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Fireheart449

Fireheart449

Posts: 1,028 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Chapter 8 Getting the Job Done

I open my eyes and blink for a bit. The place around me looks very much like Lumbridge. I’ve died! I haven’t died for ages! When I finally move my limbs, I feel strange: like I’ve aged a hundred years.

“Free stoof plox.” A guy who’s pink from head to toe holds out his hands to me, begging and beseeching. Lazy bum.

“Scr(e)w you,” I say, irritated. A moment later, I feel guilt pool in my stomach as the pink guy stumbles away, his head hanging down with misery. “Wait!” I call after him. “Here’s a coin.”

Like a puppy eager for a treat, he comes scurrying back and holds out a hand. I drop it into his palm and then turning away, contemplate what needs to be done. When I back turn around to leave Lumbridge Castle, the pink-haired bum is standing there, watching me with eyes as round as the moon.

“More stoof plox?”

“No!” I reply, trying my best to look stern and intimidating.

Then the beggar shrieks and hops forward, almost crashing into me. Watching the guy slink away like a beaten dog, Dawn retracts her index finger back into her fist. She gives me a polite smile. “There are more beggars around than usual.”

“Another part of the weirdness?” I ask, feeling my heart jump to my throat at the sight of her. When she steps closer, I realize I can't say a single word. I want to apologize for all my stupid feelings. If she doesn’t want my love, then why should she have to put up with me? My love isn’t worth a single gp. I know that. Why don’t I just accept it?

“Freak, are you crying?” Dawn asks, her voice sharp with disbelief.

I touch my face. It’s wet. “I’m sorry for being such a baby.” I manage to get the words out of my throat. “It’s just that…this is too much!”

Dawn allows me the privilege of a hug. She sounds exasperated when she says, "Didn't I tell you this would be too much for you? I told you to stick to your quest.”

08-Nov-2010 21:11:55

Fireheart449

Fireheart449

Posts: 1,028 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Feeling pathetic, I sniffle against her shoulder. Her hand strokes the back of my head. “It’s not nice to say ‘I told you so,’ you know,” I murmur. “But anyway, you can take me off your Friends list if you want. I didn't realize how annoying I’ve been, but now...you don’t have to deal with me anymore. I’ll just go get myself killed by Elvarg and call it a day.”

And, most cruelly, she laughs. Dawn withdraws from our precious embrace, clearing her throat and taking a wide-brimmed navy hat with goggles from her backpack. “Death really messes people up now, huh? Listen, Freak, there’s no need to be emo or for me to take you off my list.”

“No, take me off your list!” I beg.

“I’ll poke you until your common sense returns,” she threatens, and I keep quiet for the moment. Dawn places the Runecrafting hat on my head at a jaunty angle. “In a few hours, life will be brighter. I promise you.” With her lovely smile on me, I can believe it.

“How did you find me?” I inquire.

“Ava sent me a message.” Dawn doesn’t object when I grasp her hands. I like them in my own. No poking. Plus, they just feel right in mine. Except…she doesn’t feel that way. I start to back up, but she tightens her grip.

Then I remember another message. “Suspi wants you to stop investigating.”

Dawn snorts and gives me a crooked smile. “Do you think I care what he wants? I had a feeling he was up to no good. Maybe it’s time to have Fireheart, Bluestar and Redseed take a break from their vacation and help us.”

They’re on vacation? Catching my blank look, Dawn adds, "That was a hyperbole.”

Right. Exaggeration. I know fancy words too! But I have one objection. “Thing is, if we don’t stop investigating, they’ll torture me.”

We start walking, my arm looped with hers. Like the good, old times. Dawn shakes her head. “How can they torture you if you’re always with me?”

“Always with you…” I repeat. Yep, the future is definitely looking brighter.

08-Nov-2010 21:13:17

Fireheart449

Fireheart449

Posts: 1,028 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“I’ll be your protector. You’re still a helpless noob in some ways.” Dawn sighs, and I droop. Ouch. There goes my dignity and my pride. Still, I’d rather be protected by her than anyone else.

“Freak…”

“What?”

“Stop looking at me like that.”

Meekly, I look in another direction. Then I glance back. “I’m still your friend, right?”

“Of course.”

“Your bf?”

“Why do men always—“ she starts to complain, and I place a finger over her lips. Her lips are soft, and I feel a pang. No! Mental slap. Yowch. Maybe I have to be subtle about this even though subtlety is not my thing…

“Your best friend?” I correct.

She gives me a look that stops me in my tracks. No, it’s not THE look. It’s Dawn’s special glower reserved just for me. “Freak, please…”

Without her even finishing her sentence, I understand that I should keep my mouth shut. Then I can’t help talking as I realize we’re headed into Lumbridge castle. “Where…?”

