forums.rs

Forums

A Lone Boy's Journey

Quick find code: 49-50-831-53967535

of 61
Lost King
Aug Member 2004

Lost King

Posts: 1,925 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Hours passed and the sky began to darken, yet not from it becoming late but rather from the surrounding lands most commonly referred to as the Wilderness. The entire area seemed to be locked in permanent darkness. All of the trees had long since died, and the ground apart from a few rumored fields had all been lost to decay. Off in the distance Tash could see smoke rising from what would seem to be a chimney and believed it to be his destination, but even further off he could see flashes of lightning.
"I'm not too sure I want to be out roaming the woods with a storm from the Wilderness above me." Tash sighed. "Looks like I'll have to wait until tomorrow."
By the time Tash made it into the Inn it was already starting to drizzle. The interior of the building released a gloomy atmosphere. The stereotypical bar always contained loud drunken men yelling back and forth and making a ruckus. But when one is located as the last bit of civilization before the darkened lands to the north as well as to the east, one cannot expect much joy to be spread around.
The few inhabitants of the bar all took notice of the new entrant, but only two turned to look. Tash gazed over everyone situated inside the room. Two men sat with dark black cloaks on over by the left wall each with a seemingly untouched mug before them. Another man sat alone more towards the entrance facing away from Tash. He was hunched over with a hat pulled more towards his face in order to hide it. A second lone man was sitting on the right hand side near the back. Over his shirt was some beaten up chain mail, which was perfectly suitable to wear given where he was currently staying. At the far end of the building, behind the bar stood the bartender with a beer mug and rag in his hands. Tash made his way past the numerous empty tables towards the bar.

05-Jan-2009 20:39:18

Lost King
Aug Member 2004

Lost King

Posts: 1,925 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The bartender ceased his cleaning as Tash greeted him. "Not too busy today, are you?" The bartender grumbled in response and rubbed his wrist over his scruffy moustache. "I need a room for the night."
"Thirty-eight gold coins for the night."
Tash nodded and dug through his coin satchel to retrieve the required fee. After paying, he received a room key, and then moved back to the sea of tables and took a seat facing the door. That was when he noticed the last occupant of the bar whom he had missed upon entry. Curled up on the ground in the corner of the room was what would be assumed as a female from her long black hair. An empty mug sat next to her with the same kind of lonesome feel she emitted. Seemingly right after Tash had noticed her presence; she lifted her head up and looked over at him with a lazy, tired stare. Her skin was pale and her body was skinny. Her outfit looked like it had been sewed together from a whole collection of assorted clothing scraps. The boy quickly averted his gaze as she tried to get to her feet and start wobbling over in his direction.
"Nice to meet you," the woman muttered as she pulled out the chair opposing Tash to sit down on.
"Hey."
Cutting Tash off abruptly, the girl spoke again, "Don't tell me your name, I'm not interested."
"Alright."
"See that piano over there?" She pointed behind Tash over to a piano stationed against a wall that looked like it had not been touched in years. "I bet I could play that thing." She began to sway to the side, but smacked her hand down on the table to catch herself. "I learned how to play one of those as a kid. I think..."
Tash shrugged. "You sure you're fit to even make it over there?"
"Yeah, I can definitely play that thing." She smirked, and then her eyes began to droop and eventually close shut. Her body slowly slumped down over the table as she drifted off into a drunken sleep.

05-Jan-2009 20:41:25

Lost King
Aug Member 2004

Lost King

Posts: 1,925 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
"Well she's certainly an odd one." Tash scooted his chair back and stood up. He strolled over to the stairway to the second floor but stopped in front of the piano briefly. After a quick glance over it he ascended the stairs. Marked on his key was the number seven which corresponded with his room. He slid the key into the lock and opened the door. Inside were an uncomfortable looking bed, a small, two-drawer dresser, and a mirror pinned to the wall next to the door. Across the room was a window looking out at the woods to the north, but it was currently being pelted by rain drops which skewed the view. He lay down on the bed and before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep.
Night had already fallen by the time Tash woke up and remembered where he was. The sound of rain drops on his window had stopped and he looked over to see the storm had ended. Going out in the woods in the dead of night right after a heavy rain probably would not be the best idea either, particularly if he was looking to go find someone he was expected to kill. He rubbed his eyes and left the room to make his way back downstairs to the bar.
Lanterns hanging around the walls were lit. The bartender was still standing behind the bar with what one would assume to be the same glass he was wiping when Tash first arrived. All of the other men had already disappeared, either up to their rooms or out into the woods. The girl from earlier was still passed out on the table, and as soon as Tash looked her way she raised her head up and yawned.
"Tch, figures." Tash moved to the closest table and sat down.
The girl first went to the bar and grabbed another drink, and then she wobbled over to the table Tash was at and took a drink from her mug. "I can definitely play that piano."
Tash sighed. "Fine then, go at it, I'll even listen to you."

