Chapter 26: The Stone Circle

The Christmas spirit left not long after New Year's Day. The Christmas trees and decorations were taken down, the snow melted, and my snow imp, sadly, informed me that he was going to return to the land of snow before the two planes separated, and he would return next December.

January arrived in a flurry of wind and rain. The despondent weather made me glad I wore my warm, comfortable Santa suit. I had to get rid of it when I was stared at in the streets.

One morning, I woke up to familiar, rather depressing sounds.

"Wake up, wake up, you log, we've got to go!" I heard Osrie1's voice yell. I groaned. I sat up blearily, rubbing my sore eyes. I looked around, and saw Osrie1 by my bed. Another familiar voice came from the door.

"Wake up, sleepy-head, my dear noob!" Capablanca shouted, brandishing his wake-up stick (or the stick of malice, I called it), preparing to poke me out of dream land. I jumped up quickly, grabbed my helmet, and set off out the hotel.

"I bought you breakfast, Capablanca said, handing me a meat sandwich. I munched on it gratefully.

Today was the day we were leaving Lumbridge. The other day we visited the wizard's tower, and Sedridor handed us a box to give to a rune salesman in Varrock. Inside there was a pile of notes and papers, the talisman, and a lump of grey, sparkling rock. I had this in my bag. We agreed to go to Varrock and settle down in there before exploring further. Varrock was a big place, from what I had heard. I now sat in the restaurant, having a final meal in Lumbridge. The mood was solemn. I was feeling rather gloomy that I had to leave Lumbridge. It felt like a home to me and it was going to be difficult settling in somewhere else. From what I had heard and read, Varrock was one of the biggest cities in RuneScape, second to cities such as Ardougne and Falador. Popping the last piece of meat into my mouth and chewing thoughtfully on it, I left the restaurant. I gave it a last fleeting look, before crossing the bridge into the unknown.

I saw Amy11 standing there, looking cute in a pink bow, beating the crap out of a goblin. That comes to show that you can't trust what you see on the outside, I thought. The goblin fell over winded, and she gave it a last kick in the chest. Groaning, it rolled over, and was replaced with a pile of bones, coins, and a bronze square shield. She scooped it up, looking furious. I stepped forward.

"Hello and why were you having a boxing match with a goblin?" I asked cheerfully. She sniggered.

"I was here, minding my own business, when a goblin came over and thought he'd be smart with me. So, I used self-defence. The other goblins ran away, crying like little girls," she giggled. I smiled.

"Well, goodbye Amy11, we are going to Varrock," I sighed. She stopped giggling.

"You're going?" she said, sounding incredulous and slightly sad.

"Yes. Of course, you're more then welcome to come with us," I said hopefully. Osrie1 elbowed me in the side and hissed in my ear "Uncalled for!" Capablanca looked slightly put out.

"I'd love to tag along!" Amy11 grinned. She grabbed my hand, and started frogmarching me on the path leading to Varrock. Osrie1 looked slightly unhappy, while Capablanca wolf-whistled.

When Amy11 had decided to stop leading, she decided it was better to follow. I went ahead, past the wooden bridge, past the chicken coop (I gulped nervously) and finally, past a potato field and a gate. I looked behind me and saw, in the distance, the ruined house that I had met Sir Vant in, the shop, and Farmer Fred's sheep farm. So many good memories…..a tear fell from the corner of my eye. Amy11 squeezed my hand, and I squeezed it back. I stepped forward, abandoning my past, and treading into unknown and unfamiliar waters.

There were two paths here. There was a man here, in an empty wooden cart, snoozing quietly. I looked to the left. In that direction, there was a rather ornate marble house, and a stone pillar, as far as we could see. To the right, there was corner, and past this corner was a bear. The large, filthy, aggressive-looking beast snarled at us in the distance. I decided it would be unwise to seek a fight with such a dangerous beast, and went in the direction of the ornate marble building.

I turned the corner at the end of the path, with my gang in my footsteps. The ornate marble building had a small chicken coop at the side. If I had known that, I would have rather fought with the bear. There were large marble steps with pillars on the sides of them, and on top of a yew door there was a Latin phrase engraved there. It read, caveo, tantum verus champions mas penetro Dolus don Champions. I then felt disappointed that I couldn't read Latin. I decided to enter and ask about the phrase. I could distinguish 'Champions', but the rest felt like total gibberish. I tried the handle, but some strange force blasted me back into a tree. Rubbing a lump on my head, and feeling concussed, I sat up. Apparently, I wasn't allowed in. I just decided to follow the path.

Near the end I gasped at what I saw. A very familiar stone circle stood there. I had heard about it and I even saw it in a dream. Large, collapsing stone pillars surrounded a large stone altar. The stone altar was chipped and cracked and glowed with an evil, unnatural force. Cloaked dark wizards surrounded the altar, performing dark spells on it. One strangely familiar wizard was pouring black, bubbling liquid into a steaming cauldron. The wizard looked up, and a flash of pure fury flew across his face when he saw me.

