"Come on, you better come up here, you're going to get everything wet! I'm not letting you ruin this fresh clothes!" Sicilia said exasperated directing her words to Ragnar that stubbornly resisted approaching the shore.
Ragnar frowned slightly as he looked towards Ororo, who was looking at him with a teasing smile. "A little help please?"
"I'm a bit exhausted from the fight though," Ororo said wistfully tapping her chin as she looked at Ragnar with a smirk.
Ragnar glared at Ororo knowing she wasn't serious. His brow furrowed as he pondered a solution, 'Should I turn into a dragon first,' he thought earnestly as he floats on the lake.
Ororo chuckled, enjoying his predicament. She shook her head, opened her arms, and her eyes turned white then a Mist swirled behind her, stretching towards Ragnar.
"I know you can't resist my plea!" Ragnar said, a smirk playing on his lips as he swam towards the shore, oblivious to Ororo's grin.
When Ragnar emerged from the water, everyone on the shore could still see an outline of his body through the mist, causing Ying Li and Ying Nan to giggle.
"Did you trick me?" Ragnar asked shouting, he hurriedly snatched the clothes from his mother and putting them on.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ororo said, a smile playing on her lips. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, chuckled, and high-fived Dalia, who was sitting on Regulus.
"Do you think I can't hear you laughing?!" Ragnar shouted, charging out of the mist running after Ororo.
"Hey, I just helped you!" Ororo shouted, dodging Ragnar's pursuit as she ran in circles.
"Okay, kids, enough playing around. We've got other people waiting for us," Elliot said, pulling Ragnar and Ororo back by the shoulders, ending their playful chase as he seperated them.
Ororo seized the opportunity, pulling silly faces at Ragnar while knowing he couldn't come after her.
'I'm going to make you beg for mercy later!' Ragnar thought, narrowing his eyes at Ororo before looking up at his father, who had intervened but his eyes widened noticing something.
"Are you growing a horn? Hahaha!" Ragnar laughed, pointing at Elliot's red, swollen forehead, oblivious to his father's darkening expression.
'Isn't this your fault, brat?! I'm getting blamed for nothing!' Elliot fumed inwardly, glaring at Ragnar. He yearned to smack him on the back of the head, but Sicilia's watchful gaze held him back.
"There are people waiting for you," Elliot said, forcing a smile at Ragnar before he looked at Jiayi.
"The Great Protector allowed us to stay,' Ragnar said, a smile still playing on his lips as he turned to Jiayi.
"I know. She already informed me," Jiayi replied, a soft smile gracing her lips as she gazed at Ragnar. 'It's a good thing,' she thought, a glimmer of hope igniting within her as she realized there was a chance Ragnar might remain in Ta Lo.
'He would make a fine warrior,' Jiayi mused, considering Ragnar's potential, even the possibility of him becoming an ally, even if he chose to leave. 'If he did stay, I wouldn't have to worry about this young generation,' she thought, glancing at her students beside her.
Jiayi believed the younger generation of Ta Lo was lacking in talent, with only Ying Li and Ying Nan capable of keeping pace with her teachings.
Ying Nan was more serious, more mature, while Ying Li was more skilled in martial arts, a truly gifted student.
Jiayi released a helpless sigh. If she was given a choice, she would let Ying Nan be the Guardian after her, but she knew Ying Li would be the one appointed next for her potential.
The only thing that comforted Jiayi was her confidence that both Ying Li and Ying Nan would be approved by the Great Protector and receive her blessing.
'But now maybe the guardian will have a better choice,' Jiayi thought, her gaze hardening as she studied Ragnar up and down.
Jiayi began to think of an idea on how to let Ragnar stay as she slightly bowed her head towards them.
"We welcome you in Ta Lo," Jiayi gave her blessing while Ying Li and Ying Nan followed suit. Ying Li cast a quick, sneaky glance at Dalia, who was still perched atop Regulus.
"Yeah, you're very welcoming," Sicilia muttered under her breath, still feeling bitter from their defeat against Jiayi.
Jiayi simply smiled, hearing Sicilia's words, but chose to ignore them. "Do you guys need someone to show you around?" she asked.
"These two are eager to show you the way," Jiayi added, placing her hand on Ying Li and Ying Nan's shoulders.
'Bond,' This was one of the ideas Jiayi came up with. If she wanted Ragnar to stay, she had to not only show him the wonders of Ta Lo but also the heart of its people.
