Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Ugh. What the hell happened last night?”

The young man got to his feet, stumbling slightly as he did so. Looking around, he found himself in a small house, on what seemed to be a small island (at least, from what he could tell by looking out the windows), and not one that he recognized from anywhere. “What the hell is this place?”

A voice from behind him made him turn around. Behind him stood a tall man, at least forty years older than him, who was dressed almost entirely in red. Beneath the red beret on his head, the young man could see thinning grey hair. The older man smiled at him. “Ah, you’re awake! Good! Welcome to Tutorial Island. This island is somewhat of a school for new adventurers, for want of a better term. I’m the Runescape Guide. And you are?”

“I’m Cole”.

“A pleasure to meet you, Cole. Okay, first things first. Go outside and follow the path down the hill. There you’ll meet the Survival Tutor. She’ll get you started properly and teach you some of the skills you’ll need in the future”.

Cole nodded. “Fine”.

The sooner I’m done on this stupid island, the sooner I can start trying to figure out why I’m even in this place. And why I remember nothing about this at all. He gave the Runescape Guide one last nod, before pushing open the small house’s only door, and walking down the hill ahead of him.

It took him roughly two and a half hours to slowly work his way through the rest of the tutors, during which he was taught the basics of fishing and cooking shrimp, how to safely chop trees and start fires, and how to cook bread without burning it (something that he had been good at before waking up on the island, though the tutors were still insistent that he had to go through it as well), as well as learning how to properly wield both melee and ranged weapons, how to mine and smith, and several other more minor details that he was pretty sure he’d forget once he left the island for… well, for whatever was next. He brushed a strand of his black hair out of his eyes as he looked at the building in front of him. A robed man stood a short distance in front of him, head bowed in concentration, fingers rubbing against strange round stones in his hands. After several seconds, the robed man gave a yell and flung his hands forward, an orb of solid-looking air bursting from his hands and spinning through the air to slam against one of the chickens on the other side of the small room, vaporizing it on the spot. “Huh”.

Cole’s exclamation of disbelief must have caught the older man’s ears, as the figure turned to face him, nodding briefly. “You must be Cole. Come in, come in. I’m Wizard Terrova, the Magic tutor here. Welcome to your final lesson here on Tutorial Island. If you succeed in this, then we’ll tell you how to get to the mainland where you can begin your travels. If not… You will be stuck here until you do succeed. No pressure now!”

Cole stepped into the room, examining his surroundings carefully. Aside from the fenced-off area containing the chickens he figured acted as target practice for the man he was talking to, the room was surprisingly sparse, with the few main furnishings been a small bed, table, bookcase, wardrobe, stove, and sink. No bath? No toilet? Well, I suppose I’ve seen stranger things than this, and I’ll probably see even stranger things by the time I get home… “What will my final lesson consist of?” he queried, eager to get it over with.

Terrova smiled and held out his hands. Nestled in his palms were ten small round stones. Half of them were decorated with three simple white curves, and the rest were decorated with a slightly more complex sun-shape, which had two small lines inside it. “Take these runes. And use them to cast Wind Strike and kill one of the chickens in the pen right over there. Any of the chickens will do, just go ahead and pick one. If you succeed in killing it with the Wind Strike spell, we will be done here”.

Cole frowned. “And exactly how do I cast a spell with those things?”

“First, take a deep breath and cup your hands in front of you, with the runes you need for the spell in the center of them. Your palms should be facing upwards. Second, close your eyes and clear your mind, being sure to focus on the spell you want to cast. Third, open your eyes and focus on your target, bringing your hands forward”.

“There isn’t any yelling involved, is there? Because you were doing that just before, and I’ve never really been much for yelling…”

The wizard laughed, shaking his head. “No, don’t worry, you don’t have to yell to successfully use magic. It’s just something I added into my personal spellcasting because I like doing it”.

“Alright then”.

“Good. Come and stand next to me, then, and let’s see what you can do”.

Doing as the wizard said, Cole walked over to him and turned, facing towards the chicken pen on the other side of the small room. Terrova held out the ten runestones he had shown the younger man earlier, pressing them into the black-haired boy’s hand. “Alright. There are your runes. Good luck”.

Following the instructions that he had been given, Cole quickly cast a spell at one of the chickens, though the spell fizzled out on impact. “Okay. Your first attempt fizzled out. That’s natural and happens to everyone. Try again”.

