Friends Reunited

"Here we are, back on the mainland," Raef announced as his boat docked at Port Sarim.

Tarqinder, Mark and Meep all exited the boat and began heading in the direction of Varrock. The Sun was setting and there were a few clouds in the sky now, it looked like a storm was coming.

"Well where are you two off to?" Raef asked.

"Varrock, we're assisting the Slayers' Union-" Tarqinder was interrupted.

"Varrock? For Saradomin's sake you cannot be serious! That city has been abandoned in the past few days, it's nothing but a home to some swarm of insects, just like those wretched harpie bugs on Karamja except more carnivorous," Raef said.

"Oh my, it can't be.....the Red Mist?"

"The Red Mist?" Mark asked.

"A swarm of deadly insects populating the sewers of Varrock, I'd love to help them but I'm nowhere near skilled or stupid enough to try and fight them off."

"So where to now Tarqinder?"

"If you don't mind me asking chaps, would you like to stay with me in Falador? I have a lovely home and I'm sure there will be enough room for us, as I said before, I can't go and leave fellow travellers in poor conditions can I?" Raef asked.

"Why thank you," Tarqinder said.

The three men and the tiny gecko began to head in the direction of Falador, just as the Sun began to set...

The next morning there was movement in Falador, and Tony de Fillo awoken from his long sleep in Falador Park having been staying in poor conditions for several nights by now.

"Bloody Red Mist, I hope Farrell and Darako blast it back underground," Tony grumbled, heading in the direction of the northern city gate.

Tony had an axe and a knife in his pocket, and decided he would try and collect some tree sap to sell in hopes of obtaining enough money to live in a more suitable location in Falador. He got to his feet and checked his pockets only to find his knife was gone.

"Damn it! Some fiend has stolen my knife!" Tony exclaimed angrily before deciding to just sell a few logs as firewood.

Tony reached Falador's main square, where a group of white knights were marching up and down all clasping large white swords.

"Excuse me! You there! Knight! I have a complaint to make, somebody's stolen my knife!" Tony snapped.

The white knight looked at him through his helmet before removing it.

"Are you a citizen of Falador?" The knight asked.

"No, I came from Varrock when the Red Mist attacked," Tony replied.

"Well I couldn't care less about a bunch of mosquitoes chasing you out of your home, I'm here to protect Falador, and that's what I shall do. Good day."

And on that note the knight marched towards the White Knights' Castle, where he could hopefully end his patrol duty for the time being.

"This blasted city!" Tony exclaimed.

"Now, now, that's not a very nice thing to say is it?" Asked a man in purple elegant clothing.

"I could not care less, I'm sick of the bother I face here from you Faladorians, you won't help us of Varrock!"

"Well actually I let two men and their pet gecko stay in my home who are from Varrock; I have some things to give to Sir Amik, and then I shall plan a journey towards Oo'glog, I've always wanted to visit the female ogres, apparently they're stronger than the males!"

"I do not care for your ogre studies my good man, but could you tell me who is in your company? Give me their names, I might know them."

"One is named Tarqinder, he's a Dragon Slayer with a mighty sword, and then there's his friend Mark Theobald, and Tarqinder claims Mr. Theobald managed to stop Lathas using magic."

"Tarqinder and Mark? Why, I have some things to discuss with them, a bit of catch up we need to have, I haven't seem them since Ardougne. Goodness, that was two months ago, how time flies."

"Yes it does, now shall I take you to my home? Sir Amik will not mind waiting a few more hours."

Before Tony went in, he slipped on an iron mask.

"Mark? Tarqinder? I have your new room-mate here, and his name is- well I don't know..."

"My name isn't important. I realized that a few days ago, when I visited a flying fortress. I was debriefed by some birds, and next thing I know is that I'm spying on a mad shark in a travelling machine. I then find myself battling angry fish, but with info. I return home, only to find it is split in two. The King deports me to Falador, while he stays behind. Hypocrite! Anyway, I've been living in the park with a lovely lady. Anyways, I leave my home behind and comply, and what do I get? Dissed by some idiot in a metal suit!"

"You still haven't said your name, it must be important enough for you not to say it" Tarqinder added.

"It doesn't matter. But you know what does? YOU! And you! Maybe not you, because you're a lizard..."

"Sir Raef, why did you bring a crazy man here?" Mark inquired sarcastically. This didn't go down well. Tony pulled him by his shirt and lifted him up.

"Listen here Theobald! While you're making jokes, people are dying! Our world leaders have gone missing, save Roald. Think of them! You know what I need? Peace!"

"More like anger management, Tony" Tarqinder said.

