"I'd rather break rules than people, but I can make exceptions."~ Rell, The Iron Maiden
Rell quote baby!
Due to popular demand..... the arc will be slowed down significantly and political alliances and games will be focused on. It is a lot of research and stuff, so I will be diving through the wiki a lot. Get ready for new characters. A lot of new characters. Both cannon and non-cannon. (Cannon ones come from the lore, Legends of Runeterra (Card game) and Mageseeker (Sylas ARPG)).
Also the little game you will read about in the chapter is an actual game with rules and stuff. This is just my interpretation of how it would go.
Tried something different this chapter. Did you like it?
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"Where are we going daddy?" Daisy asked.
Gregori looked right on, "We will look out for some shops to sell some fur and then we will go to an inn."
"So we need to make some money?" Sydell asked shaking his head sagely.
Gregori looked at the knowing expression on the boy's face and fought back the urge to give him a small smack on his head.
SMACK
Gregori's eye widened softly.
"OW! Rell!" Sydell exclaimed as he grabbed his head.
Rell had stepped up to shut her brother down, "Shut up idiot. Dad has a plan." She didn't look toward him as she said it but Gregori found it endearing.
She was trusting him. Blindly. The same Rell who had been wary of him had now fully put her trust in him.
"She just hit me." Sydell pointed at Rell.
Gregori looked at him and then turned to Rell. After a second of waiting he shrugged.
"Wha-"
SMACK
"AGAIN?" Sydell yelped.
Rell smiled smugly.
Daani walked past them, before softly commenting, "Deserved."
Sydell looked at him with betrayal in his eyes.
A smile broke through Gregori's face. A carefree one. "Lets explore the city then. The only marketplace I know is on the west side. A couple of hours that way." Gregori spoke as he pointed. The sun was still high up in the sky. Nightfall was still a long while away.
As soo as he pointed in the direction, Briar and Faye started walking there unprompted.
"Wait for me!" Daisy called out as she ran to them.
Annie silently hopped toward them as well.
Watching the group, Gregori started walking as well. The day wouldn't wait for them and they needed to get some money on hand.
As much as they were travelling with purpose, they did not refuse to look around them. Their surroundings were completely new. Bright.
"What are they doing?" Briar pointed to a two people sat aside from the street in front of a house.
They were facing each other with a table in front of them. Their hands held stones and the table held more.
"They are playing a game." Annie answered.
"A game?" Briar asked, excitement creeping into her voice.
"Tellstones." Rell answered. "It is a game where you have to beat the opponents by confusing them into remembering wrongly." She frowned. "Though this looks different." He stated.
Gregori answered her, "It is a version played in Demacia. The King's Gambit. There are many stones because each person brings their own set of stones and plays it separately from each other. It is generally quite hard to confuse the opponent when they know all the stones they bring but that is what makes it fun apparently."
"Have you played it?" Daani asked.
Gregori shook his head. "Never had the chance to play this version but I did play the Shuriman and Noxian versions."
"Can we go closer?" Briar asked intrigued.
Gregori nodded and led the group to the men. "Sorry to disturb the two of you but may we watch you play?"
The men turned to him and the children. The both of them were dressed clean. The older one, gray hair, a little belly. The younger, looked similar to the man. Probably his son.
"I don't really mind." The older one turned to his son. "What about you lad?"
The younger man shrugged. "Same here father."
The older one flashed a smile to the group, "Well, you are welcome to watch."
Briar pushed her way to the front and watched closely as the two continued their game.
"Do you know how to play lass?" The older man asked Briar.
She shook her head.
The older man turned to Gregori, "You haven't taught your daughter how to play?"
Gregori shook his head. "Not King's Gambit." He smiled. "We are not from Demacia just here for a little adventure."
"Ah traveling." The older man replied as he flipped a stone and flipped it back. "I remember when I did the same as well." He looked at his son. "I know the stones."
The son's eyes widened. "A Boast this early?"
"More experience boy. More experience." The man claimed.
The son squinted at his father, trying to see though the man. Trying to verify if he was bluffing. After a few seconds, he gave a resigned sigh, "Fine. Have a point."
The old man smiled and placed a marker on his side. "One more to win." He stated.
The stones were separated and pushed to one side.
