RuneScape Forum Archive | \\||~Nightmare~||//

Infinity A8

Posts: 10,192 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

"Xavier, I left it open before I left for Lily's house" I explain. "But when I came back, it was closed...And the candles...The room..." I dropped to the floor on the verge of tears but managed to refrain myself.

"Easy" Xavier said while patting my shoulder in an attempt to calm my nerves. "I'm sure there's a logical explanation. Let's do a search shall we?"

I stood, taking my fallen scythe with me and joining Xavier in the search through my house. We explored every room, every corner and every floorboard but found nothing of note.

"You see? It's like my nightmares." I say to Xavier as we conclude our search in the living room.

"I will not believe that." He says in response. "There must be an explanation."

"Well whatever it is we aren't going to find it out tonight. Let us rest, I am tired."

That was something Xavier could agree too. Before he went off to sleep, he lit the candles and bid me goodnight. As I crawled into my bed I couldn't help thinking I had another nightmare waiting to strike. I tossed and turned in my bed, unable to sleep, constantly thinking of the events past and the nightmares that plagued me.

It was as I was thinking dreaded thoughts of not being able to sleep that I closed my eyes just once and opened them again to the morning sunlight.

02-Apr-2008 08:14:25 - Last edited on 04-Apr-2008 22:33:53 by Infinity A8

Infinity A8

Posts: 10,192 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

~Chapter VII~

Xavier had quite kindly brought over some of his own food for both of us to have for breakfast. He'd cooked us fried onion and sweet corn stew (his favourite) and set it down on the table in front of me. I ate silently, though Xavier slurped and chewed noisily. Good ol' polite White Knight Xavier!

Neither of us spoke until Xavier had finished his meal (by finishing that meant he'd not only eaten everything but licked the bowl clean) and brought up what would be done today.

"Do you have any work today?" He asked as he set his bowl down.

"No, I'm free for the day like you."

"Perfect!" He boomed. "Lily said she's gone to do some study in Lumbridge so that means we can get her something for tomorrow!"

"Wait, you mean you don't have anything for her?"

Xavier flicked his hair around embarrassed.

"I've...Been a bit caught up...In all the work y'know?"

"I understand. Come on then, let's go." I said as I heaved myself up from my seat. I took up my scythe and strapped it to my back. Xavier mimicked me with his sword.

It was customary for the adventurers of Runescape to walk around armed. In this world you never knew what could happen. The community was such a good one that murders were rare and most prevented by the city guards.

I stepped out of my house to find that the morning sunshine had been replaced by dark, billowing thunderclouds in the sky. I felt small, subtle drops of rain touch me as I walked along the streets, Xavier in tow.

"I don't believe it's ever rained in Falador..." Xavier commented

"Rain is rare in Varrock too." Was my reply.

The two of us reached the main street in which the various 'attractions' of Varrock were located. The attractions I speak of are the Blue Moon Inn, the sword shop, Thessalia's clothe store and the general store which we were now headed.

I noticed a distinct lack of people around which led me to believe it was still early morning. That or people didn't enjoy being out in the rain.

02-Apr-2008 08:14:30 - Last edited on 13-Aug-2009 11:55:51 by Infinity A8

Infinity A8

Posts: 10,192 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

As we were about to turn into the general store I looked back to find that the entrance to Varrock was clouded in a thick, swirling fog. It bore no resemblance to the black fog I had seen upon my return from Draynor but like it, this fog too, seemed to be oddly different.

The bell of the general store's door awoke me from my thoughts and I followed Xavier into the shop.

Inside, Xavier had a look around the shelves, trying to find something Lily would like. I waited by the door for him to finish as I already had Lily's present. She would be turning eighteen on the morrow. She would be graduating from school in a few months time and then moving to Falador to study at Falador University.

I sighed at how fast time flew. I'd met her four years ago but it only seemed like four days. I noticed Xavier had selected the item he wished to purchase and was talking to the shopkeeper.

"How much for this?" He asked, holding up a thick book entitled 'Potions and How to Make Them'.

For at the moment Lily, though being an expert on herbs and what they're used for, along with the ability to make simple medicines and balms, had been taught little on the subject of potion making. She was eager to learn making Xavier's choice a good one.

"Hurmm...Does four hundred gold appeal to you?" The elderly shopkeeper asked.

