RuneScape Forum Archive | Life of Crime

Sirapyro

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Ryan took a seat across from Oliver and Terri, and listened. Though relieved he was safe from capture for at least a little while, he had a feeling of fear. Though unexplainable, it was there.

It was like a sixth sense telling him that there was another danger to himself, other than that of Akarv’s army.

---

It had taken Herman and Andy several hours to reach the Heran port, located to the south-east point of Akarv. From there they took a boat from the eastern most city of Kondrania, to a small port at Akarv’s outpost in the far west of Tedre. The outpost had been built a mile or two from the peninsula, and went all the way north and south across the country; completely blocking unauthorized access from the curved peninsula.

The only way anyone could pass the barricade is with written permission from an Akarv official. If you did not have that, then there is absolutely no way you will be let through. Most people avoid the peninsula, anyway. Though very possible to climb over the barricade, none have tried; there is no reason to.

Hours after leaving Hera, Herman and Andy landed at the outpost and quickly gained access to the peninsula. By now the two soldiers were already exhausted, but pushed on regardless.

“Oh my god...” Andy whined, looking around both wearily and fearfully. “This place gives me the creeps, and I’m as tired as hell.”

“Stop complaining.” Herman instantly replied. “Orders are orders; it is not our place to question them.”

“You cannot tell me you want to just go to sleep too” Andy sighed, flinching as a quick breeze went by, and hit a Gine flower to his right; causing the flower to incinerate as a small burst of fire flew from it.

“Again, orders are orders” was Herman’s response, his voice mixed with exhaustion. The two carried on, though. Following the flow of lava, they searched everywhere they could for a trace of Ryan–the ‘Reaper Thief’ to them.

“Ugh… what are we even doing out here!?” Andy groaned, irritated from exhaustion. Join The Questing Clan of RuneScape! !

05-Dec-2009 06:37:26 - Last edited on 12-Jun-2010 07:53:31 by Sirapyro

Sirapyro

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“You forgot already? We’re hunting the reaper thief!” Herman snapped, not wanting to listen to Andy’s whining.

“I know that, but what are ‘we’ doing out here? Out of all the soldiers in the army, why us?” Andy demanded.

“It was a luck of the draw, it could have been anyone else but it wasn’t, so just live with it” Herman sighed, then continued: God, I can’t work like this! I’m better off working alone-”

Herman was cut short by a howl of wind, and fire flew in front of them. Both soldiers flinched back, and when the fire dissipated, the two could see someone several yards ahead with his back faced to them. The man was in black robes, and a hood hung on his head.

“It’s him!” Herman gasped as he pointed at the man. “Charge!” He yelled, adrenaline pumping through the twos veins. Both Herman and Andy charged forward, both pulling a sword from sheathes on their belts, though both knew the other wouldn’t actually use it.

“Don’t move, criminal” Herman scowled as he and Andy were within a three yard distance of the man.

Several moments of silence passed, and the man turned around; his face concealed in the shadows of his hood. He glared at the two soldiers, and raised both of his hands, black energy breaking from up from the ground and surrounding him ominously.

Andy froze with fear, but Herman managed to pull himself together, and ran. Without looking back, he ran as fast as he could to escape the man who was obviously not the thief. No, he was something much worse.

End of Chapter Five Join The Questing Clan of RuneScape! !

05-Dec-2009 06:37:26 - Last edited on 12-Jun-2010 07:53:55 by Sirapyro

Sirapyro

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Chapter Six
Reaper

Fire cracked and spat in the night, whilst the thieves of the camp sat and conversed. Much of their conversing became a drunken laughter, and even Jack had emerged for to take part in the drinking, and some talking.

Much of what was being told was Terri’s stories from Akarv; stupidity she had seen, and ‘accidents’ she had witnessed. The chat relieved Ryan further, as Terri’s stories made the army out to be gullible, save the Sergeant who was hard-core focused. She often brought the Sergeant into the stories as the obsessive hunter, stopping at nothing to find the camp.

The story of Herman and Andy’s assignment to the Plateau received a humors response, mixed with slight sympathy. Not even the thieves could help but feel sorry for the twos assignment to the most dangerous place on the continent, especially given the personalities of the two.

