"No holding back. Time to show everybody what I can do!"~ Ezreal, Battle Academia
I'm back! Exams went alright. Not too bad. They did end three days ago but I got myself sick from the bad diet and all-nighters. But I'm back and I'll upload on schedule now, i.e. every other day. And I'll eventually add the images sometime during the week..... hopefully.
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"Now..... the four of you...." Gregori looked at the group, "If you want to fight to the death... do it away from here." He looked at Jinx, "And keep the child away from it."
"She tagged along the first time." Jinx mumbled.
"That is not an excuse." Gregori replied. "Children do not belong on battlefields. It only brings suffering and guilt."
"It's why he never lets us fight." Daani interjected.
Gregori looked at him, "You are safe are you not? What father would let children less than ten years old fight for their lives?"
Vi and Jinx met each other's gazes and for a moment they were back to their younger years..... before it all fell apart.
"Then why not let us fight now?" Daani pushed, frustration showing in his voice.
"Why should you fight?" Gregori asked not understand the source of his frustration. "There is no need to."
"But.... but you-" He stammered in response.
Gregori interrupted him, "I fight because it is needed of me to." He looked over his children, "I don't want to fight. The past five years were the best years of my life. Simple. Easy. Happy." He sighed, "If I wasn't forced due to my promise to Caalyx.... it would have continued in that fashion."
"But it isn't." Daani replied, "So let us help."
Gregori shook his head, "No. Helping would mean you would be in harms way. I cannot afford to have that. I will not let what happened in Demacia happen once more, which is why I have trained you all. Not to start fights but end them if it got too close. And that too... only in my absence."
"It seems like you are afraid dad." Daani said in anger.
"Daani." Rell placed a hand on his shoulder.
Sydell spoke up, "Don't go too far."
Daani shook his head, "Someone has to say it." He looked at his siblings pleadingly, "He is so afraid he refuses to let us live our lives. We don't even get to explore Zaun. For the past five years, we barely left home. And when we did, it was to climb that mountain.... that is all. Every time we tried to venture out he was right behind us. Stopping us. We are constantly under watch. I mean..." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "How many friends our age do we have? None. We didn't have school nor were we allowed to join the Rakkor children in the training. It can't just be us against the world dad. Let us live."
Gregori looked at his son and took in the desperation in his voice. His eyes searched the rest of his children. Not a single one wanted to look him in the eyes.
In a last ditch effort he looked at Annie and Daisy. But the both of them refused to meet his eyes.
It seemed even they weren't on his side.
Anger wouldn't solve this problem. His children were unhappy. Unhappy with him. And it wasn't as if they weren't wrong.
He hadn't let them live on their own. He was ever present.
It seemed like they wanted more.
Independence.
Freedom.
"You cannot coddle them forever." Caalyx had said once. And he had accepted that then. Even until that moment where he had sensed Sydell, he believed that nothing could harm his children. He had boasted to Caalyx about it. It wasn't wrong. But knowing it and watching it happen were different things entirely.
The moment he had sensed Sydell all that belief evaporated.
And fear set in.
Fear for their lives.
Daani was right.
He was afraid.
Why shouldn't he be?
"Ignore him daddy." Daisy broke the silence, "It is fine. We will stay here. And stay safe."
Gregori raised his hand stopping her from continuing, "No. Its alright. I understand." He looked as their faces fell, his eyes landing on Daani, "You are right. I am afraid. I will always be afraid for your wellbeing. That fear is something I as a parent, have to bear and will continue to bear. Because.... despite your growth..... you all.." He sighed, coming to terms with himself, "To me.. you all are still children. I remember as I rocked Annie to sleep. I remember carrying Daisy for days till she could finally wake up. I remember the state I found Briar in. I remember the fear in your faces as I got you all out. I remember the anger and reservation in Rell the day I saw her. Even if you grow to my age..... I will still remember you as such. And I am afraid those children I would die for would get hurt." He looked away from them and toward the front door. "I understand that you want freedom. And..... and I will grant it to you. You all are free to move and roam about Zaun. Go ahead.... make new friends, see new places and most importantly.... live your lives. This doesn't mean that I am abandoning you. No. I will always be there. But now.... I'll watch from the side."
"Dad..." Daani began.
Gregori raised his hand, "Its fine Daani. I understand. I am glad you are willing to put your own fears aside to speak your mind and tell me of my wrongs. And yes.... my constant presence has been stifling your growth. So go ahead. Grow. You will stumble. You will fall. But you will also learn to pick yourselves back up. The same way I did. And don't worry.... I am not mad at any of you. In fact... I'm proud that you are willing to speak your mind. Though it will take me some time to adjust to the new status quo." He said, with a resigned smile on his face.
"Cue the waterworks." Jinx groaned from her seat.
All eyes turned to her.
She shrugged, "What? Its not like we had good fathers. I killed mine."
Eyes widened at that comment.
"And why did you do that?" Gregori asked.
"Because I could." Jinx grinned.
Gregori shook his head, "Not a good enough reason. Give me a better one."
Jinx frowned at that and shot to her feet, instantly arriving next to Gregori, her fingers in a finger gun position. "Pow." She said as she jerked her hand back.
"Not a reason." Gregori didn't flinch at her sudden movement.
Looking at how clear and firm his eyes were, Jinx was taken aback, she slunk backward, "You are no fun."
"Still not a reason Jinx." Gregori replied.
"Do you lot know her father?" He turned to the the other three.
All three nodded, though Vi seemed more angry than anything.
"Sevika?" Gregori asked for her to speak.
"Silco was Zaun's leader." She began. "He had united Zaun under one roof and was trying to make it a legitimized state. A self sufficient land. One that did not have to rely on topside for survival. As long as the mines were active.... Piltover would not let up. Why would they? It was where they made their money. But they never had to work for it. Countless Zaunites toiled in there. But they were never recognized. Their deaths forgotten. He wanted to change that. So he brokered a peace deal.... one that was being discussed the very day the explosion happened. Now that seems like an impossible task." Her eyes looked tired as she thought of everything.
"And he was Jinx's father?" Gregori asked.
Sevika nodded.
"No." Vi interrupted. "Vander was her father. Our father. Silco took her after he died. He is the reason she is like this."
"And he is dead." Gregori said cutting her off, "Killed by Jinx. Why?"
With every eye on her, Jinx folded in on herself and refused to speak or even look up at the rest.
Gregori reached for her head and patted it gently, "You don't need to force yourself to answer me. You can answer only if you want to."
Returning to his seat, he waved his hand as the youngest one in the room gently flew toward him. He looked at her, "So what is your name?" He asked.
"She's mute father." Rell said.
Gregori nodded at her, "The mute can still have names Rell." And then turned back to her, "And what is yours?"
She shook her head.
Gregori's head tiled in response, "You refuse to let me know or do you not have a name?"
She nodded.
"You don't have a name?" He clarified.
She nodded once more.
"Well then. That just means that we have to give you one." Gregori smiled at her.
She smiled.
"Any ideas?" He looked around the room.
The sudden change of pace and topic of conversation sent their minds reeling, which made it difficult for them to come up with something.
"Isha." Jinx's voice cut through the silence.
"Hmm?" Gregori looked at her.
Jinx looked at the girl, "That's her name. Isha."
"Isha." Gregori said as lifted the girl up, "That is a nice name."
Isha smiled brightly.