Yeah, it took me long enough, but it's here, so enjoy it.
Chapter 8: The Ancestor Druid
Urantan appeared within the pub in a flutter of blue robes, panting heavily. Without looking around, he took a few steps forward and collapsed into the first chair he found. After a few deep breaths, he opened his eyes, to find the pub was empty.
"Urantan! Where were you?" Urantan moved his head slightly, acknowledging the young boy, who quickly sat in the chair across from him. "Well? I want answers!"
"In a moment!" snapped Urantan, who was withdrawing a small glass and runes form his cloak. James noticed Urantan's mind had begun to wander, probably thinking of some new spell, since he had sat there for a long moment, staring into space. "No, it couldn't be done," said Urantan plainly, setting the glass on the table and conjuring a bit of water into it, which he hastily gulped down, and refilled. After this went on a few times, James couldn't wait anymore.
"What couldn't be done?" he asked excitedly.
"I was merely wondering if I'd be able to create brandy from magic, but soon realized that I do not have an alcohol rune, although it would be an interesting experiment."
James stared at him for a moment, not quite sure how to react. Finally resisting the urge to laugh, he merely stared at Urantan, hoping for actual answers.
"There are, of course, much more pressing matters. After we had slain the demon, I wasted no time going to Ardougne."
"Why?"
"Well, where else would the wizards go? The seers had never been one for the wizards, who never seemed to have taken them seriously, and there was little for them in Catherby. Logically, that left Ardougne, a city so big there was originally talk of splitting it in two, and having to separate cities. The wizards are really all that is left of Falador, although Burthorpe bears them allegiance. The ranks of white knights in the Burthorpe army, small to begin with, have nearly been wiped out. By the time I am telling you this, I am hopeful that they have been nearly obliterated."
"Why! What's going on?"
"Well, the wizards reached Ardougne and assassinated the king. I helped kill the king's murderer, but it took nearly all of my strength, and I quickly teleported here, where I am hardly in any position to teleport back of my own power. Meanwhile, the rest of the wizards attacked the city, and I am almost sure that the Burthorpe army has gone as well."
"They have," said James grimly, thinking of all the innocent people that would die today.
"How do you know?"
"A few druids told us about it. Well, not exactly that, but they told us that nearly all of the Burthorpians were passing over the Whitewolf mountains."
"But if they just told you they can't possibly be anywhere near Ardougne!" said Urantan with glee, thinking they had a few more precious days.
"They told us that they had left about a week ago, maybe more."
"Then why are they here now?" asked Urantan, puzzled.
"My trial," said James plainly. "I wasn't able to avoid coming back."
"Where are the others?"
"Haddlin's funeral." At this, James looked down at his feet, hoping Urantan wouldn't question him about it. He gazed upward, and Urantan looked at him understandingly.
"Bartender," shouted Urantan, looking towards him, "two glasses of ale please." The bartender hastily walked over to them, carefully placing the drinks in front of them. "To Haddlin," said Urantan softly, raising his glass. James did the same, and they drank to their lost friend. Neither said anything for a few moments, although every once in awhile James would look out the window, towards the funeral procession. Finally, Urantan broke the silence. "We can't stay here."
"Why?"
"Ardougne is still under siege, and we can't let that happen. The longer we wait, the worse condition we find it in. Come, we have to get the others."
James nodded, and stood up reluctantly. The two made they're way out of the bar, and towards the village square on the east side of town.
"So, how exactly will we get there, you said yourself you're too weak. Which means I also have to ask, how much help can we be?"
"Which is why I'm glad I found you first, we need the druids' help."
"Urantan, I spent a long time living with the druids. Technically, I am one. So believe me when I tell you that they will not help. They believe in balance."
"But there is far too much corruption in the world; they need to help stop it. Surely they would understand this."
"If there is too much corruption, they believe Guthix will handle it. The fact that Guthix has not intervened, nor told them to, means they will not act."
Urantan let out a long sigh. He had a feeling this would happen, but he thought it would be worth trying anyway. "Is there any other way to convince them to help?"
