Read part 1 here.

Giftbag from the Hedge, Part 2

As each of the signature heroes took their envelopes from Radimus, he then instructed each of them to split up before opening them and reading their contents. While it seemed a bit odd, the eyes of Ariane, the World Guardian, Ozan and Raptor met and nodded in agreement to go along with the elderly guildmaster's plans. Ariane chose to teleport out of the hall, while Ozan vanished, leaving only an open window which gave a chilling breeze. The Raptor and the World Guardian took their leave via the main gate.

"You've gotten stronger. Again. But not strong enough yet", the Raptor said out of the blue as he and the World Guardian walked through the guild's front garden towards the exit. Despite the wind, the Raptor could've sworn he heard a humph from the World Guardian's direction. The two then greeted the guards, walked through the main gate, and went their separate ways.

Back at the guild, Radimus took a long breath as he watched the duo from the window.

*Rattle, rattle.*

He had rarely issued any quests himself that didn't have to do with obtaining guild membership, and he felt he didn't want to get used to it.

*Rattle, rattle, rattle.*

On the other hand, deep in his heart, Radimus also felt that this was a step towards his original goal, to find and teach a group of exceptional individuals to be the world's last line of defence against existential threats. This would also involve winning the people's trust on their side, because it would be essential for those protecting others to be trusted by the general populace.

*Rustle, rattle, rustle, rattle.* *Crack!* *Screech.*

"Aaaaaah! Oh. Phew. I almost suffocated there."

"W-what? Who are you? And how did you get inside?", Radimus was taken aback by a blue-hatted, talking skull carrying a bag suddenly flying out of one of the wardrobes in the room. "No, wait… you're Postie Pete, aren't you?"

"That's me, alright. I was supposed to deliver mail to one of the guards of the guild, but they were apparently off-shift resting in the guild, then I somehow got stuck in that wardrobe for who knows how long. And, er, I suppose I was also a bit curious about what was going on."

"I see. Well, you may not be a guild member, but I understand you were only doing your job", Radimus replied.

"So what's with this plan of yours? Why did you gather the most famous four heroes of our time, exactly? I could hear a few things from under all those capes, but not everything."

"I'm afraid that's official guild business, and I cannot go telling people about it willy-nilly."

"Oh, please; I've been dying of curiosity ever since I delivered the invitations. Could you please find it in your kind heart to make an exception this time for this time-worn mailbag of bones?", Pete plead Radimus. If he'd had eyes, or eyelids for that matter, his expression would probably have looked like that of a puppy.

"Sigh, very well. I suppose it would only cause more trouble if you began to track down the others just to ask them the same thing."

Radimus then explained to Pete what he'd already told to the four heroes. Radimus could've sworn Pete's "eyes" discreetly lit up at some point during the conversation.

"Why, that sounds outright terrible. Horrific, even!", Pete replied. "There has to be something I can do to help, too."

Judging from his appearance alone, anyone could tell that Pete had been filled with determination.

"Very well. I'll have you visit Santa and Jack the Frost in the Land of Snow to ask for their assistrance with the matter. I have this weird sensation that you share this bond with them as a character of eve-"

"Hey, that's rude! Just because I appear at random times in front of people doesn't mean I'd be acquainted with those who help with seasonal events in this world!", said Pete, seemingly a bit mad.

"Well, do you know where to find them?"

".…I do, in fact, we're friends and we go waaay back. I used to help Santa with his work, too."

"Then it's settled", Radimus replied, "your quest is to try and have him help with giving presents to the children of West Ardougne. You have one day, same as the other four, to complete it."

"Roger!"

Pete took his leave via a teleport item he picked out of his bag.

  1. Author's note: the story is now split into 5 sub-stories that can be read in any order, the final chapter combines them to a cohesive timeline

The World Guardian's mission - Threads of Fate

After splitting up with the Raptor, the World Guardian walked some distance towards East Ardougne and came across a set of picnic benches. They sit on one of the benches and began reading their quest instructions:

"Radimus Erkle" wrote:

"Dear World Guardian,

I'm giving you the task of preparing clothing for the children of West Ardougne. The weather in Wintumber is especially cold, and according to rumours they're scraping by at the moment.

Please craft, or otherwise obtain, warm clothing for them to use. Looks don't matter as much, focus on durability and keeping the wearer warm - though since these are children we're talking about please take that into consideration. Furthermore, please keep everything contained in this letter confidential.