“You get a surprise.”

I give her an ecstatic look and offer her my lips, which she ignores. Deflating, I ask, “It’s not a kiss?”

“I don’t think so.” She jerks me a bit harder than necessary up the staircase next to the castle kitchen. I have time to give Cook a quick wave before I find myself already on the next floor. “Talk to Duke Horacio, and ask for something to protect you from dragon’s breath.”

Right, right. But if the duke pulls a gun on me, I’m done doing this quest! I approach the jolly-looking Duke, and he raises an eyebrow as I inch slowly to stand in front of him. I inhale and exhale.

“Greetings. Welcome to my castle,” Duke Horacio, a bit hesitantly.

“I seek a shield that will protect me from dragonbreath!” I declare.

The Duke appears intrigued. “A knight going on a dragon quest, hmm? What dragon do you intend to slay?”

“Elvarg, the dragon of Crandor island!” Even saying the dragon’s name gives me the shivers.

The Duke shakes his head and widens his eyes. “Elvarg? Are you sure?” Aha, I see it! An option to turn back! But I won’t…

08-Nov-2010 21:14:23

Fireheart449

Fireheart449

Posts: 1,028 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“Yes,” I assure him, raising my head and grinning back at Dawn. I expect to see her smiling in approval, but she’s not even there.

Horacio gives me a pitying look. Holy cow. What does a pitying look from Duke Horacio mean? Nothing good… “Well, you’re a braver man than I!” he tells me, perhaps not noticing my wobbly knees.

“Uh..Why is everyone so scared of this dragon?” I need to know.

By the way the Duke takes a deep breath, I can tell its monologue time. “Back in my father’s day, Crandor was an important city-state. Politically, it was as important as Falador or Varrock, and its ships traded with every port.

“But, one day when I was still little, all contact was lost. The trading ships and the diplomatic envoys just stopped coming.” Looking dramatically past me, his eyes slightly misted with remembrance, Horacio continues in a low murmur, “I remember my father being very scared. He posted lookouts on the roof, so they could warn us if the dragon was coming. All the city rulers were worried that Elvarg would devastate the whole continent.”

The whole freakin’ continent? Giving in to my trembly knees, I sat on the Duke’s bed. Either way, Elvarg has to be slain, especially during these strange times. “So, are you going to give me the shield or not?"

The Duke glares at me, and I stand, brushing my commoner cooties from his bed. “If you really think you’re up to it, then maybe you are the one who can kill this dragon.” With a nod, he hands me a rectangular orange shield with a sword-ish looking symbol. In addition to the original design, the anti-dragon shield’s been gouged in three places. Whatever scratched it must have huge claws...Crumb-buckets.

“Take care out there…If you kill it…If you kill it, for Saradomin’s sake, make sure it’s really dead!” the Duke advises me, his face pale.

Gotcha. That’s totally encouraging…

08-Nov-2010 21:15:30

Fireheart449

Fireheart449

Posts: 1,028 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Leaving the Duke’s room, I cuddle my new shield (protect me!) and run into Dawn, who’s waiting at a staircase. “Uh…put the shield away for now, Freak. We have other errands to run." Obedient, I nod and go.

Upstairs, in the bank, I part with my anti-dragon shield reluctantly. Then, I head back to Dawn, who’s scrutinizing me as if I’m a patient, and she’s a doctor. I tilt my head in question, but she turns away with a bemused look. I follow like a duckling follows its mother.

Minutes later, when we reach Varrock without any incidents or annoying comments from me, Dawn stops walking (I have to skid to a sudden stop) and considers me with surprised eyes. “You actually didn't say a word... I think death really took the spirit out of you.”

“Where are we going?” I explode, the words coming out more eager than they ordinarily would have after being repressed so long.

“Grand Exchange. Use it. Love it.”

The two black pillars on the side of the entrance to the Grand Exchange each support a statue of an enormous, outstretched hand with a number of sculpted coins. Each stone coin is probably the size of my head, and I gawk at the pillars as I pass through the entrance. I feel Dawn’s gaze on me, but when I turn to look at her, her face has a small smile on it.

“Ack!” I stop at the sight of a crowd of Runescapians crowded around an octagonal desk. It’s in the very middle of a gray area underneath a ceiling held up by eight, equally spaced dark pillars. Oo, fancy.

Dawn pokes me, and I squeal. “Sorry,” she mutters, but she doesn’t look very sorry. “Go talk to the Grand Exchange Tutor.” When I continue to stare at her, she points past me at a guy in a striped blue jacket and an awesome blue, poofy hat.

I walk up to him as he scribbles away on his clipboard, and he looks up and asks in that casual NPC way, “How can I help?”

