Chapter 6: Ike's Plot
General Ike Ironheart now stood on the brink of losing sanity. He was chased out of Stormwind City, by King Varian Wrynn himself, with the claim that he was a traitor to the Alliance, and would either be executed, or forced out. He chose the latter, not wanting to be executed, or die, until he found the people responsible. Luckily, for him, he was hot on their trail, feverishly searching the Stranglethorn Jungle for Lucien Hartshire, who he believed held a key to aiding his search.
Ike's steed galloped through the overgrown pathways, and past Nesingwary's Outpost, and into more contested territory, where he could be shot randomly by a passing Horde member, or a Venture Co. goblin, looking for a hefty bounty. Nonetheless, time seemed to stand still as he searched for the wayward paladin.
Lucien, meanwhile, was resting, in the top floor room of the Salty Sailor Tavern, writing on some parchment, as he slowly rubbed his beard in distress. His notes that he jotted down were shaky, but not entirely sloppy, he could understand them, and he hoped that Laiken, should he ever reach Booty Bay, be able to read them. Lucien knew what was coming.
Ike walked through the bottom room of the tavern, which was filled with many a drunken pirate, or just an old sea dog, looking for a day's rest after some work, or hard work. Usually, it was the latter. He breathed heavy, and looked around the room, fire burning in his eyes.
"What can I do you for?" the barkeeper, who was an orc, asked.
Ike looked the barkeep in the eye, directly, and smiled.
"I'm looking for a certain person, perhaps you've seen him?" Ike asked.
"What's your name?" the orc asked, his Common speak was very fluent, albeit a tad bit accented.
"Isaac Ironheart. I prefer Ike, however", Ike replied.
The barkeep turned around and retrieved a piece of paper from a section of the bar's wall that didn't have a rack for holding alcohol on it. He quickly skimmed through the names, and found one that caught his eye; it was Ike's, obviously.
"Strange… says here that you're 'unwanted' by one of our guests here… his name is signed as a Mr. Lucien Hartshire, do you know anything about that, Ike?" the barkeep suspiciously asked.
"He's under arrest by the Royal Stormwind Army, for treason and harboring a dangerous criminal", Ike falsely stated.
His official sounding voice seemed to pierce through the hearts of the patrons, as all of them immediately looked up with wonder in their eyes. One patron in particular, an older man, who donned a pirate's hat, and had a long, snow-white beard, pointed toward the staircase that led to the private rooms of the tavern. Ike smiled, showing his teeth full well, and he took a few steps toward the stairs, and promptly looked back at the patrons, who were still eyeing him widely.
"That'll be all", Ike said, his voice stern as always.
As expected, the patrons went back to their business, drinking, talking, reminiscing, and the like. Meanwhile, Ike slowly walked up the stairs, crossing the small bridge that led to the private rooms, and slowly opened the corridor's door, trying not to make a sound as he did. Despite his best efforts, Lucien heard Ike approaching his room, and turned around, looking at the disgraced General in the eyes.
"Come to attack an old man in hiding, have you?" Lucien sighed.
"Perhaps not", Ike hissed, grabbing a chair, and sitting.
"What do you expect from me, tea and biscuits? Get out of my sight", Lucien barked.
"Talk", Ike merely said.
Both men were in their late fifties, but neither of them showed the worse signs of it, in fact, both of them could easily pass for forty. Both men reviled one and other, so it was a short matter of time before they began to talk in forked tongues at each other.
"What do you want to hear, General Ironheart? That I've kept the truth from you, and all of the other paladins of my order, for years? That I'm secretly an orc-raiser and orc-lover? No… that would be too easy", Lucien chuckled.
"Yes, indeed it would. I know of your 'secret' trips to the island off the north coast of Kalimdor. I know of the place, but what I want are coordinates", Ike stated.
"You come here expecting a handout? You've got the gall to approach me… no, leave me be traitor, I have better things to worry about than the ramblings and attempts to gain favor back for his forsaken position", Lucien was exceptionally cold-voiced when he said this.
"You've always been smarter than most everyone in that kingdom. Funny, why not put it to good use?" Ike asked.
"Good use? Do you even have a sense of the phrase you've just tossed at me? Putting my intelligence to 'good use' is what I did, 19 years ago, General. I helped Varkaan, and I kept his child and wife safe from harm, at your hand. Good use would be helping people, regardless of race and faction, in their weakest moments, not murder and conquest", Lucien yelled.
"Yet I'm the traitor. I seem to remember reading in the history books as to how your father, Hannibal Hartshire, petitioned a peace treaty with the orcs, to live in harmony, yet I'm the traitor?" Ike spat.
"My… I have never been fully in league with the Alliance. Not the Horde, either. In my heart, I've always known the best course of action, is peace, Laiken is proof of that, he will always remain the proof of that, even if he is dead, or missing right now", Lucien's voice indicated extreme sadness as he even mentioned the possibility of Laiken being dead.
"That's the little orc spawn's name is it?" Ike said, laughing.
Lucien looked up at Ike with anger bleeding from his eyes. He gritted his teeth, and charged at the disgraced general, his blade aiming for his neck. Catching the bastard off guard, Lucien tackled him to the ground, his blade at Ike's throat.
"Laiken is as much human as you and I… and if you, or anyone else tries to harm him because of his orc heritage, I will make sure your last hours are filled with suffering and anguish", Lucien said, through gritted teeth.
Ike coughed a bit, then tried to push the paladin off of him, but in turn, was sword-hilted in the face by Lucien, who got up himself, and drew his shield now, a crown of light floating above his head briefly, before disappearing, and Lucien's eyes faintly beginning to glow with holy, golden Light.
"If you want to end me, General, come at me, but do not expect an easy fight", Lucien's voice was similar sounding to that of the Prophet Velen in his holy state, but it wasn't accepting, or enlightening, but angry, and war-driven.
Ike smiled some blood from the wound he had sustained from Lucien coming out of his mouth. He got up, and threw back his cloak, revealing he had no weapon so to speak.
"I did not come here for blood, paladin. Know this, however: I have put into motion a series of events that will allow me to get my hands on this Laiken in a matter of weeks, I'm sure you've heard of the goblins that have joined the Horde, the Bilgewater Cartel?" Ike queried.
The holy Light's power faded from Lucien, as he dropped his blade and shield to the ground, his eyes full of fear now.
"What have you done?" Lucien demanded.
"Nothing but agree to a simple contract. I pay a certain Kraven Twitchblade a few gold shillings every week, he will have brought the half-orc to be, unharmed. Of course, I've gone to meet his Mr. Twitchblade in person to make sure that he doesn't back out, but nonetheless… your precious half-orc will be mine soon, and he, being the naïve one he is, will crack under my torture, and give me the location of this Asoria, so I will be able to lead Stormwind's armies to it, and destroy it", Ike was now laughing, rich, evil laughter.
Lucien stammered to come up with words, but could only mince together a simple, yet entirely true statement.
"You… sick bastard", he said, picking up his things and running from the tavern.
Ike remained behind, and began to laugh more. But it wasn't for what Lucien thought it was for. Instead, Ike laughed as he revealed a parchment with someone's signature on it. It was a certain signature, of a man, named Logan Bloodbane, who was the real person behind the mastermind plot.