Cole repeated the process, casting a blast of air from the palms of his hands at one of the chickens, which promptly disintegrated. Terrova nodded, satisfied. “That’s good. Well done, you’ve completed your final lesson here. As promised, I’ll tell you how to get to the mainland”.

The older wizard strode over to the bookcase, returning several seconds later with an important-looking book in his hand, which he passed to the younger man. “Right. First, draw a circle in the ground around your feet. Then sit down inside the circle and turn to page 1 of the book I just gave you, which is the basic Home Teleport spell. Read the incantation for Lumbridge. That’s all you need to do. Oh, and when you get to Lumbridge, I suggest you go and talk to Phileas, the Lumbridge Sage. You’ll know him when you see him. He’s an old friend of mine, I’m sure he’ll be able to help you. Just tell him Terrova sent you”.

Quickly doing as he had been instructed, Cole muttered the incantation and it wasn’t long before everything faded around him as the courtyard of an ancient-looking stone castle replaced it.

Chapter Text

“Well, this is definitely different”.

Cole paused for a minute to examine his surroundings. He was standing in the center of the courtyard of an ancient stone castle, at the exact center of a stone plus-shaped pathway. Small fountains bubbled merrily away on both the northern and southern sides of the pathway (to the left and right of where he was standing, respectively), filling the air with the trickling and pouring sounds of crystal-clear water. The stone path disappeared through a pair of tall stone columns on the other side of the castle’s main gate, but from what Cole could see it split and went off in three separate directions once it did. “Guess I’ll take the path for now and see where it gets me” Cole muttered to himself.

The moment the young man walked through the gate, he was greeted by an elderly man in a blue robe who stood opposite the castle gates, by a building that Cole could tell immediately was a church. As the old man gestured to him, Cole walked over. “Young man, did you just come from Tutorial Island?” the man asked him.

Cole nodded. “Yes. My name’s Cole, Terrova sent me. You’re Phileas, the Lumbridge Sage, right?”

At the older man’s nod, he continued. “Terrova said he was sure you’d be able to help me”.

“I can. What would you like to know?”

“Can you tell me about this place?”

“This is the town of Lumbridge. The second-largest settlement in the kingdom of Misthalin, it is surpassed in size only by the capital city of Varrock to the north. Duke Horatio, the town’s ruler, lives in the castle behind you. Our town church, which has been here for several generations, lies just behind me and to my left (which is your right). Beyond that is the cemetery and then Lumbridge Swamp, which connects Lumbridge to the village of Draynor and to the famous Wizard’s Tower, both of which are west of here. If you follow the path north, it’ll take you further into the town into the town square where you’ll find the Lumbridge General Store and Fishing Store as well as the local blacksmith, our famous Combat Academy, and the house of Explorer Jack, who is one of our more famous citizens as well as one of three local Achievement masters”.

“I’m not sure what you mean. What are Achievements?” Cole queried.

“Assorted tasks that you can do in an area in order to earn some extra cash or items. You’ll find that many of the areas will have their own ‘task sets’ as they refer to them, and several of them will give you items that will give you benefits in that area. That’s about all I know, really. I suggest you talk to Explorer Jack if you want to know more. Although he also has a quest that he needs some help with, so quite frankly I would suggest talking to him anyway”.

“Quest?”

“Surely you know what a quest is. An objective, or a series of objectives that, by completing, you can earn rewards, become more experienced, and unlock completely new areas to explore and things to do".

“What other quests are there that need doing around here?” Cole queried.

The sage gestured to the church behind him. “The priest in there is having some problems with a ghost”.

Pointing to the graveyard, which Cole could just barely make out by the church at the end of the path, the sage continued speaking. “Xenia, one of our world’s most experienced heroes, is looking for help to rescue a girl who’s been kidnapped by worshippers of an evil god”.

Finally, he gestured to the castle behind Cole. "The castle cook needs some help finding the ingredients for the Duke’s birthday cake”.

“Thank you”.

Cole bowed slightly and turned away, but before he could go anywhere the sage spoke again. “Cole. Hang on a second”.

Cole turned back to the older man, curious. “Is something wrong?”

“I have something else for you. Neither of these two things is information, but they should still prove useful in whatever adventures you find yourself in in the future”.