I wish you luck on your quest,
       - Radimus Erkle, the Legends' Guild guildmaster"

The World Guardian took some time to think. What material might be the best for warm clothing that wouldn't be too difficult to obtain?

Then they remembered that around this area, grizzly bears were fairly common. Their fur would certainly be warm, and there was a building in East Ardougne equipped with all the tools needed to turn that into usable clothing, just north-west of the main marketplace.

Many growls could be heard at the north-eastern border of the city that night. Some of the locals began to spread urban legends of the mythical Bear Slayer, a ruthless man who only ever accepted bear slaying quests and had specialised in killing them.

It took the World Guardian a few hours to gather the 100 hides they wanted, after which they took off towards the city marketplace. On the way after passing a bakery stall and accidentally knocking out a thief by running into them, the stall owner gave the world guardian some baked goods free of charge.

Having arrived at the right house, the World Guardian politely asked the house owner if they'd be willing to allow their tools to be used for making some fur clothing, and they accepted. No details of the actual mission had been disclosed, as per Radimus' instructions. Soon, a whole bunch of children-sized, full-body bear costumes had been completed, in many colours to boot.

Ariane's mission - Beacon of Hope

Ariane had teleported back to Dorgesh-Kaan, and proceeded to read the contents of Radimus' envelope. It read:

"Radimus Erkle" wrote:

"Dear Ariane, I'm giving you the task of inspiring the children of West Ardougne. Their expectations for their future have diminished over the years, so I want you to craft fitting decorations for the city. Illuminate their path to a future again, so that they have something to look forward to.

More specifically, I want you to create decorations and magical lights to be placed around the city. Having a central bonfire to provide warmth and illumination would further increase their will to survive. Finally, please keep everything contained in this letter confidential.

I wish you luck on your quest,
       - Radimus Erkle, the Legends' Guild guildmaster"

"I see, so this is what the guildmaster expects of me. Well, I suppose he's not too much off-track, I am rather adept at crafting things after all."

A hint of smile could be seen on Ariane's face.

"Since I'm already here, I might as well ask Oldak if he could lend me some of his lights. I've also got some materials in my bank, including divination energy, so I should be able to make something flashy yet festive."

Ariane proceeded to visit Oldak. He was happy to help, after Ariane had listened to yet another lecture on his magic research. She did find it interesting, of course, but Oldak had the tendency of digressing from the original topic and his lecture ended up being hours long once again.

"My goodness, is it 4:30? I'm supposed to be having a whack, smack and clap", said Ariadne, interrupting the endless discussion with Oldak.

"Oh, that's a shame. I had so much more to share with you… Very well, my assistant Grubfoot has prepared the lights you asked for, they're on that table. Take care, now, dear!"

Ariane picked up the box of lights and took off towards the Dorgesh-Kaan bank.

"These weigh quite a bit more than I expected. Just how many did he pack in here?"

At the bank, Ariane asked for permission from the bank clerks to use a table for drawing some quick sketches for the decorations, then proceeded to use her crafting prowess and miscellaneous materials to bring them to life. It took her quite some time to make designs she was happy with, but after a few hours she had amassed quite an impressive stack of Wintumber decorations.

Ozan's mission - The Great Tree Robbery

Having jumped out of the window to a pile of snow below, Ozan then made his way to the nearby Sorcerer's Tower to read his instructions. They read as follows:

"Radimus Erkle" wrote:

"Dear Ozan,

I'm giving you the task of bringing the very heart of Wintumber Festival to the children of West Ardougne. Most of them have never even heard of this celebration, so this time has to be spoecial for everyone involved.

I want you to use your… special skills to acquire one of the legendary Wintumber trees from the Land of Snow. My agents report of a portal at the southern part of the White Wolf Mountain that can take you to a place where they can be found. You need only get the tree outside the portal, my agents will handle the rest. Finally, please keep everything contained in this letter confidential.

I wish you luck on your quest,
       - Radimus Erkle, the Legends' Guild guildmaster"

"Hah, he definitely chose the right man for the job! There's nothing in this world I cannot steal!", Ozan proudly proclaimed. Sadly, there was nigh a soul to hear him talk.

After hitchhiking a ride from a traveling merchant to Catherby, Ozan scaled the mountain with his trusty grappling hook and soon found the portal Radimus had mentioned in his instructions. Without hesitation, Ozan then stepped inside.

