RuneScape Forum Archive | ~` Illusions `~

CaptChekaka

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~` Chapter Three `~

Jacob and Landon stepped out of the large bank, cleared and ready to go. After they purchased the sword, the two travelers had made their way over to the bank, which was located a little farther past the courtyard. During the short walk, they had noticed that, aside from the stain of blood leading up the stone wall, all traces of Uldah had vanished. Although, the drunken man still sat in the same state he had before.

The bank was crowded, but Landon, with his royal documents in fine condition, easily made the most of the situation. Preparing for the worst, he quickly cut to the front of the line and allowed Jacob to deposit his armor at the station. Now, Jacob was clothed in some robes given to him by the king’s trusted advisor: a white shirt, covered by a black jacket, and some dark pants. This, however, is not mentioning the finely polished shoes that were bought for him.

“Well, here's what we have so far,” Landon murmured as they stepped onto the road. Landon pointed to a direction on the map he had bought earlier and said, “The courtyard is in the direct center of the city, so we’ve already been there. North of it is the castle, obviously, while south of it is that shop we bought your sword at.” The stout man stopped again, motioning towards the black weapon. “West of the courtyard is where we are: the bank. We can either travel further down this path and out of the city, or we can cut straight through and not have to circle the entire perimeter. I think the latter would be best, correct?”

“Yes, it would appear so,” Jacob replied. He had spent most of the walk from the shop to the bank admiring his new sword, but there would be no time for that now that they were underway. Since he had stored his armor in his account, Jacob has fashioned his sheathe to rest upon his back for easier access. However, he had been forced to leave his shield behind due to the conditions.

31-Dec-2008 08:32:08 - Last edited on 31-Dec-2008 20:57:32 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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Landon looked to his left and said, “That’s east,” before turning right and saying, “That’s west.” If we head west, we’ll make it out of the traffic of people, but we’ll have to make an arc around the city’s wall. Eastward, we’ll move past the courtyard and then out the opposite exit. Doing so would take us to the path we need. With all these people, though,” he commented, “it might prove difficult.”

“I’d rather risk a few more people than having to exert energy to round the entire place. We’ve already got the things we need: food, water, weapons… we should just take the shortest route.”

Agreeing, Landon turned left and motioned for Jacob to follow. A crowd had since formed in the middle of the court, and the two men dove straight into the turmoil that was shopping. Merchants screamed out scams and “get-rich-quick” schemes, but Jacob and Landon ignored them all. It was only a matter of time before they stepped out of the large group and made their way to the gates of Revenske.

There, a large combination of steel and wood greeted them. Chains leapt all around the area, pulling different things in all directions, while they could see at the top of the walls a variety of archers and crossbowmen. At the bottom, though, only a lone guard stood near the gateway; in his hand was a small lever.

“What are your names?” he asked in a solemn tone.

Landon pushed Jacob aside and answered, “I am Landon, an advisor to the king. He has granted both myself and this knight, Jacob Everske, passage into the outskirts of the city. We are going to Veskile and should be back within five days. Now, let us pass."

31-Dec-2008 08:32:43 - Last edited on 31-Dec-2008 08:48:12 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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The guard, satisfied with what he had heard, pushed down onto the level with his right hand, expressionless. Chains all around the two men began to swirl and twist in all sorts of directions, until, finally, the large gate in front of them surged with incredible force and lifted into the air. Beyond that, though, was something that neither of them ever expected.

--

“What… what was that thing?”

“That, my young friend, was E’glethor. An ancient beast of times long past. It is said to appear from the shadows to attack unsuspecting adventurers, and I think we can assume the legends have not lied.”

“But why now? Surely a thing of such magnitude would have shown itself beforehand.”

Anthoni looked out from their resting spot into the blue sky. Small white puffs had since formed, but he ignored their presence, only searching for a more perfect view of the society he longed for. The appearance of E’glethor was not just a coincidence, but he wondered what it could mean. ‘An omen?’ he asked himself. ‘No, no… there is something else at work here.’ Although unsatisfied with his reasoning, he turned to Maxwell and replied, “No idea. However, I’m sure the king will have some sort of knowledge on what’s going on. For now, we will have to put our anger aside.”

“Of course.”

Anthoni looked around and examined the place they had stopped at. The horse was grazing peacefully in the shade, and they had found a small rock formation that allowed them the pleasure of sitting, instead of constant standing. Having reached the forest’s edge in record time, thanks to appearance of the creature, Anthoni had no choice but to wait for the rest of his men and merely study nature’s gifts.

31-Dec-2008 08:33:16

CaptChekaka

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The trees were plump with fruit and leaves, while remaining a sharp green; it was spring, a time of rebirth and change. Anthoni took this as a symbol for him to continue on in his mission to destroy the king and move away from such a tyrannical rule, but, with no others to support him aside from his young friend, he was lost as to what to do.

A frail wind picked up as Anthoni removed the string from his hair, allowing it to fall carelessly around his face. Beads of sweat flew from the tips of his coarse covering as he swept his hand through it, caressing it; he always had loved his hair and thought it to be his most prized possession. He hadn’t cut it since he began the rebellion, but the time would soon come that it would be a hindrance instead of a love.