Reaching into a pocket of his robes, the old sage withdrew a device that looked similar to a PDA and then picked up a leather backpack from the ground nearby, holding both of them out to the younger man. "The backpack is enchanted. Nothing you put in there will ever spill, no matter what. It can hold up to 28 items before you'll have to empty it at a bank, so be careful. Oh, and items like money, arrows, and the magic runes we use here, only take up one space per type. The device is what we call the 'interface'. Using it, you can easily keep track of your friends and enemies, you can keep track of the tasks and quests you've completed, you can keep an eye on your inventory, you can track your 'combat level', you can cast magic with ease, keep track of your skills, check what your equipment does, you can make notes, you can playback music you've unlocked during your travels, call up a mini-map that shows you things in your immediate vicinity with greater clarity than the world map, and you can even see and access the prayers the gods have granted you".

"Sounds like a lot for one little device...” Cole muttered.

The old sage nodded. “It really is. But... well, what're you going to do? Everyone gets one at some point. And by the way, you can never lose either the bag or the device I just gave you, and neither can never be stolen from you. Good luck on your travels, then. I’ll be here if you need me for anything in the future”.

Cole bowed quickly in thanks and turned to walk away; his mind already made up about what he was going to do first. Following the path that led down to the graveyard, he quickly spotted the concerned-looking older woman standing by the pathway. “Xenia?”

The woman nodded. “Yes. And I’m glad someone finally came by. I need some help”.

“What’s wrong?”

“Some cultists of the evil god Zamorak have gone down into the catacombs with a prisoner. I have a rough idea of why they’d want to take her down there, but I don’t want to go down there without backup. There are three of them, after all, and I’m not exactly as young as I was the last time I came here”.

“I think I’d like to know more before I agree to help you,” Cole said simply.

Xenia nodded. “Very wise. I got into a lot of trouble in my youth by rushing into a situation without knowing the full story. Ask your questions, and I’ll answer them as best I can”.

“Can you tell me more about these cultists?”

“Lumbridge is a Saradominist town, but there will always be some people drawn to worship Zamorak. They must have found some ritual that they think will give them power over people” the older woman replied.

“Who did they kidnap?”

“A young woman named Ilona. She had just left Lumbridge to apprentice at the Wizard’s Tower near Draynor, on the other side of the Lumbridge Swamp. They grabbed her on the road. Without training, she didn’t stand a chance against them”.

“What’s down there, anyway?’ Cole queried, gesturing towards the stairs behind Xenia that led down into the darkness underground.

“Down there are the Lumbridge Catacombs. The dead of this town have been buried there for… oh, about forty years now, give or take a couple”.

“Alright. Last question. Is there a reward if I help you?”

Xenia laughed. “Saving the most important question for last, I see. The cultists all have weapons, and you can keep them if we succeed. I’m sure this adventure will also be of some help in training your combat skills”.

Cole nodded. “Then let’s get down there”.

Chapter Text

Their footsteps echoed on the stone steps as Xenia led the way into the Catacombs. Torches flickered in sconces on the walls, and the very air was heavy with dust. At the foot of the steps, Xenia pulled him aside into a small niche, putting a finger to her lips. “Listen.”

Cole stopped moving, pressing himself up against the wall as Xenia had done, and listened. It took him a few moments, but soon he could make out frantic voices coming down the hall ahead of them. “Come on, Kayle, hurry up! We don’t have forever!” growled one voice, a heavy masculine tone.

It was obvious that the speaker was the leader. The next voice to speak was quiet, nervous. Still masculine, but clearly less sure about the whole situation. “Look, Reese; are you sure about this? There must be some other way we can…”

The leader, who was obviously Reese, cut him off with a snarl. Cole decided he was not particularly fond of Reese. “We made a blood pact, Kayle! The three of us agreed to do this together!”

“Yes, but…”

It was then a third voice spoke. Cold, clear, and unmistakably feminine, the voice of someone who believed in what they were doing. Someone ruthless. “Do we have to take this idiot with us, Reese? He’s just slowing us down!”

Reese sounded exasperated when he next spoke. “Yes, Caitlin, we do! The blood pact! You read the book!”

A fourth voice spoke. This voice was shaky and unsure like Kayle’s, but with an unmistakable feminine touch to it. Cole knew from the sheer terror in every word that the speaker was the kidnapped girl. “Let me go! I didn’t make any blood pact with-”

Xenia’s fists clenched as the voice was cut off by a slapping sound. “Ilona… At least she’s still alive.”

Reese’s sharp voice cut through the silence again. “Shut up! Kayle, you stay here. Guard the door. Caitlin, bring the girl.”

