Mythos, The Haunted Scholar (Original Concept)

Rough Draft for a character I'm working on, more detail and abilities coming soon, just wanted to post this. Enjoy, and feedbackis appreciated. See; https://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/skin-champion-concepts/XH2MQGEb-re-mythos-the-haunted-scholar-abilitiesplaystyle for Abilities/Gameplay details.

His pen has been hovering over the page for quite some time; Mythos could feel his heart sinking progressively lower as he failed to produce any words. Defeat on his face as he stared emptily at his blade across the room, settling against a massive bookshelf. The burdens he bore that once fueled his passion and creativity are now insurmountable pillars of stress that weigh on his psyche. An inquisitive and talented lore-master that resides in Ionia near the outskirts of The Placidium; His tales were known throughout Valoran to reach inside the soul of the reader, and leave a void burning for knowledge and catharsis when the stories ended. He scripted fascinating works of fiction as well as in depth depictions of events in reality in an effort to intrigue and enlighten anyone willing to read them. Nearly as adept with his sword as he was with his pen; Mythos was no coward when it came to combat, assisting greatly in Ionia’s defense against the Noxian invasion.

The revere his name accumulated meant little to him now as he sat at his desk contemplating his incipit. The feelings of fear Mythos sheltered had risen to a point where they overwhelmed his thoughts and shrouded his sight. The darkness in the world was becoming more prominent and the picturesque harmony he once envisioned was becoming all the more elusive. The tragedy was Mythos could barely recall when his mind even started descending. It seemed as if just yesterday, the Runetera he saw was full of wonder and promise. Now it seems it has been an eternity since there was ever any light.

Now he doesn’t know if there was ever any light to begin with.

The creeping dread in the back of his mind was now front and center. Accelerating rapidly into despair, then utter melancholy, then horror as the shadows finally burst from his head and dispersed into the room with a sinister cackle, sending Mythos reeling back in his chair. The darkness enveloping his mind now blanketed his surroundings in a blackness known only by the most menacing creatures of the void. Mythos could still feel the heat and smell the wax from a nearby burning candle, even hear the cracking flames. Still the light refused to shine, seemingly more terrified of what lay hidden in the shadow than Mythos himself did.

“Darkness…” growled the monster in a demonic whisper.

“Show yourself!” Mythos shouted back into the emptiness, regaining his balance.

The silence that followed induced more terror than anything he could have imagined the creature replying, though with the demon now out cast out of his mind, his resolve was returning in waves. Along with it came his inherent combat prowess, Mythos couldn’t see, but he could fight.

He reached blindly for the fallen chair, and grabbing it on his first attempt proceeded to fling the dense wood in the direction he last heard the shadow from. The object shattered against what is presumably a wall and Mythos darted the opposite way, towards the section of the room he knows he keeps his books by sheer muscle memory. Quickly he ran his hands across the front of the shelf until he hit the edge, then down its side until-

“Yes!” Mythos roared, as he brandishes his weapon and swung it in a cleaving arc as he turned his body back towards his enemy.

Here he caught his first glimpse of the demon, as the sound of metal clashing sliced the air and the ensuing struggle of blades brought him face to face with Nocturne’s abysmal red eyes and remarkably horrifying scowl.

“I’ve read of you.” Mythos grunted out as he spun again and slashed where he thought his attacker’s legs would be. He collided with nothingness and tumbled forward through the beast as its blade came crashing down into the floorboards behind him. As Nocturne recovered, Mythos responded faster and brought his blade upwards through the ghost’s entire body with a furious roar. Nocturne bellowed a harrowing laugh in reply as he unveiled the dark curtain covering the study. As the creature slowly faded into sight, Mythos could now see his blow cut directly through his target, and that maleficent tendrils were pulling its split, shadowy figure back together. Also, the growing flames behind the ghastly image that had been spreading through the darkness unseen, originating from the candle being knocked over in the battle.

“Damn.” Mythos muttered under his breath and took guard, examining the foe before him as well as the ensuing wreckage.

Nocturne’s physical form regained its shape and lunged at Mythos with a trail of darkness following close behind. Mythos parried the first blow and ducked under the second, countering the third with a strong strike to Nocturne’s bladed arm that staggered the monster. Mythos seized the opportunity and lunged his blade through the monster’s chest, again striking the air. This time however, Mythos held the blade in place and before Nocturne could react he uttered a spell that released a blast of mystical energy directly into the shadow’s chest. The enchanted weapon surely did some damage this time, sending Nocturne flying through the air with a roar and leaving a burning scar of pulsing arcane in its wake.

This amplified the fury of the beast immensely and it disappeared into the air before colliding with the increasingly flame-covered walls. Shortly after, Nocturne reappeared behind Mythos, slicing him down the back of his shoulder in a rapid, unseen slash.

Mythos cried in agony without wavering in his resolve, bottling the pain to use in his next attack. Nocturne faded into the darkness once more but this time Mythos was ready, activating his blade’s magic again, and with a mighty downward thrust pushed it out in all directions, cutting through the air, darkness, and fire alike. The magnificent display of strength tore a decent chunk out of the building and hopefully out of Nocturne as well, and in that opening the warrior-scholar turned and leapt through a recently formed hole in the wall, sprinting into the night with a trail of blood and his fire-engulfed home behind him.

To his surprise, the monster didn’t give chase through the wilderness, or possibly it was hidden in the distance waiting to strike again, Mythos thought.

“I guess sometimes I don’t know my own strength,” Mythos chuckled to himself silently, the adrenaline of the endeavor dying down. He knew he was far from safe alone out there in the dark, but the blood slowly pouring down his back had taken its toll, and he lacked the energy to put up more much of a fight should the creature still be lurking. He rested against a nearby tree and looked up at the stars, questioning where the evil in Runetera spawned from. If he could write his opening sentence now it would be beautiful. He closed his eyes and retreated within his mind, blocking out the hurt creeping through his body and falling into a deep slumber.

Mythos had no idea how much time has passed. He has been constantly drifting in and out of sleep since that night, and his perception of reality had gotten incredibly skewed. He could have sworn once he woke to find a Yordle dressed as a ninja tending to his wounds, and fell back asleep certain he had gone mad. Mythos wasn’t far from the truth though, as visions of Nocturne still haunted his mind, and the scar he left plagued his body. He’s still recovering, and with the assistance of the Kinkou Clan that discovered him dying, will one day heal his soul and lift the curse the demon Nocturne inflicted upon him.