"None that we could take advantage of immediately."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, there may be a way to convince them, but we could never do so in time to help Ardougne."
The truth of the matter hit Urantan. Nothing could be done for the people of Ardougne. Nothing. They were doomed.
"I'm sorry," said James, surprised at how emotionally attached Urantan was to this city. He knew Urantan really was a great person, but he should've known that the druids would never agree, it seemed that Urantan was getting desperate, which was clouding his judgment. Before James could say anything more to him, Urantan began to weep. At last he turned to James.
"Tell me, what could be done to persuade the druids?"
"Urantan, have you ever heard of the ancestor druids?"
James was interrupted by a sweet melody. He hadn't even realized how close they had come to the funeral procession. The song was being played on a large harp, accompanied by a man playing the lute. Haddlins coffin lay on a small platform, resting on top of a pile of sticks and branches. As the song was finished four mages, who stood at the corners of the pile, sent a fire spell towards the coffin, immediately setting the funeral pyre ablaze. It burnt for a long while, until finally the fire died down, and there was nothing left.
The mages continued the ceremony, withdrawing large amounts of runes. They used earth runes to make a large stone basin, landing it on top of the platform, completely smothering the fire. Next, a large stone block was placed in the center of the basin, which was slowly chiseled away by unseen hands. When it was done, there stood a statue of Haddlin, pointing an arrow straight at the sky. One of the mages withdraw a few water runes from inside his robes and made four jets of water shoot from the tip of the arrow, filling the stone basin. After a few minutes the area cleared, leaving only five people. Three of them stood around the statue, their heads bowed low. James stood next to them, he too paying his respects. Urantan stood back, deciding to wait for them to be done.
"James," at the word the eldest of the men looked up, but the speaker ignored him. "I know you think this is somehow your fault, but it's not. There was nothing you could have done."
James merely nodded and continued staring at the ground.
"You didn't tell me James was here, or that he was alive!" The man stared at James, hoping for a response.
"Yes, I lived, and I've atoned for my sins. I now serve Varrock one again, and I led the attack on the wizards tower. I'd like to apologize to you, for betraying you."
Danik looked to Mark and Merk, who nodded. "I… accept your apology, only because these two seem to vouch for your loyalty. Had we met alone, I can't say I would think the same."
"Well, this is great. I do hate to interrupt, but we have more pressing matters!"
"Who's this?" asked Danik, staring at Urantan as if he wasn't human.
"That's Urantan, he's helped me and Varrock out a lot, you can trust him, and I think you should listen to him," replied James, who motioned for Urantan to continue.
"Right, well, Ardougne is under attack. I'm guessing it's about to fall as we speak."
"To who?" questioned Mark.
"The wizards who escaped of course. There's no way we could get back in time, and if we could, we wouldn't be of much help, but James seemed to have an idea. James, if you will."
"Well, I was about to tell you about the Ancestor Druids. Like I told you, the druids are only allowed to intervene on something like this if Guthix says so himself, but they are also commanded to listen to the request of an ancestor druid."
"But that was back in the days when the ancestor druids were still alive. Now it is merely something to go along with the stories of the third age," retorted Urantan, clearly thinking James was crazy.
"They say there is one ancestor druid left. It may be only a rumor, but you have to admit, it's the best chance we have."
"Why can't we just ask someone else for help?" asked Danik.
"Well, one, it'll be hard to get anyone else to listen to us, the current world leaders hardly care about the fate of Ardougne, as long as it doesn't affect them. The fighters we recruit will have to be either amazingly powerful, or we'll need thousands of them. I doubt we can get the latter, so we must go for amazingly powerful. Even if there are enough people we could find to help us, they'd be scattered. Yet, all the combined power of the druids would easily be enough. They are said to posses knowledge of spells that can destroy cities. If we can find a way to get the druids on our side, it shall be worthwhile. On top of that, although we can't get there before Ardougne is lost, I'd like to take it back before it's been corrupted for too long."
"Just one problem, didn't you say it's only a rumor that one of these Ancestor Druids is still alive?"