Several pairs of footsteps receded into the distance. Once they were no longer audible, Xenia took a step out of the niche in the wall, staring down the passageway in the direction the voices had come from. “They’ve left one of their own behind to guard the passageway. We should be able to overpower him.”

“What exactly is a blood pact?” Cole whispered.

“It’s something that Zamorak cults do sometimes. A way of swearing loyalty to their leader, generally. Of course, there’s no actual basis for that to have any magical power, but that kind of thing can have great power over someone if they believe in it hard enough so we’d better put a stop to it.”

Cole nodded. “What’s the plan?”

“It looks like he has a bow. The best way to deal with an archer is to get close and take them out from close range. I see you don’t have a melee weapon. Here, take this one.”

She drew a slender longsword of a bronze-coloured metal and handed it to Cole. “The way you hold yourself shows me you’ve had at least a little combat training, so you should have no problem using this.”

As the two of them moved slowly down the passageway together, there was a sudden twang of a bowstring and the woosh of air as an arrow sped towards them. Xenia hissed in pain as it struck her in the shoulder. “Argh… Looks like I might be getting too old for this after all. You'll have to do the rest without me. I've no doubt you're a skilled warrior, but I think I can help you make more use of your talents. I'll follow you, but I'll stay out of combat. Return to me if you're wounded. I have some food to share.”

“Are you going to be alright?”

Xenia nodded. “Don’t worry about me, I’ve survived much worse damage than this. I’ll hang back from combat, but I’ll still follow you”.

Nodding, Cole turned his attention back to the passage in front of them. Sticking close to the wall, he followed it until he came to a large open room. An archer, obviously Kayle, stood in the middle of the room. On either side were small walls. Personally, Cole thought they looked like coffins. He saw the ranger take aim again and stepped forward, raising his sword. “Stay… Stay back! I don’t want to fight!”

“Too late for that.” Cole said simply.

He darted forward, silently thankful for all the years of athletics training as an arrow narrowly flew past his ear. As he came within striking range of the archer, Kayle fired another arrow, this time hitting Cole in the arm.

Cole’s grip tightened on the hilt of his sword, and he brought his hand up, slashing at Kayle. The blade left a shallow cut in the other man’s thin leather armor. His next attack, a quick stab, penetrated the armor and caused Kayle to double over in pain, allowing Cole to give the archer a backhand that sent him to the ground, his bow falling from his hand. Cole flicked the point of his sword to the fallen man’s throat and paused for a few seconds before letting it fall to his side. “Are - are you going to kill me?” Kayle asked, his voice shaking in fright.

“I haven’t decided yet. I have some questions first” Cole said.

Kayle nodded frantically. “Y-yes! I’ll tell you anything you want to know, promise!”

“Who are you?”

“I… My name’s Kayle. I’m a ranger. Well, I’d been practicing the chargebow.”

He paused, his eyes going to the bow on the ground beside him. “I guess I wasn’t as good as I thought.”

“And the others?”

“Our leader’s name is Reese. All of this, the blood pact, it was his idea. He doesn’t know magic at all, but he’s a strong fighter. His second in command is Caitlin, a wizard. She was a student at the Wizards’ Tower, but she left. She wanted to study dark magic.”

Cole nodded. That made sense with what he and Xenia had heard. “What were the three of you planning to do down here?”

“I - I don't really know! Honestly! Listen...Reese used to be an acolyte at the church here. He discovered something about these catacombs; I don't know what. Something about how they were built, I think. Caitlin was a student at the Wizards' Tower. She found something too, in the ruins of the old tower, from back when Zamorakian wizards used it. Caitlin and Reese put what they'd found together. They said they'd discovered a ritual they could perform, something that could give them power over life and death. We made a blood pact, the three of us. So that we'd be in it together, whatever happened. Then we kidnapped Ilona. She was another apprentice from the Wizards' Tower, someone Caitlin had known there. Reese and Caitlin are going down there to perform the ritual. I don't - I don't know what it involves.”

Cole raised an eyebrow. “And you just went along with this?”

“Reese threatened me! He said that the blood pact meant the three of us were bound together, that I had to do anything he said. He threatened to put a curse on me if I abandoned them.”

He sighed softly. “I just want to go home.”

Remembering what Xenia had told him about blood pacts, Cole crouched down so that he was on the same level as Kayle. Putting a hand on the archer’s shoulder, he spoke softly, reassuringly. “Blood pacts have no real magical power. They can only have power over you if you let them.”