"Well, we would like that," Elliot answered for his wife, who was unusually quiet and was ignoring Jiayi.
"Go guide them to see our home," Jiayi instructed Ying Li and Ying Nan in Mandarin, patting their shoulders.
'Finally!' Ying Li thought as her eyes sparkled with excitement before she walked towards Sicilia, who understood their language.
Ying Nan nodded solemnly at Jiayi, sensing the hidden meaning in her words, before following her sister.
'This girl,' Jiayi thought, sighing inwardly as she watched the siblings depart, her gaze lingering on Ying Li.
'If only she could be like her sister, everything would be perfect,' Jiayi thought, shaking her head, knowing that such a transformation was impossible. However, this fleeting thought only solidified her resolve to keep Ragnar.
"Where do you guys wanna go?" Ying Li asked Sicilia in Mandarin, her gaze drawn to Ragnar. Ying Li couldn't help but wonder what the Great Protector sought from Ragnar.
"How about we look at the different animals in your village first?" Sicilia suggested, a smile gracing her lips as she expressed her curiosity about the mythical creatures they had seen along their journey.
"We could show them your pet's home first," Ying Nan whispered from behind, nodding solemnly at Sicilia like an adult.
Ying Li's eyes lit up at her sister's suggestion, thinking it was a brilliant idea. "Mò lǐsī!" she called out, turning around.
A moment later, a small Dijiang appeared from behind a bush, running towards Ying Li with joyful enthusiasm. But it stumbled on the ground, rolling towards Ying Li's feet.
Mò lǐsī sprawled on the ground, pushing itself up and shaking its body before clambering up Ying Li's leg.
Ying Li grinned, scooping Mò lǐsī into her arms. She held it up towards Sicilia. "This is Mò lǐsī. We're going to visit his home," she said. Then, turning towards Dalia, she gently placed Mò lǐsī in front of her. "You can touch him," Ying Li whispered, her eyes twinkling with hope, "He's a good boy."
"Is that its butt?" Dalia asked, not understanding Ying Li's words but expressing her curiosity as she found the Dijiang cute and fluffy.
Ying Li simply nodded, unable to comprehend Dalia's Egyptian language.
"Okay, girls, let's go," Sicilia said. She quickly stopped them before any further misunderstandings arose due to their language barrier. "We would like to see his home," she said, smiling at Ying Li. "How about you show us now? And we're going to follow you."
"Okay," Ying Li agreed, carrying Mò lǐsī and starting towards the Dijiang's den. 'There's still a chance,' she thought, hoping to give Dalia the opportunity to hold Mò lǐsī so she could ask if she could ride Regulus too.
"You guys don't have any problem with that, do you?" Sicilia inquired, glancing towards Ragnar and the others.
"No, ma'am!" Ragnar replied, saluting Sicilia and sidling closer to Ororo, ready to exact his revenge for her prank.
Sicilia rolled her eyes at Ragnar before gently stroking Regulus's head. "Let's go," she said, then leaned close to Dalia. "And Honey, it's not a butt, okay," she whispered, chuckling as she rubbed Dalia's head.
"Wait!" Ororo called out, backing away from Ragnar and opening her palms towards him. "Before you take revenge," she continued, "we should let out the other kids as well, don't you think?"
"Tsk," Ragnar clicked his tongue, but he knew she was right. He didn't want the other children to miss out on exploring Ta Lo with them.
Ragnar walked towards the suitcase and opened it, peering inside. "Kahn, Akila, Onofre, Darius, Menes, Sethos! We're here!" he shouted, pulling his head back out of the suitcase.
"Is there really a nine-tailed fox?" asked Akila, a younger girl with short black hair and brown skin, emerging from the suitcase in amazement.
"Indeed, there are many more mythical animals like that here," Ragnar replied, helping the other children out of the suitcase.
"Hurry!" Ororo said, pulling Akila, who was still stunned and confused, and then darting off after Ying Li, seeking to escape Ragnar's clutches.
Ragnar shook his head, a playful smirk tugging at his lips as he watched Ororo's escape. He then helped Sethos out of the suitcase.
"Otis wants to come out too," Sethos said after he emerged.
"What?" Ragnar asked, confused, looking at Sethos. Suddenly, a cow head, complete with floppy ears and a wet, pink nose, emerged from the suitcase.
"Mooo," Otis mooed as his eyes darted around, eager to leave the suitcase.
"Not you, big guy, not today," Ragnar yelped, quickly pushing Otis's head back into the suitcase and slamming the lid shut with a resounding clang.
