A Grove buried, out of our Mines
The Signature Heroes squad went onward, bravery, at their breast, sweating, protruding-
"Excuse me sir would you like to use the air balloon?"
"Um, no thank you," Sir Owen replied.
And so forth they went, to their destination! To their destiny! Whatever Closure had written for them, they were prepared, with sound minds and adventurous vigor!
"Hey guys..."
"Oh, hey Orry." Linza said. Orry was a tall, tanned blonde chap. A little overweight, he'd had a rough day, and as chill as he seemed, didn't actually take a liking to his job, which is guarding the beacons of the grand city of Varrock! One of the greatest cities in all of Runescape!
Ruled by King Roald Remanis the 3rd and his ever beautiful Queen Ellamaria! Though some say she indeed rules the Kingdom, and the king is only her pawn. I've heard dark tales, dark tales indeed.
Of queen black dragon leather being shipped to the palace, and Fairylight whips, and rope from the yaks of Neitiznot, and that the Queen herself has shackled his majesty and called him of several words, among which, the "Vanilla cow" as my sources say, quite amuses the king, oh the travesty! What will become of this great Kingdom?!
And so they went, our heroes, ready for anything, and finally they came upon the said Woodcutters Grove at last.
Xenia and Linza stood guard near the fairy ring.
Oak, the main caretaker of this grove, hardly an arborist he still puts great integrity into his work and seeks the betterment of the surrounding trees; stood quite relaxed next to a common tree found in this part of the Kingdom of Misthalin.
"Greetings fellow adventurers, can I help you about the grove? I do know my master is not here at this time, hope I can be of service."
"Why, hello Mr. Oak, fellow man of Varrock, we were told, well, there was an ad you see, at the Blue Moon Inn, about adventurers needed to help solve the case here?" Ariane addressed.
"A case? I don't know about no case." Oak seemed confused.
"About the white man, with red blood stains." Ariane questioned Oak.
"Hm, I mean I saw a zombie looking the part not that long ago but I'm pretty sure there's no case for those, just a casket. Sorry to be of bother for you adventurers. Hope I can help you around the grove though. Just give me a shout." Oak smiled and continued to relax standing by the tree in an eerie and lazy kind of way.
"Oh for the love of-" Ozan was cut short of complaining.
"Wait a minute you impatient rascal, we have yet to ask anyone else who works here.
Hello? Excuse me miss."
"Willow is my name."
"Yes, well, Ms Willow. We would like to ask you a few questions."
"I'm sort of busy watching crops grow, talking to fairies, you know. What can I do you for?"
"Have you seen anything strange lately? Anything, out of place...?" Ariane asked. "It's just we-"
"Hold on, I'm gonna stop you right there sweetheart, now, I know Oak is a furry, I've accepted it, we all have round here, and if you dare spread the word around here, now you gonna break his poor little heart. Yes he dresses like a duck instead of an animal with fur, but he's still one of the community. You know? You have any idea how it feels to be gate kept? You probably wouldn't understand, none of them do, but that's why we gotta protect him. Make sure nobody else knows about this. Alright you go on now."
"..." Ariane.
"I- I just think, um, Ozan should ask the questions from now on."
"What? Why me? I think you're doing a great job."
"Ozan!"
"Psst!" Came the sound of a high but sharp whispering sound.
"What was that?" Ozan.
"It came from that bush over there." Sir Owen pointed.
Everyone saw the bush moving around everywhere like it was freaking out, then finally it stopped. The heroes looked closer and heard 'Psst!' again.
"Aye, I knew it was that bush." Sir Owen confirmed.
Ariane cornered it from one side and the others joined in. "Hold fast there! Who are you?!"
"I can't blow my cover, but... Something ain't right here, ain't been right here for a while!" The bush shook, though the heroes could swear they saw a penguin in there.
"What I'm about to tell you is code black top security, I repeat! Code black! I've seen some things. I've seen the man in white, the man in blood, human blood."
"Was it you who put the ad in the Blue Moon Inn?"
"Our ring has been having difficulty on this one, so we're pulling in the humans. We can't have this guy going for penguin blood, just can't. You humans figure it out, before it's too late, we're spread tight enough as it is."
"What exactly is going on? Where does the white man come from?" Sir Owen asked.
"They say it's not even a man, but a string of numbers, they say he used to be here."
"Used to be here? What does that even mean?"
"All I know so far, you humans figure it out, I'll report back when I can. Over and out!"
"Wait! Come back!" Ariane called as the bush scurried away.
"He's gone," Ariane wondered what to do.
"Calm down pretty, we don't need him, lets look for clues." Ozan said.
They walked into the woodland grove, there were lots of animals there, and other adventurers. There was a kingly stag, graceful, just wandering about to and fro. "I don't know Ozan, why would there be any evidence of something so obscure? Obviously it was probably just people killing each other on the other side of the wall, they do that.
"Maybe," said Ozan as he walked up to a stone that appeared to have blood on it, and the blood didn't seem that old. "Ariane, come here."