"Well, we shall check. James, where does the Ancestor Guardian live?"
"Lumbridge," responded James, although he obviously wasn't telling them everything he knew. "Just let me prepare some supplies, then we can all leave tomorrow. Until then, do whatever you wish." And without another word James walked off, disappearing into the distant crowd of the marketplace.
"Now what?" asked Merk.
"Well, I'm tired, I'm going to bed," said Urantan, who walked off and retreated into the inn.
"So, you guys actually trust James," asked Danik, still in disbelief.
"I trust him with my life," replied Mark. Merk nodded in agreement. Danik merely sighed in response.
"I don't know, after what happened to Haddlin…"
"Don't you start too!" yelled Merk. "James feels bad enough about it, and it wasn't even his fault. Don't go making it worse!"
"Relax, I wasn't going to say anything to his face, I'm just not sure what to think of him."
"Well, you're going to have to, since you're coming with us," replied Mark, who walked away, Merk followed behind him.
"I'm getting to old for this," said Danik under his breath.
The next morning they all met at Falador's south gate. Urantan looked much cheerier than the day before, although still looking tired and weak. Mark, Merk, and Danik were still thinking of yesterday, looking almost on the verge of tears. They were snapped back into reality when they saw James approaching with three large bags.
"Take them," he said, tossing one to Danik and one to Mark. Mark and Danik peered into theirs, finding a coil of rope, food, a lantern, two canteens full of water, and a small dagger made of steel. They assumed James' contained the same.
"What's all this for?" asked Mark, testing it's weight.
"The journey of course. Are we ready to go?"
"Yeah," said Danik, already having slung his over his back. Mark did the same, and the group head out.
They were silent for most of the journey, but James didn't complain. He needed some time to think. They walked for a long time, stopping to rest for Urantan every once in awhile. As they passed Port Sarim later near the evening, James felt the cool sea breeze, thinking back to the last time he felt the wind on his face here.
"So long ago," he said to himself, stopping to admire the port, or what he could see of it. The others stopped as well, also admiring the port, thinking back. James almost felt Sakir's presence within the group. He could almost see him, standing next to him. He looked to his left, at Danik. He felt like if he listened closely, he would hear Haddlin discussing something with him.
"We… we should go," said Danik softly, his eyes beginning to water. They nodded, and continued to walk, memories fresh in their mind.
They finally stopped for the night where the road went three separate directions. Draynor was to the south, Lumbridge straight ahead, and some creepy forest to the north. They decided to head a bit to the north, stopping before the forest, to set up camp.
"So James, can you give us some kind of idea on where we're going?" asked Danik, who was lighting up his pipe.
"They say the ancestor druid lives in the catacombs beneath Lumbridge. There's two known entrances, under the castle kitchens and in the swamps."
"So basically," said Mark, "There's no way we're getting in. They're not going to let you in the swamps, where all the people of Draynor are currently staying. And they're definitely not going to let you in the castle. They have really high security going on right now."
"Would they even remember what I look like?" asked James, who very much doubted it.
"Well, you'd be recognized, trust me." replied Danik.
"The security is that tight huh?
"I don't know if it would be security that would recognize you."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, James, when you left, you left your father alone. He is getting old, and having trouble doing work." James closed his eyes and sighed. He had completely forgotten what his father would do without him. Danik decided to wait a minute before continuing. "They let him stay at the refugee camp, they said he once served in the army and was now entitled to some privileges." Urantan looked up and smiled. He let out a quick chuckle and returned to the book he was reading.
James sighed, a mix of relief and nervousness, ignoring Urantan completely. He turned around and rummaged through his pack, pulling out a small mask that matched the rest of his outfit.
"Yeah, you want look suspicious wearing that," said Mark. James tightened his grip and dropped it back in his bag.
"So, are you proposing we sneak into the castle," asked James, clearly thinking the idea was insane.
"Not at all. We'll just have to be extra careful. I'm thinking we just go in at night and try to explain to the guards what's going on." answered Danik.
