RuneScape Forum Archive | Fall From Grace

Jul

2020

Serene End

Posts: 5,834 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

From a prison cell, the genius stared up at his stone ceiling. He did whatever he could to get his mind off of what had been plaguing it for so long, but it almost was completely ineffective. Those dark, menacing thoughts drove him deeper and deeper into a negative, cloistered space. He laid there all spread out on his bed, doing whatever he could to distract himself.

He prayed and hoped with everything in him for some kind of absolution, some kind of elation. His salvation would come with a sound, a sound that echoed all throughout the engulfing darkness of this prison room. It was such a joyous moment that it almost brought a tear to his eye, turning to whomever entered this shadowy dominion.

He stepped into the darkness of that room, the many prison cells lining up along the ways. The table went vacate, its candle still putting up a tough fight against the shadows. But its ground was coming to its end, close to meeting the wooden earth. Beside that candle was a pouch, a summoner's pouch.

With all that he had heard recently, he needed to know more. He stepped forward, his harsh eyes glared towards the cell next to the one furthest back in the room. He approached that cell, seeing the one who had taken refuge inside of it. He had nowhere to hide, the candle's light enough to see him. But with Raphael at the front of the cell, its light was blocked off.

Thick, dense darkness devoured everything, leaving nothing to be seen. Through the shattered frames of his glasses, he saw Raphael. "Ah, Raphael!" a familiar voice spoke out from the darkness, then it went silent for just a moment. "Ha... even without my glasses, I can still tell it's you!"
The end

is only

the beginning...

16-Jun-2014 18:36:44

Jul

2020

Serene End

Posts: 5,834 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Out from the black he came, appearing now just visible to the young leader. His face scruffy with a thick layer of stubble, his eyes appeared bloodshot and worn down with bags, his hair and clothes unkempt. He wore a beaten smirk on his face, one that had weathered many storms. "What a surprise, what a surprise," continued Telvern. "Sooooo, I take it your trip to Governanti was successful, yes?"

"I got a lot more than I bargained for," Raphael stated.

"Oh really?" spoke Telvern, intrigued. "Do tell!"

"How long have you known I was Lord Divus' son?" Raphael questioned. "No, forget that! How did you know I was his son?!"

"Aha!" he then cheerfully laughed. "You really did get a lot more than you bargained for! So, good ol' Momus finally told you, eh?"

"He didn't tell me," the young leader corrected. "I found out through a letter he gave me, written by Lord Divus."

"Ah, that's nice,"

"Answer my question, Telvern," Raphael growled, demanding.

"Simple, really," Telvern explained. "Let me take a shot out from the dark here... In said letter, did he make mention of a brother of your mother's?"

"He did," Raphael confirmed. "But how did you—"

Telvern pointed his right thumb towards himself. "—That's me," he told Raphael.

Raphael was obviously surprised, hearing this thing told to him. Another piece of information delivered to him, the majority of them delivered to him just upon the last few days. "Wait, you're...?" Raphael then spoke before his tongue halted his voice.

"Go on," Telvern responded to Raphael's suddenly silence just before the last few words. "You've suspected my part being bigger than I've let on this entire time, haven't you? Go on, say it."
The end

is only

the beginning...

16-Jun-2014 18:38:12 - Last edited on 19-Jun-2014 19:01:52 by Serene End

Jul

2020

Serene End

Posts: 5,834 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Raphael shifted away, he then let out a sigh. He let go all of his built up anxiety, turning himself back to Telvern. The genius had his left hand up to his ear, hold it up towards the young leader. "...So, you knew my mother," Raphael continued, disappointing Telvern. "More so than you let on in the past."

"Aww!" Telvern cried, pulling himself away. "Couldn't even say it! That hurts, you know!"

"How did you find out!?" Raphael angrily asked.