Ariane came over and saw the bloody stone, "Oh, how mysterious, Raptor! We need you."
The Raptor walked over, bent down to examine the blood. "..." The raptor takes out a bag and puts the stone in it carefully. "Ariane," the raptor finally spoke, "Take note that we found it by this yew tree, we need to keep a record of all details."
"Y-yes sir!" Ariane complied.
"Should this matter be brought up to the King? It is his territory after all." Ozan leaned against the yew tree.
"The King is well aware."
"Oh is that right?" Ozan challenged. "Should he not have a secret service to deal with this riffraff?"
"This is no common crime scene. The blood on this stone is a massive amount, and there is no other blood anywhere to be found."
"Oh are you suddenly not only up for chit chat, but an expert now?"
"Ozan get your head out of your pants and let the Raptor have a few lines of dialogue why don't you?"
"Well I'm simply not a covert person, I like dinner and a show and maybe some Wine of Zamorak, oh such a bold taste, ever tried?"
"It is an acquired taste." Xenia chimed in finally.
"Oooh, my dear Xenia, you and I need to hang out more often."
"Raptor, what is next?" Xenia asked, as though time wasn't entirely on her side anymore.
The Raptor replied, "Need to get this stone analyzed, very likely is the murder weapon."
"Ah so it's murder indeed. We have no body, no evidence of a crime."
"Perhaps. I will go now, I will be back soon with results. Continue to investigate."
The Raptor leaves.
"Well there we go, our 'expert' is gone, with evidence, probably tampered with, no crime scene, and no spooky white man with blood." Ozan annoyed.
"Do you think we should head back to the Blue Moon Inn?" Ariane asked.
"Meh, perhaps." Ozan.
"I'll go see the dwarves in Falador, they are developing a new metal folding technique and have a demonstration tomorrow, and I won't miss it for the world." Linza said excitedly.
"Ah okay Linza, but please, we do need you when it's time to come back."
"I'll be here." Linza said, and then teleported out.
"Ozan, care to have a drink with me?" Ariane asked.
"Actually, I think I'll take some time, to digest everything tonight."
"Hey Ariane, I'm up for that drink." Sir Owen said. Ariane smiled and they both teleported out.
"I've got some Imps working for my player owned farm, better go see if they made a mess of things." Xenia teleported out.
Ozan was alone now, he walked passed the fairy ring, passed the beacon, continued walking. One of Ozans favorite past time was parkour, helped him get unbent. He jumped, grabbed the ledge of the Jolly Boar Inn's wall, scaled himself up and, scaled again and then used a mithril grappling hook to go from that roof to the Varrock high walls.
He was nice and sneaky going about it as usual, till finally he came to the Garden of Tranquility, he used his grappling hook again to scale to the top of the Varrock palace, where no guards were.
This was one of Ozans favourite views, to look out to Varrock city, near the same window as the King has for his bedroom, to see what the King sees, to see the world as a King would see it.
Suddenly he heard talking in the Kings chambers just below. "Oh my dear majesty, where have you been this time? You been out and about? I say that weather out there can get you ill, best to stay in then, too much fresh air not a good thing, gonna have to bring in the leeches one of these days I swear it."
"Molly, please. The fate of the Kingdom is at stake and I need a bath."
Ozan heard this and suddenly heard better than he ever had before.
"Yes of course your majesty." Ozan then used his grappling hook to slowly lower him near the window, no guards were looking this way, it's amazing Varrock has lasted this long honestly.
He peered in and saw a naked Queen Ellamaria sweating in her fair skin, shining, like a jewel, with her luscious brown hair and deep red lips pursed out of exhaustion. She seeped into the hot foamy bath, her nipples ripe and swollen, she closed her eyes as steam rose around her. She arched upward, breathing in and out, her chest rising and falling so gracefully and her maid began to move a cloth along her body, in slow motions, first her arms, her chest, suds getting everywhere, and bubbles bursting on her legs.
Ozan did not know the queen could be so beautiful. She was a wretch, a terrible woman, but indeed she was something to look at, if only to steal a glance, at least once in his lonely of a life. He wondered what it would be like, to be King, to be with her, with her wavy slightly curled brown hair, to comb his fingers through it, to see her looking at him in return. Her emerald glance, that glass of flesh gifting to him a kiss of a form he did not know before.
"Hey! You!" Cried a Varrock guard. Ozan turned and saw he'd been caught, the guards rushed to the grass below ready to catch Ozan if he was to try to flee. "Thief! Thief! By Saradomin it's Ozan!"
'Ozan?' Ellamaria thought as she reopened her eyes from relaxing, she heard the commotion outside. 'What is Ozan doing here?'
The maid cried, "Your majesty it's not safe! It's Ozan! He is dangerous!"
"Shut up," the queen scrambled to put on her silk housecoat and slippers, her hair waving like bronze flame.
'Ozan should have been at the Blue Moon Inn like the others...' Ellamaria growled to herself.