"Pull the strings. Watch them dance."~ Elise, The Spider Queen
Sorry for the chapter scare yesterday. I don't want to leave you guys hanging when I'm not able to upload anything. I have also been trying to plan the end of the story, like I know what should happen but I wanna leave clues behind in order to make Gregori be the smart guy he is supposed to be. And as they say the character is as smart as the author and I'm dumb as bricks.
Also a bit of a mistake with the names... it is Oshra Va'Zaun and not Osha. Missing an R.
Next chapter will drop tomorrow as well to keep with schedule. And the week after is exam week so no chapters.
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"Sorry."
"I don't want an apology." Gregori glowered at her. "I want to know why you let him out of your sight."
"He slipped out.... by the time I realized... I had to make the choice between staying with everyone else or going after him." Rell answered. "I made the better decision." She sneered at Sydell.
Gregori grit his teeth, "I gave you the responsibility to look after them. Not only because you were the eldest but because you earned it. But you have failed and you would have to earn that respect back now."
"Wait..." Rell looked at him.
Gregori turned to the rest and looked at one particular girl, "You are now responsible for making sure everyone remains safe."
"Me?" Briar pointed to herself.
Gregori sighed.
.
.
"Yes."
"Shouldn't it be me?" Daani asked.
He shook his head, "Briar is the only other person among you I can fully trust with responsibility. Her senses won't let any of you slip away. And finally, she listens to my words the best out of all of you."
Rell however, seemed indignant, "Give me another chance father."
Gregori placed a hand on her head, "You will have to earn that chance Rell. I know its not your fault and you did the best with what you had been dealt but a failure is a failure. If Sydell had been harmed then it would have fallen on you. That would have been your guilt to bear."
Rell didn't look convinced but Gregori didn't leave much time for replies and turned around.
"Now.... I need you to put your differences aside for a little bit." He said as he looked at the two groups who wisely, stayed out of the conversation Gregori was having with his children. "Tell me.... is there any other Noxian influence here other than Ambessa."
"No." Caitlin answered. "The Medarda are among the Piltovan Council and have been so for nearly hundred years."
"Lot of good they have done." Jinx rolled her eyes.
"You-" Caitlin turned around.
Gregori beat her to it, "Don't interrupt unless you have something useful to add." And as he spoke his magic flared pressing her down.
That just made her angry.
She growled at him.
"I am not here for long." He told her and then looked to the rest. "We will leave as soon as our objective is complete. I cannot care less for your lives and your struggles. As long as you keep everything above ground. The ruins of Oshra Va'Zaun must remained untouched.... for your sakes. If someone other than me finds the weapon then a majority of Zaun will be destroyed. Its people...." He focused on the group, "YOUR people will die. The goddess will try to protect you but she cannot do much in her current state."
"Why should we believe you?" Vi spat out, "You might end up destroying Zaun yourself."
Gregori frowned at her, "I have brought my children with me..... and I have conversed with your goddess... and you think I would destroy your home?"
"You might kill your children to achieve your goals." Vi shot back, she glanced at Jinx, "I've seen those kinds."
The absurdity of that sentence had Gregori chuckling, "I have killed hundreds to ensure the lives of my children and made an enemy of Noxus." He shrugged, "They wouldn't be in harms way even if I wanted to. Together....they are strong enough to face most of the dangers the world throws at them."
They seemed unbelieving at his words but Daani stepped in, "Haven't you killed more than a thousand people daddy?"
"I was talking about the lives I took for you lot." Gregori answered. "And even that was in the low hundreds. I am not taking responsibility for the lives Caalyx took when someone else touched him."
"He was enjoying it." Daisy pointed out.
Gregori shook his head, "Enjoying the freedom not the killing. He doesn't care for taking lives. He wasn't shackled to me but fully in control of one who cannot handle the weight of his existence. That was what he was enjoying."
He looked at the mute child in front of him and reached for her.
Her eyes widened before she scrambled behind Jinx.
But she didn't get very far as her little body floated off the ground and slowly flew toward him. Gregori lifted her hat off and looked over the child. She fiddled with her thumbs looking anywhere but at Gregori.
"Any injuries?" He asked.
She shook her head quickly.