“Think the poor ‘chaps made it out?” One of the thieves called out in a drunken slur, continuing to chuckle after his statement.

“They were probably roasted alive by the Gines!” Another roared in response, falling back off of his log.

Ryan, whom was one of the few who remained sober–along with Oliver, Terri, Jack, Stealer, and Len–chuckled and shook his head. Nothing exciting ever happened in the Plateau; it was all a bunch of superstition. Though, he could not deny the existence of the Gine flowers.

“Knowing Andy and Herman, they probably ran out crying because the lava bubbled or something stupid like that.” Terri commented, moving from her position on the log to the ground, and leaned back against it.

“There is no reason they would have stayed there very long. There is nothing to find; nothing to see.* Oliver continued.

---

The Sergeant pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat, alone, in his quarters. So far, the location of the Reaper-Thief had been undetermined, and his presence has been denied in both Hera and Tedre. Join The Questing Clan of RuneScape! !

05-Dec-2009 06:39:12 - Last edited on 07-Feb-2010 21:51:59 by Sirapyro

Sirapyro

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The soldier he sent to Yoren had not yet returned, neither had the two he sent to the Curved Peninsula. Stress built tension on him as he awaited any further news.

His heart skipped a beat–he feared a heart attack for a slight second–as his door burst open and Herman dropped to the floor; panting.

“What the hell gives you the right to bust in here, soldier!?” The Sergeant demanded, standing to his full height, and looked down at Herman.

“Andy... Dead... Reaper...” Herman puffed, his sweat drenched arms trying to push his weight off the ground.

“What are you talking about soldier? Have you found anything on the Reaper-Thief!?”

“No, sir” Herman panted as he managed to pull himself to his feet. “Andy... is dead. He was murdered by a man in black robes... this man could use magic, sir.*

The Sergeant was taken aback by this. The only mage known to have ever resided on Kondrania died thirty years prior. They researched for years after, and found no evidence that he had any disciple or children. No one from the Eastern lands had docked in the Country for about as long as the mage had been dead. Nothing added up... how could their be a mage? Was it possible one was smuggled in? Or was it possible that this man was not a mortal? On top of all that, why would he have killed an Heran soldier? To deliver a message, perhaps?

All of these questions flowed through the Sergeant’s head in a few moments, then his attention went back to Herman. “Are you sure?” He asked.

“Positive” Herman quickly responded, finally catching his breath. “I have never seen anything like it. The power... the fear I felt...”

“Do not dwell on it, it will only make things worse for when we must hunt this mage.” The Sergeant ordered.

Herman shook his head. “I am not going back out there. And your thief isn’t there... It’s suicide.”

“I want answers” The Sergeant snapped, spinning around towards Herman. “Out there is the only place I am going to get them.”

--- Join The Questing Clan of RuneScape! !

05-Dec-2009 06:39:12 - Last edited on 07-Feb-2010 21:52:34 by Sirapyro

Sirapyro

Posts: 10,736 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Ryan found that, the next morning, he was the first one to wake up. The fire from the night before had a faint glow, and a sheet of paper rested on the ground with a rock holding it down. Ryan approached the parchment, and removed the stone so he could read what had been written.

~Dear camp,

It was good to see all of you again. However, if I do not return to Akarv soon my commanding officer will start to become suspicious, and come looking for me. Farewell, until next time.

Sincerely,
Terri~

Ryan sighed. Terri was fun, but he knew she knew what she was doing. After all, she was the self-proclaimed spy for the camp. She had always loved deceit a little more than the other thieves in the camp, and used it at any reasonable time. Honesty was a trait she shared for her friends.

Ryan smiled as he recalled the time Ryan and Terri performed a theft together, about twenty years prior. Not only did they score big time, they got the officer ordered to protect the bank relinquished from his duty as a soldier. One less member of the Akarv army to worry about. At least, that’s what they had thought at the time.

Ryan turned around to stare at the wildlife that surrounded their camp, and became lost in his thoughts; until a gleam from the over-grown weeds caught his attention. He narrowed his eyes to get a better look, and he could see a gem resting in the brush; the morning light creating a glare.