“Can you teach me about the Grand Exchange?”

08-Nov-2010 21:16:46

Fireheart449

Fireheart449

Posts: 1,028 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Giving me a kind smile, the Tutor outlines the five steps to buy and sell items, and I fidget, really wanting to take notes just in case I forget all of this. While listening (carefully, of course), I wonder if he would give me his hat…

He concludes, “There’s a lot more information about the Grand Exchange, all of which you can find out from Brugsen Bursen, the guy with the megaphone. I would suggest you speak to him to fully get to grips with the Grand Exchange. Good luck!”

“Thanks.” I’m gonna need that luck. I turn to find the guy with the megaphone. This Brugsen Bursen is brightly colored and reminds me of a parrot, with a megaphone for a beak. I feel Dawn’s hand on my arm. “No time to speak with Brugsen. Just so you know, he’s the founder of the Grand Exchange,” she says and drags me to the Grand Exchange desk.

“Ah, an entrepreneur. But I don’t see what’s so great about his Grand Exchange,” I mutter. Unless his intent was to induce claustrophobia….

I’m shoved in front of a smiling lady wearing a dark purple suit and sporting a brown bun. Wait…dark blue suit. No, it’s definitely purple. “Hi there,” I finally say as the clerk’s smile fades.

“Good day to you, sir. How can I help?” she says. I puff out my chest. Finally, I’m getting some respect! Except, I think they’re always polite to customers like this…With a sigh, I deflate.

“He wants to access the Grand Exchange please,” Dawn interjects as I hem and haw.

“Only too happy to serve you, sir," the Grand Exchange clerk says, pulling out a gun and pointing it at my forehead. “Serve you death that is.”

“Oh, God, Reaver, is that you?” I stumble back, into Dawn, who has drawn her rune scimitar. Ah man, the Makeover Mage really needs to discriminate between customers…

08-Nov-2010 21:18:09

Fireheart449

Fireheart449

Posts: 1,028 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The Grand Exchange clerk does something really freaky then. After releasing the bun on her head, she pulls the skin of her face off and reveals…Iymnota. “I’m a girl,” she says dryly. “Besides, I already claimed killing you this time even though Reaver was quite willing to do all the killings for the price Blade set. Well, I need the money more. Sorry, cutie.”

I duck and push Dawn out of the gun's range as Iymnota shoots. A trickle of hot liquid pours down the back of my shoulder. The shot just grazed me. Phew. “You can’t kill a cutie,” I tell Iymnota with what I hope is a pleading look.

“It’s a shame,” she agrees but prepares the gun for another shot anyway. I glance around and see Runescapians either running for their lives or frozen in shock. Dawn has disappeared. I’m alone…doomed to die. I’m too young to die again!

Iymnota pauses for a moment. “Just stop investigating, Freak, and all this suffering will go away.”

“No!” I say. Whatever happens to me doesn’t matter in the broader scope of things.

“Each death builds more and more agony. Are you sure you don’t want to stop poking around in our business?” Iymnota continues.

“Yes!”

She lifts the gun. I turn away, and then I heard a clang. Wait..guns don’t go clang. When I look, I see Dawn, who is clutching a frying pan, pull Iymnota away from the Grand Exchange desk. Then Dawn hoists herself over the desk again and comes up with the real Grand Exchange clerk who is trussed up like a turkey.

The silence is tangible as Dawn cuts the clerk’s bonds with her scimitar and then vaults back over the desk to me. The other clerks, bankers and the Runescapians who hadn’t run away stare at us as Dawn, after making sure my wound has stopped bleeding with gentle fingers, nudges me towards the desk.

“We’d like to access the Grand Exchange please,” she says pleasantly to the gaping clerk.

08-Nov-2010 21:19:14 - Last edited on 08-Nov-2010 21:37:03 by Fireheart449

Fireheart449

Fireheart449

Posts: 1,028 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
We do access the Grand Exchange. I give them my money reluctantly, and the clerk returns with my four items, even an unfired bowl. Wait…already? “THANK YOU!” The clerk flinches away from me as if I have the plague.

The Grand Exchange, I’m pretty sure, violates the laws of physics, but who cares?? I place the precious items in my bag and do a little jig before throwing myself at Dawn and squeezing her into my arms.

“Get off me before I hit you with the frying pan,” she says into my ear.

I move away with a sheepish grin. “I’ll never have to make anything again! I can buy everything from here! Hand over some money and presto! I have the world at my fingertips!” I finish with a giggle of glee.

