and was met with enthusiastic nods. "Then lets go." As, he finished, he picked up pace. Watching him, the kids did the same, but he noticed Annie still lagging behind them.

Gregori got on his knees and said, "Hop onto my back Annie. I'll carry you there."

Annie shook her head, "I will also run." She said stubbornly, wanting to do as everyone else.

"No Annie. We don't have the time. Please." He replied.

Reluctantly, she hopped onto his back and he started to run. Annie still weighed like nothing. He grit his teeth at realizing that she hadn't put on any weight this late. Angry at himself and everyone else who put them in this situation.

But he couldn't let the anger take over. Not now. Not yet.

Nearly and hour later, they made it to the school. Gregori walked up to it and opened the door. What greeted him left him in shock and wonder.

The inside of the school was devastated. Walls broken. Floors cracked. Furniture decimated. Bodies littered.

"All of you close your eyes." Gregori commanded the children, "Link arms with each other." He ordered.

They followed.

Faye was at the closer end of locked bodies. Gregori took her hand and led them through the school, "Do not open your eyes. I am serious. This is very bad." He said. Hoping that the children would listen.

They moved from room to corridor and eventually to a large open space. Where Gregori spotted an armored figure standing over a body.

"Be very silent." He whispered to the children and led them around the open space. Gregori noted the size and shape of the armored figure.

A girl.

Young at that.

Her frizzy blond hair stood out. The armor she worse formed a metallic skirt around her. In her hands, a large lance. Fully metal. The kind that would take a man thrice her size to lift, let alone use.

As they moved, he finally caught sight of her face. Brown skinned. Her face marked with intense rage. 

This could be a problem.

The child might not be in control of herself or her actions.

Her head snapped to the left, spotting the line of children and grown men. Raising her lance, she inquired, "Are you smuggling the children to another facility?" Her voice calm but the rage beneath them was easy to spot.

Gregori looked at the girl and said, "Smuggling them out of Noxus. I got them out of another school like this. We came here to get the children here, out." 

"There are no children here." She snarled at him, "Except me."

"What happened to everyone else?" Gregori asked.

"Turned into Null." She answered. "Taken away or killed."

"Null?"

"Null is what people become when their magic is removed from them." She replied. "My friend.... I never saw him again."

Gregori bent down and placed his spear down. "What is your name child?"

The girl looked him up and down, appraising him. "Rell. Rell Reys."

Reys. The headmistress of this school was also a Reys. She did this to her own daughter. Another monster of a mother.

"Would you like to come with us?" Gregori asked, "We are leaving Noxus. This place is not safe for you or them." He said, gesturing to the children.

"How do I know you are not like them?" She asked, not lowering her lance, "How do I know you are not evil?"

"MY DADDY IS NOT EVIL!" Annie yelled at the girl.

"Annie. Keep your eyes closed please." Gregori said to his daughter. Then focused his attention on Rell, "You cannot know. But you can find out."

Gregori then turned to the back wall of the open area. The one differently colored to the rest of the walls. He slowly removed his hand from Faye's. "Rell can you step away from the bodies please?"

Rell hopped to the side. A heavy sound was produced as she landed. Even the armor was extremely heavy.

Gregori waved and the bodies all flew away and into the corridor. "You can open your eyes now kids." 

They all looked at the new girl.

Without any tact Briar jumped toward the girl with a wide smile, "Wow! You look cool!" She said as she walked around observing her.

"How old are you?" She asked Rell.

"Thirteen."

"Thirteen?" Briar exclaimed, "You are the same age as me!"

"Okay." Gregori cut in. "Watch me." He raised his shield and pulled his arm back. He let out a loud breath as he prepared himself.

As he did, the magic in the room started to swirl. All the eyes were glued to him.

"ARGH!" With a yell, Gregori launched the shield at the wall.

The shield disappeared for a second and appeared at the wall. The moment it came in contact with the wall, the entire side of the wall blew apart.

Gregori raised his hand and the shield zoomed back to him. He lifted his other hand and the wrapped spear flew into his grasp.

Turning to look at the children, he watched Rell, Faye, Sydell and Daani look at him with wide open mouths. Annie looked at him with a smile and clapped in ecstasy. Briar just looked at him in wonder.

"Well...." Gregori said looking at them. "That would have alerted every guard in the area. I suggest we get going." Giving them a little smile, he gave them a bow, "After you."

The kids ran out. Out into freedom.

Rell joined them as well.