Chapter 3: Engage the Family

Disclaimers: The League of Legends isn't ours.

"…"

"…Hm?"

"Ah, nothin'…"

It's currently mid-afternoon and the duo was waiting for a certain Vanguard to come. One was clad in a mix of armor, transparent cloth and semi-skin-tight leather clothes while the other was wearing a somewhat odd black robe.

On one hand, the girl was patiently waiting for two things: her brother and her food. On the other hand, the boy was feeling awkward. Verily so.

"God…why the hell do I feel so nervous? It's not like it's my first time sitting across a woman, nah, lady, with only the two of us in a table. Yeah...right, as if. I ain't even gotten my first date yet. And this situation is the textbook example of an awkwardly enacted plan of a guy…virgin guy. Dammit. Well yeah, it'd be great if I had a—wait why am I thinking of girlfriends now? What the. Anyways, if Lux—"

"Hey!" Lux called out once again, snapping her fingers impatiently.

"Ah, sorry. Was I out there?"

"Yeah, I've been calling your for about five minutes already. Something wrong? Is it about your bag?"

"Um, no, not really." Grey replied. Where the hell is Garen when you need him? A steadily growing voice keep telling him to check the nearby bushes, but he pushed it down.

"Dammit, Bushren…" He murmured, but Lux was perceptive enough to hear it.

"Eh? Why Bushren?" She tilted her head. The boy in robes found it cute, but he shrugged it off. Really, her splash art did her no justice. There, she looked like she just inhaled Joker's laughing gas but here she's on par or even above most models.

"If Lux is already this cute, imagine how sexy Ahri is…"

Immediately, tons of images with Ahri naked or in a sensual atmosphere flooded his mind, with the number 34 bouncing around.

"Now you're blushing. Really, you're weird…" Lux giggled.

"She's less like 21 and more like 16 to me…" Grey observed. Well, it's better this way. Imagine if it was Mordekaiser who picked him up? Scary.

At that, their order finally appeared. He still can't believe he fell for it. First thing Lux asked was to show him the menu. Lots of good-looking food taunted him from their frames, and Lux was all the more eager to tease him further in. Like a witty saleswoman, she finally coaxed him to order some roasted beef with potatoes on the side, with her sticking to her salad and sandwich diet. Out of the goodness of her heart, and perhaps her obliviousness to Grey's man-ego, she paid for the expense instantly, leaving Grey no time to pull out his payment.

"Ah, they gave you a lot of pocket money, Mr. Grey! Oh, and why do you call my brother Bushren?"

"Ah, that's because—"

"Luxanna!" Saved by the bell was Grey as he heard a familiar voice echo from the door.

"Ah, brother! Come, sit." The girl coaxed. Garen's armor clanked as he sat on the chair, the furniture barely holding him up. The vanguard noticed the unfamiliar man a few years senior to his sister sitting awkwardly at the other end of the table.

"Would you mind telling me who this person is, sister?" Garen asked, curious. The man wore curiously strange robes.

"Ah, remember the thing Jarvan keeps telling us about. Yeah, he's one of them." Lux replied, drinking some water.

"I see. Wait, them? You mean there's more?"

"Only one. There were two of them. I took this person, Grey, here. The other guy was taken by Lissandra."

As the two siblings chatted, Grey couldn't help but be impressed. The champion known as Garen, one of the ten champions that he first mastered, he was far more awe-inspiring in real life as he was in the game. Hulking plate armor, a large broadsword and a blue scarf-cape hybrid; he looks like one of those Prince Charmings from children's fairy tales, albeit a size or two higher.

"Oh, before we continue sister, introduce me to this young man." He smiled in a friendly way.

"Ah, this is Mr. Grey, one of the Summoned." She introduced me cordially.

"Nice to meet you, Grey." Garen said, extending his hand. Immediately, Grey's mind raced, all the virtual novels he has played, the flags, the choices, the results, everything zoomed.

"Oh, yeah, nice to meet you too." The boy replied. He figured it would be a good idea to make some friends this early, and besides, he had nothing to lose, talking with one of the Paragons of Demacia.

"How do you find our city?" A reasonable question came from the Vanguard.

"Yeah, it's cool." At the moment, all Grey could do was to respond. Everything was a bit too much to take in one sitting. He needed some rest. A good night's sleep, perhaps.

