AN: A slight introduction: the inspiration for some of the abilities and powers of the main charcatwe originate from a Naruto/Arcane crossover story:
Monsters Are Made Not Born by SpellRGN
Great story, by an author better than myself. Now besides this also being a character x Jinx story most of the similarities end there. Many charcaters might act slightly OOC partly because im not as good a writer but mostly its because of the interactions and relationships based upon how my charcater has chnaged things,
for example Jinx is Jinx but seeing how a relationship is involved at some point it'll obviously change some dynamics as a huge character point is her feeling useless and abandoned. So giving her someone does change some things.
Next the Lores for both Elden Ring and League of Legends are very vast and outside my scope, so consider this an AU of both from the perspective of a major major casual.
Im mostly doing this for fun and to itch my current Arcane obsession, I have an idea outline all the way to a book two so far.
And yes one of my charcaters major character flaws is being sort of hypocritical, so if you see those actions in him, it is intentional. Every character has different sorts of reactions/relationship with this sort of behavior of his.
Sorry for the long warnings, I do hope to become a better writer but i dont also want to force people through a journey if they dont want to, hopefully any future AN will be more focused on answering reviews.
CHAPTER 1: WELCOME TO THE GRAVEYARD
Three figures huddled together moving forward, trying to get through the brutal blizzard.
A mother and two sons, pushed forward in the blast of the blizzard, the wind howling as the older son, James, a boy of about 16, did his best to prop up his frostbitten mother.
Ximena, despite all her strength and help from her eldest son, succumbed to the numbing cold.
Her younger son rushed to her, "Mom! Mom."
"Mom, wake up." Jayce did his best to try to shake her up as James pushed Jayce away slightly trying to get closer in to his mother to help, despite his quickly depleting strength.
"Back up Jayce, give us some space." Jayce watched with worried eyes as his brother, exhausted from the exertion tried and failed to lift their mom. About to rush in again and try to help, Jayce noticed something, or someone approaching through the whirlwind of ice.
"Please, someone, help us! Help! Please!"
A hooded figure approached them, James kneeling on the snow to tired to even move his head, could do nothing but glance up as Jayce seemed to smile in hope before the cloaked figure kept walking past, James head hung dejectedly.
"No. Wait. Wait."
Jayce's words stopped in amazement as he watched the hooded figure wave his staff around in a complex manner as the aracne breathed alive around them. Ruins jumped to life in pure energy as the man began to swirl the magic around them.
Space itself distorted, Jaycees eyes fixated on the magic, as James stared in wonderment at the the space and time bending around them as the hooded figure teleported them to the base of the mountain near two twin cities.
The boys watched as the flowers bloomed around them, amazed before hearing their mom gasp. She wa seemingly healing faster, James rushed to her side as the hooded figure walked up to Jayce and dropped a rune fragment into the boys hand.
Jayce stared after the retreating figure with one thought on his mind, "How?."
THE LANDS BETWEEN:
The 10 year old Julian huffed out in disappointment, his father figure, the one who found and raised him since the age of 4, has left him behind again with one of the boys teachers.
Julian knew the tarnished took on gods and the like but the man who taught him to fight and survive and live on the road always left him behind when he went off to face a greater than life threat.
Julian currently was laying flat on his back losing yet another match with his hand to hand combat instructor, Dryleaf Dane.
His sorcery while hit or miss was taught by Sorceress Selene, and swordsmanship by Rellana.
He has become a great warrior by most standards so he still couldn't get a solid understanding of why the tarnished always left him behind.
He loved adventuring and adding to his abilities. Looking down at his heart where a hex crystal was embedded in him and the cause of his teleportation to this realm.
It's what allowed him to remember who he was as well as use magic and absorption like he has. By absorbing a spirit bell he has been able to mix that with his glinstone magic and summon spirit ashes of those he has collected. And by absorbing different whet blades and somber stones and using and analyzing his weapons he was beginning to be able to conjure physical illusions of his weapons.
And while his hex crystal allowed copying of all glinstone magic pretty accurately and absorption of different energies allowed him to learn movements from ashes of wars or even enchantments and the like.