"Whatever you say. Personally, I'm tired, and I just want some sleep. We can figure it out tomorrow." said James. No one else replied, so James laid down on the ground, wishing he had remembered to bring a blanket.
James woke up to see everyone else was already to go. He yawned and stood up, sore from sleeping on the ground. He grabbed his bag and slung it over his back quickly, wanting to leave. When everyone else was ready, they returned to the path and head southeast, hoping to dodge Draynor completely.
They were silent during most of the journey, giving James time to enjoy the scenery. He watched the squirrels and rabbit run around looking for food. Bugs flew by, and in the distance he saw a few giant spiders. Trees were placed sparsely around the landscape. It seemed so peaceful, separated from the world. He wouldn't have minded living here.
When they realized they were close they stopped, wanting to wait until nightfall. James walked over to the log that looked good enough to sit on, and practically fell onto it. The rest of them either found a tree stump or a nice patch of grass to sit on. No one wanted to talk much, which was fine with James. He wasn't really in the mood to talk. He just closed his eyes and dropped his head, hoping to have a chance to relax. He heard conversations going on, but decided to ignore it.
"James!" James looked up to see Urantan was looking at him, as was everyone else. "We've been calling your name for a good minute."
"Oh, sorry," said James. "What did you want?"
"I'm not quite sure I get it, what exactly are you asking this ancestor druid, if he exists."
"I'll ask if he can somehow convince the druids to fight with us, I'm sure he must have means of communication with the druids, the ancestor druids have direct ties with Guthix."
"Yeah, but how do we know they'll be persuaded?" asked Mark, Merk nodded in agreement.
"We have to trust James!" snapped Urantan, finally looking up from his book. "This is the only chance we have, so let's just have a little faith, think of how important this is. I trust James, do you?"
"Yes," said Mark adamantly.
"Me to," agreed Merk with just as much conviction.
"Danik, do you trust me?" asked James, staring at him.
Danik didn't answer right away. Instead he put his head in his hands and let out a sigh. Then he looked up, and after seeing James again, he stared back at the ground, needing more time to think. The silence went on for a long while, with Danik looking in different directions, trying to buy time. Finally, he put his head up and looked James in the eye.
"I trust you James. Now come on, in case you didn't notice, its dark out, or dark enough. We should go." He stood up and wasted no time walking south towards the camp. Everyone else stood up and followed.
They soon approached an area with a fence running along what seemed to be the entire swamps to the north, and a row of guards standing along the west. They approached the guards, Danik and front and James in the back, who was trying to keep his head low. They looked past the guards and noticed very few people were still out and about.
"General Danik Melaius of Varrock. I have business within the Lumbridge swamps."
"Do you have any identification?" asked the guard skeptically.
Danik withdrew his sword from its sheath, which was much different from his old one. There were markings all along the sword, which was made of a dark blue substance. Where the hilt and the blade met James could just make at Danik's name.
"Are all these people with you?"
"Yes, I'm sure you know Mark and Merk, and you've possibly heard of Urantan. And in the back is…"
"My name is Rikas," James cut in. The guard just nodded and motioned for them to pass.
As they walked ahead, James could hear two guards speaking behind him.
"I swear it's him!"
"And how would you know?"
"I lived in Lumbridge my whole life, and so did he! I recognize his voice, I'm telling you."
"A voice isn't enough to go by!"
James noticed they had stopped talking. He chanced a glance back to see that they were staring at him. The first guard seemed to look at him quizzically, but the other still seemed sure of his assumption.
"You, Rikas. Come over here." James froze. This wasn't good. The rest of the group had now stopped and looked at him curiously. Urantan seemed to have already figured out what was going on. A quick glance around showed that they were drawing attention. "I said get over here!" yelled the guard once more.
He had no idea what to do. By going over there, he was sure to be recognized, and if he didn't, there would obviously be problems. He turned to Danik for helped, but Danik just looked at him. James could tell there was nothing he could do.
"James, is that you?" asked the second guard, pretending that the first guard had never spoken. At the sound of his name, more and more people were gathering around. "It is you isn't it?" James said nothing.
