RuneScape Forum Archive | To Win a War...

Ascertes

Posts: 5,461 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Hi everyone this is my latest piece of RS fan fiction. I hope you like it

STORY...
STARTS...
NOW!

The messenger entered the commander’s quarters with a letter in hand. As he entered, he momentarily lost his sight in the dim gloom of the chambers. The room itself was practically an overly large hallway, lacking much in width but fairly long in length. It was made of black stone that looked and shined almost like obsidian or onyx, only contributing to the gloom. On the back wall hung a massive map of the known world, with the horns of Zamorak stamped in the center. Other flags and tapestries depicting great battles or symbols adorned the side walls, and between each was a wall sconce for a torch, but only a handful were lit. The commander had his desk at the back of the room, sitting in the shadow of the massive map. He was pondering over the central plains when the messenger approached.

“My Lord?” he said. He did not look up from his map, but told him to sit like he was greeting a potential convert. After a few more moments of silence, the commander met his eyes, and the messenger’s blood went cold. The commander’s hair fell to his shoulders gracefully, white and undisturbed as new fallen snow, and his skin was not abnormally pale, but a shade of white none the less. His features revealed he couldn’t have been older than his early twenties, as far as human years went, and for that age he was incredibly fair with unblemished skin, lines or scars to note. But that was not what unnerved him so greatly. The commander’s irises were ununiformed and splintered, as if someone had smashed them with a hammer. The pieces seemed to float around disjoint within the borders of what a normal iris should have been, and veins of crystalline blue flowed between them, making it look as if he had a bird’s eye view of glaciers circling an abyss. -Ascertes, King of all the Hallowlands and the Everchosen of Saradomin.

20-Feb-2015 02:19:11 - Last edited on 04-Mar-2015 23:34:31 by Ascertes

Ascertes

Posts: 5,461 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“You had something for me, corporal?” the commander asked. Suddenly remembering what he was here for, he got up from his seat and set the envelope on the table. “A message from command, sir.” He told him, his voice shaking. “Well, it is certainly of some great importance if it came from so high in command. I wonder what it could be about.” His voice was care free and unthreatening, but had a tone of wistfulness, sorrow and self-confidence.

The commander opened the letter and read it aloud, his voice dissolving any sense of authority the letter had hoped to hold. “So, they see it fit to send us after some treasure hunting zealots in the Frozen Wastes when the front is in such a precarious situation. Ah well, let them order what they wish. If it is what Zamorak commands, who are we but to obey?” He stood up from his seat, and turned to face the map behind him on the back wall. “The war enters a new phase, corporal. I feel a new beginning in this age of divine warfare.*

The war the commander referenced had been going on for over a thousand years. Before the war the Zarosian Empire had kept the peace, its vastness and military power keeping the other gods in check. The Empire had its hold from the eastern shores of Morytania all the way to Ice Mountain, and even some miles beyond that. Much of these lands had been taken through conquest, and after realizing how great this enemy had become, the others had rallied against Zaros, and a relative peace had been maintained. Back then, Zamorak was but a servant of the Emperor. -Ascertes, King of all the Hallowlands and the Everchosen of Saradomin.

20-Feb-2015 02:19:17 - Last edited on 20-Feb-2015 02:21:17 by Ascertes

Ascertes

Posts: 5,461 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

That peace came to a screeching halt when Zamorak and several allies managed to succeed in a coup against Zaros. Zamorak had killed the Emperor with a weapon of great power, and through it he had taken the Emperor’s place as a god. The Empire had split into two factions immediately afterward, with those loyal to Zamorak and some who still swore fealty to Zaros, not believing his death could be real, pitted against each other. Fighting was swift to follow, as the once most powerful nation in the world was thrown into chaos. The other gods took advantage of this weakness, and set upon the lands of the Empire like wolves on a wounded deer. The lands east of Ice Mountain had been the first to fall to the other gods, and then the coastal lands of the south. Even with a leader and more powerful allies, Zamorak’s forces suffered worse than the Emperor’s loyalists. They had retreated and regrouped in the Far East, putting the loyalists between the other gods and themselves.

The loyalists’ hold on that land was still strong when the Zamorak had struck back with a replenished host, and in the center of Forinthry, the war been halted with Zamorak in the East, and the others in the West. The strongest and oldest cities of the Empire had been located in this region, and it was not long before they were the only bastions of Zarosians*m left.

The commander turned back to the messenger, his broken eyes moving as if in a circular current. “Thank you. You are dismissed.* The corporal gave a quick bow, and made hastily for the door. He sent a quick prayer to Zamorak, and hoped he never had to visit here again.