"Why do you keep laying on the floor young one like you are done for the day" Julian's eyes widened as a man's foot came into focus.
Quickly rolling to the side Julian shot glinstone mist around the hide himself and quickly move.
With dry leaf arts Dane quickly cleared the area as Julian shot off quick poorly made daggers. They hit harder than the glinstone and had a bleed effect added yet with precise movements Dane shattered them.
"Ah I see young one you decided to give up on fighting hand to hand and move back to your tricks" Dane said with a laugh yet did not stop his pursuit,
"You know you will never learn my craft if you keep yourself from practicing,
'Better fighting with all I got that let you kill me' Julian thought cynically. Before sending energy to jump out the way leaving Dane behind. Turning mid air he sent multiple glinstone blasts to the man who to Julian's utter surprise jumped onto each blast and used it to make his way closer
'I just gave the fucker stairs' Julian was out of most options glinstone while diverse for the most part was still too solid of a magic to do much damage to someone like Dane. He needed something like fire or frost or mist in a fight form.
Unfortunately he needed to absorb it first and there was none of that around. Maybe he could try to absorb the kinetic energy from a hit from Dane
'Yeah right that would fucking hurt, plus he probably expects that and would go for the kill anyways' Julian kept on his retreat. His hand to hand training always ended up like this. Him running and leaning more into his other strong suits and Dane using nothin but straight hands and still beating him.
Looking back was Julian's mistake as Dane palm blasted the boy into a knockout.
The 10 year old boy laid there slumped with only the day that landed him here replaying in his memories…
Flashback
RUNETERRA: ACADEMY GROUNDS: Jayce Apartment:
The hex crystals were important, that's what the little 4 year old could tell, his Uncle Jayce had left to grab a few things and had left the young boy behind. Not a very wise decision, after the young 24 year old had promised his mother to look after his nephew for the day, but he was chasing after a rare item. Plus in the distracted young adults mind it was safer to leave him in the Academy city grounds apartment for 30 minutes than taking him to the undercity.
Rushing off to who knows where. That was when Julian began hearing commotion at the balcony as a shadowy figure began tinkering with the door, wide eyed the small boy quickly ran into the other room to hide.
With a loud grunt beyond the door, another figure kicked the door open. She entered and the boy who was working on the lock seemed startled in the moment. A heavier set boy with goggles grumbled and ruffled the shocked boy's head almost as if a sign of how slow he was. Last to enter the door was what seemed to be the youngest of the group, a wide eyed blue haired girl.
"Animals." The boy at the door mumbled, he was a lanky teen of average height for his age with thick scruffy eyebrows, a deep widow's peak, and sloped face, giving him a crow-like appearance. From what Julian could tell his name was Milo,
The oldest girl, who had pink hair, with one side of her head shaved and the hair on the other side long and messy, seemed to be the leader and was called Vi or Violet.
The heavier set boy was named Claggor, and the youngest girl, Powder.
Julian watched from his hiding spot as Mylo stood up and the 4 kids looked at the workshop where they entered. Watching the kids as they walked around looking slightly in awe as if not quite sure what to focus on first.
Violet took the lead and put down her backpack, looking at the board and the bookcase, she approached and grabbed some of the books.
Claggor walked over, looking at Violet. She gave one of the many books a quick skim through to see if the book would be filled with any content that would make it worth stealing to sell.
Mylo approached the workshop table, "You know, Claggor, for once you're right." Mylo said, looking at the wonder of this place around him.
"We are definitely not supposed to be here." Mylo quickly went around the table, unlike Vi not really looking deeply for anything and just taking anything that seemed to glitter or shine, dumping everything like that into his sack.
Claggor also began searching the workshop when he opened the banner on the other table.
Powder saw as the older kids began looting the small apartment so she looked around for something that caught her eye as well, among the racks of a stack of books, there was a carousel horse toy that she quickly pocketed as a souvenir.
Violet looked at the blackboard again with a bronze piece in her hands, "Must be an inventor."
