We were four knights, adorned in the glistening white armor of Saradomin. Two brothers and I of two sisters united through the glory of Saradomin. We had heard rumors, a war waging in the far desert, in the heart of the very world we call home. We had heard stories of adventurers coming from the heart, treasures and rewards making them near gods amongst men and women. We dare not challenge the authority of our Lord Saradomin since he had returned to live among us all. Perhaps, if we had returned with riches and proof of battles fought from the heart of the world, our lord might reward us, make us honored above all others. It was I along with my sister and two brothers in arms, we made the trek to the heart of the world. With our pride and our courage we crossed the desert, flying on carpets in the heat of the desert, draining us of our eagerness, but we pushed forward. We arrived in a town called nardah, resupplied our provisions from the local vendors and ask the locals of this so called heart. One man came forward, battle scarred. He spoke in a harsh tone as if to discourage our quest.
"You white knights are far from home, amongst the people of the desert gods and some of the empty lord. Your god sits upon his throne thinking he knows how the rule the world. The only thing that will be brought back to him is the severed heads of you fools if you dare venture into the heart." he scolded us.
One of my brothers in arm, the eldest spoke against him, with nervousness in his voice," Who's to say the gods of a heated and forgotten wasteland know how to rule, or the empty god you speak of. All false promises and old stories lost to your old age, the heat as done more than make you sweat!"
The old man sternly scoffed at my eldest comrade. "And what promises as your god made good on? The slaughter of dozens of lives? All for the competition of which god is most deserving to rule?! You will die in that heart, and i will be sure to bring your heads to your god! Then we will see, will he resurrect your souls and bodies, will he give you an honorable funeral? No! He will command the heads be thrown out and, and the blood cleaned from is marble throne. That will be your fate!"
We all felt the words pierce our heart like a dagger frozen in the coldest of ice.
The old man stared at us for a short while, then softly mutter, "I assume you will still continue your fruitless journey, no?"
The younger comrade spoke up with as much courage as he could,"We must try, if not for our lord then perhaps to further ourselves are soldiers!"
The old man sighed,"Very well, i will guide you to the heart, but your fate will be sealed once you enter, and i will only promise to deliver your heads, if i find them."
We nodded in agreement and he lead us through the desert to the entrance.
It was surrounded by four large state of demons, dragons, beasts and a faceless puppet.
My sister in arms spoke up,"These are the beasts we must face for our rewards? Which would be the best to slay?"
The old man observed the statues then pointed to the puppet.
"That one, the faceless one, if you can slay him your rewards will be riches beyond measure." He spoke with confidence.
"How will we reach it?" I asked the old man.
"Normally under normal circumstances you must prove your worth and slay followers of that beast to gain access to such a creature, but i think i can give you a pass." he spoke as he pulled a small white mask from his pocket.
"Take this lass, make sure it can be seen, and it will show the followers that you are worthy."
I took it and held it in my palm.
"Down this entrance, make your way to the necropolis, there you will face the faceless one." he finished.
We thanked him and made our way into the dungeon. We were not prepared the war that awaited us. We had to dodge and sprint as quickly as we could past all the monsters and creatures that attacked us from all sides. We made our way and we came across stair and made our way up and there stood a barrier glowing, radiating an eerie aura. We approach it as quickly as we could and i held the mask to it, we were sucked into and landed on a bridge in front of a swirling portal. The eldest of my comrades walked closer to it.
"Is there anything beyond it?" asked my sister in arms.
"Only one way to find out, For Saradomin!" he rallied and we all charged through the portal.
We arrived in an arena, the smell of death itself lingered in the air, as we approached the center we could see people hanging from chains and bones and flesh piled in the four corners. Cages hung in the air as though waiting for the next prisoner.
"This was a bad idea, we have to get out of here now!" The younger of my male comrades shrieked as he ran for the portal.
Shaken to the core from the arena my sister and i ran to catch up with him. The eldest stood near the center, frozen in fear, as if paralyzed. We ran to the portal but when we tried to push through but it wouldn't give way. I panicked as my comrades began to scream and the eldest came running up to us now fueled with the fear of death. He began smashing the portal to no avail. We barraged the portal with strike after strike of our blades but it only seem to know our desperation and strengthen itself after each blow. We continued our strike until a sharp dagger struck threw into the portal, nearly gouging our faces. We froze, and we heard a maniacal laughter come from behind.
"Leaving so soon? Sheep to the slaughter don't get to check out early." croaked a sadistic voice from behind.