Kayle nodded nervously. “Are - are you going to kill me now?”

Cole shook his head. “No. You’re as unwilling a participant in this madness as Ilona. Get out of here. Leave your bow though.”

Kayle nodded. Cole stretched out a hand, helping the defeated man to his feet, and the ranger ran down the corridor, passing Xenia, who nodded as she joined Cole. “I don’t think that cultist will be any more trouble for us. I’m glad you didn’t have to kill him.”

“My dad always talked about the virtues of giving people second chances. I try to live up to that where I get the opportunity to.”

He picked up the bow Kayle had dropped, slinging it across his back. Xenia nodded at it. “I see you picked up the weapon he dropped. Good thinking. It may come in handy. That specific type of bow is known as a chargebow, by the way. They generate their own magic arrows, so no actual ammunition is needed”

She studied him thoughtfully for a moment, then took some food from a bag by her side, offering it to him. “You’re lightly wounded. Here, have some food. It’ll make you feel better.”

Cole ate, and as Xenia had promised the pain of the arrow he’d been hit with soon vanished, replaced instead by a dull ache. He privately marveled at the scientific and medical implications of such a thing for a few seconds before nodding. “Right. What next?”

Xenia nodded towards the door that Kayle had been guarding. “After you.”

They moved deeper into the tunnel, soon coming across a wide chasm. On the other side stood a young woman with black hair, holding a staff. She smiled evilly at them and raised her arms, conjuring a blast of air magic which struck Cole in the chest, knocking the breath out of him temporarily. Cole groaned quietly, but drew the chargebow that Kayle had dropped. An arrow materialized in his fingers as he pulled back the bowstring, and he fired almost without thinking.

The arrow struck Caitlin in the arm. She reeled back, though quickly recovered, casting another spell of her own. The two traded attacks like this a few more times, until at last Cole fired a shot that struck Caitlin in the knee. She cried out in pain, crumpling to the ground, her staff falling from her hand and rolling across the floor.

Cole tried the gate on the south end of the room, groaning when it wouldn’t give. “Locked.”

A quick scan of the room revealed a lever set into the wall on the north side. Crossing to that and giving it a sharp tug, Cole was relieved when the gate clicked open, and he soon stood in front of the fallen wizard, her staff in his hand. “Kill me, Adventurer.”

“I’d like to ask you some questions first.”

Caitlin rolled her eyes. “Fine. Ask your damn questions.”

“Who are you?”

“I am the wizard Caitlin.”

“And the others?”

“Reese used to be an acolyte at the church here in Lumbridge. We came up with this whole idea. Kayle’s just an idiot we recruited along the way. I heard you let him go. More than that useless fool deserved. Honestly, if I had my way he would have been used as the sacrifice.”

Cole decided he did not like Caitlin very much. “This whole idea? You mean the blood pact?”

Caitlin snorted derisively. “Idiot hero! You don't even know what this place is, do you? This is the tomb of Dragith Nurn! Dragith Nurn was a necromancer. He lived in Lumbridge decades ago. He kept his necromancy secret. Everyone thought he was just a wealthy nobleman and wizard. He paid for these catacombs to be built, and he's interred here in a special tomb. I was a student at the Wizards' Tower. I discovered the note Dragith Nurn had made while he was a wizard there. Reese was an acolyte here at the church. He learned that Dragith Nurn was buried here. The body of a necromancer contains powerful magic. We learned we could perform a ritual on his tomb to unlock the secrets of his work. We would have gained mastery over life and death!”

Cole made a mental note to talk to Xenia later about that. “I’m done with my questions.”

“Good. Now, finish me!”

Cole hesitated for a minute, torn between options, before gritting his teeth and extending a hand to help the wizard to her feet. “You’re arrogant, prideful and one day you are going to die horribly, but it won’t be today because I am a better person than you will ever be. Get out of here and don’t let me see you again. Or I will kill you.”

Nodding numbly, limping because of the arrow that had struck her in the knee, the cultist made her way past him. There was a clang as the gate on the other side of the chasm was thrown open, and soon Xenia was standing beside him, wordlessly holding out some food. Cole ate gratefully. “Caitlin came past me on her way out. I doubt she’ll be much trouble for you in the future. I’m thankful you didn’t have to kill her.”