Powder continued looking around for more things with interest, and found a valdiani decorated with jewels and sapphire.
"Whoa, I think this is a real Valdiani." Powder whispered with some excitement. She opened it and listened as some soft music came from the box with a bronze and gold-plated star turning.
"Oh, yeah? What about this?" Powder heard Mylo call out from across the room, she turned and focused on the item in his hand.
"That's a nose hair trimmer." Came her reply as if she wanted to roll her eyes.
Vi looked over at the two, "Keep an eye out for anything that look valuable."
Mylo looks further on the work desk noticing some papers he pulls them out before his attention was taken by a buzzing vibration, a bluish blue crystal held in a conductive container, a spark of low energy being conducted.
"Uh.. guys?" Vi moved a little closer hearing Mylos question.
Glancing at the crystal as well, Claggor looked at his two friends, "Vi, how the hell did we find this place?"
Mylo touched the crystal, receiving a small shock.
"It was a tip from Little Man."
Mylo, who was still messing with the item, asked, "Little Man?"
"Just leave it."
Powder walked away from the group in search of another haul deeper inside the apartment listening to her sister's voice. The little boy, Julian held his breath as she was nearing his hiding place.
"How can anyone have so much stuff?" Claggor asked, amazed.
Mylo let out a sarcastic chuckle, "Simple, just get born lucky."
Julian let out a shaky breath, Powder instead chose to go into his Uncle's bedroom instead of the hallway closet where he had chosen to hide. Giving him a view of both areas.
Powder innocently entered the room looking around, humming. Julian watched as she made her way around the room. Studying her with curiosity, Powder, turning her head a little, gasped in surprise.
Julian wondered if she found the crystals Jayce seemed to horde but it turned out her attention was on the two freshly made sandwiches.
Julian almost smiled as Powder let out a, "Woo-hoo!"
She looked happy, as she walked over and without thinking twice, took the sandwich and started to eat.
Powder seemed to munch down letting out a satisfied, "Mm."
She didn't seem dangerous in the young boy's eyes, he was almost tempted to go out and…
Suddenly, she stopped and pulled out the blueprint plans that were near the sandwiches. Looking curiously at the chest on the desk table she tried to lift it, but it was too heavy. She grunted from the effort, but to no avail.
She looked for how to open the chest, and must have found it because Julian soon heard a clicking and rattling noise as the small chest door opened.
Powder saw that it contained 4 of the same blue crystals.
"Whoa." Powder pulls out one of these crystals. Her gray eyes shone, changing the hue of her irises to bright blue.
Julian slightly panicked hoping his uncle wouldn't be mad at him for the girl messing with his stuff. On the other side of the room, the others were still looting in the main workshop.
Suddenly, outside the apartment, Violet heard distant chatter in the background seemingly outside as footsteps approached the apartment door.
Vi quickly stood and whispered, "Mylo."
With a nod and grunt he pulled up a chair and braced it to the door to block the passage as Julian's Uncle tried to open the door.
The commotion began to frighten the young toddler who was still hiding but knew his Uncle was now close by as Violet ran into the hallway to warn her younger sister Powder.
The toddler heard his uncle call out, muffled, "Hello? Julian? Julian open the door."
About to cry in panic, the boy watched as Vi and Powder looked around confused before Powder quickly collected all the crystals in the chest and took it with her.
Julian made up his mind he needed to just quickly run out and open the door then Jayce could handle these others. Swallowing, Julian gathered all the courage his young self could muster and burst out the closet.
Powder, the sweet looking girl, spotted Julian and froze for a moment before Uncle Jayce banging on the door caused the young girl to start and one of the crystals she stowed in her pouch had fallen on the floor.
The crystal that Powder had unintentionally dropped abruptly, began to spark and bluish energy leaked out. Julian let out a terrified wail as he watched one of the orbs hit the ground.
"Powder, come on!" Vi loudly whispered to her sister as Jayce continued to try to get into his apartment more frantic now as he heard Julian's cries.