Xavier nodded and handed over the money and placed the book into his satchel he'd carried in with him. Being finished with the job, he pointed at the door and the two of us went to open it.

Only to find it wouldn't open. The doorknob would not move.

"It's stuck..." I mumbled.

"Here, let me try." Xavier said, striding over. He held both hands onto the handle and twisted sharply left. Then right. Then left again but only to have the device shatter in his hand.

"Uh...Oops..." He muttered, embarrassed. The shop keeper informed him that it was no problem and doorknobs didn't cost much nowadays.

"So...How do you propose we leave?" Xavier asked.

02-Apr-2008 08:14:31 - Last edited on 05-Apr-2008 04:00:22 by Infinity A8

Infinity A8

Posts: 10,192 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

I scanned the room, looking for answers and suggested that we try the other door I spotted momentarily. Xavier went over and tried to open it (gently this time) but found it was just as stuck as the other.

"How odd..." I muttered, looking around the room again for a solution. My eyes met with the window and I noticed outside that the rain seemed to have intensified. But oddly, I could not hear the water drops splashing on the roof of the store.

I decided to take a closer look at the outside world and approached the window, squinting at it.

"Noah, have you found something?"

I ignored Xavier's question and focused. I then found the problem causing my eyes to widen in fear.

It wasn't rain outside.

It was fog.

Xavier had walked over and inspected the window himself and found nothing that appealed to him so went off searching for another way out. I kept my eyes on the window.

Something stirred in the fog, startling me. I continued looking outside but failed to see anything but the thick mist. The fog had completely eradicated my ability to see anything outside of the shop. Two seconds later however, I wouldn't need to look outside.

A large object crashed into the window, shattering it and causing shards of glass to fly in my direction. My quick reactions caused me to jump to the floor to shield myself from the incoming shards. As I sat up I heard the distinct sound of someone whimpering. I turned and looked.

There, lodged in the window was what looked to be the back of a woman only cut and torn causing blood to seep through her wounds. She had been impaled by the glass on the window pane, causing a grisly trail to drip down the wall from the window down.

As I found myself looking closer, I realised she had a thin, yet deep g/c\a<c>sh in her upper left shoulder. I tore myself away before I ended up looking at the bloodied bone which was now sticking out. I heard her screaming as I moved away.

"No...No...NO!!" She shrieked, almost comically.

02-Apr-2008 08:14:36 - Last edited on 13-Aug-2009 11:57:15 by Infinity A8

Infinity A8

Posts: 10,192 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

She disappeared from sight, as though something pulled her. I was left confused and dumbfounded, sitting on the floor trying to interpret the events that just occurred. I was thankful that Xavier was there for he approached me and got me up.

"Noah! It isn't safe here, we must leave!" He shouted urgently. I quickly got up, heeding his advice. The shopkeeper and his assistant however, foolishly decided to try and see what was happening and stood by the window.

Xavier had me on my feet running as we approached the door Xavier hadn't broken.

Well, hadn't broken yet.

Xavier went into his 'Hero of the White Knights' mode and dramatically smashed the door to pieces with a powerful swing of his two handed sword. He then kicked the remaining pieces of the door away and bolted out the door, me following the whole time.

We were outside, at Varrock Fountain and looking back on the shop. The fog I noticed was not in the vicinity of the Fountain or anywhere else in Varrock for that matter but just swirling around the general store. This enabled us to view everything save what was happening in the store.

I'm thankful it did that, as I could hear screaming from the inside and what sounded like the snapping of bones and piercing of organs.

"Noah! Quickly!" Xavier yelled, turning me around with his free hand. Together we ran east, where we were then going to head back to my place by the look of Xavier's hand signals.

I looked back one last time, in hopes of seeing the shopkeeper and his assistant fleeing from the scene, alive and well.

Instead, the decapitated head of the shopkeeper soars out the demolished door, trailing blood and gore as it flies.

I decide not to look back again.

02-Apr-2008 08:17:47 - Last edited on 09-Apr-2008 08:02:25 by Infinity A8

Infinity A8

Posts: 10,192 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

~Chapter VIII~

"Lily! Open up!" Xavier yelled while pounding on Lily's door. I quickly realised that if he hit any harder he'd break the door so I hoped to Guthix Lily'd answer soon.