Cole’s fingers trembled and his voice was soft when he spoke. “I was tempted, Xenia. For a minute there all I wanted to do was kill her for her part in this. But that’s not the kind of person I am.”

“I would have understood if you did. But you didn’t kill her, and that’s the important thing. Only one cultist remains before we can save Ilona now. Reese, their leader.”

Cole's fingers curled around the staff in his hand as he stared at the stairs in front of him. He knew they would lead him down deeper into the catacombs where the cultist had taken Ilona. He also knew that the man waiting at the bottom of the stairs was incredibly dangerous. Behind him, Xenia put a hand on his shoulder. "Take a second. Gather yourself. You'll need to be at your best to stop Reese from sacrificing Ilona."

Cole took a breath in and nodded. His fingers tightened. "Let's do this."

Chapter Text

Cole and Xenia stood at the base of the stairs. Ahead of them, a small corridor led towards a room with what appeared to be a coffin. Or an altar, possibly. There was a girl in blue robes tied up to one side of the altar, and a warrior was pacing back and forth impatiently in front of it. Cole glanced at Xenia, who gave a solemn nod, and he stepped into the corridor. He could hear the man muttering as he drew closer. “The potion is complete. Where are they? The whole group should be present…”

“Let me go, you…”

The girl’s voice was cut off by a sharp slap. “Shut up!”

Cole grit his teeth and took a step closer. “I’d do what she says if I was you.”

The warrior spun towards him, raising his twin swords, and Cole took a second to study his opponent. Reese had been handsome, once. That much was obvious. Angry scars now ran across his entire head, which was completely bald. His nose was short, crooked, as if it had been broken one too many times and had never quite healed. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

Cole raised his staff. When he spoke, his voice was firm. “I’m Cole. Don’t worry, Ilona, I’m here to rescue you!”

“Thank Saradomin! He’s… he’s insane! He’s going to kill me!”

Reese gave a cold smirk. “Maybe you can take her place as the sacrifice, adventurer! Stand and fight!”

The warrior began slashing repeatedly at Cole. Cole dodged most of the attacks, though a few of them still managed to slip past his guard and injure him. “I let the others go, Reese! This doesn’t have to end in violence! Just let the girl go!” Cole yelled.

“They were weak. Fools. Unworthy of the power of Zamorak. My lord will turn his face from their prayers, but he will smile upon me when I offer him your blood!”

He lunged towards Cole, bringing his swords down in an arc. Cole barely had time to bring his staff up to block, and Reese smirked. “Looks like you’ve still got a lot to learn, adventurer!”

Cole countered his next blow easily. “I know all I need to know in order to defeat you.”

Acting purely on instinct, Cole swung the staff again, sending Reese several steps back, and then flicked his wrist, causing a blast of magic to slam into the warrior. His arm was then enveloped by fire, and another flick caused magical flames to spread to Reese, causing the warrior to cry out in pain as the flames licked at him. “Give it up!”

They exchanged further blows for a couple more minutes before Cole finally caught Reese off guard with a particularly powerful spell. The warrior collapsed to the ground in front of what Cole could now tell was most definitely a coffin, panting heavily, his swords falling from his hands. Cole kicked them out of his reach and examined the warrior thoughtfully. “What to do with you…”

“Kill me, adventurer. End the blood pact now, in this tomb!”

“That would be the logical choice… But I have some questions first.”

Reese turned his head, spitting disdainfully. “Ask your damn questions”.

“What were you hoping to accomplish down here?”

“End the weak god Saradomin's dominance over Lumbridge! With the blood pact, and the power of the tomb of Dragith Nurn, we would send an army of the dead to claim this town for Zamorak!”

“And the others?”

“Faithful servants of Zamorak! We bound ourselves together in the great god's service with the blood pact!”

Cole chuckled, though there was little humor in it. “Obviously they weren’t as faithful as you thought they were.”

He reached down and picked up the twin swords Reese had dropped, tucking them into his bag. “You’re free to go. Just don’t ever let me catch you in this town again.”

Reese shook his head violently, almost foaming at the mouth. “No! There must be a death! The blood pact must be completed!”

With surprisingly fast moves, he reached up and snatched a small green vial from the corner of the coffin. He lifted it to his lips and gulped the contents down, before giving a cry that Cole thought sounded a lot like a cat being trodden on and collapsing back against the coffin, unmoving. An ominous shaking filled the room, and the girl that was tied up next to the coffin looked terrified. “Please, untie me so we can get out of here!”

