End of a War (2 in 1)

"What is a wraith but the ravenous shadow of a man?"~ Viego, The Ruined King (Did nothing wrong btw)

I was thinking of making the war longer but I don't know how to write it. Like I'm not good yet.

This is a 2 in 1 chapter for two days worth of chapters.

Quick info dump: In the original lore, Demacia did not know of the invasion until it was at their gates. It was why there was so much damage and it needed Galio and Lux to move. But here Demacia has prepared and has a force ready. Even with Iceborn, Demacia is too strong to lose.

Demacia arc is going to end soon and I am going to do something you guys might not enjoy but it is better in the long run. Trust me.

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Looking down at Sylas's body Gregori didn't feel the initial happiness he had thought he would feel.

It was revenge after all.

It wasn't like how people liked to spin it.

Revenge was empty.

Was it?

Never.

It brought with it satisfaction and closure. Both he had expected to feel from this battle. Of course, it wasn't right for him to compare himself to a young man like Sylas. He was barely an adult. One who fought for revenge as well as something bigger than himself.

He had purpose.

Like Gregori.

It didn't feel right.

But he was directly in his way and Gregori was just stronger. If Sylas was the one in his position..... without a doubt.... he would be a better choice against the Darkin.

Gregori raised his axe upward for one last swing. One to separate the man's head from his body.

But his hands refused to swing further. He couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldn't separate the head from the body. That wasn't the respect he wanted to show the man.

He would at least leave him with a full body.

Hiding Caalyx withing his clothes, he lifted the body into the sky with his magic and with his enhanced body, he called out, "STOP YOUR BATTLES! YOUR LEADER HAS FALLEN!"

Despite the sounds of people yelling and screaming. Despite the sounds of battle echoing. Despite the sounds of the creatures roaring.

His shout was heard to all.

The Demacians began to lower their weapons at the call. "STOP FIGHTING!" They began to echo.

But the Freljordians didn't stop.

They ignored the calls.

Demacians who had dropped their weapons began to raise them up again in order to defend themselves but the damage had been done.

Quite a few of them had been injured.

Gregori, angered by this, raised his voice and let loose with his magic.

For a single second, his magic pulled everyone in his vicinity down to the ground. Man. Beast. Everything in between.

All slammed into the ground.

Allies or enemies it didn't matter.

The injured?

Those who were on the ground weren't affected. The pull didn't go that far.

If there were injured who were still standing.... well...... they were a sacrifice........... if they died.

But that single second was enough.

"The battle is over." Gregori said. He didn't say anything further. They could all hear it. 

Some over eager Freljordian tribesman stood up quickly and tried to attack the Demacian in front of him.

BANG

He fell forward.

The last thing he saw were his own legs looking back at him.

Gregori threw a fallen spear in his direction absolutely demolishing his torso and the Freljordians behind him.

"Attack once more. " Gregori's words though soft, echoed through the silent battle field. "You will join the dead."

By now everyone had began to look up and spot the floating body of Sylas.

"NO!!!" Cried a woman as she ran forward. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" She seemed very attached to Sylas as she tears flowed down her cheeks.

She moved her hands together gathering some sort of dark colored magic.

She looked at her hands with rage and then toward Gregori.

But he was not there. 

In confusion she shook her head left and right.

THUNK

SPLURT

She lurched forward, blood trickling down from her mouth. Her eyes dropped downward. There was a hole in her abdomen.

A sword right through her back and out the front.

She gurgled blood as the magic forming in her hands faded away. Instead of looking toward Gregori who stood behind her, she looked forward.

She looked at the man she had come to love.

"Sy....las...."

And so Thorva passed..... the last thing in her sights was the body of the man she loved.

"Anyone else?" Gregori asked as he pushed the woman's body off his blade.

Vrynna walked up to him. Her hand holding a spear. She stood right in front of him, looking him in the eyes without fear.

"We are of the Freljord. We do not cower."

Gregori shook his head, "I offer your people a chance to live. Not for yourselves but for your families. Go back. Live."

Vrynna scoffed, "We do not need your mercy."

"This is his last request. Not a mercy but something offered to a warrior." Gregori replied, "Out of respect."

"You talk of respect!" Vrynna's voice got louder, "After what you did?"