She opened the door, almost getting punched in the face by Xavier's fist though expecting this jumped back quickly.

"What, what is it? I was having such a nice dream..." Lily murmured drearily as Xavier allowed her to speak. She was still clothed in her purple night clothing and her hair was ruffled and messy. She clearly liked sleeping in.

"We were at the general store," I explain calmly. "And this fog just comes out of nowhere..."

I continue retelling the past events, Xavier standing alert beside us with sword in hand and Lily leaning against her doorpost nodding and yawning every couple of minutes. As I finished Xavier spoke.

"We must tell this to King Roald. I fear for the people of Varrock's safety."

"Agreed," Lily said, a little more focused than before. "It doesn't sound like it's very safe to hang around with a creature such as this patrolling the streets."

"Wait," I said. "If it can do the things that we saw it do, that must mean that it's a physical creature that can be killed. All we need is a group of fine warriors to vanquish it."

"True," Xavier responded. "We must make haste. It could strike again."

So we gave Lily a little time to dress and properly equip herself. She emerged from the house roughly six minutes later with Adamant sword at her side and a pouch of rune throwing knives strapped to her waist. I also took note of the fact that she seemed to have combed her hair.

Honestly.

The three of us, armed and ready cautiously made our way to The Varrock Palace.

02-Apr-2008 08:17:49 - Last edited on 10-Jul-2008 06:51:32 by Infinity A8

Infinity A8

Posts: 10,192 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

We made our way towards the palace through the shadows and alleyways of Varrock, trying not to catch any unwanted attention. I noticed the sky was still dark and menacing but the rain had stopped and all was silent up until we reached the Varrock Fountain.

A small amount of sleepy citizens had awoken due to the events beforehand. Some were standing away, not wanting to look at the scene whilst others were curiously poking their heads in through the door and then quickly pulling them back out after seeing the sights within.

The fog, I noticed, had disappeared completely and no trace of evidence was left. No proper evidence that is, for the door Xavier smashed was looking rather incriminating at the moment.

The people had been quietly murmuring amongst themselves and we had almost reached the gates of the palace when a cry rang out.

"One of them's still alive!" An onlooker yelled, pointing at the inside of the shop.

Out crawled the young assistant shopkeeper, his left arm hanging uselessly at his side ripped and bloody. His right arm bore a few cuts but was otherwise fine. His legs however had been completely disembodied. The left had a tremendous, bloodied scar carved into it and his right now ended at his knee. The rest had been torn off.

As the surrounding persons went to help, the assistant cried out, pointing to Xavier and I.

"Them!" He moaned loudly. "They were...Here...They...Saw it..."

The people instantly turned and accused us of various things, loudly yelling and screaming.

Why didn't we help them?

What did the murderer look like?

Did we do it?

What happened to the door?

There were too many people shouting for me to even try and answer the questions. Again, I felt lucky for Xavier to be around. He whispered in my ear to go on without him, as he'd handle this rabble.

He waved Lily and I away and then stood in the centre of the fountain and cupped his hands around his mouth.

02-Apr-2008 08:17:56 - Last edited on 09-Apr-2008 11:02:13 by Infinity A8

Infinity A8

Posts: 10,192 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

"SILENCE!" He thundered, his deep, loud voice echoing throughout the streets of Varrock. I saw those standing near him rub their ears in pain from the volume of it but despite this the people continued their barrage of words.

"I am Commander Xavier of the White Knights of Falador! I WILL HAVE ORDER!" He roared again, this time raising his dragon two hander above his head and bringing it crashing down on the stone ground below him.

This created a tremendous sound and showered the crowd with pebbles, immediately silencing them.

"Thank you! Now someone get this man a medic," Xavier yelled pointing to the wounded assistant and taking control of the situation.

Two men in the crowd rushed off to find a doctor as Xavier stood before them and explained what I thought to be a dumbed down version of the events that occurred.

Lily tapped me on the shoulder and reminded me that we were supposed to be seeing the king. The two of us made for the palace.

As always, the palace was surrounded by the Varrock Guard however security seemed to have increased over the past five minutes. I noticed Captain Rovin standing firmly at the front of the first line of guards.

"Excuse me..." Lily asked in her cutesiest voice possible. "Would you be able to let us see the king about now? It's very important."

