A sneak peek at RuneScape's Return to Canifis novel

At the end of this month, publisher Titan Books will be releasing the second installment in a new series of RuneScape novels. Return to Canifis tells the tale of a grim period in the city of Varrock's history. Citizens of Varrock are being kidnapped and killed by monsters from the corrupted lands of Morytania. An ancient prophecy also looms over the land, telling of a new king who will rule over Varrock and become lord of both the living and the dead. Fearing the prophecy's arrival, the King sends a band of adventurers to Canifis in the heart of Morytania.

Return to Canifis is the sequel to the earlier RuneScape novel Betrayal at Falador. This latest book in the series continues the story from the first book, but the author has been careful to keep the novel approachable for first-time readers. Here at Massively, we received an advance copy of the book to review and have been allowed to show our readers an exclusive chapter from the beginning of the novel. If you've been on the bench about whether to buy the novel, give our four-page prologue preview a read and decide whether you like what you see.

Read on to view the full prologue of RuneScape's Return to Canifis in four parts, complete with some exclusive author's commentary.

"So we agree then? You will provide me with the horses and men?" Sulla sat with his back to the ruined wall, the light from the fire reflected in his blind left eye, his face hideously scarred. Six months of flight and hiding had thinned his once muscular body. His clothes were torn rags, the soles of his boots flapped loose, his hair had grown down to his shoulders, and a wild beard covered his face, which irritated his scarred flesh in the hot weather. If I only had hands to scratch the mites! But she has denied me even that.

"We will indeed," the man replied. "Although I would feel better if you had a hand I could shake." The bandit leader smiled to his men, fifteen in all, who laughed at the joke. Sulla said nothing-he had endured far worse than cheap japes, as the ragged cloths tied about each of his wrists testified. "Don't worry, my friend, you can trust me," the man continued. "I may be an outlaw, but Leander the thief always keeps his word." The bandit stroked his short moustache, his eyes greedy. "Very well," Sulla said. "At dawn I will lead you to the treasure that shall be your payment, but now I must sleep. I am not as strong as I used to be." He stretched out on the ground as best he could-and winced at the pain it caused.

Sulla closed his eyes to rest, yet he only feigned sleep. Instead, he slowed his breathing, and after a long stretch of silence the bandits began to murmur to one another. As they did, he listened carefully. He could pick out Leander and his lieutenant, Barbec, speaking in low voices. Leander said something which made Barbec gasp. Have they realised who I am? he wondered. Soon after, he heard the scrape of a knife being sharpened across a whetstone.

He had taken a tremendous risk in walking into Leander's camp alone. Jerrod had advised him against it, and he knew the werewolf would not be far away. It amazed him how close the creature could get to his prey before being detected-close enough that it was always too late for his victims. He was probably less than a stone's throw away, even now, watching Sulla's back. The knife finished scraping across the whetstone.

Perhaps he means to cut my throat with it? Sulla mused, yet still he didn't move. Have they guessed who I am? No doubt the Kinshra have offered a reward for my capture, and a description to go with it, for I know them well. Didn't I lead them once, against her? Sulla gritted his teeth at the thought of Kara-Meir and their last confrontation, when she had fought him in single combat and had severed both his hands. It would have been a hundred times kinder to kill me, and you knew it. You knew it! Suddenly Sulla felt his right hand clench into a tight fist.

Sulla is the main villain from the previous novel, Betrayal at Falador. Once a warlord of the Kinshra Knights, he is now no more than a vicious outlaw. The origin of his name is, of course, of the Roman Dictator, one of Julius Ceasar's early enemies.

The Kinshra are followers of Zamorak, the god of chaos. Though not necessarily evil, he is perceived by many in Gielinor as being so, and his worshippers often are. Zamorak's opposite in the pantheon is Saradomin, the god of peace.