My breath crystallized in the air before me. The coldness, I could feel it now. It was overwhelming. My lungs betrayed my body as they gulped wildly for air. The sharp, freezing breaths sent a chill through me. Maybe it wasn’t the cold, though; maybe it was what lay before me. All my life had led this point, my brothers had died for this, I had bled for this, killed for it. Now my final foe lay before me, and he had to die.
I rose to full height, pulling my sword from the hobgoblin chest it was buried in. It was released from the creature with a sickening crunch as the snow at my feet turned crimson. I looked down at my foe; I wanted to see his eyes, see the pain I had brought him, but there was nothing, only the hate-filled black orbs. Filthy creatures, may Sarodomin have mercy on their souls, for I had none to give.
“William…” I looked up at my companion.
“You still there old friend?” Dackeron smiled at me.
I smiled back at him. “Yea, I’m fine, just…lost in thought is all.”
My heart suddenly skipped a beat when I realized my third companion was missing. “Wait, where is Victoria?!” I frantically shouted.
“I am right here, my love,” A soothing voice came from behind me.
I turned to face the woman behind me, and my heart became calm. Victoria had always had that effect on me. “I am sorry, I abandoned you during the fight, but the group began to flee…I...I had to pursue and-“
“Will, it’s ok. I can take care of myself. It will take more than this scum of Bandos to give me trouble.”
“Yea Will, she’s a big girl,” Dackeron heartily chuckled.
My cheeks grew crimson, but not from the cold. “I, uh, I’m sorry for being over cautious. I just don’t want to lose her- I mean, anyone. I don’t want to lose anyone.” Victoria giggled. I am such an idiot.
Dackeron smiled at my embarrassment, then solemnity returned to his face. “Enough now, we must make our offering. The great general Graador lies behind that door.”
“Then we slay these beasts., Victoria added with a vicious smile.
I took a deep breath and straightened my helmet. “Yes. The Ourgs die here.”
Dackeron nodded at me and then turned to face the massive door. "Bandos!" The whole cavern shook as he shouted,"I, Dackeron of Varrock, present to you the blood of your followers! Open the door as per the Edicts of Guthix or face the wrath of my lord, Armadyl!"
Silence. Nothing happened.
Victoria spoke up. "...Did it work?"
Dackeron threw his sword onto the ground and ripped of his helmet. "BANDOS!!! OPEN THE DOOR YOU COWARD!"
Suddenly the ice on the door shattered and the door flew open. The entire cavern shook violently from the impact of the door, but then all went silent once more.
"Well, I think you got his attention," I smirked.
Dackeron put his helmet back on and pulled his sword up from beneath the snow, "Let's do this," as he ran into the room, disappearing into the darkness.
Victoria notched an arrow. "Yes, let's," she, too, then left me, following Dackeron into the blackness.
"Saradomin grant me strength," I prayed silently. Then I shouldered my greatsword and followed my companions into the heart of darkness, the Last Lair of the Ourgs.
The room was cold, but as my eyes adjusted to the low light, I realized how beautiful it was. Light pouring in from cracks in the walls casted a sparkling brilliance on the ice all around us. It was strange how something so beautiful could exist in the lair of these monsters, but my reminiscing was cut short by a movement in the corner of my eye.
Victoria caught it too as she leaped into action, letting a crystalline arrow loose at the shadow in the corner. The result was a sickening thud and a scream as an armored goblin stumbled from out of the shadows, arrow protruding from his chest. He tried to shout something, but Victoria let another arrow fly, this one hitting him square in the throat. The goblin dropped to his knees as the light faded from his eyes. Dackeron approached the creature and, with one powerful swing, removed its head. He then turned to us. “Prepare for battle!”
Suddenly the chamber flooded with light as our foe finally showed his face. The monster was enormous, towering far above his lesser goblin kin, or even the ogres we had fought. Graador glared at us, pure hatred shining in his eyes. The monster then spoke.
“CHAAARGE!!!” he bellowed as two more goblins appeared at out flanks. The first was wielding a massive flail, which he swung at my head. I ducked, barely dodging the spiked sphere, then retaliated with a fearsome swing. My blow struck the goblin hard in the chest, sending him sputtering backwards. I kept the assault, drawing forth the divine power from within my sword, and summoned the wrath of my lord on the creature. Lightning burst from my blade, obliterating the pathetic warrior where he stood.