Tony took his mask off and smiled.

"Not as dumb as you look. How did you know?"

"Well, your voice is the first sign. And you called him Theobald."

Tony put Mark down and sat down.

"Do you recall whatever I just said?"

"Yes, but its all bull-"

"Did I look like I was kidding?"

"Well, I'll show to your room Tony!" Sir Raef declared, breaking the tension. They both walked up the stairs.

Tarqinder, Mark, Tony and Raef all sat in mahogany chairs around Raef's marble fireplace which he had just lit.

"Well this is nice, isn't it?" Raef asked.

"Great," Mark uttered sarcastically.

"So how is the situation in Varrock?" Tarqinder asked.

"Well Farrell and Darako are fighting off the Red Mist, so I guess they'll both be okay, don't you?" Tony asked.

"Yes, I guess."

"I miss them, I can't believe I just let them stay, and I'm a tough man! I can't miss people!"

"Tony, it's okay to show emotion, everybody does."

"Hang on a minute, Mr. de Fillo, you mentioned all the monarchs had been captured, didn't you?" Raef asked.

"Why yes, that's right," Tony answered.

"Well that's not entirely true, we still have Sir Amik here and Ardougne has King Harmon, I was on his Palace only the other day, I had a meal with some of his advisors, we had an interesting discussion on-"

"King Harmon Reeves?" Tarqinder asked.

"Yes, King Harmon, or King Reeves, or King Harmon Reeves, however one would wish to refer to him as."

"We've met King Harmon," Mark said.

"You have? What is he like, I've never had the pleasure of his company-"

"We were all there, at the battle in Ardougne!"

"You three? You met Harmon when he was a servant? During the great Zamorakian battle which shook the world?"

"Yes, and we need to warn him about these sea monsters before they get him too!" Tony exclaimed.

"If they haven't got him already," Mark said.

"No need to be so negative Theobald, we still need to try!"

"Are you suggesting we sail to Ardougne to warn King Harmon of an almost imminent attack from an army of insane sea monsters that could capture us while we're sailing over their kingdom?" Raef asked.

"Why, yes," Tony said.

"Amazing! Such determination! I cannot resist an exciting journey like this, I must accompany you!"

"Raef, your boat won't be much protection against sharks, eels, crabs and whatever else is down there."

"A fair point Mr. de Fillo, but I know the other sailors at Port Sarim well, and have enough money to hire on of their charter ships."

"Brilliant! They're not going to be sunk easily!"

"Are you sure Tony?" Tarqinder asked.

"Of course I'm sure, I have done a fair bit of sailing in my time!"

"Hurry, let's get to Port Sarim and we can reach Ardougne by this afternoon!" Raef exclaimed, and on that note everyone made their way out of Raef's home.

Having run all the way to Port Sarim, the group were tired, except for Meep who had had the pleasure of resting on Tarqinder's shoulder for the whole journey. The sailors stood around the ships, but some looked very saddened.

"What is wrong?" Tarqinder asked one of the sailors who sat up on his deck weeping.

"It's gone! The storm took it! And it took them all!" The sailor cried.

Unable to make sense of the sailor, the group headed towards the charter ship parked near the end of the dock.

"My good man, might I inquire into what has occurred?" Raef asked the charter ship's owner.

"A terrible thing my good man, a terrible, terrible thing. Last night a storm struck northern Karamja, it was disastrous! Tens of people were slaughtered, and all the boats and buildings at Musa Point were destroyed! And now much of the northern part of the island is flooded or flooding!" The charter ship owner exclaimed. "You don't want to sail now do you?"

"We don't have a choice," Tony snapped, "It could save lives."

"Are you prepared to pay a little extra?"

"Here's 5000 gold, and we'll sail to Ardougne please, post haste!" Raef exclaimed, giving the sailor the money and boarding the boat.

"Why didn't we teleport?" Mark asked.

"We don't have the skill of magic," Tarqinder answered.

"I'm quite good at it-"

"But the wizards took that powerful book away from you, so you have nothing to work with wizard boy," Tony grunted, slamming his whip into the water and catching a cod.

"For Saradomin's sake Tony how stupid can you get? You'll attract unwanted attention!" Tarqinder hissed.

"Why don't you leave the whip for now?" Raef asked, pushing the whip to the floor.

The sea was still choppy after the storm which struck the night before. In the distance, eels darted through the water in the direction of Musa Point, but now they turned and headed towards the boat.

"Look what you've done now Tony you idiot!" Tarqinder exclaimed, "Everyone in the cabin! Now! Go!"

The eels smashed into the boat but to little effect. They then tried to pounce up, but the deck was too high.

