Disclaimer: I obviously do not own anything relating to Harry Potter or League of Legends. I am simply a humble writer attempting to further my skills with characters and worlds that I love.

Arcane Part Three

SIX YEARS LATER

It was a usual night below the streets of Zaun as the evening crowd was making its way into The Last Drop. Behind the bar Vander was doing his customary duty of pouring drinks, keeping things civil, and telling the occasional story. He was just putting his pipe to his lips when a lighter was clicked in front of him.

He looked at the source of the offer and for the first time in years he found himself speechless. Never in a million years did he expect to see this person walk into his bar. Let alone offer him a light.

With dim and shaky movements he accepted the offer and after a couple puffs to get the smoke moving sat down behind the bar and waved a nearby bar back to take over the orders.

"Silko…" He murmured in shock. The man opposite him looked just as he remembered. Thin frame, piercing gaze, and ruined left eye. An eye that he himself had destroyed. He was puffing a cigar in contrast to his host's pipe. The contrast of smoke flavors almost seeming to mark a parallel to their own differences.

"Silko-" Vander tried again, "Many times I imagined seeing you again." He looked into his former friend's eyes, "Not a day has gone by that I don't regret what I did to you that day. If I could take it back I would, I-"

Silko held up a hand to stop the words coming form his former friend. "Stop, Vander. Your words won't fix things here. You were my brother, I trusted you with my dreams and you responded by trying to kill me." He sighed, "I hate you for that. So much it feels like my blood is boiling, but I can't help still caring in some small way. You were my best friend for years and that doesn't just go away." The scarred man gently ran a finger over his eye, "And in some ways I should thank you for the experience. It made me who I am today. Do you know what it is to drown Vander? Of course you don't, but suffice it to say you can't be the same person after the fact."

The barkeeper was getting confused. If Silko didn't come for a reconciliation then why was he here?

"What is it you want Silko?" He decided to just ask. Talking in circles was never his forte.

The gangster took a moment to take a drag on his cigar before responding. "You know despite my hatred for you, you always had my respect. Until you made that deal with them!" He growled the last sentence.

In response Vander sighed with resignation. He wasn't a fan of what he'd done either. "We bled too much that day Silko. Something had to give, and the only way to prevent a full scale invasion was making a deal. We keep to our side of the bridge and they don't come with torches and guns. You may not like it but I did what I had to do. For all of us."

"Hm." Another puff of the cigar. "I told you I don't respect you or your choice, but I do understand it."

Finally he put his cigar down into a waiting ashtray and grabbed a nearby glass of whiskey. "Fatherhood has a way of changing your priorities."

As he took a sip of the dark liquid he allowed himself a moment to enjoy the confused look on his old friend's face before it turned to startled understanding.

"You?" He exclaimed suddenly. "Since when do you have children? Who was the mother? Anyone I know?"

Silko smiled at the excited look in his friend's eyes. That look of happiness for him almost made it feel like old times for them.

"You weren't the only one to take in a child with no family or home after the bridge Vander. I found him the next morning in fact, and he needed me." He put the glass back on the bar and looked the taller man in the eyes. "I understand being willing to do anything to protect your kid Vander. I don't agree with you, but I understand you." He sighed again while returning his glass to his lips. "And by the gods I've missed drinking with you."

Vander laughed and poured himself a drink as well. "I've missed it too brother." He winced, "Do I still have the right to call you that?"

Silko had flinched at the word, but he was surprised that it didn't sting as much as he'd thought it would after all this time. "We can work on it old friend. I doubt our methods will ever be in harmony again, but I'm willing to try to make things right. My kid kind of insisted I try at least."

The barkeep boomed with laughter and after a moment the gangster joined him. After a few minutes they managed to quiet themselves.

"So he has you as whipped as my girls do eh?"

"Probably not that much. Daughters are different from sons, but he does have a habit of getting what he wants out of me. Damn it but the kid is smooth… and clever."

Vander set his pipe to the side and grabbed a drink of his own. "So tell me about this boy. What's he like?"

