Crusade Against the Red Mist

Varrock

The east side of Varrock had succumbed to the tiny red insects known as the Red Mist. The king had decided to evacuate everyone from the east side. The guards had even built a large wall, splitting the city in two. Farrell and Darako are the only humans on this side. For the king did not care whether they died, as long as they got rid of the new menace.

"Here goes nothing. Another night of war!" Farrell hollered, putting on an advanced gas mask, that only covered up his mouth.

"You know what, I've been thinking. Its been days of non-stop fighting. The mist seems to grow stronger every time..." Darako hesitated.

"Yeah, well, just prime your flame blades and scream like there's no tomorrow!"

They both roared and their twin flame blades ignited. The blades themselves were made of pure fire, while the handle was a fireproof metal. They received these weapons from the Edicts of Armadyl.

They walked among the ruins. The Red Mist occasionally destroyed buildings, but they can smell flesh a mile off. They walked into the bank. All the money was taken by the government. The mist had attacked here recently.

Near the bank was a small cottage. They walked inside, and it also seemed attacked. All the food was good, and furniture had been ripped to shreds. There was a plaque on the wall that read Property of Dancus James Frumac.

"Poor guy. Hes gonna come back to find nothings left" Farrell muttered.

"Well, here's 20,000 gold. Its not going to do him good" Darako replied, as he shoved the coins into a pocket.

They walked out and saw some red dots in the far background.

"The mist! In a V-shaped attack formation!"

Small splinter swarms of Red Mist had indeed formed v-shaped attack squads. They dived at the two, clearly recognizing enemies. Farrell and Darako jumped into the air, started swinging their swords around, and most of the mist had split. Fire was their main weakness.

But they kept swarming. The duo ran and jumped a lot. The swarms chasing them had reduced rapidly, as they were running through a wasteland.

"We must plan a new tactic" Farrell said, as the duo were both hiding underground.

"I wish those Zamorakian wizards were here with their demon, whats his face?"

"Delrith? Its a shame. Even a massive demon has fallen prey to the mist."

"That damn king of ours has left us to die. He knows our history."

"But it was the Edicts that sent us on this mission-"

"They promised help, didn't they? Some help!"

"Remember what they said. To keep their existence a secret, they can only help us in a dire emergency. What we've been through... isn't dire enough for them."

Darako got up and swore a lot, as he started kicking the wall. He also shouted out other things, which aren't proper swears, but are considered rude.

Farrell wiped his bald head of sweat and looked in the mirror. He was more paler than usual. Farrell had always been pale, but right now he looked like a marshmallow man. Lack of food, water etc has been bearing down on both of them.

Darako, on the other hand, seemed perfectly fine. He was stroking his muscles, and combing his long black hair. He then turned to face Darako, and he gestured towards the door. Farrell pulled his hood up and they walked out.

"We should form a band, you and I. We would be great singers" Darako smiled.

"Maybe. You never shut up" Farrell chuckled.

But the laughing ceased, as the whole Red Mist formed together, making a massive cloud heading towards them. They ignited their flame swords and fired them like javelins. The mist dispersed into two formations. It was wounded, obviously. But their main weapons were gone, and the duo backed away.

Farrell then grabbed a nearby tinderbox and started using it on a massive log.

"What the hell are you doing? Its no time to be dancing around the camp fire!" Darako screamed.

"Just help me!"

After a while, the whole log was alight.

"Help me lift it! Then we throw it like a battering ram!"

They both lifted it, and charged. It hit on impact, and there was a large explosion. Farrell and Darako were thrown back.

A mushroom cloud could be seen. The whole of west Varrock looked up in awe.

"What in the name of Sharkros is that?!" King Roald shouted.

"Its an explosion cloud. They are only usually produced by large amounts of explosive potions!" his advisor replied.

Then it started raining red. The dead insects were pouring all over Varrock. But this wasn't over. Only half of the Red Mist was destroyed. The rest were elsewhere, but very much alive.

