Mathis Vendai stood at the Northern Gate of Falador. His face was worn out, smeared with blood; his chest heaved as he breathed heavily. He was obviously frustrated by something, or someone, looking at his expression. He slowly moved his eyeball to look out of the corner of his eye at someone standing a few yards away from him. Mathis strode forward slowly, stopping beneath a huge oak tree. Just as he suspected, a red-haired man took a few steps forward as well. Taking careful watch over him was a H.A.M (Human Against Monsters) member, clad in purplish-pink robes. Mathis' hair blew slightly in the breeze, and he continued to walk into Falador. There were strangely no guards in sight.
After his short tussle with the White Knights in the Grand Exchange of Ardougne, he had decided to take a look at Falador for himself. What happened in the Exchange was horrible; he had hidden behind a large counter and watched the clerks get slaughtered one by one as the White Knights ruthlessly stabbed them. Niles was even beheaded! Then he had watched the Knights take weapons and armor out of the storage boxes, apparently for their own use. He knew something was wrong for the usually noble knights to do such a dastardly deed. After escaping the terror-stricken Exchange, Mathis made final preparations and had journeyed to Falador. Along the way, he had killed five H.A.M members who were torturing a harmless Unicorn near Catherby, and when he left, the surviving member had followed him closely; through White Wolf Mountain's perils, down Taverley, all the way here. Mathis also noticed a Falador symbol on the H.A.M. man's robe top, small as it was. He had no idea if the H.A.M member was a White Knight in disguise, or simply someone who had lived in Falador once, joined the Human Against Monsters organization, and was now looking to avenge his comrades' deaths.
I need to do something about that man, Mathis thought tiredly as he headed into the city square briskly. The H.A.M member followed, dodging behind a column as Mathis turned his head slightly. Shaking his head, Mathis walked into the Rising Sun Inn for a quick drink. "I'll have a milk," Mathis ordered, tapping the counter for attention. The bar area was completely empty apart from him.
"Kay mate. That'll be fifty coins," the bartender replied.
"What the hell? Fifty coins? That's a complete rip-off!"
"I'm practically out of business even in such a grand city, what do you expect?"
"I'm practically broke, for god's sake! This is outrageous!"
With that, Mathis threw a dirty glance at the bartender, spun around, and marched out of the open doors. The bartender stared silently at the floor for a moment, and then headed back to clean his glasses.
"At this rate, my Inn's gonna collapse to the might of the White Shield," the bartender groaned, looking out of a side window at the newly-opened White Shield inn. He could make out customers piling up the bar room. The White Shield was making him bankrupt! All his old customers now headed to the White Shield for no apparent reason other than the wider variety of drinks and better design.
Mathis walked along a road, and he did not notice the H.A.M member still tailing him, dodging behind columns and bushes at every given chance. Mathis was extremely hungry, having run all the way from Ardougne. He walked into the Falador Market and caught sight of the food stall. His eyes brightened as he walked over, only to notice the price tag list taped on the side of the stall.
The jeweler grabbed Mathis and tried to pull him to his jewelry stall. "Yo, mate, why don't you buy my wares?" the jeweler exclaimed. Mathis shook him off and continued staring at the list.
Mathis' eyes widened in surprise. "No way! A Cake for 3,000 GP? Outrageous!"
As he read through the rest of the list, he was not surprised to see anything "chocolate" on it. Ever since the economic slump, chocolate had not been available for months except at the Gnome Stronghold, which was a fair distance away from his hometown of Ardougne. Barely any humans had the supplies to travel to the Stronghold due to the powerful beasts strolling the woods before it. Saliva trickled out of Mathis' mouth as he glanced longingly at the food. He glanced sneakily around, and the owner of the food stall was nowhere in sight.
"To hell with it…" Mathis muttered quietly. He looked around again, and quickly swiped a cake off the stall. He started to charge out of the marketplace with the cake safely in his hands, but just then the H.A.M member leapt out from behind a bunch of crates at the corner and pointed at Mathis. The H.A.M member started to cup his hands around his mouth, and Mathis froze.
"Thief alert! THIEF ALERT!" the H.A.M man boomed. The food stall owner strode out of a nearby house and gasped as he saw his cake in Mathis' hands. Mathis stood stunned as the owner rushed forward and grabbed the uneaten cake back; the H.A.M member strode forward quickly and knocked him out with a punch to the head.
