"The spirits at the heart of the Freljord have need of me. I answer their call."~ Udyr, The Spirit Walker (They Musta Forgot The 'Dyr)
Leave a couple comments and power stones.
I've been thinking of how I'd do this upcoming battle and I have a fun little idea.
Think boss battles.
Let me repeat this, Gregori cannot be overpowered. It is not fun both to write and read. Every arc needs some kind of adversity otherwise it seems pointless. Whether it be through drama or through a tough opponent. He is already at late game level strength and 1v1's are very difficult to pull off.
I think this would turn out well.
Fingers crossed.
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"CHECK YOUR WEAPONS!" Vrynna yelled. "FASTEN YOUR LEATHERS! TODAY IS THE DAY WE BEGIN TO TAKE WHAT IS OURS! PREPARE YOURSELVES!"
The tribespeople and the mages all cheered as they began to check their things. Those who used mounts did their daily grooming of the beasts.
The tents they spent the night were loaded onto the back of the two mammoths that were a part of their force.
The tribespeople had brought their own shamans and healers as well. These were different from the Sisters of Frost, they used magic to listen to spirits and they had a variety of powers born from this connection.
He remembered something as he made his way to the mages.
"Do you have Leilani's stones with you?" He asked the mages. "Any of you?" He looked over the crowd of mages.
Leilani had been the previous leader of the mage resistance. After her death in trying to end the leader of the Mageseeker, Eldred, they had all migrated to Sylas.
A couple mages stepped forth, Leilani's closest friends, Adam and Mary. "We have them."
"Would you mind using them to help ensure that we have less causalities?" Sylas asked.
The two looked at each other in silence.
"I understand what it means to you..." Sylas tried to sympathize, "And it is completely fine if you don't.
The two turned to the other mages in the vicinity all looking at the two in expectation and they sighed. They turned to Sylas and just looked defeated. This man was making such radical changes. Leilani was not peace loving but she was more defensive. Sylas wanted to make the first move on everything.
His actions during the rebellion and then the attack on the other tribe.... it was too blood thirsty.
This attack on Demacia was uncalled for, it felt like a revenge that he wanted to do everything to take.
And now he wanted the only thing they had left from their friend?
But they couldn't say no.
How could they?
His last words made him the good guy and the eyes of the others around them were expectant.
If they said no then the mages would turn against them.
It was a lose-lose situation. They could only choose the lesser of two losses.
With defeat in their eyes, they reached out into their bags and pulled out a pouch each.
"This is all we have." Adam said as he held it out to him. Mary did the same.
Sylas took the pouches with no remorse and nodded. "Thank you. This will save lives."
He walked away from the group and back to Rayn.
"You took the stones?" She asked.
He shook the pouches in front of her, "They will be useful."
Rayn looked at the group, spotting a downtrodden Adam and Mary. "Useful to you..." She muttered.
Sylas nodded. There was no point in lying to her. His mind was open to her. Everyone's was.
He knelt down and emptied the pouches. Five stones landed on the ground. Each glowing a different color.
"They are still just as powerful huh..." He commented as he reached for them. His finger made contact with the stones as he felt the magic in them.
Leilani's magic was different.
It wasn't offensive or defensive.
It was supportive.
She was the only mage unaffected by Petricite. In fact, they helped her unlock her true potential.
Her magic allowed her to imbue the magic of others into anything. With the best container for magic being Petricite, she made these stones. Each stone holding magic of a certain kind.
Though there were two of the same.
It made sense.
The stones were a one time use.
After the magic in them was expended they went back to being Petricite stones. And without Leilani..... they would remain Petricite stones.
But this was Sylas would need. His magic could be anything. And there were very few offensive mages in this group. These stones would be what he used to shift his magic. Each use of a stone would give him one shot at a kind of magic.
He felt the magic in the two stones that were the same.
Defensive magic.
A barrier.
He gave it to Rayn. "Use it if your life is in danger or if you can save a lot of people."
She nodded as she spread open one of the pouches for it to fall into.
They were still Petricite, and despite being charged with magic, they would still sap magic just at a lesser pace.
Sylas gathered the rest of the stones and placed them in the other pouch.
He hung it from his neck and rose to full height.
"Scarmother." He greeted as he walked up to her.
Vrynna turned to him and nodded, "Sylas."
"Are your warriors ready?" He asked.
"They are always ready boy." She said.
Sylas observed the woman. She had gotten more volatile after their previous failure. And after the death of Brokvar, she had become more impatient.
But she still held on strong.
They needed this to succeed. The winters were becoming harsher and food scarcer.
Starvation had began to become common.
Even the Warmother Sejuani was troubled with the situation. The main tribe were fighting every tribe in their vicinity and hunting every creature that couldn't be used as a mount for food.
But they weren't looking southward.
This expedition's success would put Vrynna on the same position as Sejuani. They would be finally have a shot to rise to the position of Warmother by purely support alone.
She could always challenge her for the position but Vrynna was not stupid. There was no chance for her to win against an Iceborn. But winning though another manner was always better.
She didn't need to fight better. Just lead better.
Though the purists would be against it but she brought in results and that would garner all the support she needed.
"Your Iceborn?" Sylas asked.
She looked to the six she had managed to bring here, Two were a part of her tribe, the two she had left behind to defend their home while the other four were from nearby tribes with friendly relations. They were taking a gamble.
The lack of food was a problem for them to.
The two from her side, Vaark and Alma. One wielding a True Ice hammer and the other wielding spikes made of the same material. The hammer had a metal shaft with the metal forged around the ice. The spikes had leather wrapped around for grip.
Both weapons were devastating.
The Avarosans had refused to return the True Ice weapons which were lost in battle. This was all they had left.
The others all wielded similar weapons. True Ice blades. All jagged and crooked but cut all the same. Except for one. An odd man. Alvar. He held a True Ice stick. It wasn't sharp but blunt. He weak weapon. But that did not stop him from being the strongest in his tribe.
He beat those who hated him by purely being better than them.
It did not matter what he wielded anyway. It would be lethal all the same.
True Ice killed through contact.
Any weapon that came in contact with True Ice would freeze. The only time that had failed was that shield Gregori Hastur used that day.
Everything else would shatter and that included their enemies.
"They are ready." Vrynna stated.
A few moments later, she announced once more, "LET US BEGIN! OUR CONUEST TODAY WILL BE SPOKEN ABOUT FOR AGES! ONWARD!"
The army moved.
They came closer to the foot of the mountain they had planned to cross but halted as they spotted something.
Someone.
Sylas squinted as he observed the person.
A man.
Sat on a rock.
With two hands holding axes.
Looking in their direction.
"No..." A mage whispered as fear took over. "It..... it is not possible...."
Survivors of the previous attack were all hit with the same fear as they remembered the monster they had met in a similar situation.
"Not.... not again.. please..." One whimpered.
"Ah!" The man called from the distance, "It seems we meet again!"
Sylas felt his blood boil.
This man was here. Gregori Hastur.
He gave Thorva a look. Her eyes were wide in shock.
Their stories weren't over. Not yet.
"GREGORI!" Sylas yelled.
"Sylas!" Gregori called back. "Lets hope you all learned from last time!"
As he finished he raised his right arm, with the axe in hand.
A gleaming silver-white axe.
He brought it down.
And with it, volleys of arrows launched into the sky in their direction.