RUNESCAPE – Academy
The guard stopped in front of a massive oak door. Anaesthia attempted to push it, but the door would not bulge. He searched for a door knob and could not find any.
"Step back."
Anaesthia did as he was told. He had better not protest in this new world that he knew nothing of. The guard took hold of his hand, and with his other free hand, he removed a glowing blue orb. He spun and threw it into the air and whilst it hovered in mid-air, he chanted "Obenia Sesomo". The guard raised his arm in the air and pointed his fingers at the orb. Green vine-like energy burst from his finger tips, striking at the orb. The blue orb, wrapped in green energy, shot blue and green lightning at the door. The door cracked open.
"Hurry in."
Anaesthia stepped into the Academy with the guard. The door slammed shut behind them.
"Nice magic."
"Thanks, it's the only magic I'm allowed to use. So I made sure I mastered it and made it as glamorous as possible."
"By the way. Did you chant 'open sesame'?"
"Yea. Someway or another, the principal modifies the spells of the old world. Security must be tight, at this time. Comeon, walk faster."
The guard pulled Anaesthia forward and walked down the corridor. The corridor was more of a maze. He figured out that it must be to ward off unwelcomed visitors. They reached a room and the guard knocked three times on the doors, then tapping 8 times with his fingers.
"What's that for?"
"Horse Code."
The door opened. It was dark inside. The only light source was that of a candle flame.
"Come boy, sit down."
The voice was old and ancient. The flame shone off an old man's face. The wrinkles on his face were more like cracks on a porcelain bowl. There was no-one else in the room. The guard had left.
"Welcome, boy, to the Academy. I am the principal. Your name's Anaesthia, I suppose?"
"Yes, sir."
"Pardon me for my bad memory. I'm very old, you see."
"How old?"
"As old as my tongue. A few months older than my teeth, boy. Saradomin founded the Academy. And he chose me as the principal of this school. He made me immortal, and yet, if I were to step out of this school, I am to die instantly, of old age. It is to ensure that I have no unhealthy thoughts of any form."
This is crap. Anaesthia shifted himself in his seat, uncomfortably. He must have said this a million times to others before him.
"The Academy's purpose, is to serve newcomers to the new world, the world of Runescape. We hope to guide our people unto the road of enlightenment, and make sure that they do not go the wrong way and serve Zamorak."
"Who's Zamorak?"
"Do not cut me. Zamorak is an evil god. He slayed his master and betrayed him, just to become a god."
He wanted to ask who was the master, but thought better of it.
"We shall assign you a professor. He will be your mentor for the first month. He will teach you the history of Runescape, the lands, the people and the monster. He will train you in agility, archery, mage and combat. He will also teach you herblore, crafting, fishing, mining, smithing, cooking, woodcutting, fletching and others skill. Listen. We do not teach you everything in Runescape. We only supply you the needs and basic skills for you to continue your life in Runescape. We do not leave you dying in this world you are new to. You will be assessed oftenly and finally, when you graduate from the Academy, we will assign you a job. Questions?"
"Isn't this like Harry Potter or something?"
"No, Anaesthia. The difference is, the mentor teaches you one to one. You are not stuck here in Academy. You do not have a different teacher for every subject. And, in the Academy, there are only a little over five hundred pupils. The old world is growing and advancing. The quality of life in your world has increased. Not many people chose to come to our world. Our world, though new, is forgotten. And many of those that arrive in our world dies from the great descent. Our population in Runescape is sustained by local reproduction. In fact, the world is occupied by many other races, that we have to make sure that their numbers do not overtake us so much that they start considering raids on us. Unlike Hogwarts, the Academy is nothing of an influential power in this world. We are the only school in this world. The local population do not find a need to attend the Academy. They have no need for knowledge and even if they have, they are trained by others."
"Whoa, I thought Harry Potter books are confined to the old world?"
"Nah. Once and then, The Wise One, Saradomin purchases items from the old world and brings them to me. We have to upkeep our knowledge of the old world and know what's happening over there."
"Did you come from the old world?"
"Yes. Don't ask me my name. I've forgotten it."
The principal stood up and raised his hands at the bookshelves. He pulled his hand backwards and then pushed forward. A bright orange light burned and shot from his palm, reaching the bookshelves and enveloping a couple of books. The principal, then closed his palm and the books appeared in his hands.
"Here's the books that you will need."
Anaesthia took the books. They were covered in a coat of dust.
"Don't slam it. Do it outside. My body is frail and I can't afford to have that dust in my lungs."
The principal turned around to face a door in the corner of the room.
"Follow me." He walked towards it and stuck a finger into the keyhole. His finger unmaterialized into a rod of yellow energy. The finger turned and the door opened. The principal kicked it open.
"Get in fast."
When they were in the room, the principal took a candle and lighted it. Then he placed it on the floor. The room was wide and vast. It was empty, and in the middle of it, was a diagram drawn in red chalk. It was a star with some weird symbols.
"Don't go near it."
The principal muttered something and he disappeared. In his place, was a knight in light blue armor. He was wielding a two-handed sword made of the same metal. He raised a hand and shot a blazing fireball to the middle of the diagram. There was a roar and black towering creature with two dragon-like wings and two horns on its head appeared. It had clawed hands and feet.
"Step away from the black demon."
The principal charged and leapt at the demon with his two-handed sword and brought it down at the demon's chest. The demon howled and swiped its clawed hand at the principal. He flew back and crashed against the wall. The black demon advanced towards the principal. Anaesthia realized that he was in the middle of the two.
"Anaesthia, get away!" The principal roared.
Anaesthia ran away and the principal, pounced at the demon, drawing its attention away from Anaesthia. Anaesthia was amazed at the agility of the old man. The principal dealt four slashes at the surprised demon, before he was kicked square in the chest by the demon's black clawed foot. The demon was bleeding profusely. Anaesthia turned to look at the principal's injuries. The armor he was wearing had masked any injury that the principal had.
The principal stood up and charged forward with less speed now. If Anaesthia was not wrong, the principal was in fact, limping. The principal swung his two-handed sword and sliced off the demon's left hand. The demon howled and dealt a blow at the principal's head with his remaining hand. The principal slumped to the ground.
"Shit," Anaesthia muttered. "If he's unconscious, I'm dead meat." The black demon stomped on the back of the principal, and there were unmistakable crackings of the bones.