__________ -Ascertes, King of all the Hallowlands and the Everchosen of Saradomin.

20-Feb-2015 02:19:21 - Last edited on 20-Feb-2015 02:22:08 by Ascertes

Ascertes

Posts: 5,461 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The wind bit savagely through the soldiers’ heavy furs. Asaldis shrugged up his cloak and pulled the hood down further over his face as he trudged through near knee deep snow. The caravan he travelled with was struggling through the blizzard, making progress a snail’s pace. The humans in the convoy had it the worst, being shorter than the Icyene such as Asaldis and lacking the strength of the centaurs and lions. As such they were put at the rear, but it hardly made a difference with the ferocity of the snow bearing down upon them.

Asaldis’ company was a host in the service of Saradomin, one of the most influential gods in the world since the fall of the Empire. The war that was taking place now, though, was far away in the south while Asaldis and his company found themselves in the Frozen Wastes of the North. The journey had started off smooth from the capital in the plains, and they made headway of roughly fifteen miles a day. In the mountains south of the Chilling Wastes things had begun to slow down, and on several occasions they had been ambushed by trolls. The uphill climb had been particularly difficult on the wagons in that region, which carried the army’s provisions and weapons, as the oxen pulling them had poor footing on the loose gravel of the mountain passes, and several had suffered broken ankles and legs. The Wastes themselves had brought no relief. So far, they had been on the road for almost a month. -Ascertes, King of all the Hallowlands and the Everchosen of Saradomin.

20-Feb-2015 02:19:27 - Last edited on 20-Feb-2015 02:23:06 by Ascertes

Ascertes

Posts: 5,461 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The sun was beginning to set and darkness was creeping over the ice cliffs when, much to the relief of the beleaguered soldiers, the army commander called for camp to be made. Commander Mardith was a much tested and fearfully respected individual. Being an Icyene like Asaldis, Mardith had risen through the ranks quickly to secure a position of command. The Icyene in the almost always held such ranks, as they had much longer life spans than any other in the army, and were more than capable of planning strategies that wouldn’t happen for decades and sometimes even centuries. Mardith was large even for an Icyene; standing a good two heads above the average populaces of his race coupled with wings almost double the average. He had a massive scar that ran from his left temple to his right jaw, which was earned in a duel against a demon, whose claw had almost cost him an eye. In general, he was an intimidating figure.

As camp was made for the night, Mardith called his captains, one of which was Asaldis, into his tent for a council. The army comprised of mainly four types of captains: some commanded the cavalry, others with the melee infantry, a few for the bombardiers, which Asaldis was part of, and those with the mages, archers and priests. Tonight, as usual, all four were represented. Nearly thirty captains of nearly every race had assembled in a circle around a table in the center of the tent, directly beneath an opening in the roof in order to let some form of light in. Their firewood stores had been used up almost a fortnight ago, and now every night the camp sat in almost complete darkness. -Ascertes, King of all the Hallowlands and the Everchosen of Saradomin.

20-Feb-2015 02:19:32 - Last edited on 20-Feb-2015 02:23:51 by Ascertes

Ascertes

Posts: 5,461 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Unrolled on the table was a map of the wastes, with a wooden, four-pointed star presenting their location, which was in a narrow pass in the south western region. Mardith stood leaning over the table, his deep blue eyes staring at the map as if he was looking for some hidden message. “Our location is here,” he said, pointing to the star. “Our destination is nearly four days off if the weather is well, and likely a week and a half if the blizzard doesn’t relent.” He took his finger and traced the path they were currently following, up towards a clearing marked simply as Ruins. “This is the location of an old temple to Saradomin, abandoned near the beginning of the war. Here is where the artifact is hidden.”

The army was on a quest for a hidden artifact in the Wastes; a legend of great power and religious value surrounding it. Mardith had pieced this much together and its relative location from old scrolls and records of long dead priests and warriors. So because of Mardith’s fervent nature, over-devotion to his god, and a want to prove himself, his men and Asaldis found themselves freezing to death so far away from home.

“However,” Mardith continued, “We are not alone in the search. Some of our scouts have reported to the east of us comes a host of Zamorakians, intent on stealing the artifact for themselves.” On a south-eastern passage of the map stood a small carving of a demon, roughly as far away from the clearing as they were now. *More likely than not, we will be arriving at nearly the same time. In light of this, I am sending a detachment ahead to help clear the path for the rest of the convoy. We can** afford to lose any of our wagons else we will starve out here.” He wasn’t wrong. Nearly half of their food stores had been used up already, and losing so much as a single wagon would mean the mission would be at an end. Even though they were out of the mountains, the wagons still suffered horribly. -Ascertes, King of all the Hallowlands and the Everchosen of Saradomin.

20-Feb-2015 02:19:37 - Last edited on 23-Feb-2015 00:26:47 by Ascertes

Ascertes

Posts: 5,461 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

After a little more briefing, strategizing and various questions asked timidly in the presence of the grizzled commander, the captains were dismissed into the night. The wastes were a strange place, and some called them cursed. By night the sky was always clear and the wind was calm, but come day its anger would be unleashed anew and the sun would be hidden behind the clouds. Asaldis believed the ruins would be no different.