Cole nodded and knelt, quickly undoing the knots of the ropes binding Ilona. She got to her feet, rubbing her wrists, and gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you. Now, we should leave”

The young man nodded and, supporting the girl, who was still stiff from her captivity, the two made their way to the corridor where Xenia was waiting for them. She moved forward as soon as she saw them, slipping Ilona’s other arm over her shoulder, and together the three made their way down the corridor. As they started walking up the stairs, there was a loud sound of crumbling stone from behind them, and Cole stopped, looking back over his shoulder just in time to see the coffin in the room they had just left crumbling into dust to reveal yet another set of stone steps. “Xenia…”

Xenia shook her head. “Not now. Let’s get Ilona out into the fresh air. I’ll answer any remaining questions you might have once we’re out of here.”

Cole nodded, accepting her answer, and the three made their way out of the catacombs. Once they were standing in the graveyard once again, Ilona hugged both of her rescuers gratefully. “Thank the gods we’re out. I thought I was going to die down there. Thank you both so much for saving my life.”

Xenia nodded, hugging the girl back, and turned to Cole. “Well, adventurer, looks like you did it. You should keep the cultist’s weapons as a reward. Who knows when they might come in handy.”

Cole nodded, and as Ilona straightened up from hugging the old woman, the young man got a proper look at the girl they’d saved for the first time. She was cute, he thought. Slender, with pale skin, shoulder-length brown hair and vivid purple eyes. It was an unusual eye color. She wore a blue bodice with white sleeves, and long brown trousers with black boots. He smiled warmly at her. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Ilona. Maybe we’ll meet again in the future.”

“I hope so!”

With those words, she disappeared into the swamp. The two of them watched her leave before Xenia smiled. “She’ll be fine, I’m sure of it. Now, you probably want your reward, right?”

She pulled a lamp out from her pocket and held it out to him. “Just rub that and you’ll gain some valuable experience.”

Cole did so, immediately feeling like fireworks were exploding above him as he did so. Xenia was right. He did feel stronger. Not much stronger, but enough that it made a difference in how capable he felt. “I have a few questions to ask you before I go.”

“Of course. I’ll do my best to answer your questions.”

“You weren’t really wounded, were you?”

Xenia gave a short, sharp, laugh. “Very perceptive, adventurer. I was wounded by Kayle’s arrow, yes, but not as badly as I looked. I took the opportunity to see how you would fare.”

Cole bit back the retorts he wanted to make. “So, how’d I do?”

“Very well indeed. You’re a hero, exactly the kind of person the world needs. I’m glad I met you.”

And none of this is helping me to remember why I’m here in the first place. Or to figure out how to get home. Cole mused. “Who is Dragith Nurn? Caitlin said he was a necromancer and former Wizard Tower student and that you knew him.”

Xenia took a breath in, pausing before replying. “Dragith Nurn was a wizard. He studied at the Wizards' Tower, but he also studied the dark art, necromancy, on his own. He had a secret magical workshop beneath Lumbridge. He would steal bodies from the graveyard and perform experiments on them. Necromancy was like an addiction for him. When I met him he was very troubled; very conflicted. I convinced him to put an end to it all. He couldn't destroy all the undead he had created - not permanently - so he trapped them all in the lower level of his workshop and sealed it off. He converted the upper level into these catacombs. Everyone thinks Dragith Nurn is buried here in this tomb, but he isn't. He built the tomb to hide the entrance to the lower level. Dragith Nurn is still down there. He knew that when he died he would rise again as a monster, so he sealed himself in with his creatures.”

Cole nodded. What she’d told him made sense. “One last thing. What will happen in the catacombs now?”

“Reese managed to complete the ritual with his own death. He's opened the staircase to the nest of undead creatures in the lower level of the catacombs. Without a necromancer to control them, the creatures won't leave the tomb. I'll warn Father Aereck not to let people go down there. You're an adventurer, though. If you want to, you can venture into the tomb and fight the creatures. It might be good combat training for you.”

“Thank you, Xenia”.

Cole slipped his backpack off his back, putting the staff he’d had equipped back in and taking out the twin swords he’d taken from Reese. Fastening them to his belt, he left the cemetery, eager to see where his next adventure would take him.

