[Fan Fiction] Runeseeker

I would like to present a story I just wrote.

This story isn't completely adapted to Riot's canon, as it was made out of some of my own theories about how the Runes and magic itself works in Runeterra, and of course, none of this has ever happened in the main story, I just felt that if Riot would not write anything about Ryze, at least I could try to, even when i have no experience and the end result would be kinda bad.

I would be grateful, if everyone that read this fiction would not only give me opinions about the story itself, but also inform me if they find some mistake, as english isn't my mother language and writing all of this in english also helps me to practice it.

Without any other delay, here is this oneshot Fan Fiction, I hope all of you enjoy reading it as much as I did while writing it.

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In the middle of the shuriman desert, on an arguably cold night, a man was giving a calm stroll around. He had light clothing, that left the tanned skin of his arms and part of his chest exposed. He stopped, just for a second, like bathing in the calm moonlight of the desert.

When a strange paper dragged by the dry wind got stuck on his feet, he knelt down, and with a confused expression on his face, started taking a look at it.The paper was quite worn out, but had something written on it that seemed important. Although there was also a big rune like mark on the back of the paper, he decided not to pay attention to that for now, as something inside him was urging to know what story that stray brief had to tell.

Location: Ruins of Protection

Objective: Get the Earth Rune

The man became even more puzzled, as under these words, a strange drawing, almost like a rune was inscribed. He felt obliged to touch it, and when he did, the world exploded in a myriad of colors.

The light and colours were overwelming, but minutes later, he was able to open his eyes again, and saw himself... or wasn't he? His hands looked aged, and his skin was of a strange color, a mix between blue and violet, mostly due to the strange violet markings that were all around his body.

He could move freely it seemed, even when he felt incredibly weakened, but something, almost like a voice inside his head ordered him what to do, and so he did.

That's when he realized he was inside a dark cave, where he could only see a bit ahead due to a torch that was hung in the wall besides him.

-“I need to advance, for this darkness a simple power channel will provide” - He muttered to himself, and before he realized how, he had already formed a rune of blue energy out of thin air, just by drawing it with the tip of his fingers. His tatoos started to shine with blue energy, iluminating the path in front of him, while staining it in shades of blue.

He started walking, while admiring the ruins of an old lost shuriman temple, and some shuriman fauna and flora that he knew far too well, like the Lucaris, also called sand bats, or the scarce Jackal Cane, a flower said to be named that way after the mighty Nasus, an ascended warrior of legends, and the weapon he wielded.

-“A temple for what?” - He knew it,, or the body he was inhabiting did, to be more precise, that body had known since his tatoos had taken the form of a brown rune, and the closer he got, the easier it was to know. His mouth tasted like soil, and the air inside the temple smelled like wet ground.

-”Whoever built this, made it to keep the Earth Rune hidden, but now, its the time for me to reclaim and hide it, before the evil beings...”- His monologue was interrupted, as in a second he had to avoid a blast of arcane magic that was directed to his head.

-”Who did that! Show yourself!” - Yelled with an imposing tone that didn't remind the aged and tired tone that his voice had just seconds ago.

He wouldn't give a single second for the attacker to get to him again. In an instant, he drew two runes in the air with his fingertips, and a blue shield covered his whole body from all angles.

-”What kind of temple spirit are you? Are you seriously talking?”- Said a voice, that sounded both surprised and annoyed.

The man looked around for the origin of the voice, and saw where it came from, a blond brat...

The man was surprised, as he didn't even know that term before, but it just came to his mind out of the blue, like if it was the thoughts of another person, just the same that happened with the Earth Rune.

-”I am no spirit, I'm just a rogue mage that its looking for something that needs to be found and destroyed” - Said the man to that mysterious child.

-”Oh! my bad then! You just seemed like one with that glowy stuff all over you” - The child had his eyes opened up like plates, and seemed genuinely surprised. - “I am Ezreal, the prodigial explorer! Famous all around Runeterra!” - said the child, switching now to a tone full of pride.