As it turned out, Mardith’s estimate was not far off. The detachment he had sent ahead consisted of lions and some infantry with spades to clear the path. They had been sent out at dawn, and when the army went on the march again the going was slightly better, though the snows had come again and the wind drove against them all the way. The lions tore the deeply packed snow to shreds with their massive paws, while the workers cleared the remains into buckets to serve as fresh water. There was no risk of contamination here; the Wastes were shunned by all and this way had not been treaded in what looked like to be almost a century. Beneath the snow the way was paved with loose cobblestones, helping the wagons immensely. Those cobblestones were a good sign, as it meant they were nearing the ruins. After another week, they had reached the outer gate and broken inside, and along the western perimeter they had set up their camp west of a hill, who’s only inhabitant was a long dead oak tree. -Ascertes, King of all the Hallowlands and the Everchosen of Saradomin.

20-Feb-2015 02:19:42 - Last edited on 20-Feb-2015 02:25:49 by Ascertes

Ascertes

Posts: 5,461 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

It was discovered the ruins were the remains of an incomprehensibly massive temple complex, with the majority of it being underground. The temple grounds were much warmer than the passes outside, which was taken as a good omen and a sign of appeasement by Saradomin. The winds were also almost nonexistent. Compared to what they had just been through, this was a form of heaven. The men set about carving chunks of snow for bricks to erect a wall and pitching tents while small parties were sent to scout and make maps of the underground. For that night, they had the ruins to themselves. -Ascertes, King of all the Hallowlands and the Everchosen of Saradomin.

20-Feb-2015 02:19:47 - Last edited on 20-Feb-2015 02:26:46 by Ascertes

Ascertes

Posts: 5,461 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The next morning began the same way. Scouts went off while the rest of the army sat on guard or socialized in a mess hall underground. Around noon however, Mardith called his captains to his pavilion. In stockpiles underneath the temple they had found old supplies of wood and stone, so now Mardith had a fire going forcing him to move his table along a wall, much to the dismay of the later arrivals who had to stand at the back and struggle to see. *The enemy has entered in on the eastern side.* He pointed to the eastern edge of the Ruins area. *They also happen to know where we are, as our scouts spotted some demons retreating in that direction. Tomorrow they will be upon us, and likely battle will ensue.” The captains stood in silence. Though no words were spoken, they knew this would likely end in a slaughter. The armies of Zamorak were not so heavily dependent on provisions, nor were his servants highly prone to tiring. However, none voiced their concerns. If Mardith was determined to meet them on the field, debating his logic would likely cost the dissenter his rank and command, if not his life. For this very reason, Asaldis and Mardith never got along. Where Mardith was aggressive and took initiative in battle and kept with traditional battle strategies and command, Asaldis preferred reserved strategies, letting things play out and conserve his strength and incorporating new, innovative ideas. Mardith had nearly stripped Asaldis of his rank on over two-dozen occasions for speaking his mind, but Asaldis had proved himself time and time again to be a valuable asset, though his death on the field would not have made Mardith shed any tears. Today however, Asaldis was in the majority and held his tongue. A fight would be inescapable, and as it stood they were in the best position as they were like to get. -Ascertes, King of all the Hallowlands and the Everchosen of Saradomin.

20-Feb-2015 02:19:56 - Last edited on 20-Feb-2015 02:26:59 by Ascertes

Ascertes

Posts: 5,461 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The briefing had hardly lasted five minutes. Afterwards all parties were recalled, and pairs of scouts were placed throughout the surrounding ruins on the surface to warn if the enemy was preparing to strike. It was a restless night of sleeping for everyone in the camp. The captains had been ordered to prepare their men, and the thought of a battle on the morrow was not to most of their tastes.

___________

Horns sounded not long after dawn, calling the soldiers to arms. The camp was a mess of soldiers running about and centaurs stampeding through the rows of tents as everyone hurried off to their positions. Mardith was assembling the men out in front of the camp, in neat rows in preparation for a formal battle. Captain Asaldis assumed his position with the bombardiers, with himself and two other captains at the front positioned on the ledge of a crumbling church. Asaldis carried a long sword and a massive broad shield, and wore a metal cuirass dyed blue with the golden star of Saradomin stamped on its front with a set of plate legs to match. His men were adorned in similar attire.

Asaldis saw smoke rising to the East. The Zamorakians had snuck in during the night catching them completely unawares. He could tell his men were tired and drowsy; a battle at dawn was never preferable. The wind had picked up slightly today, and a red sun was just beginning to come above the ice shelves that encompassed the temple grounds. -Ascertes, King of all the Hallowlands and the Everchosen of Saradomin.

20-Feb-2015 02:20:02 - Last edited on 20-Feb-2015 02:28:07 by Ascertes

Forums

To Win a War...