"I don't lose control, I free myself from control." ~Briar, The Restrained Hunger
Now... one might say that Gregori is coming into contact with champions a little too early, but in the Freljord it is extremely easy to either hear about or meet champions. Considering he needs to go to the big tribes for help, he is bound to meet a couple of champions and currently he should be meeting three.
Any guesses as to who?
The fourth was already mentioned in a previous chapter.... By the way this is mostly lore accurate.
P.S. Are there any good DMC fics?
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"Your daughter is an Iceborn?" As he asked this, he tried to get a good view of Daisy. That was not possible however, only her hair could be seen with how Gregori held her.
Gregori nodded.
"White hair is a tell... are her eyes blue? And have they always been that way?" Jorde continued asking.
"Her eyes are blue. And they changed close to two weeks ago. Her hair was blond and her eyes were brown." Gregori answered. Any lead was worth it, and Jorde seemed to know his things.
"Ah... she was been asleep since then?"
"Unconscious. Yes."
Jorde tapped his chin, thinking.
"She is Iceborn for sure..... but I don't know why she is not awake. Then again, there are no Iceborn that young. It is a rite of passage in our lands and only the truly talented have a chance at becoming Iceborn. And they do that by holding a True Ice weapon."
He pointed toward Daisy.
"We will get her to the healers. She will wake... that is for sure but our Warmother would want an audience with you. Iceborn are valuable."
Alarm bells went off in Gregori's head. Despite hearing that his daughter would wake, finding out that he might lose her to the tribe was alarming. He grit his teeth and clenched his free fist.
"Hey! Hey! Relax brother. We won't take your daughter from you. The Warmother might be easy to anger but she is not evil.... to be honest she is quite understanding and nice, she saved our clan from certain death. So don't worry." Jorde turned around and walked forward.
The clenched fist and grit teeth relaxed. Gregori understood what the man in front of him was doing. Silently he was giving away initiative. Showing his back toward him in an effort to get him to understand his intentions and not lose calm.
But he couldn't afford to lose his calm. Not this close to the finish line. Jorde's words gave him much needed relief. He had convinced himself that his daughter would be fine and nothing would go wrong but hearing it from someone else made him feel tons better.
Only a little while longer until she wakes.
Just a little more.
Arriving at the gates to Rakelstake, Jorde turned back around. Facing the group of travelers, he announced.
"Welcome to Rakelstake. Please do not start trouble because we will end it. The competition will start in the next two to three days, so rest, prepare and get to know the other participants."
He covered one side of his mouth and whispered loudly, "I've heard that there are barbarians joining. Good luck!"
Jorde turned around to the guards on top of the gates and waved at them.
"I'M BACK!" He yelled.
"JORDE?" One of the guards called back.
"DO YOU NOT RECOGNIZE DRUGH?" He called back.
"SECURITY!" Came the reply from the other guard.
"FUCK OFF!"
The gates slowly opened.
Jorde led them inside, pointing out statues and explaining why they were important to the tribe. He waved and yelled pleasantries to everyone he saw on the way. Often receiving a curse in reply. But that was just friendly banter. The kind you have with close friends or those you would trust with your back.
The group stopped at the entrance of a large circle.
Jorde pointed at it, "That is where the battle will take place. You can come practice with other participants here. All grudges are settled here. Anywhere outside is forbidden and will be met with severe punishment."
"Now, there are empty tents set up all around the area. You can find and claim one for yourselves."
The group started dispersing. Gregori made to move as well.
"Not you my friend. You go straight to the healers. Shamans. They will wake your daughter soon enough." Jorde stopped him.
"Where will we be staying?" Gregori asked him.
Jorde thought for a second, "I would gladly give you a room to stay in. I have a house and my bloodsworn would not mind another child in the place. But I cannot offer you my word until you converse with our Warmother."
Gregori nodded. A house would be a better place for his daughter to stay in. Awake or not. He also understood Jorde. If he had given his word and the talks between Gregori and the Warmother fell through, he would be forced to still stay true to his word automatically making himself an enemy to his own tribe.
To the people of these lands there was no greater humiliation than being named a traitor. Death they would face without an ounce of fear, by becoming a traitor was a direct blemish on their pride, creed and legacy. Being forever remembered as a traitor was pain worse than the greatest tortures could ever provide to them.
"Lead me to the shamans then."
Jorde did exactly that. Neither man spoke after that and they just walked in silence.
Rakelstake was different from Naljaag. Watching the hustle and bustle here made Gregori feel like he was back in the heart of Noxus. People walked about chatting with each other, laughing and having fun. It was more... lively. In the constant sea of white, watching the people gathering around near fires enjoying their lives under the glow of both the moonlight and the Statue of Avarosa was beautiful.
Somewhere down the line, Jorde did the same as before. Proclaiming his return to the people of Rakelstake.