Gregori lifted his blade and placed it on Vrynna's shoulder. "I faced your entire force alone. And won. I didn't even use this form against you in return. That is the maximum respect you can be awarded."

Vrynna did not falter at that, "But you killed my people!" She thrust her spear.

Her head fell.

Vrynna did not know what else to do. Her invasion failed. Her lover died. She couldn't go back with her head held high.

Death was her only option.

The only thing she wished to do was leave a mark on his body. Anything. Just to show that she put up a fight.

The only way she could justify her actions as Scarmother.

Gregori spotted the two Iceborn still alive. In an instant he appeared before them. "Take your people away."

They stood defiantly.

Gregori raised his sword, repeating once more, "It is not mercy. But a grace offered to one who laid his life down for you."

That got a reaction out of them.

"Capture them!" An excited Demacian Captain called.

Gregori turned his head.

CRUNCH

The Captain fell to the ground, his armor around his hands shattering into themselves.

"Did I ask for your input?" Gregori calmly asked as the Captain wailed in response.

The Freljordians and the mages all moved to one side.

Compared to their original force, what remained was a pitiful amount. Fifty three people. No beasts. Out of those fifty three only thirty weren't injured too badly. The rest had either lost limbs or were wounded in various parts of their body.

The seriously injured were left on the battlefield.

"Tend to your wounded." Gregori spoke. "They will not be harmed."

Gregori sensed someone approach him, He tilted his head slightly, catching sight of Xin Zhao.

"Seneschal." Gregori spoke.

Xin looked at Gregori, his eyes trembling, "You didn't need to attack our side as well."

Gregori shook his head, "Demacians don't listen to reason. They need a show of force before they listen to orders. It is what Jarvan needs to do as well. I told you this before. A good king or a strong king."

"But you are none of them." Xin replied.

Gregori nodded, "But I am ending his war. And there can be no insubordination." His voice was harsh and cold.

Xin seemed taken aback by how firm Gregori was being. 

He turned around and began to walk back to where he first sat. With every step, his body shrunk back to his original size.

Gregori sat in his position and hung his hands forward in front of himself.

As the transformation faded, tiredness began to envelop him.

"ATTACK THE MAGE!" A voice echoed from the skies as a Silverwing flew down, right toward Gregori.

"NO!" Jarvan yelled.

The leftovers of both armies looked at the Silverwing and Gregori in horror.

Just as the Silverwing's mouth opened to take a bite out of Gregori in one well swoop.

Gregori looked up.

The entire beast froze.

Froze completely mid air.

Its momentum completely disappearing. Only its eyes moved. 

Gregori stood up and raised his right hand. 

WOOOSH

An axe flew toward it.

The Demacian axe.

Slowly, he walked toward the rider who was frozen along with his raptor. Gregori looked the man in the eye as he swung his axe.

One head rolled.

Gregori walked back and swung once more.

Another head rolled.

Both man and beast dead.

The hold on their bodies gave way as they thudded to the ground.

"Anyone else?" He asked, his voice colder than the harshest winters the Freljord could offer.

No one replied.

No one moved.

They had all learned something that moment.

Gregori was a monster they couldn't cross. At all costs.

Garen felt a hand on his shoulder. Garen turned around to see that man.

"Do you think anyone better can take care of your aunt?" Pieter asked his son.

Garen turned back to Gregori. He shook his head slowly.

"No."

Pieter turned to his sister who stood a distance away.

Her face was emotionless. 

But he could read her. He knew what she was thinking. She was looking forward to a future with him.

As a woman.

And as a mother.

She had begun to think of herself as one after meeting Gregori and his children.

And it would only be a matter of time before she became an actual one.

Any other nobles in the vicinity all had similar thoughts. Their original goal was to either kill him in the heat of the battle or have him leave the country.

But this?

This was too good of a boon to pass up.

He needed to be chained to Demacia.

Through marriage or blackmail. Both were fine options.

Jarvan looked at his people. His soldiers. There were only ninety seven left. Ninety seven out of two hundred.

Better losses than they Freljordians.

But it wasn't good.

They had lost quite a bit of competent warriors. That along with the guards how passed due to the creature sealed in the weapon and Gregori's own weapon rampaging... it was a lot of deaths.