The first guard withdrew his weapon, and motioned for the second guard to do the same. He complied reluctantly.
"Take off the mask!" ordered the first guard. A few more guards were now joining the commotion. James noticed they were coming from different directions. Soon, they would be surrounded. "I said, take off the mask."
James looked around once again. People were gathering faster, all eager to see James Farmer. More guards were approaching, weapons ready. As he scanned the crowd, he saw a familiar face, his father. He looked at him knowingly, his eyes filled with disappointment. It took all of James' willpower not to run to him.
"I… I…" he looked at Danik, who was shaking his head, as was Urantan. "Run!" he shouted, and broke off. He caught up to the group and charged forward, everyone else following in tow. The guards had already run after them, shouting orders and telling them to stop.
"Do we have any idea where this place is?" asked Merk, glancing back at the chasing guards. He stumbled forward and screamed, before regaining his balance. An arrow was stuck in his shoulder, gleaming in blood. No one answered him, they just kept running.
Finally, up ahead, James could make out the entrance of a large whole in the ground. The others saw it to, and they ran a bit faster. When they made it, James peered downwards quickly before taking out his rope. He tied it as quickly as could, making sure it was secure, before quickly climbing down, dropping the last few feet. He yelled for the others to do the same. They climbed down as carefully as possible, arrows flying over their heads.
They all reached the bottom and tried to look around, but couldn't see a thing. A faint light shone through the entrance, but James still couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him. Danik grabbed him and pushed him up against the wall, and the others did the same.
"What if they try to climb down the rope?" he whispered to Danik.
"Then we fight them." replied Danik calmly.
"You would actually fight them?" asked James, horrified at the idea of taking another's life because of a misunderstanding.
"They sure seem ready to fight us. Be quiet." James just nodded, which he realized Danik couldn't even see, and tried to see through the opening. Because of the angle, he could only see the guards' feet, but he could still hear their voices.
"Should we go down there?" asked the first guard. James noted a hint of fear in his voice.
"No, they'll die in their. We should probably report this to the council though, they'll be pleased. They won't have to go through the mess of the trial."
"But what if they live."
"Then it's not our problem, it's theirs. We're here to guard the people here, not to kill criminals."
"Besides," said the guard, who James recognized. It was the one who had said he had already known him. "He may have ended up going to the trial and being cleared. Then what if we had killed him?"
"Then we'd never know, or care. Come on, let's just leave." The other guards seemed to agree, and James noticed the feet disappearing. After a long moment, Merk broke the silence.
"Can anyone help me here?" he asked, grunting in pain. James quickly took out his lantern and lit it, looking at everyone's face. Merk looked pale, and he was losing a large amount of blood. Danik slowly pulled the arrow out, and ripped a bit of his own shirt off to tie around Merk's shoulder. Merk experimentally moved his arm a bit, and winced.
"It'll have to do. Let's go," he said determinedly. The others nodded, James took the lead.
Unfortunately James had no idea where he was going. He knew that the catacombs would be hard to navigate, but he hadn't figured on this. Especially it being this dark. Every once in awhile they would pass some monsters, some looking hostile, and others looking they didn't care. Either way, they chose to avoid anything they could see, which wasn't much.
They came across a narrow passage that they would have to walk through single file. James went first, walking through with caution. As he was about halfway down the corridor, a giant hand reached out of the wall and grabbed his head, lifting him in the air and shaking him vigorously. James screamed in pain, and Danik rushed over, drawing his sword.
Before Danik could do anything, James was grabbed and pulled into the wall through the small opening, dropping his lantern on the way in. He continued to thrash around until the hand let go of him, dropping him hard on the ground. At this point James had no idea where he was, he couldn't no longer see the opening. Worse, he knew that the hand was here somewhere, and with it the monster it belonged to.
He tried to stand up, but hit his ahead against the ceiling. Cursing quietly, and was forced to stoop his head and slouch. While walking, he tripped and fell to the ground. Looking back, he tried to see what he tripped on, but couldn't see anything. He sat there for a moment, trying to find it, but couldn't make anything out.