The young girl with the wide eyes looked at Julian as if in slow motion the hex crystal bounced out across the floor
At the door outside the balcony, Vi, Mylo and Claggor were waiting with the door open.
"Come on!" Mylo called out in the loudest whisper he could manage.
Vi whispered "We'll be fine. Just get back on the roof." Looking back towards Powder about to run and get her, not seeing her distracted, wide eyed, at the young boy as she began running to her sister. Julian cried watching the Crystal bounce across the floor towards him.
Time seemed to slow as It glowed with an otherworldly light, and an explosion ripped through the apartment, the hex crystal melding into Julian's chest.
One moment, the workshop was filled with the comforting scent of ozone and polished brass. The next, a searing pain ripped through Julian, a white-hot agony that stole his breath. Colors blurred, sounds distorted into a cacophony of screams and shattering glass. He felt himself tumbling, falling through a vortex of swirling colors and impossible geometries, a dizzying descent into an abyss of pure, chaotic energy. The familiar warmth of Piltover vanished, replaced by a chilling wind that cut through him like a thousand razor blades.
LANDS BETWEEN: SKADU ATLAS: Moorth Ruins
Julian gasped awake, the memory of that fateful day still vivid in his mind. He found himself back in the training yard, his body aching from Dane's final blow. As he slowly sat up, rubbing his head, he noticed the sun was setting, casting long shadows across the courtyard.
"Finally awake, I see," Dane's gruff voice came from nearby. The old warrior was sitting on a wooden bench, sharpening a dagger. "You've got potential, boy, but you rely too much on your tricks. Hand-to-hand combat could save your life one day."
Julian scowled, brushing dirt off his clothes. "I was doing fine until you cheated with that palm blast."
Dane chuckled, a rare sound from the stoic man. "In a real fight, there are no rules. Your enemies won't play fair, so neither should you."
Julian shrugged he knew Dane was correct, especially if he wanted to live up to Tarnished, the man who took him in. He had no other desire but to help his foster father ascend the throne, yet…
Julians mind flickered to that girl he saw, she was kind of cute. Blushing, thinking about some random girl he met once was a bit embarrassing but he was reaching that age now.
What was her name? Oh yeah, Powder.
Julian shook his head, trying to clear the image of Powder from his mind. He had more important things to focus on, like getting stronger and proving himself to the Tarnished.
"Alright, old man," Julian said, pushing himself to his feet. "Let's go again. No tricks this time, I promise."
Dane raised an eyebrow, a hint of approval in his eyes. "That's more like it, boy. But remember, a promise like that could get you killed in a real fight."
As they squared off once more, Julian couldn't help but wonder about the world he'd left behind. Did Powder and those other kids make it out okay? Did Uncle Jayce ever find out what happened to him? These thoughts swirled in his mind, threatening to distract him.
Day moved to the night, Dane looked around as shadowy dark figures of the Shadow Undead began to appear.
"C'mon boy it's time to head in for the night." Dryleaf Dane led Julian towards the main grouping of crumbling buildings and to a small hidden channel that led deep underground. As the boy walked home as the walls around him became stone and ruins, the two came upon a circular cave towards the bottom of the collapsed building that was half submerged.
They mostly used the abandoned rooms that were still intact of the building for some storage, but deeper down the cave was the living quarters. Finding deeply safe hideaways was a must in the lands between if you didn't serve someone, at least if you wanted to sleep soundly.
Jumping down the hole it opened up to a tunnel, Julian knew eventually the way behind led to a dead end. Following Dane forward they came upon another opening underground full of ruins.
They kept trekking through until they got to the bottom of the cavern. Separating to two different buildings deep underground they each had claimed as their own.
"Get some sleep boy."
Julian tiredly nodded, slinking off to his floor mat in his stone room, crude etches of the girl Powder on his walls, he knew it was more so an ideal he made out of her, simply because she was the last thing he saw of his old world. In a sense besides the obvious like his Uncle Jayce and grandma Ximena, Julian did not have much of an identity to link himself to his previous world.