"You!" he bellowed, throwing the empty vial at me. I ducked, and the vial smashed in a pillar behind me. "You!" he repeated loudly, throwing a rock by his foot at me. I ducked again, and the rock hit Capablanca in the head. He moaned with pain, and rubbed the spot where the rock hit. A band of wizards attacked him, rendering him helpless to us. The wizard pulled his hood down, and revealed himself to be James.

James stepped forward, his face screwed up with rage. I backed away, while Osrie1 cowered from James. Capablanca rushed forward, but was swept away casually by a dark curse. Amy11 tried to knee James in the place where it would hurt the most for a man, but she was forced away by a band of dark wizards. One of them cast a large purple demon that James had tried to kill me with in Tutorial Island.

James hadn't changed much. His gorilla thumb moustache was still there, except it looked much filthier. His long and matted hair fell in hanks around his shoulders.

He took out an all too familiar mithril dagger, and threw it straight at Osrie1. Osrie1 dodged, but just barely. The dagger rose from the ground, and began chasing Osrie1 everywhere. James cackled as Osrie1 ran, squealing, around the stone circle, the flying dagger hot on his tail (or buttocks, in this case). James shouted 'Flames of Zamorak!' as flames engulfed Osrie1.

These flames were furious. They twisted into the shape of skeletons, rats, snakes, dragons, and didn't stop. They were so hot I felt you could roast metal on them. They were a tinge of purple, and they were so hot that even the earth below them burned. They rose up, and fell on top of Osrie1.

Osrie1 screamed. I rushed forward to try and help him. I turned to Capablanca and Amy11 for aid, but Capablanca was attempting to fight off the wizards that were attacking him, and Amy11 was unsuccessfully fighting off the purple demon.

I felt hopeless. Osrie1 was dead or surely dying, at the hands of these flames. Amy11 was being beaten up by a giant demon of purple flames. Capablanca was strong, and he could hold up against the wizards, but not for long. I, however, was dodging blasts of darkness, fire, water, earth, and even long blue cords of the snare spell. James tried to curse me, he tried to burn me, and he even tried to confuse me. The only thing I could do now was be quick and nimble to dodge these attacks. There was no point fighting. I knew you could regenerate in Lumbridge, but it was rumoured that people were dying at the hands of possessed, evil animals every day, and they didn't return. I heard of dark wizards everywhere brutally killing people, and they didn't return either. What were the odds of me returning?

But then, a beacon of hope was lit in my stomach. I saw the familiar shape of Ilookgood99 coming form the distance. His bald head shone, and his face bore one of deep shock, sadness and anger when he saw the sight in front of him. Ilookgood99 clapped his hands, and the flames of Zamorak evaporated. The purple demon collapsed into dust, the wizards were blasted back, yelling, and James stopped abruptly at the sight of him.

"I warned you, James," Ilookgood99 growled when he was close enough. "What did I tell you? But you didn't listen. Do you know what you are helping these Zamorak supporters do? You're an everyday sneak, and the most wanted thief in RuneScape, not an evil, cold-blooded killer. I can't believe you. You're going to bring the downfall of life itself doing this. You must be stopped." And, with that, Ilookgood99 sent a quick flash of burning light at James. James keeled over, screaming. Before anything else could happen, he disappeared in a flash of blackness.

Ilookgood99 kneeled over the burnt, blackened, dying body of Osrie1. His bag lay nearby in tatters. Ilookgood99 sent a pure white glorious light at Osire1. The burns disappeared instantly. He clapped his hands, and Osrie1's bag lay there, good as new. Before I could say anything, he threw me what felt like a small, metal sphere. The sphere exploded, and suddenly I felt something that nearly gave me a heart attack.

I could hear hissing from behind my back. I turned around. Nobody was there. I felt something metallic on my back. I tried to feel, but there was nothing there. I heard mechanical clicking, but I couldn't track the source. I tried to see, but I couldn't. The dark wizards gasped. Amy11 looked utterly shocked. Then, as quickly as it came, the feeling and the sound was gone.

Ilookgood99 knelt next to me. He looked quite miserable. "I can't explain my actions right now. I won't explain to you what I'm doing. You need to accept the fact that it is all for the greater good. But remember, you're special. Don't bother asking, it is up to you to figure it out. When you finally do, it is time," he whispered urgently in my ear. With a swift wave of his cloak, he was gone.

I stood up. I decided there was no point mulling it all over in my head. I trusted Ilookgood99, though I was unnerved, frightened, and freaked out by him. What was this object on my back? What did these visions and dreams mean? What were the Zamorak supporters doing? I felt a grumble from my stomach. I decided it was best right now to have food and do our chore left to us from Sedridor. I sat up, joined Capablanca, Osrie1, and Amy11, and we left for Varrock.