Which is why Garen's next statement brought him relief.

"You two seem tired. Why don't we all go over to our place. It's not very far, and you can have your fill of rest and food. Should you want something else, it'll be granted; as long as it is within reason, of course. Lux, Mother wanted to speak with you as well about buying some land. Grey, my cute little sister will be responsible for you at the moment. Do make yourself comfortable."

"Leaving so soon, brother?" Lux asked. She knew her brother's job can be quite hectic, but as far as she knew, it is still Garen's break time.

"I still have errands to run, and I'd like to finish them all by the end of the day. You're a to-be summoner, right? See you in the League, Grey. Be careful you two." Garen finished, leaving the building.

"Huh…"

"You got shut up, huh? Don't worry, it happens to most people. Brother's simply that awesome." She beamed.

"You two are really close, huh?" Grey observed.

"What do you mean? Of course we're close, we're siblings."

"No, I mean you don't use the proper decorum per se that's being implemented in this kind of society. Formalities and all that."

"Ah, you mean salutes and such? There's no need to do all that if the officer accepts the recognition. Some require the full stretch, while others like Brother and J4 don't really bother to do so. Besides, we're both of the same rank, and like I said, Garen doesn't particularly care for using his title to flaunt himself out in the public. Did I answer your question, Mister—"

"Drop it, please. No need to go 'mister' on me, ehehe…" He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Okay, sure. Got any other questions before we start ea—" Before she was even able to finish, Lux's stomach growled.

"None, absolutely none." Grey smirked, earning himself a small pout from the blonde mage.

A meal after that, and they are well on their way to the Crownguard Estate. Various houses and shops lined the stone road, and friendly faces greeted them as they passed.

"You're really famous, huh? Well, it's expected from a champion." Grey remarked. Nearly every person greeted them, and the few that didn't gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"Ehehe…oh, and only very few people, all of them in the League's staff, knows that you're not a native of Valoran, so to speak, so please be discreet about it, and by that I mean tell it to absolutely nobody, no matter who they claim they are. If they really are clear to finding it out, they would've know about it by now." Lux laughed blankly, the latter part of her response delivered via telepathy.

"W-What?! Who said—oh." He chuckled sheepishly as the startled passers-by moved on.

A curious shop sign hanged from a horizontal pole-like thing over a door. It had the emblem of a mug of beer with a bright sun-like motif, complete with rays forming behind it.

"Um…"

"Ah, that's the Golden Glow, one of the many inns around Demacia. You'll see some more, but in my opinion that place has some of the best drinks this side of town."

"Town? Bullshit. This is a freakin' metropolis already!"

Walking through the streets, they passed through a multitude of shops. Lux became a tour guide of sorts, discussing facts in great detail. She took pride in Demacia as a whole, and pointed out houses of prominent people, notable shops, and such.

"Well, of course it's natural. Demacia is considered to be an ideal city by normal standards. It must've taken a whole lot of trouble to turn this city into an utopia…or at least close to it."

An hour or so after walking, they finally reached a terminal of sorts. There were various horses and chariots available for rent, with hextechvehicles such as motorcycles and cars available. Right beside them is something that looks like an inn or a tavern, but not quite.

"Hey Lux. What buildings are those?" Grey asked. The similarities to the related buildings are unmistakable. However, what was odd was that the number of armed people are double, if not triple, in number here compared to the taverns earlier.

"Oh that? That's a guild building. One thing in common that all guilds have is that each guild houses it's their members and are responsible for their actions. Then you've got the kinds of guild that are there. Some are merchants, while some are for combat, usually for hire. A few even got assassins, but you'll never know where and who they are…unless you have connections, a part of them, or they are just plain sloppy. Those are the three most generalized guilds out there. If you're looking for something specific, you'd have to go out there and find them for yourself. Or ask me, maybe I know something about it."

"I see. Wait, so is it possible that there are also 'dark' guilds out there that…you know, do bad stuff, and by bad, I meant not just any bad, but Bad."

"Yes, of course, though they're rarer than Voidlings around Demacia. You'll find them around Bilgewater and Zaun mostly, with a few and far between foreign raiders. They're not that much of a threat though, so the city states mostly don't care as long as they leave the states' territory alone." She replied, approaching a man overseeing the carriages.

"Oh hi Lux. No time no see! Are you here to rent something? Since you have a guest, I suggest getting this motorcycle. I do believe you're in a hurry?"

