RuneScape Forum Archive | Fall From Grace

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2020

Serene End

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Upon Raphael's words, the group reclaimed their jaws from the ground and pieced together their minds. They hastily made their escape from this astonishing sight, rushing through the palace's towering gates of adamas. They walked along the adamas pathway onward, captured by a garden swathed in a beautiful, vibrant spectrum of colors. But at the garden's end was then the courtyard, and the many Loyal Knights there to greet them.

The very sight of them incited a frenzy within the dark-robed young man named Daevarro, a wrath as though he had been terribly wronged. His face sneered like a beast, overwhelmed by this overpowering, unexplained malice. It was quite the sudden transformation for the peaceful young man, a transformation which those who noticed quickly tried to control.

As the group came into the courtyard, the Loyal Knights prepared themselves for battle. All of them got into their combat positions in a synchronized fashion, those wielding those massive, almost scutum-like shields raised them up. But each knight got into the same stance at the same time, further proof of their unique teaching and near-hivemind reflexes.

Standing at the center of this staggering wave of black steel were those in charge of it, the familiar faces of Orderer Drakon Kórakas and General Gallows stood silently as the rebellion approached. But the silence was not meant to last, broken up by the crackling laughter of a certain leader. A conceited grin twisted around Drakon's face, marveling at the sight of a man thought dead.

"Look, brothers and sisters!" Drakon pointed out, raising his hands towards Raphael as he stepped forward. "It would seem the humans' stories of so-called 'zombies' were not untrue after all! It's aliiiive!"

"So... their depictions were correct," Gallows mentioned, confirming it as he gazed upon the silver-haired rebel in the flesh. "You are still alive... but how?"
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18-May-2017 20:26:29

Jul

2020

Serene End

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"What difference does it make?" Raphael responded. "If you want me dead, come and kill me yourself."

"Oh, you humans... Always so hell-bent on violence," the Orderer returned, unopposed. "Of course, you could always turn yourselves in. I can't guarantee that you'll... receive the best living accommodations, but I can guarantee that your deaths will be swift and merciful. A most generous offer to low-life criminals, wouldn't you agree?"

"Eh, can it, wud'ja?" Calvin casually insisted, infuriating the 'compassionate' Orderer. "We ain't 'ere fer yer charity, git me?"

"...I'm sorry, I couldn't quite catch all of that. Your tongue is so rough, I could barely make out a word."

"Daevarro," Raphael named the dark-robed young man, not gaining his attention at all. "Do it."

It would seem that Raphael knew, despite his sudden wrath, that Daevarro had been focusing on the environment the entire time, a fine display of the rapport the two had developed. The volatile young man then quickly closed his eyes, concentrating for a brief moment.

"What's he doing?" Drakon laughed, amusingly bemused. "Is the little cultist boy praying to his demon goddess?"

Despite Drakon's very relaxed, mocking tone, Gallows took Daevarro very seriously. He wondered why he was acting so strangely, even accepting a command like the one issued by Raphael. The scar-faced general's eyes then struck the answer, recollecting Lumbridge and its most unusual fog, but most especially, the living men who turned out to be not real at all.

Gallows quickly jerked his head backwards, towards his fellow comrades. "We must stop him!" Gallows shouted with haste. "He's—!"

Unfortunately, his frightening revelation came to be born. A thick shadow suddenly covered over everything like a blizzard of mist. Rays of brilliant sunlight pierced through, giving the massive shadow a sort of foggy appearance. Gallows's face scowled at this happening, gazing with frustration into this mystifying threshold around.
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18-May-2017 20:29:37 - Last edited on 18-May-2017 20:31:02 by Serene End

Jul

2020

Serene End

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Although the Loyal Knights remained stoic despite the sudden change, Drakon was panicked. His head shuffled and turned uncontrollably, unable to comprehend the mysterious veil which enveloped him. "What in the Hero King's name is this...!?"

"Dammit..." angrily groaned Gallows, pulling his eyes back behind him. He knew the legion of Loyal Knights were behind him, yet he could barely make out the ones closest to him. "Band together! Gather on me! Quickly, we must prioritize finding the boy!"

The formation of the Loyal Knights shifted, doing as Gallows commanded. They grouped together around Gallows and Drakon, turning into a circle of steel and death. They kept close, closer than even the smoke as it touched their faces.