He looked at his weapon in thought. 

Gregori's words to Xin Zhao rang in his head.

A good king or a strong one.

He hadn't made a decision when he had heard it initially. But watching Gregori today.... now..... he was thinking about it seriously.

His job was not too look glorious in front of his people. He was king. He ordered. They obeyed.

It did not matter if they saw him as a tyrant.

As long as his home prospered.

As long as his people were alive and thriving.

In that moment, Jarvan made a decision that would change the course of Demacia's history. A change that would only be appreciated a few generations later as his memoirs were released to the public by an eager descendant.

"We unleashed this." Xin spoke behind Jarvan.

Jarvan shook his head, "No. I unleashed this." He didn't look toward the bodies on the ground, only toward Gregori. "And it was necessary."

"Necessary?" Xin Zhao looked at his king in surprise, not expecting those words. "Milord?"

Jarvan's eyes were clear. His posture straight. "Yes. Demacia will not have a weak king. The nobles will learn to respect the king. I will not bend. I will not falter." His voice came out strong, filled with conviction. "We will change."

"Captain?" A soldier called his Captain.

"What?" An irritated voice replied.

The soldier looked at Gregori before asking, "You didn't need to piss off the mage."

Arrika looked at her subordinate, "Shut the fuck up." She said harshly.

But in her mind, after witnessing the pure power and violence both Gregori and his opponent had unleashed, she was afraid.

Afraid of retaliation.

Afraid of revenge.

She was hoping that Gregori did not come after her. 

Arrika would maintain her distance from the man in hopes that he would forget about her.

"Would he have been a better host?" Gregori asked softly, "For our mission."

"Maybe." Caalyx replied. "Maybe we could have tried to have him form a bond with Joraal or Naganeka."

Gregori remained silent as he looked up, observing the battlefield and those surviving. "You know that's not what I meant."

"I do indeed." Caalyx replied. "Gregori. There is no one better to wield me than you. It is not just a matter of strength but one of compatibility. He was interesting. Strong. Willful. But that is not enough."

Thoughts swirled in Gregori's head. It was the second time he had seen such talent. Such pure unfiltered talent and potential.

He had helped the first one grow and Talon did develop better than expected.

But he had put an end to one. One he was starting to regret as the anger he held toward him faded away.

In hindsight, he did not need to feel that much anger then. He could have just used the opportunity to force him onto a better path. But he didn't. He fought to kill. That was the only option in his mind.

Being forced to participate in this battle had stopped him from thinking of any other outcome.

His eye landed on a young girl kneeling.

She didn't seem to be injured.

Gregori stood up and began walking toward her.

She looked up as she noticed Gregori approach.

Getting a good look at her face, Gregori concluded that she couldn't be older than Rell. Or Briar at that.

A child.

A child on a battlefield.

"What is your name child?" Gregori asked.

The child looked at him, bags under her eyes. A perpetual tiredness in her face. "Rayn."

"Why are you here Rayn?" Gregori asked, "A child shouldn't be here."

The girl looked like she had lost it all, her eyes fell dead, "My magic is useful."

Gregori looked taken aback, "So they let you into a war?"

The girl shook her head, "I did not want to leave them. I wanted to help. I didn't want Sylas to die. Not after...."

Ah.

Gregori understood now.

The reason Sylas had asked him to spare the mages. He didn't want to spare all the mages. Just this one child. This one child was all he wanted to spare from the group of mages.

"Are you not leaving with the Freljordians?" Gregori asked.

She looked up at him, "Why?"

"Sylas wanted you to live." Gregori spoke.

"But I don't want to." She replied, "I am done. I will just stay here until I die." Her eyes filled with hope, "Can you make it easier for me?" She asked.

Gregori looked confused, "What do you want?"

Her eyes shot to his axe. "Swing that at my neck." She stated.

Gregori's eyes widened.

He did not expect the girl to have a death wish. And frankly, he did not want to see someone this young give up on life that easily.

Gregori had killed quite a lot of children before but it was never like this. Never when they asked for it.

He looked up toward Pieter and waved him over.

Pieter squinted before nodding. He walked over to Gregori, Garen following behind him.