We turned, and there in a towering stance stood the faceless one blades twirling in his hands. "What is a dinner party without guests?!" He laughed as his blades began spinning faster.
"The faceless one! Saradomin save us please by your love!" I shrieked.
"Saradomin?! That old blue fossil, he's far to idiotic to come anywhere near here, let alone my domain! If you feel so inclined pray to your god, but the only thing you will hear is the screams of your friends as i devour your bodies!" The faceless one howled as he threw daggers us.
"Move!" Screamed the eldest as we jump out of the way in time.
We ran, my sister comrade and i to one side of the faceless one and my brothers to the other. "We may not have our god but you are far outnumbered you monster!" The Eldest yelled. "Outnumbered?! HAHAHA, this is precious! White knights think they can stand against the invincible Gregorovic?! Let's see how long you last! I'll give you as long as it took for me to kill those spilt buckets of milk elves!" Gregorovic roared.
Gregorovic leaned back and shadows of himself appeared on each of his sides.
"Does this even the odds?!" Gregorovic laughed. The shadows started assaulting us with blades. We ran dodging each blade and began our attack. The shadows moved quick, my sister and i swung blindly at the shadow trying to slay the physical illusion before our very eyes. We struck at the very center of the shadow, it howled as is faded away into the darkness. We heard a cheer across the room and saw our brothers had slain the shadow they were fighting, but no sooner had we achieved victory as it was stolen from us. One blade came whirling through the air narrowly missing my head, but not my sister. It severed her head before my very eyes, and her body fell to the floor. I stopped, looked across the room, and saw my brothers, one headless and the other, with a dagger in his face. They all dropped, and i only i was left. Gregorovic turned, and began giggling with glee.
"Oh how easy it all is, just a few tricks and they all fall down. However, i had to save you for last, you made this all possible." Gregorovic began as he walked over to me.
I dropped to my knees, i tried to scream but nothing came out. Gregorovic sheathed his blades and grabbed me by the throat. His flesh felt cold and dead, but the grip was not tight. I stared into his face, a blank smile was all that stared back.
"Does this face seem familiar?" Gregorovic asked. I could think of nothing as fear engulfed my every thought. Then it hit me.
"The…"
"Mask! Hehehehe" Gregorovic finished my sentence. "All it took was a little shadow magic, and one of my followers to disguise themselves and lure some sheep into my kingdom. That little mask was not a symbol of strength, is was a symbol of sacrifice, sheep to be let through so they may be the dinner for the master of all." Gregorovic hissed softly.
It all came to light now, and i now knew that Saradomin would not be saving me, we were nothing but sheep, sheep who wandered away from the herd, now too far for the shepherd to save. I was carried over to one of the hanging chains and strung up by my ankles.
"Now normally i don't let my dinners get cold, but i could use some company, it gets to so lonely here all by myself. So hang around for a while, we can get to know each other. Have a nice dinner together. Well, i will." Gregorovic gawked.
I saw he went over to my comrades now dead and cold.
"The only thing i don't like, they always wear this pesky armor, too hard to get through, but like cracking the shell of a lobster, it's always worth the effort." Gregorovic continued.
He began stripping my comrades of their armor, then their clothes, once naked he used his blades and began chopping them up, splitting their bodies in sections. His mouth opened and revealed gastly, sharp and terrifying teeth. He gnashed and ripped and he shredded into them, blood, bone, flesh gushing everywhere. I couldn't feel anything, i thought i was going empty my body of every organ and bone from my mouth, but my mind and body had accepted that this would be my fate and there was nothing that could be done. As he gnawed and feasted on my friends he began to ramble more and more.
"I always find women seem to be more, tender than men, but the men are more filling. Not that i ever get full, it keeps so much to keep such a magnificent being as myself going. All the worthwhile though, all the creatures of the world just another juicy meal at my fingertips!" He rambled, all the while chew more ravenously into my comrades dead flesh.
I continued to watch as he gnawed and chewed. I began to feel nausea, ready to pass out, but i fought against it, knowing that if i passed out i won't not wake from it.
"Oh don't fight it my tender little nugget. You can pass right out and you'll wake up in my stomach, or me chewing at your stomach. Either or it's best you get some rest now, you'll need it for screaming later." Gregorovic spoke.
I tried to speak out, but knowing that this was not his first meal i choose to remain quiet. I struggled to stay awake, but i gave in and it all went black.
I heard yelling,
laughing,
The sound of battle.
I felt like i was in a dream, as if i was in the afterlife and we had been victorious against the faceless one.
Then it went silent.
I felt like i was falling and then a large thump to my head and it all went back to black.