"James!" he heard Danik yell from the outside. For some reason, he couldn't quite place the direction it was coming from. Instead, he crawled back to what he had tripped on. He cautiously reached out his hand and touched it. It was long, and hard, and was oddly shaped. He picked it up and held it to his face, where he could just barely see it. He threw it the ground and backed up against a wall. It was a human bone.
He heard a hissing noise, and looked around, trying to place it. Without warning, he was picked up again at the stomach. The hand hit him against the walls and threw him, before he was picked up by a different hand. A horrible smell filled his nostrils as a shape seemed to appear in front of his face. It was large and the same color as the hands. He finally realized it was the face of the monster. It opened its mouth, revealing two rows of sharp teeth. It was about to bite down before it let out a scream of agony. It dropped James on the ground and continued to scream. James also heard another noise, it sounted like a human. Finally, the noise died away, and he heard footsteps.
"Come on," said Danik, picking James up and carrying him out into the hallway. The group looked at him anxiously; waiting to see if he was okay. He smiled weakly, and Danik brought him into the next room. He sat James up against the wall, who tried to take deep breaths. The rest of the group let out a sigh of relief and sat down as well.
"I'm beginning to think this is a bad idea," said Mark. Danik grunted in agreement.
"Well that's odd," said Urantan. The others looked over at him. He was standing in front of what James assumed was water. In the center were large stones, just big enough for him to stand on. "It looks like these were placed here on purpose. And, that looks like a door on the other side. "This may be it!"
James stood up. Immediately he wished he hadn't. Merk ran to help him stand, but he pushed him away, using the wall for support. Panting heavily, he hobbled over to the pool of water. Then, testing his knees, he hopped over to the stone. He made it easily. He hopped to the second one, and then to the other side. Sighing in relief, the others followed after him.
They were surrounded by giant frogs, but thankfully these weren't hostile. When they were all together, they went through the door. On the other side, they were greeted by strange orbs of light floating around over a pit of nothing. The path veered to the left, appearing to stop.
They approached to find that they would have to climb down below them. They carefully slid the lanterns down, hoping they would stay lit. Fortunately, they were successful. They slowly and carefully climbed down, not wanting to slip. When everyone was together, they scooped up their lanterns and continued on.
"Who is there?" asked a strange voice. James ran forward, but immediately jumped back. In front of him was a giant serpent. It had coiled around itself, but if he had to guess he would say it was at least twenty five feet long. The others ran forward, but had much the same reaction as James.
James approached it first. "M-may I ask your name?"
"I am Juna, the Serpent. I am but a humble follower of Guthix."
"D-do you happen to be one of the ancestor druids?" asked James, becoming excited.
"Not many have figured out my identity, but not many have even found me, so I applaud you for that. Come closer." James obliged and stepped up, so that he was less than a foot away from Juna. "You wear our clothes. How did you get them?"
"I am a druid." replied James. "They fit my purpose far better than the robes."
"I always thought so as well. I grow tired, after living here for so long. Please, tell me a story."
"Umm, Juna, we require a favor." said Urantan, who decided to step forward.
"Tell me a story, and I will honor your request."
"We don't have any stories," declared Danik. "And we don't have time for this."
"Please, Danik, we shall honor her request. I will tell her my story, from the beginning." said James. Urantan chuckled, but James paid him no attention. The others sat down, Danik wished to listen as well. Mark, Merk, and Urantan listened closely as well, although they already heard the story many a time.
Juna looked very interested up to the very end, nodding intently, never interrupting. Finally James ended with: "And we need help from the druids to defeat Burthorpe, but the only way we can get their help is if Guthix, or an ancestor druid, mandates it."
"Your stories have amused me, my child. I will help you. You may leave, I will tell the druids of your wish. They will aid you." Urantan let out a great sigh of relief; James merely closed his eyes and smiled. "Oh yes, I almost forgot," said Juna. She slithered out to James' lantern and bit it. Venom from her fangs slowly seeped into the light, intensifying it greatly, almost too bright for them to look at. The entire room became illuminated. "This will not only guide your way, but it will protect you from the monsters in these caves. Go now, and visit poor Juna when you have more stories to tell."