That was how his art of Powder was born, something unknown and new to him from his brief life in his old world, and as he got older he began to find cute, in the same way as one would find an attractive person while on vacation in passing and never see them again. Those small things, a girl even that near his own age was rare to find out here. A land of danger, even still while smiling softly at the portrait Juian felt a wave of second hand embarrassment.
'Talk about putting someone on a pedestal, jeez.' Julian quickly turned around the cave's cold air wrapped around him as he drifted off to sleep.
THE LANDS BETWEEN: SCADU ATLAS: A Little Past Bonny Village
Julian huffed trying to catch his breath sword gripped tightly in his hand, for as big as those scorpions were, they hid really well in the thicket around him.
Julian looked around at the three giant scorpions around him, 'I probably should get some of their parts for scraps, could probably craft or sell something with it.' Julian thought to himself quickly glancing over to the bridge behind him that led to Bonny Village.
He had already done away with 2 Greater Potentates, and had no idea how many more were lurking around the town that held the second secret entrance to Danes base.
He almost died last time being swarmed by the Shadow undead and a single Greater Potentates. Luckily Dane had heard the fighting and came to Julian's rescue. There would be no help from Dane if they heard the noise from out this far though so Julian had to tread carefully.
But, Julians eyes flashing up to the cave he was approaching. HIs goal for coming out this way was near, The Bonny Gaol.
Julian had explored this place bit by bit before trying to piece together the mystery of the magic pots, in an attempt to train his mind as well as his skills in fighting. Despite that fighting Pot innards still disgusted the boy, not only because of how the creature looked but on the wicked magic done to the person to turn them into such a thing.
Julian had sworn to never become such a person, to abandon his humanity in such a way that life ceases being precious. While the Tarnished and the very world of the Lands between itself has given Julian the mentality of the warrior, a way Julian held onto with pride.
Julian believed in the way of the wolf, The Tarnished had called it with a laugh. Strength, Family, Duty. The Tarnished had said it was a bit of a dead yet noble way to live in the Lands, yet the young boy had held himself to its standards and the Tarnished had begrudgingly accepted it.
As the young boy began his descent, fighting off pot innards and shadow undead, the danger level of being alone taking a fortress of sorts filled him with the same feelings that eerily reminded him of his own first mission from the Tarnished
Flashback:
THE LANDS BETWEEN: LIMGRAVE: Gatefront Ruins:
The small 6 year old Julian crept quietly behind the Tarnished, a shortsword clutched in his hand. After training the boy for a year and a half, his rescuer had decided it was time for him to learn how to capture and clean out a base.
Julian was not as sure, but the Tarnished had said they were only doing sneak attacks and that Julian was only to watch, study, and deliver the final blow.
So that's what the small kid did. He followed close behind and positioned himself as the Tarnished would single someone out then disarm them and create an opening for Julian to pop out with a killing blow.
A few of them had to be re-stabbed by the Tarnished as Julian didn't hit the right spot or go deep enough, but regardless of those slight slip ups, Julian was steadily getting the hang of it. With each death the body would leave behind some sort of magic that the Tarnished told Julian to absorb into his crystal, it crackled slightly with each feeding.
Unlike with Julian, most beings in the Lands were born of magic while not all could harness it or use it they still had it intertwined into their life force, so when Julian killed them the life force ceased to exist releasing the magic back into the land. People who grew powerful whether in strength or magic or ability tended to also give off more magic at death.
It allowed him to quickly store leaps of power and energy much faster than absorbing the ambient magic in the air, and pretty soon the Tarnished had Julian leading the next few sneak attacks.
He jumped in whenever he needed to, but Julian now had enough of a new source of energy that he was able to spare the ambient magic from the air into strength and speed. No longer needing to worry as much for emergencies, the boy's strength while empowered was similar to that of a teens and a speed faster than many adults.
Soon after that the Tarnished went from occasionally helping, then to just watching, and finally to splitting off to take care of the other side of the base, "Julian clear the rest of this side out, when I finish mine I'll give the signal and we will take on the big guy." Julian barely had a moment to nod as the Tarnished snuck off practically vanishing before his eyes.