The violet man sighted, as this child was one of the ones he despised the most, a snooty one. The child's hand was interesting though, as he had some kind of glove with an embedded gem in it, from where enough light to illuminate the path was coming.

• “Now its your turn, who are you, blue skinned mage?” - Said Ezreal, and in the bat of an eye, his globe illuminated and he teleported just in front of the man with a flash.

• “I am Ryze, some call me the rune mage, but you can call me Mister Ryze” - Said the man with a bored expression on his face, but without taking the eyes out of that strange glove.

The shuriman man was surprised, as he finally discovered who this new body belonged to. He was a living myth, the Runic Mage Ryze. He had heard stories about him long ago, but never saw it in flesh before.

-”Mister Ryze? How about I call you Mister Geezer?” - said Ezreal while laughting.

-”Whatever kid”- Said Ryze with a tired tone in his voice - “Why are you playing here? Haven't your parents told you that this place is dangerous?” - followed Ryze, intending to hurt Ezreal's abundant pride.

-”I am no kid, but a pro explorer, and I'm here to discover the treasure that is hidden in these ruins” - Said Ezreal, slightly annoyed by what Ryze said

-”The only treasure that its hidden here would take your life and the lifes of many more in seconds” - Said Ryze in a serious tone.

-“Then why are you there? Are you some crazed mass murderer looking for a tool to achieve a better killstreak?” Said Ezreal with a cautious tone while the gem in his glove glowed.

-”I am someone that has dedicated his life to hide away those items from the evil that wants to use it” - Ryze was dead serious this time, and had an expression that could freeze anyone, like it did to Ezreal, that looked slightly impressed by how determined the mage was.

-”I can't help but feel that you aren't lying to me” - Ezreal seemed a bit more respectful now - “And if its true, then allow me to follow you and help you recover that dangerous item” - He also looked dead serious.

• “I need no help, or any kid that could get in my way, never did, never will” - Ryze seemed a bit annoyed now -”And if you don't have anything interesting to say, I'll keep going my way, as I need to recover that before they do, and i'm short on time” - the magus turned around and started walking away.

The rune was close, his whole body screamed at him that it was.

• “I'm 100% sure that you don't know who you are talking to now. I could get to that treasure far faster than you, while avoiding any trap” - Ezreal had an amused tone in his voice, he really seemed to enjoy testing his skills against other worthy opponent.

-”As I said before. I have no time to play, kid” - Ryze drew one rune in the air, pointing at Ezreal, and suddenly arcane energy shaped in the form of many runes surrounded the young boy, immobilizing him.

-”What are you doing?! Stop it!” - the explorer seemed both confused and angered now

-”Good bye” - Said Ryze, while drawing four runes in a fast swipe without even looking at Ezreal anymore -”I won't let anyone die a pointless death if I can still save them”.

Before Ezreal could say anything more, a blue circle of arcane energy formed around him, and with a bright blast of blue, he disappeared out of the temple, to the surface, if Ryze's calculation were correct.

The man felt a bit bad for the child, but he understood what Ryze was thinking, even when he still didn't know what that World Rune was or why was it so dangerous.

Ryze kept walking, and soon started hearing screams and inhuman growls, and he hurried to reach the place where those sounds were originating.

He soon reached the treasure chamber, where bathed under the monlight, Ezreal was fighting something off with arcane blasts. Ryze's eyes took a bit to see the creature good enough to distinguish what it was, but then he did, and left out a gasp of surprise.

-“What are you doing here damn brat? And even worse, are you trying to kill a peaceful Brackern?!” - Ryze was angered, he thought that he had sent it away from here, but that child was really something else, and had managed to get to the treasure room before him.

-“A Brackern?” - Shouted both Ezreal and the man now inside Ryze's body at the same time. He didn't know what that were, but he also knew, it was so confusing...

-“Yeah, this one seems a bit different, but they are all peaceful, why are you attacking it?!” - Questioned Ryze.