Telvern held his right hand up to about shoulder height. "It was during a trip to Governanti," he elaborated. "My first time going there, actually, was quite different than I had imagined. I infiltrated the castle, assuming the same thing you did when you went to Governanti. But I'm not much of a sneaky—...Well, let me correct that, I'm not the stealthy, sneaking mission type like my sister. I was caught, and brought to Lord Divus. I mentioned Astrid, and he had this look on his face: grim, agonized, sorrowful, full of heartache. After that, I suspected something between Astrid and him."

"So, you didn't really know, you just suspected."

"For a while there, yes," the genius clarified. "But I had to find out for myself, so I went to the best source of information out there on the subject: Lord Divus himself."

"So, you asked him?" Raphael questioned, confused.

Telvern shook his head. "No, no, no," he returned. He then pointed to his forehead with his right index finger, tapping it against it. "I read through his thoughts, his memories."
The end

is only

the beginning...

16-Jun-2014 18:40:14

Jul

2020

Serene End

Posts: 5,834 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Raphael didn't even know what to make of that, giving Telvern a rather strange look. The genius read that Raphael didn't believe him, passing him off as crazy. "Your mother and I -- and well, you too I guess -- are all members of a bloodline of the Barn family not meant to be, Raphael," Telvern informed the young leader. "It started many years ago with Lord Asmodeus -- grandfather of our Hero King -- when he had an affair and even had a son with another woman. Because of Solasúian laws, such matters are handled... promptly. So, Lord Asmodeus was killed along with his lover. This bloodline would have died off there had it not been for Lord Asmodeus' son, then Prince Bres."

"This contradicts everything I've been told..."

"Lord Bres took on the responsibility of making a world of peace and tranquility," Telvern continued on with his explanation. "And he believed starting off his reign with the death of a child would be wrong, so he decided to raise the boy with love and care as any child would receive. But he kept the boy far from others, making sure none knew the secret. After all, someone knowing would cost them their lives."

Telvern took a step closer to the light, to the bars of his cell. "From only death did this secret pass on," Telvern went on to tell his tale. "From his deathbed, Lord Bres passed it on to Lord Dias. From the aftermath of his battle with Lamia, Lord Dias passed it on to his son, Lord Nomos. From his deathbed, Lord Nomos passed it on to his son, Lord Minos. But with Lord Minos, the chain would be severed, when he and his wife suddenly passed away. Lord Divus never knew anything about this bloodline, until he met Astrid."

"What was different about her compared to the others?"
The end

is only

the beginning...

16-Jun-2014 18:41:32

Jul

2020

Serene End

Posts: 5,834 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

"She had the trademark characteristics of a Barn," Telvern responded. "Her hair was black as the night, her eyes were purple just like Lord Divus', her skin was fair but had a slight hint of tan, even her face had that look to it. Lord Divus could only suspect, until later he would hear confirmation about it from Denrox, a rather infamous slave trader, who confessed everything just before his passing."

"...I've heard about Denrox," the young leader mentioned. "He was the Lord of Lumbridge, back when it was in Governanti's control. He made it literally into a slaver's paradise, its primary function was the trade of slaves."

"And he just so happens to be your great grandfather," the genius then said, smirking.

"I can't say I'm proud to admit that," he commented, sighing.

"Who would be?"

"So, did you learn all of this just by reading Lord Divus' mind?" Raphael asked.

Telvern raised both of his hands to the height of the middle of his upper arm, pointing his palms towards the ceiling. "You'd be surprised how easy it is to obtain information that way," he returned, his smirk turned into a smile.

"Your Solasúian ability is to read minds," the young leader began to list. "Elena's ability is to survive, Balor's ability is to steal, and Gallows' is the ability to be stronger than all the rest. Everyone else has one, what about mine? Why did it have to take this long for me to figure this all out?"
The end

is only

the beginning...

16-Jun-2014 18:42:53

Jul

2020

Serene End

Posts: 5,834 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

"Well, unfortunately for you, you inherited our side's annoying little trait," the genius expounded to his nephew. "Like me, your mother, and all others behind us, most of your powers are connected to your emotions. Because our kind are just a bunch of scumbags and don't appreciate the "weakness" in emotions, they appropriately call this phenomena Velérlos. It's the Neheztelian word for "weakness," which of course they would use since the Neheztelians cherished emotions. It's not entirely uncommon, though its appearance has died down a bit in recent decades."