The two worked in unison before working to take down the main knight whose polearm swept at them in deadly arcs. Julian couldn't do as much in this fight but shoot simple hex blasts and provide support, but that was all the Tarnished needed.
END FLASHBACK
LANDS BETWEEN: SCADU ATLUS: Bonny Gaol:
The chill in the air took Julian out of his memories as he did his best to clean his blade of pot innards guts. Looking around, trying to find a hint of where his body was trying to tell him to head to next.
Julian sucked into his breath looking across the fortress depths, he was covered in guts. There was something here, something stronger.
Looking forward down through the corridors Julian heard slight ringings, like the slight sound of a bell on the ankles of dancers, echoing eerily down the blue lit lights of the caverns around.
Swallowing deeply, Julian slowly crept to the door.
'Be the wolf, be the wolf.' Julian repeated to himself. A mantra that could sound childish but was all he could hold onto this deep away from any help. The comfortable hum of the hex crystal in his chest pushed him forward as his body ached with soreness.
Silently and slowly Julian snuck into the large empty room.
Eyes widened, it was a dancer!
Julian had no time to react as a blast of darkness hit him. The thing with quick ease turned invisible in the darkness.
Gasping and whipping around Julian tried to look for the culprit. Trying to slow his heart and breathing a sense of panic overwhelming him.
Julian had heard the Bonny area was the hunting ground of one of the dancers, he was just shocked to realize he had stumbled upon their home. In the darkness around him he heard the movement of the dancer, Curseblade Labirith.
Labyrinth wielded two disc-like blades that had decent reach that didn't reach out too long, but were not short either. Julian listened and heard him rush towards him. Reacting quickly, Julian rolled out of the way before launching off his hands into a flip and onto his feet ready.
Quickly turning and out of the darkness spell Julian was able to see Labirith. Julian licked his lips trying to desperately wet his dry mouth, as Labirith spun his weapons and charged again.
The attacks were simple, but it was a long string of them that were kept up at a fast pace and long arcing, keeping Julian on tha back retreat guard up.
Julian did his best to counter and to attack, but Labirith's attacks were fast. A slice here and another there. Julian felt caught at all angles.
Julian glared and felt his hex crystal bubble he was going to fight and he was going to win, he felt the hex magic swarm around him and take form into spirit ashes he absorbed way back when he was younger.
Three wolves burst out of his chest, attacking Labirith.
Labirith flipped away gracefully dodging and dancing the wolves attacks, but it didnt matter, he was no longer.
Labirith skidded as far back as he could as each wolf rushed him, Julian stood out letting a long breath, the cold air making it curl out in whisps, his hex core and the blue glow of the wolves shedding light in the darkness.
Eyes crackling Julian lunged forward, blades coated with fire grease.
Labirith no longer knew who to focus on, his spell darkness no longer useful as each wolf circled him. Slowly turning his head he eyed Julian and lunged.
Julian was ready, Labirith attack while still a long chain and fast, it was less chaotic as he was keeping his guard up against the wolves who snapped at his heels as he danced around.
Smirking, Julian knew he had them, quickly landing a heavy downward attack and slamming Labirith to the floor, fire whisping around, burning the dancer. Julian quickly began chaining his attacks.
Before throwing a sidekick out to get some space as he saw Labirith starting to read the pattern. The Curseblade tried to attack again but the four would take turns and attack, each time the Curseblade tried to focus on one, then another would come out and attack him from behind.
He had to stay with small attacks to, anytime he tried to do a more three point attack the wolves would make sure to keep the attention, and as soon as the attack finished, the boy would slam down with fire.
Then Labirith saw an opening and lunged for it, the boy was as good as dead. His blade sunk deep into the boy's chest. A glowing blue light lit up Labirith's mask as he slowly looked down, a shield of pulsing energy had caught the blade.
Wide eyed, Labyrinth, tried to remove the blade as the glow grew brighter before blasting him like lighting into a metal rod at the other side of the cave.
Labiriths last thoughts before death was the wolves tearing at his flesh even as they faded away and the small boy with glowing blue eyes walked over to his body.
