Prologue IX
As they got off the boat, any and all that would have thought something shady would have happened on the ride were quickly reassured by their arrival on Keen shores. They were approached by the diminutive folk, all whom had offered to carry their bags for them and provide escorts to the nearest inn.
"Welcome to Parva!" They said to the travelers. "Please, allow us to help."
Davion was already going to leave the place, even if it was nearly sundown, but he still needed to look around the place, to see if Nessaj was around. He and his mule followed suit, eager to know what they'll find next.
Davion and the others towered over the Keens, being able to see the entirety of the cobblestone buildings and such in this maritime town. It had all the commodities of a well-to-do living space, such as Farraige, but it also had workshops, its own well funded laboratory, and many other specialized buildings, as the Keen folk are ones to look into technology and the sciences, as they cannot rely upon magics to prosper, like many of the other races.
They arrived to the inn at the town square, which was abuzz with merriment and intellectual chatter. The merchants and the rest went on their way inside the inn, ever ready to rest not in a boat where seasickness is inevitable, but instead on a stable, warm bed. Davion, however, went off to go to the nearest tavern, which shouldn't be anywhere else but inside the square.
Inside the tavern, the 'Hop-Scotch,' as they call it, there were actually more than midgets inside, there were cat-like people from the far-away deserts of the south, all bearing fur the color of the sands, themselves. There was also the odd centaur, and for some reason, a tiny stone golem beside it, both having a drink together. But, the most noticeable thing inside was the large crowd swarming something or someone important. Nonetheless, the knight came up to the only Keen – the barkeep – and asked:
"Your specialty, please."
"The 'Dragon's Scotch?' Sure thing"
He received his mug, and dove into it with gusto. True to its namesake, it had a very spicy essence to it, which almost made the man choke. Almost. Even if he can't get intoxicated easily, he'll make the most out of this new ability. Then, a hand grabbed his shoulder.
"Mmff?" Davion says, the mug's contents still going down his gullet.
He turns around and sees a man in a formal blue uniform with gold highlights, bearing a curved blade that seems to shine as if it was wet, as well as sporting a spiky set of black hair that would seem as if a powerful squall had shaped it. His skin was tanned and his face was scarred by a large X.
"Hoh ho, do I recognize you?" He said with a jubilant expression.
Davion looked around, seeing that this man was the subject of the crowd, as they have now surrounded them with receptive eyes and smiles as large as the Mad Moon. They all stood silent. Then, he looked in the man once more. He still had his compassionate expression, and he stood proudly, like a commanding officer. Something was familiar about him.
"I'm...Not certain, but I do think I've seen you somewhere." Davion says, perplexed. "But...What is your name?"
"I am Admiral Kunkka, the Master of the Sea, himself!" His pride was especially noticeable, now. Davion couldn't help but crack a smile at this man. Maybe it was this personality, or perhaps it was this odd feeling he knew him well, but he didn't care. What he did care is as to why he is here, and what had happened in Cladd.
"Wait, aren't you supposed to be in Cladd?"
The whole room became silent, as the knight had said something he shouldn't have. The knight was unfazed, however, and awaited a response from the man, whom was still smiling, oddly enough.
"...Yes, but haven't you heard?"
"All I heard was that demons were sent out to destroy the nation. I don't know what else, besides the storm that hovered over the place."
The admiral stood silent, still with that cheerful look in his face.
"Never you mind! Hah ha!" The admiral said. "Come, everyone! The next round is on me!"
The tavern roared in whooping, cheering the admiral for his generosity. The crowd around the two dispersed and the moment it did, Kunkka came up to Davion and whispered to his ears only:
"Have a seat."
Davion did so, and Kunkka sat right next to him, taking up the mug he left on the counter.
"Now, how's about we have a drinking contest, huh?" Kunkka said.
"...Very well." Davion said, gazing into the man's unchanging look.
Oddly enough, the admiral won. Even though they both had dozens upon dozens of mugs, the man was unaffected by the alcohol entirely. He may as well be loading all the drinks into a dead man, as it wouldn't make him drunk, either. Davion, however, had his head against the counter, unable to make much of a comprehensible sentence soon after all the drinking.
"Hah, ha ha ha ha!" The gleeful man laughed. "What's the matter, knight?"
They all bid their farewells soon after, with the Admiral preparing for another expedition, he says. Somewhere to the east of the mainland. The flabbergasted knight traipsed onward to the Kingdom of Elze, walking through the woods and eventually finding a spot to rest his aching head for the night, unpacking his tents from the back of his trusty mule.
Once all that was done, he stuck his sword into the ground by the entrance of his tent, still a little too drunk to care for any that would trespass near his den and rested.
A.N.N.
Hello, everyone. Here's the next. Prologue X will be the end of the prologues.
I'll be elaborating on the heroes' backstories as I see fit, Kunkka included. All of it will be on a separate story.
The next chapter will take place in the tutorial, though slightly changed.