"That explains my inability to really notice them,"

"Does it?" he curiously questioned, poking around. "Think for a moment, Raphael. Have you really never used them before? Or perhaps... you just haven't given it much of your time."

Raphael began remembering the days before Divus' murder, when he had to keep leaving during the meetings of the Ruler's Counsel. He remembered it: that horrific shaking, that overwhelming feeling of angst and dread. "Well..." he pondered, recollecting. "There was that strange feeling I had prior to Lord Divus' death."

"Oh?" spoke Telvern, appearing quite inquisitive. "It was most likely your Solasúian sixth sense kicking in. It's kind of like our subconscious can see into our future, though it's like trying to read a letter through foggy glass. You can see the paper, but you can't see what's on the paper. So, it does its best by telling us, but it's up to us to find out what exactly is the threat."
The end

is only

the beginning...

16-Jun-2014 18:44:53

Jul

2020

Serene End

Posts: 5,834 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Telvern folded his hands behind his back, stepping up to the front of his cell. "As you're aware, all Solasúians have their own unique power," he said. "Some are completely unique, others are exclusive to only a single bloodline. Your ability is the latter, one you've inherited. And that is the ability to recover quickly and survive the regularly fatal: a mortal wound, an illness; poison, you could even live without a heart if you wanted to! Just as long as you've not turned into an old prune or not lost your head... literally, you're basically incapable of dying."

"So, I have the same power as Elena?"

"Precisely," returned the genius. "It's how you survived that fall just after Lord Divus' murder and how you recovered from your broken leg so fast. See? It makes sense, doesn't it?"

Raphael opened his left hand, his palm pointing towards him. His eyes fell down upon that surface, appearing lost and wavered. He stood there, silence surrounded him, for a minute. He was unable to get back into stance, the earth under him shattering after all of this information was forced into his head. "...It's so odd," Raphael expressed. "Just a few days ago, I was certain that I was human, I was certain that my father died when I was twelve, and I was certain that all of my family was dead. It's why I've been chasing my mother all this time, to at least I'd know that I'm not so alone. But more I do so, the more it seems like I'm just..."

Raphael just slowly shook his head, unable to finish his words. "...Chasing a shadow?" Telvern's voice then popped out, finishing Raphael's words for him.

"You weren't lying to me, were you?" the young leader then questioned. "About not knowing where she is."

"No, I was truthful," he told the silver-haired young man, drawing Raphael's eyes to him. "...The last few talks I've had with you, I've been the most honest I think I've ever been. It's been rather... nice to just talk."
The end

is only

the beginning...

16-Jun-2014 18:50:18

Jul

2020

Serene End

Posts: 5,834 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The young leader was then able to see something he never saw in Telvern before: genuine emotion. Someone usually cold, closed off and manipulative; isolated from all others, finally that real person showed just a little of himself. Raphael then sighed, his eyes deflected. "I owe you an apology," he then confessed to Telvern, thinking about one of the many things told to him. "Falador was attacked a couple of days ago, and Governanti has recaptured the city. I should've listened to you, but I...!"

"There was nothing you could do," the genius replied. "Probably by the time you left Lumbridge, they were upon Falador. We've played our parts in the destruction of the Resistance, and there's nothing we or anyone can do to stop it."

"Stop being pessimistic!" Raphael then rather suddenly yelled, angered by Telvern's outlook. "We can still win this! We can still save everyone!"

"Look around you," Telvern then calmly responded. "Your Resistance is crumbling, your people are losing hope, even you've begun to doubt. I'm not being pessimistic, Raphael, I'm being realistic. I don't want you to keep believing in this fantasy where you think you can save everyone, because one day you're going to be devastated and realize that this is reality, there is no fantasy."

"Since when have you looked out for my best interest?" Raphael returned.