-“I didn't start anything, I just managed to get here, and when I stepped on the altar on top of this dusty stone room, this thing leaped out of the wall and started trying to skewer me!” - Ezreal sounded already tired, he was covered in sweat and his glove didn't shine so bright anymore.

-“Allow me to doubt you, those are...” Ryze stopped mid sentence, as after a closer look, he suddenly realized that the Brackern was not normal, not because it was a subspecies of some kind, but because it was made of pure magic, rock and earth joined together. In its head, the earth rune was imprinted. This was no living being, but a materialization of a World Rune already starting to overflow with energy.

-“Get away child!! That thing is too dangerous!” - Ryze was really worried about Ezreal now, that creature wasn't a normal being and could probably cleave him in half in the blink of an eye.

-“I have been trying for a while you know?! Its not like I enjoy dancing with a huge scorpion in the middle of some ruins while the moon is shining over us...Well, it does sound more epic than what it really is...” - Ezreal was breathing heavily now, and the Runic Beast wasn't giving him a moment to recover.

-“Don't worry, I already know how to neutralize that thing!” - Ryze started drawing four runes with his hand, and then softly touched the rock beneath him, creating a pit trap of arcane magic – “Lead it over here!” - Shouted Ryze.

-”Well, thats something I could do” - Ezreal focused, and teleported all over the pit trap, besides Ryze – “And now?” - he asked.

-“Now we wait” - Was the answer.

The beast became even more enraged, and started a mad dash against the two men, without realizing about the pit trap until it was too late.

-“I will need your help, child” - Said Ryze, while focusing the energy that he had been charging up in his body since the start of this adventure for providing light. - “That glove of you seems to be magic, and that's what we need right now, a good magic blast to obliterate this creature before it manages to release itself from my trap” - The energy was now focused in the palm of his hand, almost asking him to release it already while burning his fingertips

-“I though you would never ask me” - With a prideful smile, Ezreal started to float, and while he summoned all the magic inside the glove, the gem embedded in it started to shine like a tiny star. A huge bow made of arcane energy materialized out of the glove, and Ezreal started holding the tensed string, waiting for the signal to fire.

-”Up to three and we fire ok?” - Ryze was shouting to make himself be heard all over the magic sizzling that came from the arcane bolts that were about to be released.

The sweat covered their faces, as they were summoning maybe a bit too much energy, but both men knew that if this creature was to be underestimated, it would kill them with just one single stab.

-“One....Two... THREE!!” - The last number came from both, and so did the arcane magic blasts that obliterated the beast and created a column of blue magic that made even wider the small gap in the roof from where the moonlight filtered before.

The beast left out a deafening mighty roar while its artificial body disintegrated.

-“Huff.. Huff... did we do it?” - Said Ezreal, trying to control his heavy breathing

-”We did, good job...Ezreal” - Said Ryze, and the man inside him felt surprised when a warm wave of possitive feelings appeared. Ryze felt real gratitude against that child, and even inside his grumpy mind, he already thought with respect about this blond newcomer.

Both fell to the ground, exhausted. Ryze had no time to rest, as in the hole, only the World Rune remained, and he jumped down the pit to recover it. The moment he touched it, both Ryze and the man felt and heard the power of the World Rune. The Rune urged them to use it, to rise the earth above all, to dry the lands and become the owner of a world made of rock and dust. But those alien thoughts soon disappeared, as Ryze took the scroll that was tied to his back so tight that the man hadn't realized it was there before, and unrolled it. Light flew out of it, but it was all darkness again soon, as Ryze just took the Rune and placed it inside the light, shortly before rolling it up and tying it again to his back.

Ezreal was quite surprised of what he saw, but he had no words, as he felt that what he just saw was something that he should not question about.

When Ryze rose again, they both sit besides each other.

-”What do we do now?” - Asked Ezreal

-”First, I have to remind you that you were in grave danger because you didn't listen to me” - Ryze sounded really tired, like if he had said that same sentence many times already.