Julian was grossly exhausted, but satisfied as he made his way out of the cave, coming face to face with a stern looking Dane leaning against a giant trap near one of the trees.
"H-hey Dane? What brings you out this way? The weather huh?"
Dane glared at the boy, "Your master, the Tarnished entrusted me with your safety and training. I in turn, trusted you to be responsible and you go off exploring the Bonny Gaol! That is how you repay my trust?" Glancing at the disc blades tied to Julians belt, Danes eyes slightly widened before falling stern again.
"Go to the moorth ruins, mighty impressive you fought a cursblade and lived to tell the tale, but your punishment is due. You chose to spend your free day fighting so that is what we will be doing until sun down."
THE LANDS BETWEEN: SCADU ATLAS: Moorth Ruins:
Julian was drop dead exhausted, his body was screaming at him and he could barely keep his eyes open, but the boy stood again. Dane snorted, the boy had the spirit of the wolf, that was for sure. Both warriors got into a fighting stance.
Julian tried to focus wearily at the man before him, even as the world seemed to blur and Julian swore he could see 3 of Dane. They began to rush each other.
'Is Dane really trying to kill me this time?' Julian asked himself. The sound of approaching footsteps interrupted his thoughts. Both Julian and Dane turned to see Sorceress Selene striding towards them, her robes billowing behind her.
Dane in an instant ceased his movements, Julian not as quick with his reflexes ended up falling on his face.
Looking at Dane worried, Julian glanced back down at the approaching teacher of his.
'Why is she all the way out in this part of the lands' Julian thought to himself as he brushed himself off. He went to approach but at Dane's motion to stay put he listened as he watched Dane go off to speak to her.
It seemed important. The magic embedded into his chest seemed to agree as energy sparked and hissed around him slightly.
'Has something happened to Tarnished while he was investigating Stormviel castle' Julian worried
Julian watched anxiously as Dane and Sorceress Selene spoke in hushed tones. Their faces were grim, and Julian could feel the tension in the air. His heart raced as he tried to make out what they were saying, but they were too far away.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Dane motioned for Julian to join them. As he approached, he could see the worry etched on Selene's face.
"Julian," she began, her voice uncharacteristically gentle, "we've received word from the Tarnished."
Julian's breath caught in his throat. "Is he okay? What happened?"
Selene exchanged a glance with Dane before continuing. "He's alive, but... he's encountered something in Stormveil Castle. Something he wasn't prepared for."
"What do you mean?" Julian asked, his voice rising with anxiety.
"My precious student it seems your mad man of a father figure met in battle Margot the foul on the bridge. He won the battle at the cost of a great chest injury" Selene said with tight lips. And a disapproving glint.
"Is he alright?! Will he live?!" Julian interrupted but quickly quieted at his magic teacher's look. Dane softly put a hand on his shoulder.
"He will live and of course he foolishly chooses to keep on fighting. He says he doesn't want to let them prepare now that they know he is there. And that is unfortunately why I am here. He has requested your aid, Julian." Selene continued the disapproval clear in her voice.
The magic inside Julian seemed to dance as blue energy coursed slightly through him quickly like a gust of wind.
Julian took a deep breath, steeling himself. "Alright. If the Tarnished believes I'm ready, then I'll go. When do we leave?"
Selene's expression softened slightly. "We leave at dawn. Pack light, but bring all the weapons and talismans you can carry. You'll need them."
As Julian turned to go prepare, Dane caught his arm. "Boy wait." The old warrior held out a small worn leather pouch.
"Take this. It's not much, but it just might save your life."
Julian opened the pouch to see a collection of small shimmering stones.
"What are these?"
"Rune fragments." Dane explained. "I've collected them over the years. They might come in handy if you need to absorb magic or strength."
Julian nodded before trying the pouch to his belt.
"Remember what I taught you, boy. Keep your guard up, and don't be afraid to fight dirty if it means staying alive."
Julian nodded, grateful for the advice. He spent the rest of the evening packing and preparing, his mind racing with thoughts of what awaited him at Stormveil Castle.