"Hey, hey, wake up. Wake up lady, this is no time for a nap." said a voice.
"Saradomin? Is that you?" i muttered.
"Saradomin? That blue smurf? No, but it's someone that's going to try and save you life more than that blue bastard would." the voice scoffed.
"Who, who, not zamorak, not the usurper." I sighed accepting i was as good as dead.
"Zamorak?, Oh boy here we go again, look he's not as bad as… you know what this is not the time or the place, just drink." the voice spoke back.
I felt a liquid enter my mouth. It taste like a brew made for saradomin himself. Then another, and smooth but restorative potion. I gained consciousness and there, holding me was a warrior dressed in a dark armor i had never seen.
"Who are you?" i asked.
"The one saving you, and get ready, greg will be back soon enough." he said with urgency.
"The Faceless one? He's here?!" i said panicking, knowing what awaited us.
"Get your sword and get up, i can't carry you the whole fight." he said.
I stood up and grabbed my sword. I gazed upon the warrior, he held a bow made from what seemed to be a spider that would tower over the city of falador. He tossed a black potion over to me and i caught it.
"Take a drink of that, and don't lose it, worth more than what you'll make in a week." the warrior spoke.
"What is it?" i asked nervously. It smelled thick and strong, more than any drink or potion i ever had at falador.
"Overload, it's the only chance you'll have in this fight." The warrior retorted.
I looked at him then at the potion, i felt a hum in the air. I knew that meant the gregorovic would be back, so i open the potion and drank a dose. Instantly i felt a power beyond measure flow through my body, a burning fire that seared but also empowered me.
"Get ready, he's here!" the warrior shouted. I readied my sword as gregorovic appeared out of thin air, laughing and howling. The warrior began an onslaught of arrows drawing gregorovic's attention.
"I'll keep him busy, take care of the shadows when they come!" the warrior shouted.
I began dodging and passing through the flurry of daggers that gregorovic kept tossing back and forth between us.
"Child Rise!" Gregorovic shouted as a spirit rose from the mask nearby.
"Kill the spirit, it's makes him stronger if it reaches him!" The warrior called out.
I charged, running at the spirit and pierced its body. It howled and faded away into nothingness. Gregorovic laughed as shadows appeared around the room. I ran and began swiping at the shadows phasing them back into the darkness. More laughter filled the room and gregorovic tossed daggers into the air and small shadows appeared on The floor.
"Run!" Screamed the warrior. I ran from the shadows and daggers fell to the floor. Then more laughter echoed and more shadows appeared. I ran cutting them down one by one. As the last one faded i heard a crack, and turned to the sound. An arrow had struck and cracked gregorovic's mask. He cackled once more and fell to the ground and faded into nothingness. There at the floor lay one of gregorovic's blade. The warrior walked over and took the blade from the ground.
"Hurry through the portal." he said.
I ran to the portal, and phased through it effortlessly. There i stood at the bridge, between the portal and the barrier. The barrier we crossed that sealed our fate. Everything came back, i knelt and began to sob, everything that had happened. My comrades, all dead, eaten by that beast. I felt like i wanted to throw myself over the bridge, end the suffering. I felt a hand on my back, i panicked, but breathed a sigh of relief as it was the warrior that saved me.
"I don't know what the hell happened that you ended up in there, so start from the beginning." he spoke sternly.
I could not utter anything, i just embraced him, crying thanking him profusely.
He pushed me back, "Hey, i'm burning time here, tell me what the hell happened!" he scolded.
I stopped, i could not believe he was treating me like some kind of stupid child that had stepped out of line. I slapped my hand across his face. He remain unphased. He held a cold stare into my eyes. Realizing my mistake i began to apologize, panicking knowing he was mighty enough to take on gregorovic, who knew what he could do to me
. He held his stare, then sighed. "Well it's no way to treat a woman, i guess i'll have to take the loss. Here."
He had me a teleport tab, designated to falador. My eyes widen knowing i had freedom.
"Teleport to falador, i'll meet you at the pub, if you don't show up i'll be sure to find you." he spoke with angst.
I nodded and smashed the teleport tablet. Instantly the world changed and i wound up in the square of falador. I was blown away, i could not believe my eyes. I knelt once more and began to sob, i was back home, after a nightmare of a journey, i was free and safe.
"Hey, get up." I heard the voice of the warrior.
I looked and there stood the warrior.
"Let's get you a drink, you're gonna need it." he said.
He took my hand and we strode into the pub. We sat, he ordered the finest drinks and i drank the sweet nectar of freedom. The drink was divine, as if i had only tasted it for the first time.