Gregori pointed to the girl. "This is Rayn."

"A child." Pieter whispered horrified as he took in the girl. "They had a child fight in this war?"

"She wants to die." Gregori said.

Pieter's head swiveled to meet Gregori, "What are you saying?"

"I want you to take her in." Gregori explained. "Raise her. When your daughter returns..... she will have a mage she can relate to. And you get the suicidal thoughts out of her."

Pieter looked around in thought, "Adopting a child is a big ask Gregori..... especially when she was part of the enemies."

"But she is a child." Gregori refuted. "A child who was forced into battle. You would be saving her."

Gregori rewrote the story in his words.

But that was all that was needed.

The victors wrote the story after all.

Pieter understood it. He and his family would appear as heroes for this decision. And he could take care of this child in hopes of bringing his daughter back.

A few moments of contemplation later, Pieter nodded. "Alright."

He turned to the girl. "Come child."

She shook her head. "No. I don't want to do this anymore."

"Why?" Garen asked as he squatted next to her.

"It is too much." She replied, "Everyone's pain. Their dreams. Their fears. It is all too much."

"Your magic?" Gregori asked.

She nodded.

Gregori placed a hand on her head, "You cannot control it?"

She nodded.

Dreams and nightmares?

Those bags under her eyes....

Gregori observed her closer. Her actions made more sense now. She was delirious. Her mind wasn't working as it should.

Her magic was causing her more harm than help.

"Any runes for this Caalyx?" Gregori asked in his mind.

Caalyx vibrated in reply, "Nothing to completely stop her magic.... but one that can lower the output. Almost like those Petricite items but more painless.

Gregori felt the knowledge appear in his mind.

He reached out and ripped off the clothes of one of the bodies and shaped out a strip of cloth.

He bit into his index finger and drew blood.

With the bloody finger, he drew the runes onto the cloth. He flipped it over and tied it onto the girl's arm. 

As soon as the girl's magic made contact with the runes, it began to drain. Suddenly, her flow of magic began to clog up as the overall amount of magic that leaked out of her started to reduce.

In real time, the girl began to notice the range of the information entering her body began to reduce.

It reduced all the way till the three people near her.

She looked up at Gregori in shock. "How?"

"Experience." Gregori answered, "Your magic isn't supposed to be feared. It is to be controlled. Learn that. How do you think Sylas got that strong?"

"But he died to you."

"How do you think I got strong?" Gregori responded. "It is not impossible Rayn. Just constant practice. Practice the flow of your magic and eventually you will be able to completely make sure the magic doesn't leak out of your body at all. This is not a permanent solution. Just a temporary one. It is in your hands to make it permanent."

"But I don't want to do it anymore." Rayn replied. "It is too much."

Gregori knelt down, "I faced a being that could kill gods when I was younger than you. I could have died then. I could have accepted my fate then." He sighed as he thought back to that day, "But I didn't. I ran. Ran for my life. Ran all the way to the massive desert of Shurima. But I lived. Living means another chance. Another chance at facing that being again. And this time I will not lose."

"A being that can kill gods?" She asked.

Gregori nodded. "They are preparing for war. And if the war does start then the whole planet is in danger. I am stopping every being of that kind before I face that particular being."

"Alone?" She asked.

"No." Gregori answered truthfully, "My weapon is alive. My partner. As long as he is there I am not alone."

"Will I be alone?" She asked as hope began to fill her eyes.

Pieter stepped in, "No. You will have us."

"Yes." Tianna said as she stepped close. "You will have us."

Gregori let the Crownguards get to know the child as he walked toward Sylas's body.

"I have fulfilled your wish." He whispered to the body.

Sometime later, he picked up his axes and his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"I am going back." He announced to Jarvan and the entire army.

And so, with a tired body, he climbed his way up the mountain and watched the Freljordians begin to travel back to their home.

And just like them, he began to travel to his home.

His children.

He had won the war and had done it well but was it really something he needed to do?

Did he have to fight?

Who could have stopped him from leaving?

It was a bad decision from him.

But if he did not move.....

Sylas would have killed everyone.

That was without question.

He stopped thinking about it.

Death was inevitable.

The only thing that seemed to be a constant was that he was dealing it.