He turned his attention to Jinx, "You intentionally let a child into a place you trapped. Are you stupid or trying to get her killed?"
"She followed me!" Jinx answered in rage, "And she would have been fine anyway!"
"There were explosions everywhere, an entire wall blown up and the mural holding back the polluted air blew up as well." Gregori pointed out, "At her age a single rouge piece of rubble would kill her despite the miniscule amount of magic in her."
"She has magic?!" Sevika exclaimed.
Both Vi and Caitlin began to reevaluate the child in front of them.
Gregori sighed, "Everyone has magic. You cannot live without it. She has more of it than you lot. Enough to use it consciously."
"I have magic?" Sevika asked, her world view shattering multiple times over the past few hours.
"Not enough to make a difference... but enough to keep you alive." Gregori answered then he turned his attention to Jinx, "I know you care for this child. It is quite obvious. Don't put her in danger. Children don't fight the battle's of adults."
KNOCK
KNOCK
All eyes turned to the door of the Last Drop.
"Enter." Gregori called.
Jinx frowned, "It's my place..."
The door opened, revealing Maddie.
"Maddie..." Caitlin voiced as rage bubbled at her betrayal.
Maddie looked at Caitlin, "Cait... I am formally resigning from the enforcers." After those words she turned to Gregori.
"You TRAITOR!" Vi screamed, trying to rush toward her but found herself unable to rise up from her seat.
"Be calm." Gregori said as he observed her, "Now... how did you find me?"
"People tend to notice when Zaun's most important and Piltover's enforcers walk side by side." Maddie answered.
Gregori nodded, "And what is your message?"
"The general invites you to a meeting." She answered.
A smile escaped Gregori. Ambessa's spy. That simplified things.
"What does she require?" Gregori pushed, "The invite is to get something from me and the chances are she let you know of her desires."
"Protection." Maddie answered, "For her daughter."
Gregori nodded, leaning back against the bar. After a moment, he turned to Caitlin, "What do you think of Mel Medarda?"
Caitlin frowned, "She is a good person. Supported peaceful relations between the two cities." She glared at Jinx, "If the rocket hadn't hit the council.... then Zaun would be its own country, Silco brokered that deal."
Vi had a visceral reaction to that name and Jinx hung her head.
Silco.
A friend? Family? Father-figure? The one Vi was referring to when she insinuated that he might sacrifice his children for his goals. Perhaps.
Gregori filed that name away for later.
"Alright but what do YOU think of her? Her behavior. Her goals. Her relationships." He asked.
"She is ambitious but her heart is in the right place. As long as something can be solved peacefully she will go to any length for it to happen. And she is currently in a relationship with Jayce Talis of House Talis, another member of the council and one of the minds behind Hextech." Caitlin listed.
Smart too then, if she roped in the man responsible for all the development.
Gregori nodded and then turned to Maddie, "Tell Ambessa that I decline her invite. I told her last time that she couldn't use my friendship with her son as an advantage."
Maddie breathed out and nodded.
"But I will keep her daughter safe. Not for Ambessa but for her son. And please..." Gregori smiled, "Remind her that she is the one who owes me a favor for seven years ago and favors must be-" He stretched it out for Maddie to reply.
"Repaid." Maddie answered.
"Good." Gregori nodded, "Off you go. And send Mel Medarda here.... have her bring Jayce Talis along with her."
Maddie walked toward the door before standing still, "It is an honor to meet The Gray sir."
"Shut up and leave." Gregori replied, not wanting to stretch things out.
"They still train soldiers with using your name." She continued despite his words.
The door flew open and Maddie's body was flung out roughly, the door then shut itself.
"What..." Sevika muttered.
"I told her to shut up and leave." Gregori replied.
A grin sprouted on Vi's face despite her anger.
"What now?" Annie asked.
Gregori raised his hand and one of the bottle in the back flew toward him, "Now we wait for the young Medarda. while also planning out routes. Having both the antagonist forces in front of us-" Gregori looked at the two groups, "We currently control the immediate future of the Twin Cities. I also need to speak with this Jayce."
"Because of the Void?" Briar asked.
He nodded, "If it is allowed to fester unchecked.... our world will end. No other outcome." He took a big swig of the drink in his hand, "The only thing we can do here is try and stop its influence from spreading."