As he did, a man with a missing arm walked to him. "Jorde have you brought the supplies? Were there any hiccups on the way here?"
"Gjura! The supplies are on Drugh, who is waiting at the enclosure. And strangely enough, absolutely nothing happened on our way back. No beast. No bandit. Nothing. Very peaceful."
This man, Gjura looked at Gregori suspiciously, "A competitor?"
"No no. He is here for the shamans, to help his daughter. Not for the competition."
Jorde pointed to the man, "Gregori meet Gjura Axehand. He is one of our tribe's most important people. Our Warmother's right hand." He smiled widely. "Right hand! Hah! Because he doesn't have a left one!" He then started chuckling uncontrollably.
For the first time in a long while, Gregori actively fought a snort from escaping. That joke had come out of nowhere.
Gjura held out a hand for him, his only one, which Gregori took. He gave it a firm shake.
"Get to the shamans then." He commanded Jorde.
Jorde complied but turned around after a couple steps. "Ah Gjura? Can you arrange an audience with the Warmother for Gregori here?"
Gjura looked at him, puzzled. "Why?"
"His child in an Iceborn."
Gjura looked at Daisy. "Blue eyes and white hair?" He asked.
"Yes. Changed recently as well." Jorde answered.
The conversation had irked Gregori, they spoke of his daughter like she was a commodity.
"Okay... I will send word. You will receive summons and you can come once your daughter wakes." Gjura spoke to Jorde and then to Gregori.
They walked to a large house with an open fire outside.
"Usually it is a tent..... but with the competition on the horizon, they have decided to expand. Too many will be injured and some might even die. But that is a risk they take. If they live through the battles then they will live through the healing." Jorde broke the silence. "Come in. I'll point you to the shamans."
The two men entered the large house. The houses were all old but well maintained. There was probably a subset of the tribe staying back here in order to make sure the houses did not develop rot and the metal structures did not rust.
"Jorde what brings you here?" An old shaky sounding voice. Walking toward the two of them was an old lady. A completely bog standard old lady. Completely gray hair, short stature, hunched back and a walking stick.
"Greta! I missed you! Give me a hug!" Jorde went in for a strong hug.
WHACK
Swiftly sidestepping she delivered a whack onto Jorde's head with her walking stick.
"OW!"
"I may be old but I am not slow. The spirits of the Freljord still empower me." She spoke sagely. After speaking she reached around and gave Jorde a hug.
"You are too young to be giving me hugs boy." She said. Then while making eye contact with Gregori she spoke, "Now why are you here?"
Quickly Jorde cut in before Gregori could speak, "Gregori's daughter is an Iceborn. She hasn't awoken since her change into one. He brought her here for healing."
"An Iceborn? At that age? What is she four... five?" Greta exclaimed, clearly surprised. She gained her composure quickly enough, "Oh dear.... this lass changed without using True Ice?"
Gregori nodded, the annoyance at Jorde's constant cutting in fading.
"How long ago was the change?" She asked her voice taking a hurried tone.
Gregori answered instantly, "Two weeks now."
"Oh dear... bring her now!" She hobbled down the corridor into one of the rooms with a fur bed. "Lay her on this."
Complying, Gregori placed Daisy on the bed. Greta gently lifted Daisy's eyelids and checked her eyes.
"Iceborn indeed."
She then softly spoke something akin to a prayer and waved her hands around Daisy. Her words slowly gained strength. Gregori couldn't understand her words. It was unlike any language he had ever come across before. But what he did realize was that her hands had stopped shaking as she performed her magics over his daughter.
Gregori closed his eyes in a silent prayer.
"Daddy?"
A weak voice that called out to him and his eyes shot open. He lunged at his daughter grabbing her into a bear hug.
"I have you flower. Daddy's got you." He felt her small hands grip onto his clothes as she snuggled into the hug.
"She is not in the clear yet lad." Greta's voice broke him out of his happiness.
"What?"
"She is not safe yet."
"Why? How?" He asked back. His voice straining as he did.
Greta gave him a pitying look.
"When they say Iceborn need True Ice to show their strength they are usually wrong. Iceborn need True Ice, not only because it empowers them but it keeps them stable. Stable until their body fully adapts to the change." Greta answered calmly.
"She will be safe here for now. The large chunk of True Ice from the Statue of Avarosa will help her acclimate to the surroundings but unless you have True Ice near her at all times, she will lose consciousness."
Gregori let out a breath he hadn't realized he had held for so long.
"How long till her body accepts the change?"
"If she has a piece of True Ice that is hers alone, it will be instant. If she relies on the statue's True Ice it could take years. But then again, finding ownerless True Ice is a difficult task."
Gregori looked at her and turned back to his daughter.
"A little more flower and we can go get your sister."