The old man moved first, pointing to a stone in the Pool. "Place that on the Line."
His son placed it and then used the opportunity to Peek at it.
The son then pointed at another stone. This was was face down. "Place that stone in. Hidden."
The old man grunted, placing it on the Line, not being able to take a Peek.
He then pointed to the stones already there on the Line and told his son to Hide the only stone facing up.
"I suppose you can move that stone in." The son said as he complied and then pointed to another stone, it was facing up, letting them know what the stone was.
"I'll Hide it then."
The same happened a few more times till the Line was full. Seven stones to a Line. The game had gotten to the point where all stones in the Line were Hidden.
"Swap those two." The son pointed, the father followed.
"Then we Swap these two." The two went back and forth Swapping the stones, trying to confuse the other.
After a few more Swaps, the son called, "I know all the stones."
"Oho!" The older man replied impressed, "I suppose I know them all too."
With those words the older man had taken over the Boast. Instead of giving up this time, the son didn't back down. "Well.... go ahead." He waved to the fully hidden Line.
The old man smiled. "You think you got me?" He asked as he he reached forward, "Flag." He flipped the first stone.
A flag.
"Crown." He stated as he flipped the stone.
Correct again.
The children edged closer as he revealed the stones.
"Sword and Scales." He said as he flipped the next two. Correct again.
The son inched closer in anticipation for his father to fail.
"Hammer." Correct again.
Two left.
This was the turning point. These two were unknown. They weren't flipped up the whole time.
The old man knew that. The son knew it as well.
Anything from this point on was just guesses. One guess right and the old man won.
"The Shield." The man said without looking at the stone. Instead he chose to maintain eye contact with his son. "You flip it." He said.
The son wordlessly reached for the stone and flipped it.
The symbol of the shield faced up.
The man had guessed correctly.
He looked down and his smile widened. "Then this can only be the knight." He stated as he flipped the stone. "Apa pa PAAA!" He made sounds as he flipped the surefire win.
The coin showed the knight.
He had won the point. And thus won the whole game.
The son slumped back in his seat. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a gold coin and flicked it to his father. The man caught it with ease.
"YEAH!" Briar called as she saw the man win.
Gregori patted her on the head. "Did you have fun watching the game?"
Briar nodded, "I didn't understand it fully but it was fun to watch."
The other children nodded.
Sydell however had watched with rapt attention, his mind was fully on how he could have cheated a few steps before.
Using the opportunity, Gregori stepped forward and asked, "Do you know any places where we can sell some fur? Or at least traders willing to buy it off us?" He stood to the side revealing the two beasts that had garnered quite the bit of attention from passersby's .
"What is that?" The son asked pointing to the beasts. His voice rising in pitch as he noticed them for the first time.
"They are our pets. Harmless really." Gregori convinced him.
The old man looked at Gregori, "Low on money right now?"
Gregori nodded. "Need enough to stay at an inn for a few days."
The old man nodded as a sly smile sprouted on his face. "Go down to the Dregbourne markets and ask for Millian. Tell her Roman sent you."
"Father!" The son exclaimed as his face rapidly reddened.
"Bah!" The old man waved him off. "I'm helping you make a move earlier. I want a couple grandkids already boy."
Gregori had been initially off put by the smile he had given as he spoke but after listening to his words, a chuckle slipped out.
"Its funny isn't it." The old man said. "Idiot won't make a move despite the entire city knowing how much they like each other."
"Father!" The son exclaimed again.
"Thank you for your help." Gregori nodded to the man as he thanked.
The man waved him off. "Its fine lad. You've got children to take care of. Its the least I can do."
"Thanks old man!" Briar waved at him as they begun to leave.
Sydell faced the son, "Good luck with the girl." He said as he ran off to join the leaving group.
The old man laughed heartily at his words. "You have any excuses now?" He asked his son. "Even a small child is wishing for your success."
The son just watched the group leave.
A smile appeared on his face. With determination in his eyes, he spoke, "I can only try." He turned to his father. "What's the worst that could happen?"
The father's eyes widened. "Why did you say that then?"
"What?"
Shaking his head, his father continued. "You can't be saying losing words at the beginning idiot."
"Ah...."
"Lets hope the girl gives you the time of day now." The father continued, still shaking his head.