He walked forward and grabbed the gem, which turned out to be attached to a golden ring. It appeared to be an emerald ring. but there was to it than that. It felt empty; hollow, yet it was just as dense as any other gem. He told himself it had probably been dropped by one of the other thieves, but his conscious told him otherwise. Not knowing exactly what to do, he slipped the ring into his pocket and turned to see Jack emerging from his tent.

“Get enough sleep?” Ryan joked, referring to Jack’s claims of lack of sleep the day before. Join The Questing Clan of RuneScape! !

05-Dec-2009 06:39:13 - Last edited on 07-Feb-2010 21:53:05 by Sirapyro

Sirapyro

Posts: 10,736 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Jack ignored the question, and walked to the fire; turning over some of the glowing pieces of wood. “When are we going out on another run?”

Ryan shrugged and walked up towards Jack. “I don’t to have any major thefts for a while. Let the buzz cool down; let the hounds get off my back. However, I was thinking of heading out and staying at an inn in New Roy for a few days. Just to relax a little bit. Maybe a few pickpockets, you never know.” Ryan answered.

Jack sighed, aggravated, and shuffled the embers around the fire more–with a stick rather than his hands. “Have fun. I may head out for some relaxation as well. I have a lot of stress on me.”

"Alright, we'll out at noon, then" Ryan said, and walked over to the tent where food was stored in the camp.

End of Chapter Six Join The Questing Clan of RuneScape! !

05-Dec-2009 06:39:14 - Last edited on 12-Feb-2010 23:02:47 by Sirapyro

Sirapyro

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Chapter Seven
Power

Few ever ventured into the Curved Peninsula; the majority of the people who do are soldiers. There is a small percent of explorers, however, who have gathered the courage to walk the charred lands of the Peninsula. The impossibility of a lava flow on an island with no volcano drew them in, and the fire-breathing flowers typically drove them out.

The reason the fence was set up on the border of the Peninsula was because of a simple missing person case. A curious explorer went in, and never came out. That was the final straw in the eyes of the Heran ruler; and thus, the gate was built to prevent further access to the Peninsula. Tedre’s government was outraged at it’s sister Country coming in and building on their property, but their military was not strong enough to do anything about it. Tension was fierce between Tedre and Hera, as Hera thought of itself as the superior. Heran soldiers dominated most of Tedre’s military force, and the Heran monarch was constantly trying to take land away from Tedre.

Curiosity in the previously forgotten missing person case was sparked in the Sergeant now, after hearing Herman’s report. Andy, presumed dead, was the second victim lost to the Peninsula in the last twenty years. Just a few months prior to current events, a group of soldiers discovered the corpse of the officially deceased explorer. Arrows lied broken and molded in the skeleton. With this evidence, royal detectives predicted that a tribe of sea-bound Barbarians shot the explorer down as they passed the island. No better explanation existed, so that is what was excepted.

Doubt in that theory existed in the Sergeant now. Andy died by what Herman had described as a mage, who appeared to live in the Peninsula.

“Is it possible that our home has been inhabited by a mage for all of this time, and he is the one responsible?” Join The Questing Clan of RuneScape! !

05-Dec-2009 06:40:42 - Last edited on 19-Feb-2010 04:52:43 by Sirapyro

Sirapyro

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The Sergeant thought, staring down at sketches of the explorer’s corpse, a quick sketch of how Herman described the mage, and the official report of death for the explorer.

The sketch of the mage was the Sergeant’s primary interest. He was not stupid, he knew all the tales about Death. What Herman described looked exactly like how the Grim Reaper was portrayed. Though, the Reaper was never portrayed as a mage. At least not in any stories the Sergeant knew. “And why resurface now? It has been two years since the last death in the Peninsula, and multiple teams of soldiers have been out since.” The Sergeant asked himself, baffled by everything that was going on.

“It must have been waiting for something... something here now. The first murder must have been a warning” The Sergeant sighed to himself, throwing out ideas. He was not sure what to think, but when whatever was going on went down, he wanted to be there.

---

Clad in black, a lone figure walked to the far tip of the Curved Peninsula. Strung to his back was a scythe with a handle made from a crude wood, and a blade of pure steel. Through the shade of his hood he could see his path, and thought with walked over the Gine flowers, they refused to ignite as they would have on anyone else.

