So this is my first Runescape multichapter. It's going to stick pretty close to the canon storyline (mostly the quests) but will definitely feature subplots along the way as Cole tries to figure out exactly why he's there. And there may or may not be romance between him and an NPC at some point, but you'll just have to wait and see.
Disclaimer - Jagex owns Runescape, not me.
"Ugh. What the hell happened last night?"
The young man got to his feet, stumbling slightly as he did so. Looking around, he found himself in a small house, on what seemed to be a small island (at least, from what he could tell by looking out the windows), and not one that he recognized from anywhere. "What the hell is this place?"
A voice from behind him made him turn around. Behind him stood a tall man, at least forty years older than him, who was dressed almost entirely in red. Beneath the red beret on his head, the young man could see thinning grey hair. The older man smiled at him. "Ah, you're awake! Good! Welcome to Tutorial Island. This island is somewhat of a school for new adventurers, for want of a better term. I'm the Runescape Guide. And you are?"
"I'm Cole".
"A pleasure to meet you, Cole. Okay, first things first. Go outside and follow the path down the hill. There you'll meet the Survival Tutor. She'll get you started properly and teach you some of the skills you'll need in the future".
Cole nodded. "Fine".
The sooner I'm done on this stupid island, the sooner I can start trying to figure out why I'm even in this place. And why I remember nothing about this at all. He gave the Runescape Guide one last nod, before pushing open the small house's only door, and walking down the hill ahead of him.
It took him roughly two and a half hours to slowly work his way through the rest of the tutors, during which he was taught the basics of fishing and cooking shrimp, how to safely chop trees and start fires, and how to cook bread without burning it (something that he had been good at before waking up on the island, though the tutors were still insistent that he had to go through it as well), as well as learning how to properly wield both melee and ranged weapons, how to mine and smith, and several other more minor details that he was pretty sure he'd forget once he left the island for… well, for whatever was next. He brushed a strand of his black hair out of his eyes as he looked at the building in front of him. A robed man stood a short distance in front of him, head bowed in concentration, fingers rubbing against strange round stones in his hands. After several seconds, the robed man gave a yell and flung his hands forward, an orb of solid-looking air bursting from his hands and spinning through the air to slam against one of the chickens on the other side of the small room, vaporising it on the spot. "Huh".
Cole's exclamation of disbelief must have caught the older man's ears, as the figure turned to face him, nodding briefly. "You must be Cole. Come in, come in. I'm Wizard Terrova, the Magic tutor here. Welcome to your final lesson here on Tutorial Island. If you succeed in this, then we'll tell you how to get to the mainland where you can begin your travels. If not… You will be stuck here until you do succeed. No pressure now!"
Cole stepped into the room, examining his surroundings carefully. Aside from the fenced-off area containing the chickens he figured acted as target practice for the man he was talking to, the room was surprisingly sparse, with the few main furnishings been a small bed, table, bookcase, wardrobe, stove and sink. No bath? No toilet? Well, I suppose I've seen stranger things than this, and I'll probably see even stranger things by the time I get home… "What will my final lesson consist of?" he queried, eager to get it over with.
Terrova smiled and held out his hands. Nestled in his palms were ten small, round, stones. Half of them were decorated with three simple white curves, and the rest were decorated with a slightly more complex sun-shape, which had two small lines inside it. "Take these runes. And use them to cast Wind Strike and kill one of the chickens in the pen right over there. Any of the chickens will do, just go ahead and pick one. If you succeed in killing it with the Wind Strike spell, we will be done here".
Cole frowned. "And exactly how do I cast a spell with those things?"
"First, take a deep breath and cup your hands in front of you, with the runes you need for the spell in the centre of them. Your palms should be facing upwards. Second, close your eyes and clear your mind, being sure to focus on the spell you want to cast. Third, open your eyes and focus on your target, bringing your hands forward".
"There isn't any yelling involved, is there? Because you were doing that just before, and I've never really been much for yelling…"
The wizard laughed, shaking his head. "No, don't worry, you don't have to yell to successfully use magic. It's just something I added into my personal spellcasting because I like doing it".
"Alright then".
"Good. Come and stand next to me, then, and let's see what you can do".
Doing as the wizard said, Cole walked over to him and turned, facing towards the chicken pen on the other side of the small room. Terrova held out the ten runestones he had shown the younger man earlier, pressing them into the black-haired boy's hand. "Alright. There are your runes. Good luck".
Following the instructions that he had been given, Cole quickly cast a spell at one of the chickens, though the spell fizzled out on impact. "Okay. Your first attempt fizzled out. That's natural and happens to everyone. Try again".
Cole repeated the process, casting a blast of air from the palms of his hands at one of the chickens, which promptly disintegrated. Terrova nodded, satisfied. "That's good. Well done, you've completed your final lesson here. As promised, I'll tell you how to get to the main land".
The older wizard strode over to the bookcase, returning several seconds later with an important-looking book in his hand, which he passed to the younger man. "Right. First, draw a circle in the ground around your feet. Then sit down inside the circle and turn to Page 1 of the book I just gave you, which is the basic Home Teleport spell. Read the incantation for Lumbridge. That's all you need to do. Oh, and when you get to Lumbridge, I suggest you go and talk to Phileas, the Lumbridge Sage. You'll know him when you see him. He's an old friend of mine, I'm sure he'll be able to help you. Just tell him Terrova sent you".
Quickly doing as he had been instructed, Cole muttered the incantation and it wasn't long before everything faded around him as the courtyard of an ancient-looking stone castle replaced it.
