The Upper Hand
The room was slowly filling with Gielinor's elite members. Some took their seats as others that were already seated carried on silent conversations with their advisors. When all the men took their seats at the long table, Jericho took a moment to glance out the large window overlooking a good portion of Falador. He stood on the left side of the seated Commodore Tyr, leader and mentor of the Void Knights. On the Commodore's right was Captain Sheppard, a formidable fighter and captain of the Void Knights. Sir Varze stood at the end of the table, preparing to address the group.
"Esteemed guests, we are honored to have you here in our beautiful city, and appreciate your haste in coming here regarding our urgent meeting. You are all very busy men, and we will not waste your time. As you are aware, Misthalin and Asgarnia has been recently plagued by strange attacks on supply convoys, and despite our best efforts to reinforce security it doesn't seem to be letting up."
"Starting last week similar occurrences have been reported throughout Kandarin." King Thoros, leader of East Ardougne, said.
"Which is why we need to figure out what is going on, and thanks to some recent intel we can shed some light on this situation. We have recently taken in a Kinshra knight that is one of the only known survivors of such an attack, and thanks to his information we seem to have found who is attacking the convoys. Sir Cashien, if you will?"
"Gladly." The old knight said, standing up and clearing his throat. "It seems that the attackers use a type of spell that swiftly kills the personnel attached to the convoy. We were uncertain of what spell could possibly do this without physical alterations to the environment, until the living Kinshra witness described it. His description of the attack matched that of a spell that former serial killer Solus Dellagar was known to use. It's an ancient spell called Smoke Barrage, and the white cloud it produces is extremely poisonous. This allows the assailants to quickly dispatch the security detail and from there we assume they bring in more people to help quickly steal the supplies and hide the bodies."
"How do we combat such an attack?" King Roland asked.
"While the spell is very poisonous, it can still be countered by a simple anti-poison." Proselyte Sidaros answered, "This is how the Kinshra knight survived the attack. However, he did note that the two attackers were 'armed to the teeth' and very powerful, so we must assume that they're very dangerous and skilled in combat." King Thoros' advisor mumbled something in his ear, and Thoros nodded in agreement.
"Who then is responsible for these attacks? Surely this isn't just a rogue party?"
"Initially we assumed it was the Kinshra." Sir Varze answered, "But due to the well-organized way they were being carried out as well as the fact that the Kinshra themselves are being harassed by the same party, we've come to a different conclusion. Commodore?"
"The description given by the soldier matches that of a group we call the Cult of Zaros." The commodore said, glancing at everyone's faces. The look of concern on most of them meant they knew who he was talking about. "They're a splinter of the group of Bedabins in the far south of the Kharidian desert. Little is known about them other than their goal is to attempt to bring Zaros back to Gielinor. At first there wasn't much known activity from them, but recently our informants have alerted us that their numbers are growing every day. Fanatics seek out and join the group drawn to the promise the group makes about making a new world. To me, it seems like they're planning something. We're still trying to figure out what."
"Are they all that powerful then?" Duke Horacio asked nervously, "How do we stand a chance at stopping them?"
"Not all are as powerful as the attackers the Kinshra described. Surely there is a few key leaders that wield such power and weapons but from what I'm told much of their forces are simply petty criminals and other low lives that join up simply for the loot and glory."
"As they're well organized, we must treat them as an opposing military force." Sir Varze said, "They could have spies, supply routes, a main base of operations and outposts." He walked to the wall where there was a large map of Gielinor hung up. "Located here is the Jaldraocht Pyramid." He said, pointing at the map towards the southernmost point in the Kandarin desert. "While unconfirmed, we have a reason to believe this is where they have their primary headquarters."
"That's at least a week's journey from the Shanty Pass." Prince Ali said, "Surely they have an outpost closer where they are collecting the stolen supplies?"
"Our thoughts exactly, which is why we've come up with a plan to capture and interrogate them known as 'Operation Uppercut.' Proselyte Sidaros?"
"Yes sir." He said, walking up to the map. He traced his finger along the route that connects Falador to Rimmington. "We are going to create a 'convoy' that leaves Falador at dusk bound for Rimmington. Each member of the convoy will have an anti-poison flask on hand so that when the attack strikes, they will know to immediately drop to the ground and drink the flask to counter the poison. When that happens, Corporal Jericho will use his magic to quickly disperse the smoke, and we will attack them. Ancient magic is known to be very powerful and deadly, but unlike normal spells it requires a moment of concentration before it can be used to its full effect. To do otherwise leaves the user severely weakened and unable to use magic of any kind, as we observed with Solus moments before his death. We can use that against our attackers, as they will be unable to retaliate with ancient magic once we spring the trap. They might be strong, but they will be overwhelmed." Proselyte Sidaros looked around the room, "Does it sound like a plan?" The men in the room nodded in agreement.
"Very good." Sir Varze said, "Once we capture them we will send word to you all. This adjourns our meeting, gentlemen. Safe travels." The men in the room began to slowly shuffle out as silent murmurs filled the air. Jericho walked over to Sir Varze and Proselyte Sidaros, who were talking by the map. Sir Varze had a look of uncertainty
"…Shouldn't have too much of a problem." Sidaros said, "after all, we have a Void Knight here to back us up. Isn't that right, Corporal?" Jericho nodded at Sidaros and turned to Sir Varze.
"This isn't my first encounter with a magic user, Sir Varze." Jericho said, "I have a little trick I use to disable magic users. The plan will go without a hitch."
"If you're certain, Corporal." Sir Varze said, "I just don't want to see any more lives lost to these monsters."
"I agree." Sidaros said, "Hopefully we can use the information from the captured attackers to finally put an end to this madness." Jericho nodded in agreement. He wasn't the slightest bit worried by them. Years of training and combat against the Pests and enemies beyond have tempered him into a formidable warrior, despite only being 21. That and along with his adept skill of magic, this will go on without a hitch.
I almost feel bad for them… Jericho thought to himself as he grinned.
"Are the preparations complete, Krystal?" The hooded figure said, entering the dimly lit room. Only one figure occupied the area, sitting in a meditative position. Before her was a shrine dedicated to the Dark Lord.
"Yes, master." She said, standing up. She put up her long, dark hair into a bun, and turned around. "Our spies have notified us that the convoy leaves Falador tonight. I will lead the assault team and the plan will go as usual."
"This will be your first time leading alone. Are you prepared?" The ancient voice said. It had a mystical sound to it, very deep and very dark.
"Yes, master. I have trained for this." She said, in a voice of strong confidence. Her purple eyes burned with conviction.
"Very well. Zaros guide you." The man said, bowing to her.
"Zaros guide you." She said, returning the bow. She turned and walked to her weapons locker as the dark figure left the room. She opened the locker and grabbed the deadly red longsword, and tied the sheath belt around her waist. I am ready. She thought to herself, it is my time to prove myself to my superiors and subordinates. And to Zaros. As she finished putting her various weapons on, she took one last look at the shrine. "Glory to the Dark Lord." She said out loud, and held her arms in the air. A transparent purple box formed around her, and she disappeared.
