Surrounding Stars

"They will call me villain… Come, let me earn their hatred, again and forever."~ Aatrox, The Darkin Blade.

We are getting at 600k views. Crazy. Thanks for the support. Drop some stones if you feel like it. But comment nonetheless. Anything you want to see this arc? 

I'm trying to add more interactions between Gregori and his children. That is what makes this story anyway. Everyone gets their own moment. The planned side stories for them will probably make this all worthwhile.

Important: No chapters from the 29th to the 2nd. I will be traveling as well as moving to a new place with absolutely nothing inside. Sorry about that.

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Unlike what the kids had expected, it was not an instant vertical climb, rather a gradual one.

The climb would grow harder but it would be gradual.

For now it would be a upward slope.

Gregori watched as the children ran toward a creature they spotted.

Rell looked at him to see his reaction.

"Go. The Ibik is harmless." He squinted at it, "That one has no scars on its skin and its horns are dull. It is domesticated."

"That does not look harmless." Rell replied plainly. Then she frowned, "How do you know that the horns are dull?"

Gregori leaned forward to her level and pointed, "See that? The horns? They shouldn't be curved that much. Ibik sharpen their horns against the rocks on the mountain side and it never grows past a certain length. If it does, then that means that they have no reason to sharpen it, implying that they are domesticated."

"Wouldn't it be bad if the horns curl in on themselves and into their heads?" Rell asked, "Can that happen?" She looked to Gregori frowning.

"Domestication means it has a caretaker Rell. Their horns would probably be sawn off and used." He explained.

Rell watched as the Ibik set the others climb onto its back. "So what does it provide?"

"I haven't tried it myself.... but it is kept for its supposedly delicious milk." Gregori answered, keeping an eye on the children, whose laughter he could hear despite the distance.

Loompa moved up to him, "How about we go to them?" Willa asked.

Gregori shook his head, "Ibik, even when domesticated, will get ready to fight if they see a predator. And we have two." He answered as he placed a hand on Loompa and rubbed the fur. "Does this weather suit you more? The sun was probably near harsh from you huh?"

The Ibik stopped moving as both it and the children looked to the right. From his angle, Gregori could not see what caused that reaction. Soon enough, a man walked up to the children and into his line of sight.

"Stay here." He told Rell, Willa and the two beasts. He walked toward the children and the man.

The man wore a cloak that covered his body, leaving only two visible parts. His face and his right arm. His right arm had a leather brace and in it he held a short spear, its other end ending in a sharp point.

"Get off." He coldly ordered the children as he pointed the spear at the group. "Outsiders are not allowed."

Gregori walked up to the man.

Noticing his arrival the man turned to Gregori, "Are they yours outsider?"

Gregori's eyes were on the spear pointed on his children. He raised his hand and formed a circle above his chest, then he moved drew a curve underneath the circle dragging a line downward through the curve.

The symbol of the Solari, not just any Solari but one belonging to the Ra'Horak.

"Keep the spear pointed in the direction of the spear and your arm will fall along with it." He told the man calmly, almost like he was stating the weather.

"I have never seen you among them." The man said as he turned his spear toward Gregori.

Gregori nodded, "I haven't returned in over two decades."

"Then you shouldn't be alive." He said.

Gregori ignored the man and turned to his children, "Get off the creature. We have places to be."

The children despite looking reluctant, froze upon seeing the expression on their father's face and hopped off obediently.

"Answer my question." The man pushed his spear into Gregori, not enough to draw blood but enough to cause minor pain.

Gregori turned to the man and looked at him like he was nothing, "Tell me.... does Iula still live in her farm at the edge of the caves?"

The man tried moving the spear into the man in front of him..... but he couldn't move.

"Go to your sister." He told the children, who followed without question. He turned back to the man, "Answer my question or else you will find moving very difficult."

"The Rakkor never falter." He spoke through gritted teeth.

Gregori nodded, "And you will never move if you do not answer."

