Kegan

Mackenzie the tavern keeper was busy getting ready for his lunch-time rush when he looked toward the door of his tavern, The Sake Saka, and noticed the shadowed outline of a large man leaning against the door frame.

Mackenzie was at first surprised, but quickly relaxed...it was after all almost midday in the bustling city of Zento, what was there to fear?

As the figure entered the well lit tavern Mackenzie immediately recognized his friend, Kegan....sometimes called Kegan the Mad. "Come..come.. have a seat my friend Kegan, how are you to..." Mackenzie paused half way though his greating, for now that Kegan had stepped closer the tavern keeper could see that Kegan was covered in horrendous bruises " Kegan, my friend, did you have a pit-fight that I was unaware of? You did not try fighting two drakes again, did you?" The concerned tavern keeper asked.

"Nope, I ain't that lucky" Kegan mumbled as he painfully took a seat. "I don't understand my friend, what then happened to you?" Mackenzie asked as he slide a jug of cider across the table to the mercenary.

"I gots this beatin when the damn mad mage Azrael a tried makin me watch me city, Cove, beein attacked" The mercenary growled" the stinkin coward had me all chained up ta begin wit, but when he tried ta make me watch the attack in some stupid magik globe a his I lost it." The tavern keeper's mouth dropped open upon hearing of Cove being attacked, he knew Kegan wouldn't lie, especially about his beloved city, not knowing what to say he simply continued to listen "I tried bitin his blasted face off" Kegan exclaimed" .....but he had some kinda damned orkie sulkin in da shadows.....damn strong orkie at that....and wit the chains and all ole Kegan took a mighty beatin "He wistfully admitted as he took a deep drink of the cider".....then the mage had the damn orkie hold me head by the globe, and this is what I seen..."

"Now I knows I be tellin ye enough about Cove that ya can picture the layout of tha city" Kegan began "Well this here Shadow Mystic of SilverVale, Malia be the witches name, She bought the house that the black hearted !!!!!!! Havok built when he tricked me outta me land and into his service" Kegan said between gulps of cider, when he mentioned Havok he slowly began to rub the bracelet of binding on his wrist.

"Anyways, ye see this Mystics house was a story higher then Cove's own walls, and the house built right up against it....so's when this attack began her and someone else the mage called Lord Bloodlust were up there casting their spells down on the towns ramparts....picking off them Guardsmen like fish in a barrel" Kegans voice had steadily been rising until the last sentence.



Slamming his fists down on the table, his face turning red the mercenary was at a loss for words for a moment. Mackenzie removed the empty jug of cider and promptly replaced it with a fresh one. Kegan nodded his thanks and took a gulp "Thank ye me friend....its hard fer me ta talk about this...I trained alot of them lads in the guard" Running a calloused hand across his eyes the merc cleared his throat and continued. " While thems two were hitting the guards with spells a bunch of orkies had gathered at the base of the wall, helping to distract them guards."



"Well, while all this was a going on the image in that globe it changed" Kegan's voice grew softer" Ye see it focused on this big ship, and I mean big lad, slowly sailing right under the harbor look-out tower and into the harbor......I hears the mage say it be the ship that was a built here at the Zento shipyard not so's long ago." The tavern keeper raises his eyebrows at this, for he knows who owns that ship.

"Any hows, this ship sails into the harbor, and not a one of the watch sounds the alarm" Shaking his head Kegan takes a deeper drink and slams down the jug again" How can ye not see a Big stinking ship? huh, how?....well, whats done is done, no one seen it and while this Lord Bloodlust and Lady Malia drew all the guards ta the front wall a ship full of orkies sailed undetected through the back door!"



"That damned sneakin Ghosty charcter was on that ship and he and the orcs jumped the few guards not a ready at tha gate or wall!"



While listening Mackenzie swaps out the empty jug with a fresh one, all the while enthralled with his friends tale, and torn himself to see the grief and anger tearing his friend apart." Well thems two, the Lord and Lady do their job well, they scare the guards off a tha wall, and then when them guards see them orcs they decide ta charge this Lady's house, ye see....figuring they can cleave through them orcs and then rush those two on the roof.......but they didn't see them orcs behind them, on the docks,.....and them damned orkies followed them right out the gates, and those guardsmen were caught between the two groups of orcs, which woulda been a tough chore on its own....but them damn...." Kegan gets choked up, wiping his eyes and clearing his throat. "Them Cove guards ain't got magik weapons nor armor, they didn't have a spell caster amongst them...not a one....no cover from the walls, no support and a enemy in front of ye as well as at yer back....all that woulda been bad enough, eh?" He rumbled as he stared into his friends eyes" But what was they supposed ta do against the Council of Sin?...."Shaking his large shaggy head Kegan finishes the jug, and the tavern keeper hands him a fresh one, shocked at hearing Kegan mention the Council.





"Yep them lads never knew what hit em" That Lord Bloodlust had a spell that seemed to open the very gates of tha abyss, and that Malia she came down from the roof and hit em wit spell after spell, I dunno if'n the orcs actually did a thing...."



"That was just two of the Council, there were two more....Havok and that Elf, Darth Oni....they each did their fair share a killin. He'd kill one of them guards then suck their soul right outta their bodies, or he'd raise them poor dead folks up ta fight their own friends and kin." Taking another drink Kegan again slams down his jug. " and the elf seemed ta be everywhere....shape shifitn, casting spells....didn't think I'd live ta see the day a elf be helpin orcs...."Slumping in his seat Kegan covers his face with his hands.

"Dunno why this here Council of Sin would want ta invade Cove....but they did, and pretty easily at that..." Kegan pulls his hands away from his face and looks at Mackenzie" Mac it weren't even all a them, wasn't but half tha Council...... and they cut though Cove like a hot knife thru butter......now this Malia has procalimed it her city and she will over see it....the blasted mage told me they took the old mayor hostage....so's no one gets the bright idea of interfering."



"I dunno who could help them poor farmers and fishermen....not only that but whos a gonna keep dem orcs in check?" Shaking his head the battered merc begins to stand " Mac ya think I can grab a room in the Miyabi?....I ain't goin back ta that Island til they drag me back "Kegan declared, the whole time rubbing the bracelet on his wrist.

Jumping to his feet the tavern keeper rushed around the table and helped support his friend "Aye Kegan, I'll get you a room in the Miyabi...and I'll have some food sent up, After you get some rest my friend." The kind-hearted tavern keeper led Kegan though the tavern, grabbing another jug of cider on the way, and into the adjoining Inn

"Yer alright Mac, ye know that?" Kegan mumbled "Dun't supose ye can get tha word out bout cove keen ye? Don't think to many even know it got hit......" Nodding Mackenzie led him up the stairs of the Inn " I shall endevor to do so my friend."

After making sure the merc was resting comfortably Mackenzie made his way back to the tavern. The lunch-time regulars were begining to arrive and he quickly found himself busy taking care of them.

Much later, when buisness had started to slow down, the tavern keeper paused in his work and thought of his friend's request, to "get the word out" about Cove, but to whom? Sitting here in Zento, Cove seemed a million miles away. Who would he contact, who would help Cove? Who would stand against the Council of Sin....and now apparently the Council had the help of the orcs? Shaking his head the tavern keeper didn't think he could do more then tell the tale to any who would listen and hope it fell upon the ears of those who could help.

ladykolleen

hm. quite interesting