Dawn makes a dismissive noise, and I put my items away in the bank and take out my trusty rune scimitar (even while the banker is looking at me like I’m insane). Then I follow dear Dawn who has shown me Paradise. She gives me a sideways glance. “You realize you have to pay for everything you buy, right? You’ll be broke if you just keep buying things.”

Right. Crud. I sigh. “Thanks for bursting my bubble.”

“It needed to be done,” she replies.

“You handled Iymnota calmly enough,” I suddenly remember.

Dawn clenches her fists. “It’s becoming a common occurrence now. People are starting to wonder what’s going on. If they realize they can kill each other…”

“Jagex…”

“If Jagex could fix this, they would have interfered long ago.” Dawn looks so grim that I don’t want to ask my next question.

I ask anyway. “What will happen if this isn’t stopped?”

We pause at the gate to the Varrock Palace where there’s a guy in a chicken suit dancing. Dawn doesn’t even crack a smile at the sight. “Likely, all the NPCs will start killing players…and players will start killing each other…”

I remember what Iymnota said about the agony of deaths. “The people who died would be…emo! Who would make such a dastardly plan?”

08-Nov-2010 21:20:47

Fireheart449

Fireheart449

Posts: 1,028 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Dawn rolls her eyes and walks towards the Palace’s open doors. What? It IS a dastardly plot. Blade’s plot.

As we pause for a moment before the king’s dining hall, I ask Dawn, “Do you remember meeting a guy named Blade?”

“Nope,” she replies, her hand on the door, ready to open it.

“Well, he’s the one in charge of all of this. Suspi and that woman who attacked us, Iymnota are part of the plot. And C.A.N. is involved somehow. There’s too many people to keep track of!” I finish.

"That’s why we need backup,” Dawn replies. We step into the king’s dining hall and find an elegant-looking woman, a red-head with two ponytails and a fringe. Sitting in a chair, poring over a book, she carries out the hairstyle with more dignity and less girly perkiness than Tigerstar does. Wait…

The fair-haired man who sweeps into the room confirms the woman’s identity. He kisses the top of her head before noticing us and freezing. “Freak?”

“Bluestar,” I say.

His blue eyes light up with delight. “How have things been?”

“Pretty…uh…bad,” I admit, but now I don’t feel so scared anymore. Bluestar steps forward and examines my bloody tunic. His handsome face creases with anger.

“I’m fine,” I say hastily. Bluestar’s anger is not pretty.

After acknowledging me with a glance, the woman raises an eyebrow at Dawn. “So how’s the investigation going?”

Dawn shrugs. “I have tidbits, but things are getting bad fast, Fire.”

Fireheart sighs as I gasp. Yep, it’s really Fire, but she looks so different. She had black hair down to her shoulders the last time I saw her. Her tawny eyes are still as fierce as Dawn’s though.

“Does this mean I have to help?” Fireheart grumbles, placing her head between her hands.

Dawn pokes her, and Fireheart flinches. “If you want to see the end of Runescape, feel free to sit around.”

08-Nov-2010 21:22:28

Fireheart449

Fireheart449

Posts: 1,028 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Fireheart trains her gaze on me with a grim smile. “You saved Runescape from Luxon once. You can do it again. I’m guessing he has hackers messing with game code this time. And apparently he’s using C.A.N. to attack people who get in his way.”

Wait…WHAT? I give a feeble “uh?”. Not even a “huh?” I’m so shocked I can’t form the “h” sound. Fireheart slams her hands down on the table. “Luxon got off his bum and made some hacker friends. He’s back for revenge.”

“How do you know this?” Dawn demands.

“Redseed,” Bluestar answers. “He went up to the Temple of Saradomin. There, someone decided to torment him before killing him. When he died, someone stuck a parchment to him, which we found." Bluestar clenches his fists. "It said, ‘I’m back’…When we asked Redseed who had done it, he couldn’t tell us. We guessed it was Luxon who was responsible for all of these changes in Runescape.”

No! Poor Redseed… At my agonized look, Bluestar adds, “We’ve attended to Redseed. He’s resting upstairs. You can visit him once…”

Once what? Dawn steps forward, her eyes bright with unshed tears. Redseed is my mentor, but he’s her cousin. “What’s happened to him?”

Bluestar scratches his head, and Fireheart lowers her eyes. “His face is scarred…and his emotions are erratic. He’s not in his right mind. I won’t have you see him like that,” Fireheart says softly.

Scarred…like Ava. Grr, I have met Blade after all. And I will take him down again! I swear it.

~End of Chapter 8~

Pah, long chapter. I'm pretty sure there's a plot hole somewhere, but I can patch that up later...

~~~Story continued on pg. 68!~~~~~ O_o

08-Nov-2010 21:24:30 - Last edited on 15-Nov-2010 04:51:42 by Fireheart449

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