"I hope those two buffoons don't get my vintage castle covered in dead bugs!" Roald huffed, before walking back to his castle.

"How do you feel?"

"I ain't happy! I'm feeling glad! I got sunshine in a bag!" the Madphibian cackled back. He grabbed a small bag and waved it around.

"I can smell something. Its in the air - he is restless!" Juna cried.

"I see a lot of things these days... and both our lords will walk the surface, both with a decision. At the moment though, it is raining red in the split city. Two foolish warriors will tackle an impossible enemy. One of them will die!"

"Recently, you have kept going on about people dying. You said a TzHaar would die. You said a farmer would die. You said a tramp would die. You said an amoeba would die. You said a plant would die. You said a Fremennik would die. You said a tree would die. You said a city guard would die. You said people dressed in red would die. You said a vandal would die. You said a fool would die. You said a gnome would die. You said a monk would die. Who's gonna die next? A bundle of muscles?"

"How did you know that?"

Darako and Farrell got up. They had won, for now. They stumbled against the wall and slumped.

"Never give up!" snapped a voice overhead.

They both looked up, and they saw a man sitting on top of the Varrockan wall. He was holding some strange instruments.

"Whats it to you?" Darako replied.

"I used to live there, next to some guy named Dancus Frumac. Damn creatures come and destroy a few lives. You two must be the chosen ones. Just don't give up. I can give encouragement, because I'm so damn good at it!"

"Cheers for that. But-"

"I'm a musician. I've written a song for you. Just listen."

He started tapping and playing his instruments.

"Tension is rising. Gravity hurts. Everythin's fallin' apart. Choosin' the right side, Choosin' our faith, Choosin' is what we must do and Everyone's countin' on you."

"For freedom we rise. Learn to fly, reach the sky. Legend will carry you thousands of miles. Take a stand, hold the land, Make sure that everyone's ready to win. Find the speed, all you need. Team up for battle we fly."

"Creatures keep comin', Reachin' within. Stealthy they climb from the dark. Searchin' for wisdom. Searchin' for truth. Show us the things you can do. Maybe it's all up to you, yeah."

Farrell and Darako applauded.

"I'm Farrell and hes-"

"Darako. I know. I'm Phillip Styne."

"Well, we have a town to save, Mr Styne."

"What are you waiting for? Go! That song will be heard everywhere in your honour."

The two hunters left, with Phillip waving them off. He then had a sad expression on his face.

The Red Mist had sensed their enemies, and reformed. Darako and Farrell wielded two burning torches each. When happened next was epic. When one swarm caught alight, the whole thing did. But the fire spread destruction, as nearby buildings caught alight. The Red Mist was burning, and the two humans smiled. But it wasn't over.

One Red Mist splinter swarm wasn't on fire, and attacked Darako. He screamed, but he dropped his weapons ad was batting them away with his hands. But when Red Mist have a target, they never intend to give on up.

Farrell looked like he was about to cry, but toughened criminals never show weakness. Darako became nothing more but a skeleton. Farrell had a very dark look in his eyes, one of hate and anger. He succumbed to it and he grabbed all his emergency reserves of explosive potions and chucked them.

The next explosion was far larger than the last one. It destroyed a few houses and the bank. Farrell was flown back, where he crashed into the Varrockian wall. He closed his eyes, mortally injured. Maybe heaven would be a best place for him. He smiled, one last time. His heart stopped beating.

The king wanted to knock down the wall, but he saw new outbreaks of the Red Mist himself. He had to keep the wall, to keep his people safe, but more importantly, his possessions and reputation safe.

"Those two idiots died for nothing! More were breeding within the sewers! In a few days time, we will have to evacuate the whole city! That wall won't keep them at bay for long!" Roald snapped at his advisor, Aeonisig Rasipher.

"On a lighter note, I've received word that he will be released soon, and all Guthixians will be spared!"

"Yes, I was beginning to doubt that crazy creature, but now it all makes sense. Come! We must lie to the city and give them false hope!"