While they sat in the comforting shade, Maxwell glanced over to where they had laid down the fallen assassin. His torn clothing blew slightly in the breeze, but those eyes remained closed. Maxwell watched the man, motionless, studying his appearance. The blood had soaked into the man’s hair and dried long ago, but this would not stop the occasional strand, free from the grip of the red liquid, catch the wind and try to flee from its residence.

“What’re we going to do with him?” Maxwell asked, not moving his eye from the fallen man.

Anthoni turned from his dreams and answered, “We shall keep him with us, as I said before.”

“Aye, you said it before, but that was when we had our men backing us. Now it’s just you and me - alone with only an intruder to keep us company.”

“Yes, but that just means we need him more than ever!” he exclaimed with a small laugh. Looking over his shoulder, Anthoni saw the man’s tattered clothes and could not help but feel pity. His men, although filled with good intentions, had beaten him senseless and, seemingly, into a temporary state of worthlessness. A painful ending for such a task that, as most likely described by the king, would have been simple.

31-Dec-2008 08:34:09

CaptChekaka

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Maxwell gave a halfhearted laugh, but he could not seem to get past the idea that they would have to venture into the forest - a place that many describe as death itself - alone and without any help. Anthoni, while a good fighter and friend in his own right, could not stop an assault from within.

Noticing the doubt in Maxwell’s eyes, Anthoni said, “Do not worry; it’s not as bad as they say. And, once we get to Veskile, we can meet up with the rest of the troops and find our way to Revenske and King Rezod himself.” Anthoni smiled, but it did little to calm his young friend. Maxwell hadn’t seen bloodshed before, but with the E’glethor now free from its ghostly boundaries and the inevitable journey into the forest, his emotions were at an all-time high, and he knew that, soon enough, he would have to fight, or die.

--

“Korinth Hidal, I presume?”

“Please, milord: do not make assumptions, but rather state your thoughts as true.”

“I’ll take that as a yes. Anyway, we need to know everything you can find out about this… power. I heard recently through my sources that E’glethor has appeared in the countryside a few miles away from this place. It must be related to the revelation of this source of power. You, however, are our top mind here.”

The king sat in his normal perch, twisting the small silver chain around his wrist before releasing it, and then starting the process anew. Before him, though, stood the fragile figure of Korinth Hidal. At the age of but twenty-two years, her hair fell in soft strands, a deep black and elegant, while her skin was lightly tanned. Also, in the midst of it all, a pair a rounded glasses sat on her face, adding a touch of perfection; for beneath them sat two deep eyes of endless blue.

31-Dec-2008 08:34:51 - Last edited on 31-Dec-2008 08:51:26 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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Korinth’s figure left little to be desired, but she was a recluse; her soul was lost forever in the waves of knowledge in the land. Many thought her to be psychotic, allowing herself to focus solely on knowledge when she could transfix the eyes of every man upon her as she walked by, and then leave her image in their minds for days to come. Today, though, she was assigned to do a job.

Her hair lay down across her shoulders, lightly touching the red shirt that fitted her body well. Dark, satin pants accompanied this, and her outfit was finished off with some small shoes. Her eyes flickered as she asked, “Who brought this item to your attention, if I may ask?”

Rezod stood, towering over the small woman of five feet and six inches, and answered, “Landon, of course. The rumor of the land is that this power is capable of conquering the entirety of the known world, and men all over are giving their lives to search for it. Do you think you can find enough information on the subject?”

“Have you sent anyone yourself?”

The king smiled and replied, “An old friend of mine is coming to help with the matter. I sent both Landon and a knight of mine, Jacob, to search him out in Veskile.”

“I see. One more question, milord.”

“Yes?"

"What of the rebellion?” she asked. “Was Drake successful?”

Rezod seemed taken aback by her knowledge of Drake’s mission, but simply replied by saying, “I have not heard anything about it, in truth. How do you know about Drake and his task? None knew of it but him and myself. Did he…?”

“Of course,” Korinth said with a slight smirk. “My brother was never one to keep secrets.”

31-Dec-2008 08:36:43 - Last edited on 31-Dec-2008 08:52:41 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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“Ah, yes,” the king said timidly. “The Hidal family is known throughout the land, though, for their abilities. Your father and mother, too, were excellent at what they were assigned to do."

"Yes. Enough about my family, if you please. The rebellion, if Drake was indeed victorious, has ended. However, please be wary of them; they are not merely imbeciles.”

“I know. Anthoni was one of my most trusted men. I cannot understand why he would turn on me so suddenly. I have secured my position as king and have claimed the throne in my family’s name; I have ruled fairly, as I see fit, and without question; I am the greatest king to rule this land for hundreds of years. Why would he…?”

“Perhaps your modesty?” Korinth interjected.

King Rezod fell back into his chair and replied, “Ah, yes: the comedy is excellent. Please, though, go to the library. I have given you full control of any and all men that you wish to have assist you in your learning.”

“I need no other,” she answered in a flat tone. “Thank you, sire.” And, with that, Korinth shuffled confidently out of the throne room and into the busy street that remained outside.

-- End of Chapter Three --

31-Dec-2008 08:37:23 - Last edited on 31-Dec-2008 08:37:57 by CaptChekaka