"So, you gonna tell me what happened?" the warrior asked.
I stopped drinking, and i began to recall my tale.
"My comrades, we were told of riches and glory to be found at the heart, we went to find glory and acceptance in the eyes of saradomin, but it was a trap, we were lured into the lair of the faceless one, he killed all of my friends, i was the only left. He was saving me for last, then you must have came and saved me."
"Huh, a bunch of white knights searching for treasure and acceptance in the eyes of papa smurf get lured into greg's lair. Your lucky i was going for my hour." he said.
"Hour?! You're saying you fight that monster for fun!?" I hollered.
"Yes! I do in fact, unlike blind white knights like you i can actually fight and not get strung up like a hunk of meat!" He screeched back at me.
I stopped, he set aside my whole ordeal as if it was just a stupid mistake. I didn't know what to do, i wanted to slap him but i knew he had more experience than i ever did.
"You're right, we were all over our head, you were just there by the grace of saradomin. I shouldn't have question you." I said with despair.
I dropped my head, knowing everything i had been through was nothing than a mild inconvenience to this hero.
He sighed, "Listen, i don't get what you see in papa smurf, i've had a few encounter with him and at this point he just struts his ego and make everyone think he's the best of them all. The whole zamorak vs saradomin, just a bunch of cry babies who can't leave each other alone." he said with little to no enthusiasm.
"You've meet the usurper?" I asked curiously.
"Met him? I practically saved him and his race from extinction. With a little help from zaros, honestly neither of them are really bad, once you get to know them." the warrior said sarcastically.
I was so confused, how could a warrior like him could have met the gods, let only save them. Then it hit me, "You're the world guardian." I said in awe.
"Yes be it fortunately or unfortunately, but it was really fortunate for you." he said.
I could not believe it, the world guardian, the one that saradomin had said so much of what he was doing, had saved me from the undead clutches of the monster Gregorovic.
"Now for more important matters at hand." The world guardian began as he pulled the blade from his backpack.
"I didn't get many fights in but we did get lucky and get one of his glaives."
"How is that lucky? I was lucky enough you were there to save my life!" i shouted at him.
"It's lucky because if you knew anything better, this would pay you salary for practically half you lifetime." he said with confidence in his voice.
I paused i looked at the blade, was this weapon of torture worth more than i ever made enlisted in saradomin's army?
"How much?" i asked nervously.
"5-6 million gold, seven if you're lucky and someone really wants it." he said.
I stopped, i stared at the world guardian, then at the blade. This device of my friend's demise was worth more than i would ever hope to make in the world. I was enlightened yet disgusted at the same time.
"Unfortunately for me i already have one." he said with a mild disgust in his voice.
I looked at him, had one already?! He had another of this device that slaughter my friends maybe even more and he already had one?!
"Yeah it's kind of a bummer, i wanted the main hand version but this is an off hand one." he said with less enthusiasm in his voice.
"Bummer!? MY FRIENDS DIED FOR THIS!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
He stepped back in shock.
"Right, sorry, a bunch of white knights walk into greg's bar." he sputtered.
"MY FRIENDS ARE DEAD AND THIS IS JUST A JOKE TO YOU!?" i scream even louder. "WELL EXCUSE ME FOR BEING THE DAMN SAVIOR OF THE WORLD AND YOU LIFE!" he screamed back.
I stopped, i was yelling at the world guardian, nye the savior of my life. I slump in my chair, not knowing what to do.
He sat back in his chair, "Well it'll be all the more worthwhile when you present it to saradomin." he said.
I paused, i looked at him, he passed the blade to me.
"The blade? Mine?" I stuttered.
"It's a glaive, the blades spin around on it, and yes it's yours. Present it to saradomin or sell it, i have one already. It'll be much better in your hands. Hopefully make up for the loss of your allies." he said softly.
I could not believe, i had stumbled upon a fortune, i could practically do whatever i wanted with the gold from this weapon of sorrow. I began to cry tears, i felt i had at least something from the whole ordeal.
"However," the world guardian said, "if you present it to saradomin, i want to be there."
I paused, wondering why the world guardian would even care to see me present it to my lord. I did not bother to ask questions. We finished our drinks and made our way back to the castle. We traverse the stairs until finally i stood before my lord Saradomin with glaive in hand. I knelt and presented it to him.
"Here my lord, a trophy from a battle of much loss." i said with humility.
My lord gazed upon it, looking over the glaive.
"What might this be?" He asked.
