Inez the barkeep was cleaning up after a paticularly busy and rowdy evening at the Modest Damsel, a tavern at the docks of New Maginica. She had only been working there a few days. Her true intent or origin, no one knew.
She approached the small area under the stairs with a broom to sweep out the cobwebs that had begun to accumulate. In the corner she noticed the shape of a small cat, shivering in a corner, hiding from the clammer of the tavern in the background.
As she approached the cat hissed and backed farther into the corner. As soon as she reached out her hand, the cat began to shimmer into that of a man in brown robes. The robes hid his face, but there was no mistaking the glow in the hooded man's eyes. He had a bow and quiver access his back, but the many daggers strapped across his chest and the belt of shurikins around his waste drippping with poisons, left little doubt that this was an assassin you didn't want to upset.
Faster than she cound see, he pulled out one of his poisoned daggers, and he grabed her by throat.
"This dagger has been poisoned by the deadliest poison known to this world", he hissed. "Speak the words, or be found dead where you stand."
"He has always been here.", Inez whispered.
"You know the words.", the hooded man replied. "Meet me at the Docks. The fishing boat is stationed there. You must go now. Your cover has been blown. They knew you were coming, and set you up. Meet me on the fishing boat. Thomas, the harbor master will know you are coming." The hooded man vanished before Inez's sight, and deep down she knew she was alone again.
She worked her way back to the bar of the Modest Damsel, more aware than ever of the position she was in. She surveyed the remaining patrons. It was late and only a few customers remained. Mostly merchants, no one of note, except Irwin, who seemed to be paying more attention to her movements than normal.
"Inez, go upstairs and clean the bards room! He had another party in his room and YOU get to clean it up since you are the newest member of the staff.", Maynard, the Tavern keeper, yelled. "You have been slow but I suspect you will learn. If it wern't for that old guy you wouldn't even have a job here."
Inez moved upstairs slowly, the words of Maynard struck ice into her veins. The thought, "Curse that fat pig, running his mouth. The hooded man was right! I've gotta get outta here." The hooded man's warning ran over and over in her mind over and over, as she tryed to avoid Irwin's notice. She managed to slip upstairs, and she dashed for the first window she saw.
Crashing through the window she ran for the dock. Cries of people reacting from the noise of the breaking glass, echoed in her ears as she ran straignt for the dock. Alarm bells sounded in the background, as the smell of salt guided her to her destination. She turned a corner, just past the 'Welcome to New Maginica' sign and was jumped and dragged to one side of the docks by brigands. She tried to fight but was hopelessly outnumbered.
The hooded man apeared as if from nowhere, blades swinging. Four brigands died before they knew what had happened. Those he didnt kill in the first onslaught were slaughtered, poisoned, in the second wave. The hooded man reached a hand to the terrifed Inez, and led her onto the gangplank of the nearest boat. She passed out in the arms of the hooded man, who was covered in blood, as she crossed the gangplank.
When her eyes opened she found herself on a what appeared to be a modest fishing boat, headed northwest. The only thing that gave it away as anything more than a fishing boat were the five fully loaded and ready heavy cannons that had been installed. The hooded man was standing toward the back of the boat, whispering instructions to the tillerman. In the light of the morning she could see the colors of the robes he wore, were designed to blend in with his surroundings. To anyone on the streets he appeared to be nothing more than a simple monk. That is, those he let see.
Inez approached the man cautiously.
"I see you have awaken, my lady. Busy night at the tavern?" he said with a smirk.
"I hope you are right, because I just blew two weeks trying to get them to let me work there. We need to get to Castle Fig as fast as we can. I was sent here to find you.", Inez replied.
"We will be in Britan in a few hours. I am no wizard that can just snap their fingers and travel around the world. We get to go the long way." He snickered. "So what news from the old guy? I can't beleive he sent a Barkeep to flush me out."
"I do not presume to know his mind, M'lord. He only gave me those words to speak, and that I would know when to speak them.", Inez said, relaxing a little around this strange man.
"Thats not all he gave you. You are also wearing one of the dresses made by Concubine the crafter. Only people who are friends of Castle Fig would be wearing one of those. Just like Fig to do something like that.", he said.
The boat arrived at the Britan docks without incident. The couple moved quietly through the afternoon bustle of the city. They stoped at the northern stable of the city getting a horse for the Barkeep. They continued north towards the only pass through the mountians that divided North and south Sosoria. Evening fell as they entered the pass. They rode silently through the pass fearing ambush, but they encountered no resistance, as they approached the keep up ahead. The stars began to show the way as they entered the narrowest point of the pass.
"Look up ahead M'lord!", Inez said, as she gestered through the pass. The keep rose before them. Against the horizon they could see the wall of the mountians on each side in the background of the keep. Every once in a while a flash of lightning seemed to hit the topmost level of the keep.
"I have seen Fig's Keep. He calls it Castle Fig, but it is still just a keep.", the hooded man replied. " I see he is praticing again. You can always tell when something is bothering the Ancient. He pratices his magic all through the night."
"You know, you still haven't told me your name, M'Lord." Inez said, as they approached the keep.
"That is because I have not given it, barkeep.", He replied. "We are asked to do things in our life without knowing why, but we do them anyways. So sayeth the master. We follow him until the end. It is the way."
As they approached the front doors of the keep, it's iron doors shut tightly against the night air, another flash of lightning crossed the sky and hit the roof top. The doors of Castle Fig slowly opened to receive them, as they entered the keep, and closed behind them.