"Why?" He asked.

"I haven't seen her in two decades. She was good to me. The rest of the tribe....." Gregori sighed, "Not so much."

"You will not harm anyone?" He asked.

Gregori seemed tired, "I do not care for anyone else."

"Yes." The man answered, "She still lives there."

Gregori nodded, "How easy was that?" He turned to walk toward his children before he stopped, "But...." The man crumpled into the ground, "You did point your spear at my children."

"They could be enemies." The man tried to defend. 

Gregori increased the pressure on the man as he sunk further into the ground. He let out a shriek of pain.

"This is what the Rakkor have been reduced to these days." Gregori muttered, "Pointing weapons at children and calling them enemies."

The pressure on the man disappeared.

Gregori walked toward his children but he didn't leave without calling back, "This is but a warning. Try this again and your head will the only part of your body on the ground."

"Who was that daddy?" Briar asked as they began moving forward.

Gregori answered without turning around, "An idiot."

Briar turned around and waved at the man who struggled onto his feet, "Bye bye mister idiot!"

Other than Annie and Daisy, both of whom turned around to wave at the man, the kids devolved into laughter.

Even Gregori had snorted at the Briar's sudden action.

"Why are you laughing?" Briar asked, pleased with how her actions made them laugh. Though she wanted to know why they were laughing.

"Nothing Briar." Rell said. "It's all fine."

"Never change Briar." Gregori told her with a soft expression. "Never change."

The group continued on until the arrived at cave like structures in the sides of the mountain.

"Can we go in?" Daisy asked as she spotted people stare at them, as they walked around.

Gregori made eye contact with the people looking in their direction. "Later. When we are going to the grove."

"Aren't we climbing then?" Sydell asked, "Can't climb from inside the mountain...." He stopped for a second before getting excited, "Can we?!"

"No." Gregori answered as he shook his head, "We walk through to the other side. It is faster. Th grove is on the southern side of the mountain."

Sydell's excitement faded.

"But up." Faye added.

"But up." He repeated.

"Why are all the creatures here so big?" Willa asked as she saw someone lead a tall beast toward the caves.

"Size means survival here." Gregori explained as he caught sight of the beast. "Scares of the smaller, more brave dragons, when they realize that they can't lift these creatures easily."

"Dragons?!" Annie asked excitedly.

Gregori didn't need to look at each child individually to see how excited they were. Their eyes would be glowing. "Yes. Targon is the land of the dragons Annie. They are usually all near the upper portions of the mountain but it is not uncommon to spot one in the lower regions."

"Can I ride one?" Daisy asked, already imagining riding one with her sword out as she fought her enemies.

Gregori shook his head, "No. Too dangerous."

Without stopping, he continued, "You know what consider dragons prey?"

"There are creatures that hunt dragons?" Daani asked fearfully.

Gregori nodded. "There are."

"Are they giant worms?" Annie asked as she clutched Tibbers tightly.

Taken aback by the absurd statement, Gregori shook his head, "No? No worms."

"Then what hunts dragons?" Faye asked frustrated by how much he was dragging it.

"Other bigger dragons." He answered like it was the simplest thing. He titled his head trying to catch the expressions on his children's faces. Not a single one was smiling.

"That's it?" Briar asked. 

Gregori winced, even Briar seemed unsurprised.

"I'm disappointed in you dad." Sydell said as he patted Gregori's shoulder and continued walking, like a disappointed parent.

Gregori did a double take at the action.

"Should have just told them straight instead of dragging it." Willa said from on top of Loompa.

He turned to her about to speak something but then he spotted the two beasts nodding alongside as well.

"Really?" He voiced out.

A little while later, Gregori stopped in front of a farmhouse.

A flash of memories passed through him as he took in a shaky breath, unsure of what would happen.

Reaching out, he knocked on the door.

It was his duty to explain. His duty to face one among the few who hadn't treated him life absolute shit when he was younger.

CREEAAAK

The door opened.