The landscape he encountered certainly fit the description, as everywhere was covered in snow. Unlike most of Gielinor, however, there was plenty more snow to be found instead of just mostly thin layers. Ozan found it fortunate that he had long-sleeved boots.

He walked some distance towards an intersection and saw a sign pointing to a tree farm. "That has to be the one", he thought, and began wandering in that direction.

About half an hour of rambling in the snow later, he arrived at a tree farm. Most of the trees were clearly ordinary evergreens, but Ozan could hear cries coming from the midst of the trees. He began to carefully approach, and spotted a yeti girl crying against one of the tree trunks.

"What's a pretty girl like you crying here in the middle of a tree farm? It doesn't suit you", Ozan asked as he carefully approached the girl.

"*Sniff* The Wintumber trees my family had been growing for this year were stolen by snow imps. We don't know what to do now".

As the girl explained her situation, tears could be seen falling down her cheeks. Ozan wiped them with his handkerchief, and confidently replied,

"Don't cry, sweetheart, I'll get them back for you."

A trail of needles and tracks could be seen on the snow. Ozan figured that the imps had probably dragged the trees on the snow on sleds, and began his pursuit.

Not too far away, the snow imps had made a camp. While he was unsure whether the imps weren't smart enough to cover their tracks or if they simply didn't think anyone would follow them, Ozan approached the camp carefully as to not be noticed in case there were guards around. He could see a chain of sleds with one tree each, and imps dancing around a campfire.

Fortunately, after listening in on their conversations it became apparent that the snow imps weren't particularly smart. Ozan decided to take advantage of this by pretending to be a wandering tree inspector, claiming that the imps had forgotten to buy licenses for the trees they had and managed to fool them into letting him take the trees to let them avoid legal consequences.

The trees were heavy, even when dragged on sleds across the snowy fields of the Land of Snow, but Ozan's well-trained body was enough to drag them uphill back to the tree farm. After eventually making it back, Ozan was glad to restore the yeti girl's smile when she saw all the trees coming back. She decided to give one of them for Ozan to take with him as a reward and he went on his merry way back to the portal.

The Raptor's mission - A Feast Fit for a King

The Raptor was so impatient to get back to his business that he opened and read his instructions right at the gates of the guild, after walking a bit to the west to avoid having the guards around.

"Radimus Erkle" wrote:

"Dear Raptor,

I'm giving you the task of feeding the children of West Ardougne. Since you're a rather… single-minded individual, all I ask you to do is kill a bunch of monsters and cook their meat. You may make use of the guild chef's services if you don't feel like cooking the meat yourself.

Please keep everything contained in this letter confidential. Though I suppose that's hardly necessary, as I don't expect you to talk about it anyway.

I wish you luck on your quest,
       - Radimus Erkle, the Legends' Guild guildmaster

P.S. Please make sure that the meat is actually edible by ordinary children."

While the Raptor's helmet was covering his entire face, had there been a soul nearby as he finished reading, they would've felt his passionate aura kicking in.

"This might be fun."

And so the Raptor headed straight for the Waterbirth Island Dungeon, clearing everything in his path. He picked up any fish he could find while slaughtering any edible monsters he could find on his way to the Dagannoth Kings.

"Nothing better than a royal meal made of royalty themselves."

He spent hours killing everything that moved in the Dagannoth Kings' lair, transporting the meat from the corpses straigh to the Legends' Guild kitchen via a specifically crafted portent that Radimus had included in the envelope. The Raptor thought that the guildmaster must've been rather smart to expect something like this to be necessary to get him to co-operate.

Piles of meat and fish begun stacking in the kitchen, and the chefs were having a hard time keeping up with the rate it was flooding in, but they were able to make all kinds of foods from the meat the Raptor had provided.

Postie Pete's mission - Post-Processing Predicament

Arriving right by Santa's office, Postie Pete headed straight inside. The moment he did, he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.

"Pete, good to see you! How's things?"

It was Santa. The last time they'd met was when Pete had resigned to go work for the RPDT instead after his brother had run into trouble with delivering all the mail of Gielinor by himself.

"Hi Santa, sorry to be in a hurry, but I'm here to ask for your help."

Postie Pete explains the situation to Santa, about how he wants to give presents to the children of West Ardougne and how the Legends' Guild is involved. Unfortunately, it seems that Santa has his own problems to deal with.

"Unfortunately I keep getting reports that no toys have been coming out of the factory for weeks now, despite them clearly being made. While you're here, could you please look into it for me? If the situation gets sorted, I may be a ble to help", Santa replied.

