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| - Veedi looked at the wizards, she waned to assure herself that everything was in order with them, if Jake hadn't done any damage. "So, Miss No-name, what brings you here?" Jake asked. "She was helping us to get runes!" Said Norbert, with this words, Veedi dropped a bag full of runes on the floor next to Norbert. "I had more, but the ogres took them from me" Veedi said, made a pause and turned to Jake "My name is Veedi Limstrood, I'm a chef, I came from the Grand Tree to start a business here in Yanille". "That's very nice, and with those runes we'll crush those ogres, huh?" Jake said, just a few wizards nodded, the weren't very happy with the idea of fighting. "There is something more important than killing the ogres, I found the head wizard, he is in the Cave of Doom, and he will be killed by a dragon" said Veedi, the wizards were horrified, all of them turned to look at Norbert, waiting for him to tell them his plan, to guide them. "We can't save him". Norbert's words fell on everyone as a bucket of cold water, they were horrified, and now they were faithless. "Hey buddy, that's not true, we can save him if we all attack together, the ogres will crumble!" Jake said, smiling. "You don't understand! We can't afford more deaths at this town!" Norbert yelled at his face. "You are right, I don't understand, you were suffering because the loss of your head wizard and when you have the opportunity to save him, you run like cowards!" Veedi said to him, before she could keep talking, Jake intervened. "The problem for you isn't your people, your problem is that you are afraid of the dragon! Well, if that's the problem, my friend, then I have the solution we need!" "So, what it is?" "Tarqinder!" "Tarqwhat?" "Oh, come on, my friends, don't tell me you've never heard of Tarqinder of the Slayers' Union?" "Still don't get it, what is a Tarqinder?" "Tarqinder the dragon slayer! He is legend! he can kill that dragon for us, while we free the head mage!" "Seems fair to me," Veedi said, "where would we find him?" "Where everyone is going now..." "And that is...?" asked Norbert, slightly in bad humour. "Ardougne, of course!". Mark Theobald sat near the windmill just north of Ardougne. He picked up a bottle of wine which had been thrown in the meadow and tipped it upside down; there was nothing in it. Despite having become sober, he had given into his love of alcohol when he realised what problems he had caused. He had been sat on the grass for hours now, continuously looking for more drink. "Just my luck," Mark groaned in a slurred voice. Not to far away a figure appeared. Only a few people had passed Mark so far, and all had kept their distance due to his highwayman-like clothing. He also clenched Tarqinder's sword in his other hand, which had also terrified the other travellers. The figure was getting closer and closer, and then Mark recognized the face. It was Tarqinder. "It's a ghost!" Mark yelled, smashing the empty wine bottle on the nearby fence. Mark pointed the broken bottle at Tarqinder who sported a very angry expression. Tarqinder pushed the bottle away with his fist and pulled Mark to his feet. Mark let go of the sword which clanged to the floor. "I think you'll find that's mine, my friend!" Tarqinder sneered, picking the sword up. Tarqinder hit Mark in the stomach and pushed him over the fence on to the ground. "How did you survive?" Mark asked, barely able to speak. "Well it was no thanks to you, but luckily for me I can survive in bad conditions, which is why I'm a dragon slayer," Tarqinder answered. "I didn't mean to let you almost die, I was scared-" Mark stopped and leaned over. He stood arched above the ground, staggering about on his feet. He opened his mouth and vomited over the floor. "Now I'm not an expert, but I think you've become a drunkard," Tarqinder said. "I'm depressed, I've had a very bad time, but now you're back you can help me!" Mark exclaimed, still stammering. "Why should I? I have better things to do. Besides, you're a thief, and I don't really like thieves. That costume is meant to protect you, so you say, but you're probably an actual highwayman, so leave me alone!" "Please help me Tajinder!" "You can't even say my name properly, your speech is slurred and you stink of alcohol. What use are you to me?" "I'll give you your money if you help me." "You think I'm gonna beg for my money?" Tarqinder delved into Mark's pockets and snatched out his coins. "See? Easy, you're no threat to me. On the other hand, I'm in the position to threaten you, so listen carefully. If you follow me to Ardougne Palace, I will take my sword and cut you in two!" Tarqinder snapped, pointing his sword in Mark's face. Tarqinder set off, Mark waited a few moments before hobbling after him. "Away from me fool!" Tarqinder exclaimed. “Is the lil’ wizzy ready” Jake said, flapping his arms as a chicken. “I’m not going! Go, die if you want!” Jake and Veedi left the tower and rushed to the city gate, hid in some bushes while an ogre passed by, then rushed to the north, until they got out of the ogre-controlled zone. They walked further to the north, Veedi adverted Jake that they should avoid the Battlefield, they looked at the map and managed to avoid it, they kept up the pace. “So… Jake, What is your story? You don’t seem to be from anywhere near here” Veedi asked. “Well, it’s a long story…” He answered. “Oh, it doesn’t matters, I want to hear it.” “Well then... Okay, I’m from Varrock, I like stealing things to people that don’t deserve them, the other day I went to the library to borrow a book, there, I found about Fist of Guthix, I took out this stone,” Jake took out the glowing stone, but put it back so the beasts around kept their distance “I wanted to take it to the Void Knights, but I decided to go to the Gypsy’s hut, she then told me that before I could go to the Void Knight Outpost, I must help some powerful bearers of the magic power that were being menaced by beastly and brute beings, I accepted the mission and got teleported to Yanille, I used Claws of Guthix to kill an ogre, it wasn’t an easy task but I did it, I then found the wizards hiding, many ogres were coming near so I dug a little cave and we hid underground until they left, then we went up in the tower and an hour later you arrived.” By the time he finished his story they had arrived at Ardougne, the chase for Tarqinder had begun. "You're following me!" Tarqinder yelled. He lifted his sword and walked straight towards Mark. "Go on Tarqinder, kill me," Mark said. "Oh I will, and I'm going to. Just think how painful this will be fool," Tarqinder snapped. "You can fool yourself as long as you want, but you're not fooling me. You would never kill a person, and you know it." "Damn right I wouldn't!" "If you let me accompany you I can fix all my wrongs. I'll prove it by stop drinking!" Mark exclaimed as he threw his broken wine bottle into the distance. "Damn Mark Theobald, you are a determined lad. Just how can I trust you? And why were you so depressed?" "I felt bad because I thought I had caused your death, and I'd been a thief! And when I got to Catherby I met this young lady. Samantha her name was, and she really wanted me to love her. I didn't want to stay in Catherby with her though, so she killed herself. She jumped straight into the sea from the dock, right in front of my eyes." "And this is why you've felt bad?" "Yes." "I had no idea what you'd been through. I want to make it clear though that there's no excuse for stealing, and next time I will not be so tolerant." "Does that mean I can come with you?" "Yes," Tarqinder groaned. "Thank you Tarqinder, you do not know how grateful I am." "Right then, enough talking. I've got just enough money for food, so I suggest we buy some bread." Tarqinder and Mark entered Ardougne Market. As they headed towards the bakery stall, a voice called out. "Tarqinder! Tarqinder of Varrock!" Jake called as he barged through the crowd. "Someone knows me," Tarqinder said. "Tarqinder! We need your help!" "And who the devil are you?" "My name's Jake. I'm quite a fan of yours, I grew up hearing the stories of how you stopped that King Black Dragon from crossing the Wilderness and smashing the whole of Varrock." "So, you're a fan? Well what do you want?" "We need you to kill a dragon."
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