"We will!" replied James, bowing low. He picked up the lantern and turned around, beginning the trek back. The others followed with new found spirits. They quickly scrambled up the wall and neared the door when they heard a noise.
"What was that?" asked Danik. It sounded like a human. No, multiple humans. Moments later, three old men in bright red robes rushed in the room.
"Chaos Druids," spat James, staring at the new arrivals.
"Chaos druids?" asked Danik, drawing his sword.
"They were once druids, but they now follow Zamorak. They have the power of a druid, and the kindness of a demon." Every once else withdrew their weapons. Finally, the center one spoke.
"And thanks to you, we have found the last Ancestor druid. He will do fine in the sacrifice!"
The druid then charged forward, wielding a dark blue sword much like Danik's. The left one withdrew some runes; the one on the right took out a bow. Danik wasted no time charging after the one with a sword. He sidestepped him and ran on, straight for James. Before Danik could run back after him he was hit by a giant ball of flame. He slowly picked himself up to see the wizard taking out more runes. Meanwhile, it was taking everyone else's efforts to hold back the others. Urantan and Mark were fighting the ranger together, just barely dodging his arrows. They zipped by their heads, making far too many close calls.
Merk and James were stuck fighting the sword wielder. He knew what he was doing as well. He charged forward, swinging expertly at the two boys. James just barely dodged the first swing, tearing the cloth on his arm. Merk used this time to charge the man, who side stepped and threw him towards the edge. Merk slipped off the cliff, just barely grabbing on with his left hand. The mage went to send a spell at him, but Danik rammed into him, knocking him off his balance.
As Merk slowly pulled himself up, Danik took care of the mage, and Mark and Urantan continued to dodge the arrows as best as they could, no one noticed James taking on the swordsman alone. The man charged at James, aiming for the knees. James twirled around and, finally having an opening, thrust his left claw into the man's back. He raised the other claw, but before he could finish it, the man twisted around, pulling the claw right off of James' hand. He ripped it out of his back and threw it on the ground.
"This is getting interesting!" he said, smiling. James grunted in response. The man charged at him, stabbing viciously at his chest. James barely dodged the attack; the edge of the sword grazing his side. James thrust his right claw out but missed the man completely, who had ducked.
He didn't notice the archer, who was aiming at James the whole time. An arrow hit James in the side, making him twirl around too face the archer.
"We'll take care of him, concentrate on your opponent!" yelled Urantan. James spun around just in time to see the swordsman thrust at him. James spun in just barely dodged it. He ran forward, to finish it, but he was stopped in his tracks.
He looked down at his chest, where the blue sword was thrust in, gleaming in his own blood. The man laughed and slowly pushed the sword in deeper. James fought back a scream, trying to grab the blade and pull it out. He reached into his shirt, looking for something he could use. He hand searched around, looking for runes, or anything. Finally, his finger hit something cool, and he felt the same gut wrenching experience he had before.
He was teleporting.
"James!" yelled Mark, who had stopped to watch what had just happened, that he didn't even notice the archer knock an arrow and hit him in the shoulder. He spun around from the force of the hit and grabbed his shoulder.
"Triux, Majaerin, we are done here." said the swordsmen. The others nodded, and all three withdrew rune stones. They said an incantation, and before anyone could stop them, they teleported away.
"What happened to James?" asked Merk, who had just made it over the edge.
"Well, assuming I'm correct, his finger accidentally slipped into the ring of life he stole from me awhile back."
"Ring of life?" asked Danik. "Isn't that the ring that teleports the wearer to safety when they are near death, healing them completely?"
"That is the one," replied Urantan.
"Where does it bring you?" asked Mark.
"To the city where you were born," replied Urantan.
"So James is back in Lumbridge?"
"No," murmured Urantan, who slowly closed his eyes, a tear forming on his cheek