"Not really, but we'd prefer to get home quickly."

The man eyed Grey for a bit before handing over a small jeweled box to Lux.

"Here's the ignition. Hey boy, come here." The man gestured. A closer look revealed his age. Whiting hair, laugh lines and wrinkles, his face showed the experience he has gathered throughout the years. His body was still rippling with muscle, a form very rare among the elderly back in the modern world. His clothes were dirty with oil and another substance, most likely magical stuff.

Overall he looked like the arcane-medieval version of a mechanic.

The mechanic stared him down, making Grey nervous until said person laughed a jolly and put his large calloused hand on his shoulder.

"Put away your worried face! I am not enemy. Brann is friend, will help you get to Crownguard Estate. Do take care of Lux, new friend?"

Grey noticed that the accent sounded very familiar, but he can't quite point out where he last heard the voice.

"Sounds like Braum, does he?" Lux pointed out, finding her escort's unending amazement amusing.

"Yeah! That's the voice. Of course, Mr. Brann. Are you related to Braum?"

"Yes, is very good brother. I elder, Braum younger. However I'm no legend, but everyone is champion in own small way." Brann's smile grew even wider, with the iconic moustache bending to his mouth. He always preferred Braum's over Draven's. In his eyes, the "Glorious" Executioner is an asshole. At least Darius has something to legitimately boast about, and has a vision. Draven is just an attention whore.

"Thanks Brann! Come on, let's go Grey." Lux smiled, waving at the Freljordan.

"Sure. The weather is great for travelling too. So um, see you next time 'round Brann." Grey greeted, but instead of a nod, he received a handshake from the large mechanic.

"Haha! Today is a good day, no? Take care." Brann waved them off as he returned to his duties.

"Ready? Go!"

A few minutes later…

The two were cruising leisurely through the dirt road as they exited the city of Demacia. Lux seemed pretty comfortable driving the motor, so Grey took the chance to check it's engines.

"Hey Lux. How does this thing work?" Sure, it was identical to the modern one, but this one did not have the smell of gasoline nor the stench of smoke.

"I can't grasp the specifics myself, but from what I know, it runs on magic being fed to it by a lacrima inside the engine. Then those pipe-like thingies just kind of distribute the magic to this thing. Ehehe, I know it's pretty vague, sorry 'bout that." She laughed sheepishly.

"Ah, it's fine. How long 'til we get there? Your house I mean?"

"Dunno. I usually take the carriage or walk it out if I feel like it, but I'd imagine Mom wouldn't like me to be late, so yeah." She shrugged.

"So then…" With that, the two continued towards their destination.

Near Crownguard Estate…

It's been an hour and a half and yet they haven't reached the estate. Grey thought that the motorcycle would be as fast as modern ones. Truth is, they're more or less just half the speed at most. Still, it's environment-friendly so maybe it's okay.

"My butt hurts…" He murmured.

"Yeah, mine too. Don't worry, we're here!"

"Eh—what?!" The estate was huge! They were at the top of a hill about a mile or so from it. It had a central mansion, with gardens surrounding it, and a large fountain in front. Servants, merchants and soldiers alike ran to and fro the courtyard, and pets such as dogs and cats followed suit. Large gates enclosed the area, with the front gate lined with carriages and a hextech car.

"The hell?! Thing's huge enough to fit in a small town!" Grey exclaimed.

"Yeah, can't really help it, with all our responsibilities we need room -and comfort- to do well. I know it looks luxurious and all, but all that has a function."

Finally reaching the front gate, Grey stood up immediately and massaged his butt, while Lux stretched her feet.

"Ow…"

"You ready?"

"Ah, sure."

Approaching the gates, they were met by guards, their armor bearing the Crownguard emblem.

"Welcome back, mistress. Welcome, mister…"

"Grey."

"Grey. Welcome and make yourselves at home." A guard greeted them as they passed.

"Talk about VIP." The earthling commented. While people were very busy, all made way to the duo as they passed. A few merchants tried to sell their wares to Grey, but a gentle shake of head from the blonde mage deterred them all away.

"What a big door." Once again Grey was caught speechless. The doors rumbled open at the voice of Lux, and servants –maids to the left and butlers to the right- lined their path as they greeted the two.