Mathis woke up inside a pillory cell at the southern end of the city. He rubbed his sore head and sniffed his nose at an unpleasant smell. He found that his whole body had been splattered in smelly rotten tomato soup. A kid nearby had grabbed a rotten tomato off a crate and was now preparing to hurl it at Mathis. Mathis shook a fist at the kid, who dropped the tomato in alarm and ran off. Mathis looked around; it was already dead midnight. How long had he been knocked out? Shaking most of the slop off, Mathis brought out his Dragon Claws and easily slashed the lock off the sturdy cell door. He pushed it open and strode out. No one was around; the streets were silent. He swiftly travelled to the Falador Market and swiped all of the cakes from the food stall; he then darted out of sight behind an old house and devoured all six of the full-sized cakes in less than three minutes due to his hunger. As he ate the cakes happily, he did not notice the H.A.M member watching him intently from behind an oak tree nearby. Mathis suddenly felt exhausted from his long journey prior to entering the city, and walked over to the shade of a Yew tree. He collapsed onto his backpack and instantly fell into a deep sleep…the H.A.M member stared at his collapsed form one more time, and then walked away into the darkness.
Mathis awoke the next day. He stretched his weary arms high and yawned. He had a weird dream the night before, as if some huge battle was going to take place. He yawned again and forced himself up from the soft grass. Unfortunately, his racket had caused another inhabitant of the tree to awake. Mathis picked up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder as he started to walk forward, only to be knocked back onto the ground by a tramp naked to the waist, who had just wildly jumped down from the tree.
"Argh!" Mathis grunted as he landed on the ground.
"Where you going, mate?" the tramp exclaimed with a Karamjan accent.
Mathis glanced at the dirty tramp with dislike. Probably a Karamja refugee who escaped on one of the charter ships.
"Well, what were you doing here, scrawny guv?" the tramp persisted, showing a mouthful of black teeth.
"I was….sleeping here until you disturbed me!" Mathis angrily cried.
"I knew it!" the tramp crowed in delight. "But listen here, this he're is ma tree, you gots that? It's ma own propert'y, yeah? You bettah gettah outta here, scrawny dude, before I hound ya off meself!"
"I was just gonna go~"
"Say, ain't you fancy folk usually live in da fancy inn?" the tramp hollered. "Why we're you here sharin' ma tree, eh?"
"The inns are outrageous nowadays; their room rents; drink prices, all of it, it's all outrageously priced!" Mathis complained as he stood up, dusting his clothes.
"Ah, I see. Yer broke now, eh? With da whole economic thingy?"
"Yeah, you got that right. I had to reserve to the lowly life of a thief," Mathis answered, a bit sadly.
"Well, I see now. Yer a fellow tramp, aren't ya?" the tramp demanded, suddenly brandishing a gleaming iron dagger. "Homeless now, righ'? Well, yer welcome to stay here as long as you wants, tramp guv!"
"Look who's talking! I am not a tramp!" Mathis retorted. "Stop brandishing that sorry excuse for a weapon at me, tramp. I've got things to do, so let's call this a day and leave me alone."
"Golleeee! Me name is Kyioh, nice ta meecha, tramp guy!" the tramp proceeded to hold out an extremely dirty hand. It was covered with bird poop, nasty dung, dirt, and other various atrocities. He waited expectantly at Mathis, who almost vomited right there.
"No thanks, Kyle, I think I'll have to pass out on the offer. My name's Mathis Vendai, by the way."
"Ah, Mateees, eh? See ya!" Kyle the tramp waved his dirty hand, and scampered up into the tree like a squirrel.
Mathis shook his head. The world was full of weird people. He continued on, walking along a path to find out what to do next.
I, Mathis, headed northeast, towards the Falador Park. Slipping on a quick costume fashioned from stolen silk, I blended in as a clothing connoisseur visiting from Varrock, though I still smelled of rotten tomatoes. I saw some Guam lying on the ground near a tree, and hurried over to it. I picked it up and rubbed it all over myself roughly. The intense scent of Guam quickly and effectively destroyed the scent I had acquired from that night in the pillory. I loved ducks; maybe I could see some at the Park; I heard there was a pretty big pond there. I began to run, motivated by the very thought of flapping ducks!
I followed him. Behind trees, through windows, next to crates, I followed him wherever I could. Ever since I smuggled myself into that worthless group of H.A.M unicorn haters. That scoundrel who'd wreck the Serkotzul and Vyvin's plans. Mathis Vendai. The name was like poison to the mind. But why was I following him? Because he knew. He knew and he had to be killed: by me. Or else he would spread word of the plan to embezzle all of the gold in the world, bringing Kandarin and Misthalin to their worthless knees! He might even know about our plan to dominate, completely and utterly…
Ducks! Oh, wait, not again. That H.A.M guy is following me again. I can sense it perfectly. What should I do now….?