Raphael then turned to Daevarro, staring upon his expression, wrinkled up and vivid with rage. The young man then dashed into the fog without the command of his leader, hiding and waiting for an abundant opportunity to present itself. "Raphael," the silver-haired leader then heard his name called, finding his master Malik to his left. "Use the fog to your advantage and slip past here. Find Balor and end this madness."

"What about Lucia?" Kereske then questioned. "Surely you don't mean to subject him to a battle where he suffers a significant disadvantage."

"Yeah, dat's an issue," agreed Calvin. "Raphy, I git dat ya 'ave drág Essa , but yer still a squishy guy. Ya ain't gonna be able ta take on the big guy 'n' princess on yer own."

"He won't have to," then suddenly chimed in Libitina from the right. "I'll come along with him."

The Lamians reacted most swiftly, urging her not to go. Yet this was the only way, for they couldn't spare anymore numbers, considering the legion ahead of them. Raphael sighed and nodded, acknowledging that this was the best course of action. "...All right," he agreed, turning sternly to the calm Libitina. "Let's go."
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18-May-2017 20:31:56

Jul

2020

Serene End

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The assassin nodded, a confirmation which resonated between the two. They flew from their stagnant positions, disturbing the smoke as they passed. The Loyal Knights could hear their rush, wanting to intercept them. Yet their efforts would be thwarted, thanks to their back-up. The Lamians, rebels, and a few of the Alverrians who followed them cut the Loyal Knights off, engaging them in a most fearsome battle.

Gallows noted signs of motion coming from his right, realizing that it was Raphael running right past him. With all of his might, the scar-faced general launched his massive blade straight into Raphael's breast. But alas, a familiar sight sprouted before his sky-blue eyes. That image of Raphael dissipated the very moment the tip of his sword contacted it, dispersing a cloud of shadows into the atmosphere.

Gallows remembered that fight in Lumbridge, watching in frustration as time-and-time again his targets turned into nothing. He knew not where the silver-haired rebel could have fled to, all he knew was that he was gone. He swiftly shook off that ire, turning towards the clashing of steel around him, the strife already well in development.

Raphael and Libitina rushed, their legs carrying them as fast as they could go. The chaotic clamor viciously rippled the air behind them, boring a worrisome hole into Raphael's heart. But he could not be swayed or shaken by his concern and grief, requiring utmost concentration and determination if he wished to challenge Balor and Lucia.

They found themselves at the massive adamas doors into the palace. These double doors were quite impressive in size and structure, and even moreso in imagery. Breathtaking designs and lifelike images ran down its body, giving all a sense that they were about to step into a truly glorious place. Raphael took a breath in and out, calming himself down for the battle ahead. Emotions ran high, so he needed to be as collected as he could possibly be.
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18-May-2017 20:33:52

Jul

2020

Serene End

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"Are you ready?" Libitina suddenly inquired.

Raphael stood there in solemn silence, finding himself at the doorstep of all that he had worked for, strove for, bled for, killed for. The source of his victories and his defeats, of all of his suffering and his ambitions, of his rage and his aspirations... All of those memories came flooding back, recollecting this life he now led.

He had lost so much, sacrificed everything for this, even his own life. He was far beyond the point of return. There was no option to retreat, no option to surrender, to back down. Seeing everything that he had all throughout his time in the Resistance had cemented, solidified his beliefs, his convictions. The mountain's peak was just shy of his grasp now. All he needed to do was reach a little further...

With determination to see this through, Raphael pushed at these double doors. He bravely took the first step into the palace, basking in this most unusual atmosphere. It was unnervingly quiet, so quiet that one could actually hear themselves breathe. There were no armed knights to greet them, no servants to flee. It was empty, like all life had abandoned this majestic husk.

Raphael and Libitina cautiously proceeded, hearing as their footsteps echoed from one end of the castle to the other. They went underneath the towering, beautifully designed staircase to reach the throne room. A massive door, even more imposing and magnificent than the previous, stood in their way. With one joint effort between Raphael and Libitina, they pushed open those adamas doors, revealing the long, awe-inspiring throne room where he waited.