I began to open my mouth but the world guardian spoke instead.
"A glaive, off-hand from sliske's general Gregorovic in the heart. I went there for my usual fight with gregorovic and found her hanging around. I subdued gregorovic and rescued her. We made one stand and defeat gregorovic and this was the reward." the world guardian said sternly.
Saradomin paused, a grim scowl came from him.
"Sliske's general? I'd rather not have anymore to do with that dead pest of a mahjarrat, but if it's a trophy for me then i shall gladly take it for my collection, go nicely with the armadyl crossbows."
I looked up at him, he reached for the glaive, and drew back holding the glaive close.
"White knight! You dare steal from your god?!" Saradomin boomed.
"Steal?! No my lord, but the world guardian said this was valuable, we could sell this, supply the army, feed the children.." I began. "
Sell?! The army is already supplied, the children are feed, this is mine to keep for my collection. Unless you didn't get it for me?!" Saradomin growled.
I paused, i looked at my lord, he had claimed this device which had claimed my friends lives as nothing more than a trophy, a paper weight. I could not believe it, my faith shocked to the very core.
"Did you go searching for glory and fame and not think of the sacrifice of your lord?!" Saradomin shouted.
"Sacrifice?! My friends, your loyal followers died for this! And it is to be nothing more than a paperweight for your collection!?" I shouted back, anger, burning furiously in my heart, the pain of all my comrades lost in my voice.
"You dare question your god?" Saradomin said piercing my soul with his very words. "If you do not hand it over, then whatever that general was going to do to you will be a blessing compared to what i will do." saradomin ordered.
I gazed upon my lord, now standing, ready to strike me down with holy fury and anger. I closed my eyes prepared for my fate. I felt someone get in front of me. There the world guardian stood between me and my lord.
"World Guardian, this does not concern you, this is between me and my follower." Saradomin boomed.
"I believe it does saradomin, i saved her life, and that glaive is originally mine, i gave it to her to do with as she will, if she wants to sell it to help the less fortunate then let her. Otherwise i will take it back and sell it to fund other business ventures that better suit me." The world guardian said with his own booming voice.
Saradomin gazed at the world guardian, then at me.
"Very well, do with it as you will, not like it matters." saradomin said with agitation as he sat back on his throne.
I stopped, looked at the world guardian then at my lord.
"Well, do something with it!" my lord said with arrogance.
I could not take it any longer, my lord was not my lord any more.
"I will, but not you for you!" I yelled.
"You dare take for yourself…" saradomin started but i shouted back.
"You are my lord no more!' i hollered at the top if my lungs.
The room went silent.
"I see, take this and think not of the sacrifice of your god." saradomin mocked.
"You didn't do anything, you sat here while i watched my friends die at the hands of that monster! This is mine to make my own life, my life without you!" I screamed at him.
"Very well, then you are no longer welcome here within my walls of falador or the order of the white knights. Leave and never return, be a handmaid for your savior the world guardian." saradomin mocked once more.
"Piss off papa smurf." spouted the world guardian.
"As usual world guardian." saradomin retorted.
The world guardian turned and began to leave.
"Wait! Wait for me!" i shouted to him.
I ran to toward him. I chased him to the gates of falador.
"Wait, please take me with you!" I begged of the world guardian.
He turned and looked at me.
"Listen, unless you want to go on for more visits to gregorovic, i would suggest you go out and make your own life." he said.
I stopped, i didn't know what to do. He was right, i couldn't go back or go anywhere, i was alone nowhere to go, no life to live.
"Look don't you have a family or something?" he asked.
"No the order of the white knights was my family." I said as tears welled in my eyes.
The world guardian sighed, "Very well, follow me." he said.
I followed him traversing the landscape until we found our way to varrock. He took me to the grand exchange. I went to sell the glaive, but the world guardian stopped me. He placed some orders and soon he had given me a new set of armor, weapons and supplies.
"Take this, should get you somewhere, mithril is more sturdy than the white knight armor, and here is some gold so you can get a room somewhere for awhile." he said as he handed me what seemed like millions of gold.
"What do i do with the glaive?" I asked.
"Keep it." he responded.
I was shocked and was about yell but he spoke again. "Keep it, become stronger, and learn to use it." He spoke with sternness.
"Why?" I asked.
"So next time you see gregorovic, you'll be the one killing him with his own glaive." the world guardian finished.
The world guardian turned and left. I saw him leave.
I looked down at the glaive.
"Yes, next time it won't be a slaughter of sheep, it will be a slaughter of the faceless." i whispered to myself.