Vendai took off sprinting towards the Falador Park now. He was muttering something. "Ducks, ducks, ducks!" I dripped a few drops of 'Peter Potter's Patented Pure Posion Perfection' on my sword. The grimacing green liquid slid around on the flat side of the shiny blade swiftly. I put on some thick leather gloves and added an ingredient of my own. Cadava juice. I crushed a berry above my sword easily. Its juice mixed with the green poison, curdling and making a wide array of swirling, pretty colors. Pretty, but deadly, of course. I ran off behind him; my lightening boots covering up my sound. Lord Statius and Sir Vyvin would be happy to know I killed Mathis Vendai…
I stepped into Falador Park, but I had a bad feeling. He was coming. But then, I was prepared fully. Sorry, ducks, it'll have to wait before I can see you. I stood straight fully and prepared to counter my assassin.
Heh…that Vendai, what was wrong with him, standing there like a statue? Why wasn't he going near the pond to see his dear duckies? I chuckled, gripping my poisoned sword tightly, preparing to stab it into flesh.
I stood there calmly, hearing rapid footsteps behind me. Just as the sound of heavy breathing got louder, I spun around, in time to dodge the stab that would've caused my death. I landed near the long bench, and got out my Dragon Claws. The H.A.M member stood there, surprised that I managed to dodge his attack. But then, I was always the fastest one in my class, the one with the best reflexes. I calmly watched my enemy charge towards me for a second try at my life. It was time to finish off the guy who's been tailing me for so long. As the H.A.M man neared me, his face twisted in an expression of pure hatred, I used my Dragon Claws to slash him on the leg, causing a large gash. My enemy gasped in pain and staggered slightly; I raised my other Claw, ready to end his life. As I brought my Claw down with all my might, the H.A.M member lashed forward his sword, which was brimming with poison, with fast speed. I managed to swerve to the side, but the tip of the blade caught me slightly on the stomach, tearing the fabric. I quickly slammed the Claw onto his neck, slamming his whole body onto the ground. My attack probably broke his neck. However, my body was going numb at the same time. I felt sharp pain in my legs, and the cut caused by the sword exerted pure agony. My arms were going numb, as well as the rest of my body. I staggered and collapsed onto my knees, my mind screaming from the pain. I was losing consciousness as the poison pervaded quickly throughout my whole body; it was deadlier than I thought. However, I managed to use the last ounce of my strength to grab out a small antidote from my pocket. I forced the liquid down my aching throat as I collapsed, sapped of all strength.
Mathis woke up. His body had regained its original strength, and the pain had long rescinded. Mathis picked himself off the grass and walked over to his attacker, the H.A.M member. The man was dead, having died of the wound Mathis gave him. The deadly poisoned Sword laid on the ground next to the man's corpse, and Mathis was about to go before he noticed a small piece of papyrus next to the lifeless body. Mathis carefully stepped over the poisonous sword and picked the piece of papyrus up. On it was nearly illegible scrawl, and Mathis frowned before settling himself on the bench. He quickly read through the note silently.
To Sliske, Serkotzul member #2:
We must DESTROY the Bank System based in Ardougne and get all of the cash! All the gold will come straight to us, bringing Kandarin to its KNEES! All of that cash will be invested in WAR MACHINES to DESTROY Catherby and Burthorpe! We will succeed! We needn't worry about STUPID Taverley; they only have some WEAK GUTHIXIAN druids! We will CONQUER Gielinor if all goes well! WHICH IT WILL! I want you and your ELITE UNIT to go up to ARDOUGNE and IMPRISON all in power! Then, kill all bank clerks with NO prejudice! They will all know the PURE POWER of FALADOR! Lastly, if anyone finds out about the embezzlement, KILL THEM! PREFERBLY GET RID OF some of those annoying H.A.M pests along the way! Pretend to join them if you must! KILL! ASGARNIA OWNS!
Sir Vyvin, soon-to-be ruler of Gielinor (on orders from Lord Statius)
P.S. Lord Statius of Serkotzul is quite satisified with the progress. Your other Serkotzul comrades are hard at work, if all goes well, THE WORLD WILL BE IN THE HANDS OF THE WHITE KNIGHTS AND SERKOTZUL BOTH!
Holy crap. What the hell! Unbelievable. Sir Vyvin, one of the greatest White Knight leaders ever, was doing this! And who were the Serkotzul? Probably some evil organization in cahoots with the corrupt White Knights. This man, Sliske, who had tried to slay me, was a Serkotzul member. The word had to get out instantly, to some good ears! I walked out of the park, shaking my head, and noticed a group of people to the east. Apparently they were headed by a man named "Victor-Os." I ran over to them, sharing the news.
"HEY GUYS! LISTEN TO WHAT I DISCOVERED!"