"Welcome back, mistress, honored guest." All bowed down in perfect sync, the magical lamps lighting themselves up with Lux's every step.

At the end of the red carpet stood four people. All of them had blonde hair save one brunette with curls. One had the look of a magistrate. A man in his middle years was in the middle, wearing an expensive-looking suit, and a large fur coat. He had a staff, with the same lightball effect as Lux's, but on only one end just below the blade. Beside him is a woman slightly younger than him with the similar get-up, which Grey guessed was Lux's mother.

"So that's where Lux got her looks from…"

Between them was a man, guessing around Grey's age, with clothes a bit more flamboyant and colorful. However, he was slightly shorter than him. The brunette was in the height between Grey and Lux, and appeared a year or two older than the rest of the youth, and a simple patterned suit. However, what befuddled him was the fact that the girl had a sour expression on her face.

"Luxanna!"

"Father!" Lux ran towards the man in center, who welcomed her with open arms. All other members of the family joined in a big family hug as the servants dispersed to resume their duties, which left the sole foreigner in the hall staring awkwardly at the scene.

Suddenly, Lux remembered that she had a guest, and tried to wriggle free from the tangle of limbs…in which she failed.

"What's wrong, honey?" Her mother asked. Finally releasing a hand, Lux pointed towards the man in black, who didn't know how to react.

"H-Hello! I'm Grey, one of the su—" A chance glare from Lux reminded him of what she told him earlier.

"…only very few people, all of them in the League's staff, knows that you're not a native of Valoran, so to speak, so please be discreet about it, and by that I mean tell it to absolutely nobody, no matter who they claim they are. If they really are clear to finding it out, they would've know about it by now…"

"Su?"

"S-S-Suspiscious people! Ahahaha…"

The Crownguard family looked to each other and waited for their youngest to provide answers.

"Lux? Who is this person?" Her mother asked.

"Ah, he's a new would-be summoner from a far-away land."

"Nice recovery!" Grey pumped his fist mentally.

"Is he from Ionia? His clothing looks different though." The smallest one pointed out.

"I know right? So unfashionable! And look at the color combination, ugh!"

"This comment sounds really familiar…"

"Well, I am Philip Crownguard. A pleasure to meet you, Grey." He said, offering a handshake. On closer inspection, the father was quite the stout man. His hair was also receding, and his facial hair is starting to thicken.

"Probably didn't like to shave much."

"Yeah, nice to meet you too."

"I am Vivian Crownguard, Lux's mother. Welcome to our humble abode, young man." She smiled.

"Humble abode? You kiddin' me, right?"

Apparently, the brunette has lost all her patience and faced her father.

"Daddy, I need 300 gold." She said, with an accent and a pose Grey was very familiar with.

"Knew it." He chuckled inwardly. Now that he noticed, the family was…

"Ahahaha!" Grey suddenly laughed out loud, which surprised the people present, particularly the brunette, who was named Hillary.

"Problem?"

"Oh, oh, sorry it isn't you, I just remembered a funny play from back home." Hillary looked pretty satisfied by the answer, thankfully. A bad foot forward is one thing that he didn't need, especially now that they've just met.

"Now then, I'm sure you two must be tired. Lux, go ahead and show Grey to the guest room, then after that you can do as you please. You're in a leave, right?" Vivian asked.

"Oh, and Grey? If you need something, don't be shy to ask the servants around here alright? Now, my husband and I have got to go on a business, but Lux and the rest will stay here—"

"I'm invited to a ball, Mom." Hillary interjected.

"Okay then, Carlton and Lux will stay here." After the three left, Lux tapped on Grey's shoulder.

"Right this way."

A few hours later…

Grey yawned as he awakened. The room was quite luxurious, with drapes and all other things you'd expect to find in a luxury hotel. Lamps shut off their lights as he went out and into the courtyard. Just before he went to sleep, Lux told him that they'll be leaving for the League soon once all her business is done, in which case they'll meet up in the courtyard to ride a carriage.

"There you are!" Came out Lux from a nearby crowd as she dragged Grey again; identical to the way she did in the Summoning.

The carriage was a pretty devoid of decals, but it's coloring was very well done. Gold, blue, and white; standard Demacian colors, did just right so that they will reflect the sun's light and give off a "shining glory" effect.

As they got on the carriage and went on their way, Grey couldn't help but wonder.

"Just who is the other guy?"