-“Then I should remind you that I'm a pro explorer that was able to reach the chamber faster than you, even before that nasty trick of yours that left me in the outside of the ruins” - Ezreal had an amused look in his eyes, he really was a prideful child.

-”Well, I have to admit that, you are faster than an old man” - Ryze said this loud and clear while grinning

-”Ugh... Well, you got me there” - Ezreal left out a hearty laught, and soon, Ryze followed.

A bit later, when both stopped laughting, they kept in silence for a bit, until Ezreal broke the silence.

-”Could we use your spell to get out of here? It doesn't seem like my glove will charge again any soon for me to teleport” - Said Ezreal while pointing to his glove

-”Of course we can, just give me a second” - Said Ryze while drawing four runes again with his fingers.

While the magic circle formed under them, Ezreal left out a question he had in his mind since they defeated the runic beast.

-”Can I go with you in search of those things? You seem to be always living many adventures, while having a really noble drive” - Asked Ezreal, already anticipating the answer.

-”Even when I admit that your help would be great, I have to deny your petition. This quest is mine, at least until I draw my last breath, if the World Runes aren't still destroyed” - Ryze mumbled the last part of the sentence, but was still understandable.

-”Can't I really make anything to change your decision, can't I?” - Asked Ezreal, even if he knew it was in vain.

-”You can't, as no one before you could, but... you know... If I ever were to fail my mission, I would be really grateful if you helped the person that I send after you to fulfill this grim quest” - Answered Ryze, while looking up to the moon.

• “It will be my pleasure, until then, see you Ryze, and I wish you the best of luck in your future adventures” - Said Ezreal while he offered his hand to shake Ryze's.

-”So do I, Ezreal” - Said Ryze as he shook Ezreal's hand, until the teleportation spell was completed and both disappeared, bathed in the radiant blue light.

The shuriman man was overwhelmed, as he felt the loneliness inside Ryze. All that sadness, despair and fatigue was too much for a simple human to bear.

He waited for the light to vanish and found itself out in the desert, but he wasn't Ryze anymore. He had his true body again, and was standing with the paper in his hands. He was still confused and tears were now running down his cheeks, that was the only evidence left to prove that what he had just experienced was true.

The paper had new words written now:

-“What you have seen, its a small part of my life, brought to you by using the runic magic that its inside me. You have seen what I have seen, and know what I know about the Runes now. I hope you realize how important is to recover and destroy the World Runes”

The man held its breath as the memories of countless years of wandering and hardship flowed inside him.

-“I'm terrified, about the Runes being used by the corrupted people, about the end of all the living beings, and the world. But I'm also afraid that if I were to take all the Runes, magic would never flourish again in anyone, and so, I have decided to give you a small seed, that will awaken runic earth magic inside you, if you train it. The only condition is that if I were to die, If i were to... fail my mission, you would receive my legacy and continue the quest of the runes, and also, contact Ezreal, as he have proved to be worthy of helping in this task”- Continued the letter.

The man stood silent, he realized how important this quest was, but wasn't sure about dedicating his life to such daunting task.

Hours passed, while this man stood there, submerged in his thoughts, but when the dawn shone upon him. He had finally decided.

-”I will took upon your legacy if you were to fail” - Said the man in an unwavering voice full of determination

-”So be it” - Said the new words that had just appeared in the paper - “Turn this letter around, and press the rune on it against your heart”

And so the man did. He now recognized the mark behind the letter, It was the same Rune inscribed in the head of the scorpion beast, and latter on the World Rune, but this one didn't even have 1% of the power that the World Rune did. He pressed it against his heart, and endured the burning sensation on his skin until this stopped. When he retired the now blank paper off his chest, he saw the Eartly Rune imprinted like a tatoo in the skin over his heart.

Knowing that he was no longer the man that was enjoying the moonlight while walking through the desert just some hours ago, he went back home. Determined to start training, and hoping that he would never had to take the burden of such quest out of the dead and cold body of the lonely runic mage.