"Perhaps I always have," he spoke back to Raphael. "Or perhaps I've just realized it would best serve the needs of which I require. Never can be too sure, right?"

"What does that even—?" Raphael spoke, but his voice stopped as he heard something. It was a loud, startling sound from above. He looked up to the ceiling, his face aghast. He knew what that sounded like... screaming, the clashing of swords. Very soon, the door into the prison room then swiftly swung open, revealing Adil.

He appeared panicked, terrified. Raphael's head then spun in that direction, quickly finding the knight. "Adil," Raphael named. "What's wrong!?"
The end

is only

the beginning...

16-Jun-2014 18:52:12 - Last edited on 19-Jun-2014 19:10:03 by Serene End

Jul

2020

Serene End

Posts: 5,834 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

"T-they're here, sir," the knight stated. "The gods... they're-they're here! They just came out of nowhere, and they just started killing anyone they saw!"

A horrible feeling sunk into Raphael's stomach, to the point where he felt almost nauseous. This anguish that swept across his city, bringing death upon its wings. No one was spared from its fate, the young leader realized. To kill indiscriminately, this must mean they have no intention of taking anyone as a prisoner or slave.

After a moment to digest the situation, he was ready to turn to Adil. "Where are they now?" Raphael questioned calmly.

"Just passed the gates, sir," Adil stated.

Raphael shook his head. "All right," he confirmed to himself. "Let's go defend our city."

Adil shook his head, concurring strongly with what Raphael had commanded. Adil turned around, facing of which he ran by. He rushed forward as fast as he could, drawing his blade as he bolted. Raphael's purple irises then slowly turned to what was behind him, that particular person.

He stared -- almost glared -- at Telvern, sharp yet somewhat dull at the tip. Telvern's steely brown gaze focused directly upon Raphael, trading with him knifelike glances. The genius' mental eyes pried upon a war waging within Raphael's own mind, a battle. If not upon his fears and worries, then upon contemplation of whether or not to free Telvern for he might prove useful.

But he knew he couldn't trust the genius, deciding to just say no. Even more so now, his seeing that Telvern was right all along. Raphael turned towards the exit, darting out as fast as he could. He left the genius all alone, isolated. Telvern merely sighed at this instance, turning back now to retire to that which he made his place here: his bed.
The end

is only

the beginning...

16-Jun-2014 18:53:20 - Last edited on 19-Jun-2014 19:12:01 by Serene End

Jul

2020

Serene End

Posts: 5,834 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

He slowly stepped over to that bed, that bed which was barely fit to be called so. His brain abuzz with all this new information, of all that he was talked about, of what he told Raphael. He closed his eyes and smiled gingerly, even began chuckling to himself. His quiet laugh was like the loudest storm in this overpowering silence, breaking it in half.

He then sat himself down upon his bed, realizing that there was nothing he could do for anyone, not even himself. He gazed upon once more to the ceiling, the ceiling of which his eyes had burned holes through. He leaned back on the bed, planting his hands out and down upon the bed to keep him from falling. He appeared overwhelmed, like he never wanted to be right about what he was saying.

But he knew too well, it was an inescapable truth. All he could do now was listen, listen to the terrible, dark melody being played for him. The instruments were the choir of screams, the violins of malady, and drums of utter chaos and strife. He drew life into him, waiting now for this seed to grow, granting him the fruits of his labors...

As quickly as a bolt of lightning, Raphael made his way out from the castle. He pushed open the double doors into the castle, being now at the top of some stairs. And he simply couldn't believe his eyes... This was far, far different than the last time this city was attacked.

The world around him was scarlet, as though flames reflected upon on the blood and bodies of the fallen they feasted upon. Smoke bellowed all throughout the air, blocking the scene from the eyes of the moon and stars. Steel clashed upon steel, sometimes upon sinew. Wails of cries poured out, endlessly tormenting the poor souls who walked out upon this night.
The end

is only

the beginning...

16-Jun-2014 18:54:18

Forums

Fall From Grace