"All right, I'll go and have a look then."

The factory wasn't far from the office building, but jumping around in the soft snow as a skull didn't exactly do any favours for travel speed. It took Pete quite a while to make it to the factory.

The inside of the factory was a complex assortment of cranes, moulds and paint brushes. There were several floors making different kinds of toys. All the lines seemed to be producing toys just fine. The toys were then taken to a packing building, everything seemed to be just fine there as well. But the problems were becoming more apparent, as Pete could see a huge stack of presents at the end of the factory floor.

From the looks of it, the snow imps employed at the factory who'd been assigned to transport the presents to Santa's sled had all fallen ill and nobody had remembered to replace them, so Pete decided to do the job himself. His experience transporting packages clearly showed, because the huge pile of presents began to shrink at break-neck speeds. When it was done, Pete went back to Santa to inform him of what had happened, and Santa promised to sort out the gifts for West Ardougne immediately.

The Final Chapter - Santa's Little Helpers

After finishing their missions, our heroes returned to the Legends' Guild, to be greeted by Radimus.

"Salutations, I can see that all of you have been successful", said Radimus as the heroes walked through the front gates.

Each of the heroes, other than the Raptor whose was already at the guild, and Pete, had arrived carrying the things they were assigned to collect. The World Guardian had a large supply of warm clothing as well as pastries, Ariane held two large boxes of decorations while also carrying a mysterious sack on her back, and Ozan could be seen pulling a huge Wintumber tree alongside a few guild employees.

"Now, the preparations are ready. All we need to do is transport the goods to West Ardougne. However, that won't be as easy as simply walking in through the front door as access to the city is strictly limited", Radimus said.

"So, how were you planning to do this? I could share a few of my own ideas, if needed", Ozan replied.

"No need, though your skills will be required. World Guardian, we'll need you to distract the mourners stationed in the watch tower - I'm sure you can find a way on your own. Raptor, prevent the mourners in the city from interfering with the plans. Ozan, you're in charge of decorating the city. Ariane, put together a bonfire in the central city. Pete, your task is to find the children and deliver them clothes while inviting them to the central city. The guild employees will take care of the food and transporting items to the city. Meanwhile, I have somewhere else to be to ensure that the plan goes through as expected. Any questions?"

A moment of silence.

"Excellent. Let's begin."

The World Guardian had already done something similiar before, so all they had to do was pick up a few bird cages from a local bird enthusiast and unleash them upon the poor mourners. After that, they performed a smooth distraction dance, just to cover all bases.

With the mourners distracted, the Raptor took the guild employees through the main gate with their items. Ozan began to distribute the Wintumber decorations all over the city, focusing mostly on the central city but expanding from there.

Pete hopped from door to door, house to house, dragging a massive pile of fur clothes behind him and distributed them to every child he came across, telling them to come to the central city to celebrate.

Ariane put down her massive bag in the middle of the city, which was filled with magic tree logs, and used a fire wave spell combined with some rare salts to create a long-lasting bonfire that wouldn't need to be sustained manually. After that, she helped the guild employees to set up tables around it with food on offer. The Wintumber tree was placed at the western end of the main plaza, with some additional decorations attached to it.

Some mourners began to show up, trying to prevent the celebrations from happening, but the Raptor was keeping them at bay. None of them dared to try and challenge him in combat.

Meanwhile, guildmaster Radimus had entered King Lathas' throne room and asked him to prevent the mourners from interfering under the request of the Legends' Guild. The king was clearly hesitant, but after a lengthy discussion Radimus ultimately managed to get his wish as the king did not want to make enemies with the guild - he knew that their combat prowess was astonishing and any conflict could be an existential threat, even if it was indirect, as the city often relied on the defensive support provided by the guild. Thanks to this, the mourners in the city were eventually forced to stand by.

As the signature heroes, and Pete, gathered to watch the results of their hard work - children in warm clothes, eating their fill of guild cooking and patries from the eastern city while looking at the decorations in awe - they could feel the spirit of the Wintumber Festival in their hearts. Except perhaps for the Raptor who stood there, as emotionless as ever, but at least he didn't seem displeased. The night culminated when Santa himself visited the city, bringing a ton of toys under the Wintumber tree for the children.

The whole city was illuminated by thousands of magic lights that night. Watching from the Ardougne castle's windows, Radimus felt he'd made the right decision, hoping that someday the children would be free once more.

~~-~- THE END -~-~~

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