Silko smiled in a way that all father's know when speaking about their children. "His name is Hadrian. When I found him he had next to no memory of his life so I took him in. I tried to raise him with some modicum of normalcy but it only took a week for me to find him sneaking into all manor of nooks and crannies of the narrows and trenches. I think he just wanted to see if he could. More than that, the kid showed skill and promise. So I started bringing him with me on runs, collections, and meetings. He has a knack for numbers as well. On a whim I gave him control of the ledgers for two of my smaller ventures and within five months he'd doubled the profits."

"When he got the hang of the ledgers he insisted on learning the other ins and outs of my business." Silko beamed with pride, "When I asked him why he said that I looked tired and he wanted to help ease some of my stress by taking on some duties. He's honestly the best thing to ever happen to me."

Vander looked troubled. "Has he taken a hand in all aspects of your business?" He payed special emphasis to the word "all".

"Indeed. I keep no secrets from my son. He's seen everything I do and more. And by the gods he's talented with a blade. Put a knife or sword in his hand and I can count between a few fingers the number of people that could beat him. He's shown enough competency that I've let my lieutenants all know that he's next in line to take over after me. He's earned it."

"I don't know how I feel about a kid doing what you do Silko." Vander mused.

"If it helps I never forced him to do anything. I gave him the freedom to make his own choices and he chose this life. On top of that when he heard about the two of us he insisted I try to mend bridges. In his words, 'a true friendship is a valuable thing'."

"Sounds like a smart kid." The barkeep praised.

"As I said. But he doesn't really have friends. That's another reason I came here Vander." He sighed. "Being a gangster doesn't lend itself to meeting people your own age. I was hoping that he could spend a little time with your kids. Maybe interact with people his own age for once."

"Another one of his ideas?"

"Uh, no…" Silko hedged, "He's actually under the impression that I'd just be asking you to teach him fisticuffs. He doesn't want to only rely on blades in a pinch. I know you're training Violet already and I'm just hoping he'll find a friend in her. My business can be awfully lonely without someone to rely on." The look he gave Vander then was full of meaning.

The big man nodded. "I can understand that. So you want to bring him by for lessons? I normally start Violet around five in the morning. Is that going to be a problem?"

Silko shook his head and poured himself another drink. "He's already used to waking up early so that shouldn't be an issue. I should however let you know two more things about him that could be problematic."

"What's that?" Vander asked with a smirk. Something told him this would be entertaining.

"Well first of all, my son is an incorrigible flirt. He's even made Sevika blush on occasion."

His friend spewing his whiskey across the bar and trying to snuff out a sneeze wasn't exactly the reaction he was expecting, but he would take it easily. He understood it though. The idea of that woman getting flustered in any situation was laughable. And Hadrian's fixation on the muscular woman was also interesting. Did he have a type?

By that point Vander had finally gotten himself under control. "Aye that may prove an issue if he tries flirting with Violet. She might try to kick the snot out of him."

"He might like that." Silko mused thinking about his last revelation. "The boy has a thing for strong women."

With a measure of will the barkeep calmed down and continued, "That issue aside, what is the second hiccup you foresee?"

"The boy is a mage."

Vander was glad he hadn't taken another sip of his drink. If he had he would be in the same position as the last info drop his old friend had given him.

"A mage? Are you insane! You know the academy would send enforcers to burn us out just to get their hands on someone with a natural affinity for magic!"

Silko raised his hands in a placating gesture. "It's not what you think. He's not a mage as you know it or they do. He can't control the weather, teleport, or wield fire as a weapon. What he can do is manipulate small objects. In the past he's used it to control multiple blades from every angle, throw things from across the room, grab things without moving, and this is the potentially problematic one, if he focuses he can alter an opponents trajectory slightly in a fight. You know what that means."

"He can force his opponent to miss their mark."

"Exactly, and I taught him to use every advantage he has at his disposal. You'll need to specifically tell him not to use that skill in training."

After taking a few seconds to think Vander took another puff of his pipe and said, "Send him over in the morning then. I'll see what he's made of and put him through the ringer. How will I recognize him?"

Silko chuckled. "Trust me Vander, you'll know him when you see him."