He reached the shoreline, and halted moving. he looked from left to right, slightly admiring where the crash of waves where the Whirlwind Sea, to the east, and the Blank Sea, to the West, met. “Rsie” the figure stated in a foreign tongue, and turned around. His right arm lifted, his hand hanging limp. The ground cracked and shadows swirled around it. “Eb bron sodahw fo Ryan Theo” The figure continued in the foreign tongue, and the swirling shadows condensed and took form. What became of the shadows was a Dopplegänger of Ryan Theo in his thief disguise. Join The Questing Clan of RuneScape! !

05-Dec-2009 06:40:42 - Last edited on 19-Feb-2010 04:53:17 by Sirapyro

Sirapyro

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The mage stared at the Dopplegänger from the shade of his hood, and spoke: “You will resume the life Theo has lived. You will worsen his reputation, and slow him to capture. Make sure his life is a living hell.”

Hissing in an inaudible tongue at first, the Dopplegänger said: “Yes, lord.”

In a swirl of blackness, the Dopplegänger disappeared and the mage turned back out towards the sea. *Soon...” He hissed under his breath.

---

Neither Ryan nor Jack had packed much; just their usual equipment. Both had a pack of food to last them the trip to their respectful destinations, and money to stay in a hotel unnoticeably. The last thing they were dumb enough to do was sneak into a hotel for an extended period of time.

Ryan also had a spare set of his thieves disguise hidden in a secret portion of his bag, so no one who searched him would be able to find it. Both of them carried a sword for defense, and in some cases, game.

Only a quick goodbye was given to the members of the camp, minus the still sleeping Stealer, and both Ryan and Jack were out by noon.

Having eaten before they left, Jack and Ryan were energized enough to walk continuously south-east, towards the coastal city of Taylen. Upon approaching, Ryan spoke for the first time since they had set out.

“Well, hope you have fun in this fish-hole” Ryan said half-jokingly.

“I find peace here, unlike how you somehow find peace in the city.” Jack scowled in response. “I can’t understand how you can at all find that peaceful.”

“And I can’t understand how you find this place anything but boring” Ryan responded. “But hey, whatever suits you. This is our vacation, and if you would rather be here, then don’t let me stop you.”

Jack remained silent, his face showing that he did not receive the response that he had expected. The two entered the city, and stopped at a crossroad that went south, towards the cart system, and east towards the hotel. Join The Questing Clan of RuneScape! !

05-Dec-2009 06:40:43 - Last edited on 19-Feb-2010 04:53:29 by Sirapyro

Sirapyro

Posts: 10,736 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“Well, I’ll see you in a few weeks or so” Ryan said, holding his hand to shake Jack’s.

Jack met Ryan half way and shook. “Don’t do anything stupid out there. There’s a lot there that you could do, but can’t now.*

Ryan sighed agitatedly at Jack’s accusation of his lack of skill. Though he may not be as good as he once was, he was not useless. “Seeya.” He said, having nothing more to say. He then turned to the south road and followed it, knowing the path from experience. His eyes were glued to his feet as he walked through the city, his mind stuck on what Jack had said to him before departing.

He dispersed the thoughts as he approached the ticket vendor, and he slid a few coins to the man behind the wooden counter. Without any exchange of words, the man handed Ryan a ticket to New Roy, the only place the trams could go from there current location.

---

The Sergeant slammed his fist down, enraged at Lawrence reported back negatively. On top of Andy’s death and the discovery of a mage residing in Kondrania, the Reaper Thief was unseen in each continent.

A few hours prior he had assigned Carlson, the agent assigned to search Hera for the Reaper Thief, and Jacobson, the soldier ordered to investigate the theft in Alred and attempt to track the Reaper Thief, to the Curved Peninsula. Though he knew two of his more elite soldiers were going to be looking for the mage and hopefully apprehend him, he was not at peace. He had an un-ignorable stress consuming him, and he felt the only way he could avoid it, is if he did the job himself.

Deciding he would search for Ryan Theo, or the Reaper Thief as he knew him, alone. “Get something done right, do it yourself” He mumbled under his breath as he snagged a handful of coins from a chest in his quarters, and set out without any heads up to anyone.

--- Join The Questing Clan of RuneScape! !

05-Dec-2009 06:41:58 - Last edited on 19-Feb-2010 04:54:09 by Sirapyro

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