05-Jan-2009 20:42:43 - Last edited on 26-Jan-2009 04:49:45 by Lost King

Lost King
Aug Member 2004

Lost King

Posts: 1,925 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Without even looking back at Tash, the girl stood up and walked over to the piano. She brushed her hand over the keys before falling down onto the seat. Tash turned his chair to observe her. Her head fell forward and she rested it on the keys. A low, out of tune sound worked its way out of the old piano and echoed around the room. She sat there with her head on the keys for a minute as if she had fallen asleep again, but with a jolt she sat up straight. Her hands hovered over the keys a second time and her body slumped again, but she held her head up this time. Tash chuckled under his breath at the sight of a drunken girl trying to play the piano.
With what seemed to be a new resolve, the girl struck a key, and then she slowly struck another, and then a few more. They all slowly fell into a soothing melody as her hands moved back and forth over the keys. A bluesy and tranquil tune crept from the piano, which was possibly the most suiting sound for the lonely bar out in the woods.
Tash was blown away as the sound reached his ears. This drunken girl who could hardly even sit straight was playing what could be classified as the most calming lullaby he had ever heard. After the initial blow, one could realize that it was just the same couple of notes being played over and over, and the tempo was slow enough that anyone could play it after a few tries, but none of that could affect the feeling it left.

05-Jan-2009 20:43:32

Lost King
Aug Member 2004

Lost King

Posts: 1,925 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The girl had entered a trance. She swayed on the stool while her hands were guided by themselves across the keys. The bartender’s eyes were closed as he enjoyed the peaceful music circulating through the lonesome bar. The song only went on for about a minute and a half, but when she reached the end she just went right back to the beginning and repeated it. Tash sat through at least four repeats before standing up before being interrupted by the Inn door slamming from a brisk wind outside. He started walking towards the doorway, and once he reached it, he exited the building. The doors remained open to let the music reach the decaying Wilderness outside. A breeze was flowing through the night air.
"It almost makes this whole place feel inviting." Tash turned around to go back inside, but as he spun he noticed a black obstruction out in the sky over Varrock. No clouds drifted above the city which left the moon full and massive in the night and made the darkened object just that much more noticeable as it flew past the moon. From the distance it appeared to be a carriage being pulled through the air by nothing. Tash stood with his eyes transfixed on the unexplainable carriage flying high above the city, but in an instant it seemed to fade away into nothing. "What the hell was that?"

05-Jan-2009 20:45:14

Lost King
Aug Member 2004

Lost King

Posts: 1,925 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The next morning came early. The rest Tash had taken the day before left him quite awake and ready for a day of venturing through the woods. He made his way downstairs and saw the girl from yesterday passed out on the wooden floorboards next to the piano. The bartender was still standing behind the bar wiping a glass, and nodded at Tash as he made his way to the entrance to leave. From the outside view, it would more or less be very hard to tell that it was morning. The woods to the north were still as dark and bleak as ever as the boy walked out of the Jolly Boar Inn to a much drier world than what he found last night.
Tash once again pulled the papers out from his pocket. He looked at the map and concentrated on the location of the X in relation to the Jolly Boar Inn. "That's a pretty big X. I guess accuracy wasn't too important in the research." He sighed and returned the papers to their place in his pocket. A path led out of the Inn out into the north, but that was certainly not the way he wished to go. Instead he took a turn to the east and slightly angled himself south to begin his trek through the woods.

05-Jan-2009 20:45:50

Baron Ogre

Baron Ogre

Posts: 18,957 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
I never got to finish that game, though I loved what I did play, everything fit togather quite nicely and it was interesting, and the monster designs were really unique imo. Anyway looking forward to some more ads. *Hint hint.*

13-Jan-2009 04:51:54

Quick find code: 49-50-831-53967535 Back to Top