There he sat, calm and collected, glorious and proper. His presence as like any should expect from a king presiding over a world. He was prepped like a gentleman to do war, encased in his masterfully crafted suit of adamas armour, his hair was even nicely trimmed. He was practically ready for combat and to go to a ball.
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18-May-2017 20:34:21

Jul

2020

Serene End

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They felt then as his glowing, sapphire-blue eyes ran down them, thoroughly examining every detail. But Raphael in particular found himself locked on to, considering everyone thought he was dead. Yet, despite this revelation, Balor didn't appear shocked at all, not even the least bit surprised...

"So you are still alive," Balor acknowledged calmly, leaning back on his throne, this chair of adamas bearing a lion motif. "You never cease to amaze me, Raphael. You truly are quite the remarkable little escape artist. I must confess, when I saw you lying there with your throat silt open and your blood over everything, I was genuinely convinced that you were dead."

Raphael gave no attention to Balor and his words, but rather on the environment. Specifically, who was missing from said environment. He searched as Balor spoke, unable to find even a speck of Lucia anywhere. His eyes flew like darts at Balor, drilling into the calmly-seated king. "...Where is she?" Raphael questioned, ignoring Balor. "Where's Lucia?"

"Gone to a place where you cannot lay a finger on her," the brother king shot back, his tongue burning with spite. Raphael and Libitina stepped forward, approaching the king who remained passive upon his throne. But from behind them, the doors slammed shut, a booming, echoing sound which startling them. They whipped their heads backward, finding their flank had been engulfed in blackened steel.

A slew of Loyal Knights appeared from seemingly out of nowhere, raising their massive shields and encircling the two. Both Raphael and Libitina quickly tensed up and readied themselves, caught off-guard by the surprise assembly of Loyal Knights. "...Did you frankly believe the Loyal Knights outside were all that remained? And that I would leave myself so defenseless?" Balor questioned mockingly.

"Raphael," Libitina named calmly, looking back at him.

"I know..." he responded, his tone somewhat stressed.
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18-May-2017 20:35:11

Jul

2020

Serene End

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The two continued to step closer to the center of the circle, eventually becoming back-to-back. The Loyal Knights enclosed upon them, their weapons poking out from behind their massive shields. They truly felt like trapped mice, nowhere to run, to hide, to escape... Steadily, they were smothered by this circle of blackened steel, the space to breathe getting tighter and tighter.

They felt their swift death slowly approaching, until a most unexpected voice became their savior. "Come now, there's no honor in killing them so effortlessly," the king spoke out, his knights halting in their stead. "It's quite clear that we've achieved victory here, so why not commit the deed while they're capable of fending for themselves? Surely all of you are up for a little sport."

Raphael glared over at the king sitting upon his throne. "Dammit, Balor! This isn't a game!"

"No one said it was. You're being given an opportunity to fight for your life, Raphael. Or would you prefer the alternative?"

"Tck...!" Raphael angrily clicked his tongue.

"No? Very well, then I'll accept that as your agreement. The rules are simple: one versus one combat only, no exceptions. If you partake or interfere in any way with another combatant's battle, you die. Easy enough, wouldn't you say?"

Accepting their king's contest, the Loyal Knights began to step away. The blackened steel pressure lifted, Raphael and Libitina given space to breathe again. But this was hardly the time to relax, finding themselves surrounded even still. The Loyal Knights surrounded them as one large circle, their bodies acting as though the walls of a Colosseum. From that circle entered two fearless knights, both walking in a fashion identical to one another.
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18-May-2017 20:35:33

Jul

2020

Serene End

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They stood before Raphael and Libitina, their opponents in this game. With their longswords and tower shields, they coiled up in the same exact battle stance. Quite the challenge to overcome, this black steel menace whose glowing blue irises pierced from the eye slits of their great helms. Still with their backs together, both Raphael and Libitina examined the form of their adversary, trying to find some kind of weakness to exploit. But the shield was like an intimidating wall they could not scale, so they had to seek a way around in order to succeed.

With one deep breath, the rebel and the assassin dashed away from one another. They both rushed down their opponent, cautiously aggressive. Libitina utilized her speed in this battle, quickly reacting to the counter attacks of her opponent. She took one swing at his shield, an attack which simply bounced off. With this act, the Loyal Knight readied his sword arm to attack, exposing himself slightly from behind his shield. He wanted to cash in on her blatant heedlessness, but this was all but a ruse for him to reveal himself.