Captain Rovin was however, quite good at his job and didn't fall for Lily's ploy.

"Sorry, no one sees the king without an appointment. And absolutely NO ONE sees him during times like this..." He announced in his gruff tone.

"That's actually what we came to see him about..." I interjected softly. "I witnessed the event, as did the man outside controlling the mob."

Captain Roving eyed me up, frowning and murmuring the whole time. He still thought it would be best not to let us in though.

"If you've any important messages they must be passed through me in writing to the king himself. Unless you have a written request, I will be bidding you good day."

And with that he sent us back.

02-Apr-2008 08:17:58 - Last edited on 07-Apr-2008 11:59:39 by Infinity A8

Infinity A8

Posts: 10,192 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

~Chapter IX~

As we returned, Lily inquired more about the stranger occurrence at the General Store this morning.

"So, you didn't actually see what did it?" She asked to which I shook my head. "What do you think it was?"

I hadn't actually thought about what the creature could be. I knew Xavier was an expert on the monsters of Runescape and since he hadn't indicated he knew what it was, it lead me to believe it was some new creature!

But how did it get here? Surely the Varrock Guard would have noticed a monster attempting to reach the city gates and stopped it. Unless they failed to, but they seemed fine this morning when I left my house. So what could have happened?

"Noah?" Lily said, interrupting my train of thought.

"Sorry, just thinking."

As we walked back into the centre of Varrock I noticed all was quiet, save the loud, booming voice of Xavier, calming and explaining to the people who had gathered around him.

He noticed us coming and sighed with relief.

"They're calm now," He told as we approached. "I told them we were attacked by an unseen force but had seen it leave."

"That's not true," Lily murmured. "You told me that neither of you saw the thing that attacked you."

"That we did, however were I to tell them the truth, it would only cause panic and chaos."

Lily sighed, not liking the fact that the people were being lied to.

"So what do we do now?" I ask to break the silence.

"We go about our daily routine, as if this didn't happen." Xavier responds. "We'll let the Varrock Guard and the other special forces around Runescape to deal with this and help only if needed."

Lily sighs and tells us she isn't going to Lumbridge anymore. Xavier says he wants to explore Varrock as he hasn't visited it often. I find myself standing alone at the fountain, confused as to how quickly things returned to normal.

I walk off, temporarily forgetting the events past and make for home to contemplate my next actions.

02-Apr-2008 08:18:04 - Last edited on 09-Apr-2008 10:46:51 by Infinity A8

Infinity A8

Posts: 10,192 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

But what could there possibly be to do, alone in Varrock on a Saturday morning? Feeling my walk around town would be sufficient to quench my boredom, I continued en route to my home.

I might just pop in for a drink in the Blue Moon Inn later...

I pass Horvik's Armour shop and turn right, towards the alleyways that lead to my house. I silently trek through the empty streets, passing Aubrey's Rune Store and down the back streets.

Suddenly I feel something is wrong. Something small but important. It was weird, as though i'd seen something out of place from the corner of my eye.

I turned and surveyed the streets behind me, looking for the source of the distraction only to find nothing.

So what was this weird feeling in my gut?

Deciding to backtrack, I head back for the centre of Varrock in the same way i came, only this time searching for anything out of place.

As I approach the end of the street before Aubrey's Rune Store I suddenly feel a huge amount of despair well up in my being.

I gasp for breath as the despair creeps through my body, causing an immense sadness to take hold. I feel tears break through my eyes and drip down my face as I crumble to the floor, sobbing and breathing heavily.

"What's causing this horrible feeling?!" I scream in my head as I start to shudder violently. Before long, I'm lying alone on the ground of the vacant Varrock streets, a sharp, stabbing pain in my head. A high pitched sound fills my ears, instantly causing my hands to cover them.

The sound doesn't stop and I wrench my hands from my head in agony.

They're covered in blood.

I scream aloud, my head roaring with pain, tears gushing from my eyes and my body shaking erratically.

After a few more minutes of torment it stops. My head and hands are soaked in my own blood, supposedly from nowhere on my being and my face is wet with tears.

I lie, weeping softly and drifting into unconsciousness, unable to explain what is going on with Varrock and myself this day.

02-Apr-2008 08:18:05 - Last edited on 11-Apr-2008 13:20:26 by Infinity A8

Forums

\\||~Nightmare~||//