"Let's go, shall we?" Ragnar said, smiling at Sethos as if nothing had happened. He quickly lifted the suitcase off the ground and started walking.
Jiayi's eyes narrowed, focusing on Ragnar's suitcase as they departed.
There was something about it, it was different from the magic Jiayi knew and it was something that piqued her curiosity.
But Jiayi simply shook her head, deciding to let it go for now. She had more pressing matters to attend to. Turning her attention back to the main hall, she placed her hands on her back and walked.
Jiayi needed to inform the elders that Ragnar and the others were allowed to stay.
The Great Protector's decision was a significant one, and it needed to be followed with respect and clarity, she needed to let them know Ragnar is protected by the Great Protector.
•-----•-----•-----•-----•
As they explored Ta Lo, Ragnar was awestruck by the breathtaking landscape and the myriad of mythical creatures that inhabited the realm.
There are even different Mythical Creatures than he remembered from the movie.
Ragnar's heart raced with a growing sense of greed, wanting to trick some of these creatures into his suitcase.
However, he couldn't resist the allure of the Chat Group System, hoping for new missions.
Ragnar already had a hunch about what missions he might receive. Glancing at Ying Li's back, he confirmed his suspicions.
[Destiny Detected]
[Mission 8: Prevent Ying Li's death]
[Reward: Martial arts talent]
"I thought so," Ragnar muttered, nodding his head. But his eyes widened as the Chat Group System notification didn't end there, it continued to unfold, revealing more missions.
[Mission 9: Become the Guardian after Jiayi]
[Reward: Chi Knowledge, Inner Peace]
[Mission 10: Prevent Guang Bo death]
[Reward: Weapon Knowledge]
[Mission 11: Kill the Soul Eater]
[Reward: Life Drain]
'The Chi Knowledge is quite tempting, but being tied to one place isn't my style,' Ragnar mused, shaking his head slightly. Then a solution sparked in his mind. 'Or I could just pass it on to someone else after a day.'
'Why does it feel like I'm turning into a villain?' Ragnar thought, staring at the last reward, Life Drain. He knew how tempting that kind of power could be.
However, the Chat Group System wasn't finished.
It detected another destiny, a Major Destiny.
[Major Destiny Detected]
[Mission 12: Take the ten rings]
[Rewards: ????,????]
In spite of feeling a twinge of annoyance at the unknown rewards, Ragnar recognized this as the first major mission he could realistically complete.
'Well, if Xu Wenwu is the same in the movie, then this might be doable,' Ragnar mused, recalling their defeat against Jiayi. He learned a valuable lesson that day, he couldn't rely solely on his past memories.
But this realization only solidified Ragnar's determination to grow stronger. His experiences so far confirmed that he was in a different Marvel Universe, one where his memories might not always be enough. He needed to adapt.
"Don't get lost in your system, son. Enjoy the scenery and the day with the other kids," Elliot whispered, wrapping his arm around Ragnar's shoulder, interrupting his thoughts.
Elliot had noticed Ragnar's preoccupation once again. "Come on, there's a time for serious things, but for now, spend time with your family," he said, pointing towards the kids and Sicilia, who was looking at them with a smile.
"A precious time like this is meant to be cherished together," Elliot added, smiling and giving Ragnar a final pat on the shoulder before walking towards Sicilia and opening his arms.
Sicilia rolled her eyes as she turned around, but her steps slowed down as she allowed her husband to embrace her from behind.
Ragnar stood there, gazing around, the sounds of children's laughter and the gentle breeze through the trees filling the air. He focused on the kids having fun in the distance, laughing with Ororo, as well as Ying Li, who continued to offer Mò lǐsī to Dalia. But their language barrier continued to create hilarious misunderstandings.
Ying Li pointed to a large, colorful bird in the sky, excitedly describing its beauty in Mandarin, while Dalia, understanding nothing, simply smiled and pointed to her own face.
Then, Ragnar looked towards his parents, hugging each other, making their silhouette intertwined. Their smiles reflected their love as they watched the children.
In that moment, Ragnar knew that it didn't matter if this universe was different from the one he knew, he had one goal, to grow strong enough to protect the people he loved.
Ragnar clenched his fist, solidifying his resolve. He wouldn't let anyone destroy the beauty of his family, the precious moments they shared. He would do whatever it took to protect them, even if it meant becoming a hero or a villain. In the face of his family, everything else was secondary.
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