Libitina lifted her blade to his, deflecting his sword as she quickly stepped off to her left. Quickly, she lunged her other blade into the back of his right knee. An effective swing indeed, backed by her Solasúian strength. The blade inflicted a gruesome wound, sending the knight crumbling to his knees.

Libitina intended to strike her stiff-bladed dagger down upon his head, but the knight quickly hulled his massive tower shield up over his head to block her. The swift-footed assassin then stepped back, just barely avoiding a strike from the knight as he turned himself around. The two stood once again as equals, and although the knight's stance seemed off-balance, he was still a formidable adversary.
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18-May-2017 20:37:09

Jul

2020

Serene End

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Libitina had begun to bring down the lumbering giant, whereas Raphael couldn't even get started. The tactics and armour of the Loyal Knight were all specifically made for this type of situation he was in, unlike with Libitina, where the steel armour was not meant to defend against a fellow Solasúian.

Raphael struck his blade at the Loyal Knight in a flurry of attacks, but each was utterly defeated by the knight's massive shield. Whenever the knight countered, it would end up with Raphael barely managing to deflect the blow away from him. One such time came upon him, but he managed to catch the knight's longsword's weak edge with his blade's strong edge. He locked the longsword in his cross-guard, trying to wrestle away the knight's sword. But the knight drilled her knee into Raphael, sending him backwards in agony.

The attack appeared to have stunned Raphael quite considerably, allowing the knight to unlock her blade. The knight then pursued the dazed young man, striking her blade down upon him. Yet Raphael's plight was just a distraction, for he felt mostly normal the entire time. He baited the knight to pursue him by her own power, quickly reacting to the knight's attack.

His feet rapidly carrying him to his left, evading the attack and finding the knight's exposed right side. He took a swing at the inside of the knight's elbow, a spot of mobility which was bare of plate armour. His blade tore into it, but his offense came with a price. The knight came around with speed, bashing her shield.

The metal collided ferociously with Raphael's entire body, its very force rattling him down to the bone. He was propelled off of his feet, his body taking flight over several feet before finally crashing back down. The Loyal Knight was without choice. With her sword arm damaged, she was forced to drop her shield, opting to swap her longsword to her off-hand instead. With his face locked in a grimace, Raphael sluggishly gathered himself back up.
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18-May-2017 20:37:47 - Last edited on 18-May-2017 20:39:04 by Serene End

Jul

2020

Serene End

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He slowly came to his feet, but his stance was unsteady, his ears rung, his head spun and throbbed, his legs wobbled like gelatin. But the knight was already in hot pursuit, storming towards Raphael in a dignified rage. Raphael bore the pain and dizziness as best as he could, trying his best to simply shrug it off and prepare himself.

With the knight's arrival, Raphael took a quick, safe swipe at her. But he was without much experience fighting against Solasúians, for most battles were against human slaves forced to become soldiers of Governanti. What was 'safe' was not so, for the knight stepped slightly to the right and struck at his arm. Her longsword passed through his right bicep, leaving behind a rather grisly flesh wound.

The wound, though non-lethal, was quite painful, a stinging blow which clamped Raphael's teeth together. But he persevered over his malady, beginning to exchange blows with the knight. Yet the knight was relentless in her offense, managing to get a hit on Raphael with almost every exchange. But Raphael remained patient, waiting for his opportunity.

And he couldn't believe his eyes, his chance arrived. Upon briskly deflecting his attack, the knight unleashed a tall, straightforward swing. Raphael reacted to this strike exactly as he planned, responding to it with his sword-breaker. The longsword slid into one of the sword-breaker's serrations, becoming ensnared. With haste, Raphael closed the gap, flipping his sword to a reverse grip. He then pulled his sword upwards, mercilessly smashing the underneath of the knight's chin with the pommel of his blade.

Her chainmail coif unable to soften the blow, feeling her teeth smash together and hearing her jaw crack. She haplessly staggered backwards, arms flailing backwards, looking upwards at the ceiling and all of its brilliant imagery. Raphael then stepped in again, adjusting his grip to the weak and strong ends of his sword. He then vigorously launching its hilt straight at the knight's head.
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18-May-2017 20:41:26

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