“Will! Help!” I heard Victoria shout.
I turned to face Victoria, who was grappling with the second goblin. I ran towards them, dropped my sword, and grabbed the goblin by the shoulders and ripped the beast off my companion and threw him against the wall. But before I could follow that up with a punch, the goblin pounced off the wall onto me, sending us crashing into the snow. I tried to get back up, but the goblin knocked me back into the snow and sent my helmet rolling. Before I realized what was happening, I cried out in pain as the beast plunged his teeth into my neck, tearing and ripping.
My eyes blackened. I thought I was done. Then I felt the weight on top of me lifted as strength returned to me. I looked up to see Victoria slit the beast’s neck open with her dagger. The goblin cackled and gurgled on his own blood before finally slumping to the ground.
“Thanks…” I spoke, still a little woozy.
Victoria smiled, then suddenly ducked as Dackeron flew over our heads and hit the ground hard. I quickly got back to my feet, grabbed my sword, and charged the beast, but he was quicker than I anticipated. Graador stepped towards me and with one epic swing, backhanded me. The full brunt of his massive hands hit me in the chest as I found myself flying through the air.
The next thing I knew the wall of the room stopped my flight, hard, and I slumped to the floor. On the way down I heard a crack, and I knew it was one of my ribs. Trying to get to my feet, I saw Victoria let two arrows fly, both which bounced harmlessly off the Ourg’s armor. Victoria threw her bow to the ground, drew her dagger, dripping with poison, and charged the monster. She dodged the first blow, dodged the second, and sliced at Graador’s ankles. The Monster roared in pain and stomped at the ground, nearly crushing Victoria, who barely escaped.
“Get up! Your woman needs you.” I heard Dackeron yell as the next thing I knew he was lifting me to my feet. I shook my head, picked my sword back up from the sword and charged Graador with Dackeron. Graador was distracted by the ranger rolling around beneath him, and did not notice us until Dackeron drove his sword into the back of his thigh and I had hamstrung him.
“GRAAAAAAAAAR!” The beast roared, but it was too late for him. Victoria jumped onto him, driving her dagger into his chest. Dackeron sliced across Graador’s back, spilling the Ourg blood on the ground. I pulled out my claws, taken from the ashes of a tormented demon, and sliced viciously at his legs. Graador dropped to his knees, which shook the room, and let out a cry. He was defeated.
He looked up at us, three warriors poised to strike the final blow and laughed, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. “Enemies of Bandos…all of you…will…die.”
Dackeron stepped forward. Gazed upon our humbled foe, raised his sword to strike, but then Graador with unnatural speed reached up and grabbed the follower of Armadyl. Before any of us could react, Graador let out a terrifying roar, and crushed Dackeron in his hands.
“NOOOOO!” I shouted and ran towards Graador. I picked up the blade of my comrade, and drove it into Graador’s face. Blood spewed from the wound as I drove the sword ever deeper into the Ourg. “DIE!!!!” I screamed. I pulled out the blade and struck again. And again. And again. Tears streamed down my face as the blood of the Ourg coated my cchest. I continued to stab the dead general until finally Victoria caught my arm.
“Enough, Will, enough. It's over.”
I looked at her, and then over to the crushed body of my comrade. I crawled over to him. I removed his helmet and looked down upon my friend. “Dackeron…”
Victoria knelt down and put her hands on my shoulders. “William…”
I shook my head. “I know. He’s dead. Let’s get out of here.”
I reached into the pouch at my hip and withdrew two clay tablets. I placed one in Dackeron’s hands, and crushed it. His body was instantly gone.
“Let’s go home Will, our mission is done.” Victoria spoke softly, giving me a half-hearted smile as she crushed her tab and disappeared.
I looked over to the corpse of my enemy. General Graador lay dead, the last of his savage species. Many good men and women died getting to this point, all of them my friends. Dackeron, Sir Gerry, the rest of the temple knights under his command, all of them dead.
I gritted my teeth, holding back my tears, and crushed my tab.