"Ha! Ha! Slithering fools!" Tony exclaimed.

One of the eels then jumped up and tried to strangle him, but Tarqinder cut it in two before it reached his neck. Tarqinder then grabbed Tony and pulled him into the cabin. Another eel pounced towards Tarqinder, having managed to jump high enough to reach him. Tarqinder slashed away at the eel, but at a cost; his sword fell out of his hands and plummeted into the water. As his sword sank beneath the murky depths Tarqinder watched in agony, before turning to the cabin and running in; he was defenceless now.

A few minutes passed, and the screams of the other crew members echoed out sending chills down the spines of Tarqinder. He, Mark, Tony, Raef, the captain and Meep were sat in the small room, awaiting whatever foul beast of the sea was to come next.

"This is my boat! And I won't let these creatures stop me!" The captain (and owner) of the boat exclaimed as he marched to the door.

"Don't!" Tarqinder exclaimed.

It was too late now, for a large squid grabbed the captain and began to strangle him, and Mark quickly slammed the door shut.

"We need to block these beasts out!" Tony snapped.

Tony headed towards a teak bookcase and dragged it in front of the door, and then pushed the captain's chair in front of that.

"There, now let's see them try and get in!" Tony exclaimed cheerfully.

There was a thud from outside, the squid was bashing against the door with its large tentacles, determined to enter.

On the deck, the squid was slithering about trying to break in the cabin, but it needed to be in water so dived below, but would return soon. The eels also dived into the waters again, but now a group of crabs were scrambling up the side of the ship; and they didn't need to stay in water. The crab walked up to the cabin door and began to claw at the wood with its pincers, cutting away thin strips of wood.

"Something is breaking in!" Tony exclaimed, pointing at the door from which the sound of cutting could be heard.

"It's something with claws whatever it is," Tarqinder stated.

"What do we do now?" Mark asked, watching the door begin to become loose.

"If only we had a weapon that could fight off the beasts!" Raef exclaimed.

"Well my sword's gone, deep beneath the damn sea!" Tarqinder snapped.

"Meep meep!" Meep screeched, banging against a floorboard.

"Not now, I'm trying not to die at the minute!"

"Meep!"

"What?" Tarqinder yelled turning to Meep.

Meep clawed at the floorboard's edges and showed it was not secured down.

"The floorboard? It's loose, is that what you're trying to tell me? At least you can live if you hide under it," Tarqinder said, pulling the floorboard off.

Beneath the floorboard a harpoon laid, and Meep tapped his thin leg on it, gesturing for Tarqinder to take it.

"Good gecko!" Tarqinder exclaimed.

Tarqinder grabbed the harpoon and kicked the chair and then pushed the bookcase out of the way, and as he did, the door was smashed off its hinges and a group of crabs advanced on Tarqinder, but he impaled them.

"A bunch of crabs? Ha! What a joke!" Tarqinder grinned.

"Crabs are skilled warriors, actually. They always have the last laugh" Tony snapped seriously.

As he ran out on to the deck though he glimpsed an eel trying to pounce upwards, as well as a large squid which was slithering towards the deck with its massive tentacles. Tarqinder ran to the ship's well and tugged at it rapidly, slowly turning it in the direction of Ardougne. He then grabbed his harpoon and impaled the squid which fell into the water, and the eels were also killed by the falling squid crushing them.

"All that map knowledge pays off!" Tarqinder exclaimed as he was joined on the deck by Mark, Tony, Raef and Meep.

"I think I'll take over from here," Raef insisted, grabbing the wheel and steering it starboard. "You may have studied mapwork but you still don't know the difference between north and west, whatever do they teach you at the Slayers' Union?"

The boat slowly drifted westwards, in the direction of Ardougne...

The boat slowly drifted next to the pier at Witchaven, where the four travellers and their gecko exited, and made for the city. The structures were all too familiar as Tony looked at all the structures, and he fealt a sickening feeling in his stomach as they approached Ardougne Market. He pictured Bandano in his head, and his old post where he worked in as a guard was just about visible from the market square.

"By the name of Araz!" Tony whispered, as he saw Ardougne Palace.

"Out of the way! Out of the way at once!" Exclaimed a Paladin who headed in the direction of the Palace.

In fact, everybody but the travellers were heading in the direction of the Palace.

"Hurry up Ellen! The speech is about to start! King Harmon has something urgent to announce!" Exclaimed a man with a beard who barged past Mark.

"How rude," Mark grumbled.

"Well then men, to the Palace? I think we might want to hear this speech," Raef suggested, and the group headed towards Ardougne Palace...