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She approached the small area under the stairs with a broom to sweep out the cobwebs that had begun to accumulate. In the corner she noticed the shape of a small cat, shivering in a corner, hiding from the clammer of the tavern in the background.
As she approached the cat hissed and backed farther into the corner. As soon as she reached out her hand, the cat began to shimmer into that of a man in brown robes. The robes hid his face, but there was no mistaking the glow in the hooded man's eyes. He had a bow and quiver access his back, but the many daggers strapped across his chest and the belt of shurikins around his waste drippping with poisons, left little doubt that this was an assassin you didn't want to upset.
Faster than she cound see, he pulled out one of his poisoned daggers, and he grabed her by throat.
"This dagger has been poisoned by the deadliest poison known to this world", he hissed. "Speak the words, or be found dead where you stand."
"He has always been here.", Inez whispered.
"You know the words.", the hooded man replied. "Meet me at the Docks. The fishing boat is stationed there. You must go now. Your cover has been blown. They knew you were coming, and set you up. Meet me on the fishing boat. Thomas, the harbor master will know you are coming." The hooded man vanished before Inez's sight, and deep down she knew she was alone again.
She worked her way back to the bar of the Modest Damsel, more aware than ever of the position she was in. She surveyed the remaining patrons. It was late and only a few customers remained. Mostly merchants, no one of note, except Irwin, who seemed to be paying more attention to her movements than normal.
"Inez, go upstairs and clean the bards room! He had another party in his room and YOU get to clean it up since you are the newest member of the staff.", Maynard, the Tavern keeper, yelled. "You have been slow but I suspect you will learn. If it wern't for that old guy you wouldn't even have a job here."
Inez moved upstairs slowly, the words of Maynard struck ice into her veins. The thought, "Curse that fat pig, running his mouth. The hooded man was right! I've gotta get outta here." The hooded man's warning ran over and over in her mind over and over, as she tryed to avoid Irwin's notice. She managed to slip upstairs, and she dashed for the first window she saw.
Crashing through the window she ran for the dock. Cries of people reacting from the noise of the breaking glass, echoed in her ears as she ran straignt for the dock. Alarm bells sounded in the background, as the smell of salt guided her to her destination. She turned a corner, just past the 'Welcome to New Maginica' sign and was jumped and dragged to one side of the docks by brigands. She tried to fight but was hopelessly outnumbered.
The hooded man apeared as if from nowhere, blades swinging. Four brigands died before they knew what had happened. Those he didnt kill in the first onslaught were slaughtered, poisoned, in the second wave. The hooded man reached a hand to the terrifed Inez, and led her onto the gangplank of the nearest boat. She passed out in the arms of the hooded man, who was covered in blood, as she crossed the gangplank.
When her eyes opened she found herself on a what appeared to be a modest fishing boat, headed northwest. The only thing that gave it away as anything more than a fishing boat were the five fully loaded and ready heavy cannons that had been installed. The hooded man was standing toward the back of the boat, whispering instructions to the tillerman. In the light of the morning she could see the colors of the robes he wore, were designed to blend in with his surroundings. To anyone on the streets he appeared to be nothing more than a simple monk. That is, those he let see.
Inez approached the man cautiously.
"I see you have awaken, my lady. Busy night at the tavern?" he said with a smirk.
"I hope you are right, because I just blew two weeks trying to get them to let me work there. We need to get to Castle Fig as fast as we can. I was sent here to find you.", Inez replied.
"We will be in Britan in a few hours. I am no wizard that can just snap their fingers and travel around the world. We get to go the long way." He snickered. "So what news from the old guy? I can't beleive he sent a Barkeep to flush me out."
"I do not presume to know his mind, M'lord. He only gave me those words to speak, and that I would know when to speak them.", Inez said, relaxing a little around this strange man.
"Thats not all he gave you. You are also wearing one of the dresses made by Concubine the crafter. Only people who are friends of Castle Fig would be wearing one of those. Just like Fig to do something like that.", he said.
The boat arrived at the Britan docks without incident. The couple moved quietly through the afternoon bustle of the city. They stoped at the northern stable of the city getting a horse for the Barkeep. They continued north towards the only pass through the mountians that divided North and south Sosoria. Evening fell as they entered the pass. They rode silently through the pass fearing ambush, but they encountered no resistance, as they approached the keep up ahead. The stars began to show the way as they entered the narrowest point of the pass.
"Look up ahead M'lord!", Inez said, as she gestered through the pass. The keep rose before them. Against the horizon they could see the wall of the mountians on each side in the background of the keep. Every once in a while a flash of lightning seemed to hit the topmost level of the keep.
"I have seen Fig's Keep. He calls it Castle Fig, but it is still just a keep.", the hooded man replied. " I see he is praticing again. You can always tell when something is bothering the Ancient. He pratices his magic all through the night."
"You know, you still haven't told me your name, M'Lord." Inez said, as they approached the keep.
"That is because I have not given it, barkeep.", He replied. "We are asked to do things in our life without knowing why, but we do them anyways. So sayeth the master. We follow him until the end. It is the way."
As they approached the front doors of the keep, it's iron doors shut tightly against the night air, another flash of lightning crossed the sky and hit the roof top. The doors of Castle Fig slowly opened to receive them, as they entered the keep, and closed behind them.
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