Chapter Text

Remembering what Phileas, the Lumbridge Sage, had said about the cook in the Lumbridge castle needing help with a cake, Cole made his way back towards the stone building where he’d originally arrived, this time making his way through the great doors into the entranceway. Torches flickered on the stone walls, and the smell of food filled the air. A couple of guards patrolled the hallway, and one approached Cole as the adventurer strode across the hall to the nearest door and raised his hand to push it open. “Halt, adventurer. I'm sorry, but I can't let you go in there. Duke's orders, of course. The castle staff are preparing for an important event which is to be held soon and nobody is allowed in until their preparations are complete" he said simply.

Cole nodded. "Thanks for the warning. And for not yelling at me".

"Well, yelling at you would hardly do any good. Obviously there are some people that I have to yell at because they just won't take no for an answer or because they're breaking the law, and that's fine, but otherwise I prefer not to yell at people" the guard replied.

Cole gave a grateful smile. “Could you point me to the kitchen, in that case? I’m looking for the castle’s cook. I heard he needed help with a cake”.

“Sure, I can do that!”

The guard pointed down the hallway to the left. “All you need to do is follow the hallway that way. It’s the last door on your right before the stairs.”

“Thanks for your help. I’m sure I’ll have more questions at some point. I’m Cole, by the way.”

“Peale.”

Bidding a quick farewell to Peale, Cole followed the pathway in the direction the guard had indicated, soon arriving at the kitchen. At the sound of his approaching footsteps, a man in a chef’s hat looked up nervously, only to visibly relax when he saw Cole. “Oh thank Saradomin. I was worried you were the Duke”.

"You look worried about something. What's wrong?"

The cook sighed. "I'm in a terrible, terrible mess. It's the Duke's birthday today, and I should be making him a lovely, big birthday cake using special ingredients but I've forgotten to get the ingredients. I'll never get them in time now. He'll sack me! Whatever will I do? I have four children and a goat to look after"

Cole sighed. "This is why you don't leave things to the last minute. Don't you have an assistant or something that you can send to get them for you?"

"I did. Until he quit two days ago".

"I'd take the rest of the day off, if I were you" Cole suggested.

The Cook shook his head. "No, that's the worst thing I could do. I'd get in terrible trouble. Both with the Duke and with my wife".

"Maybe a holiday?"

"The Duke doesn't allow his core staff to take holidays. Not on such little notice, especially" the cook replied sadly.

"Hmm, why not run away to the sea and start a new life as a pirate?" Cole suggested.

He wasn’t being entirely serious when he suggested it, so he wasn’t really surprised when the cook shook his head. "My wife gets seasick and I have an irrational fear of eyepatches. I don't see it working".

Cole resisted the urge to facepalm. He shook his head, sighing. "I'm out of ideas".

"I know. I'm doomed. Unless... Do you think that you'd be able to help me by getting the ingredients I need?"

Cole considered the question. It sounded like a quest. He was reluctant to take on another quest so soon, but there was the chance this could lead to bigger problems to solve. Which, he hoped, would eventually lead to him going home. “I’ll do it.”

The cook gave an appreciative smile. “Oh, thank you, thank you. I must tell you that this is no ordinary cake, though - only the best ingredients will do! I need a super large egg, top-quality milk and some extra fine flour.”

“Where can I find those, then?” Cole queried.

He shrugged. “That’s the problem: I don’t exactly know. I usually send my assistant to get them for me, but as I mentioned before, he quit two days ago. I do have a decent enough idea though”

He turned to the table behind him and unrolled a large roll of parchment. Leaning over it, he quickly indicated several places near the castle.. “I suggest you try these locations. My assistant used to mention stopping to flirt with Millie at the mill north of town if I sent him to collect flour, so talking to her might be your best bet for that one. The nearest paddock with cows is across the bridge to the east, along the road towards the neighboring city of Varrock. And I know there are a couple of farms nearby, those might be your best bet for eggs”.

He gestured to one of the points, a small windmill on the only road leading out of town to the north, before rolling the map up and offering it to Cole. “It’s up to you where to start, but please try and gather the ingredients as soon as possible. I hate to imagine the Duke’s reaction if I have to tell him I can’t make him a birthday cake”.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can”.

Nodding, the cook quickly took a large clay pot from the nearby table and handed it to Cole. “Here, take this with you. You’ll need a pot to put the flour in”.

“Thanks”.

Cole carefully tucked the pot into his bag and said his goodbyes to the cook, leaving the still worried-looking man to his own devices as he exited the kitchen and walked back out into the sunshine of Lumbridge.