--Saloon--
Thrax grabs a seat next to Lockheart
Thrax
"..How did I end up aboard the Commodore Beckett? My friend, that is a very interesting question!"
Thrax chugs down a whole pint off hellfire as he prepares to tell him his long and arduous tale.
Thrax
"This is why and how!"
Thrax whips out a flask with his initials on them from his Captain's Flak Jacket.
Thrax
"Within this flask contains a magical and mysterious concoction that can transport anyone and anything through time and space itself!
I obtained it from a very wise and very old hermit from the far reaches of the Aberman Valley."
Thrax draws closer to Lockheart as the story gets deeper.
Thrax
"I came across him at a Tavern called 'The Soggy Blanket' in the far and distant village of Kal'Sharok. This concoction is brewed from three main ingredients: dragon's breath from the old dragons of the wastes, the tear's of The Cambodon Highland Mountain Bears, and a mysterious water-like liquid from the far northern reaches passed far Northen Anglea and far passed Northen Firnfeld. It never freezes in the cold and never warms in the heat."
Thrax changes his tone to a more serious manner.
Thrax
"One sip makes your head weary. Two, makes your senses fleet for a little while. And Three sips transports you to a different time and place."
Thrax deepens his gaze onto Lockheart with a grave and intense tone.
Thrax
"Four however... makes you sleep forever! No one who knows about this mysterious concoction has ever DARED taking four! A friend of mine once tried taking four sips, and the next thing you know, he wakes up half of his belongings gone, nearly bankrupt and woke up married, in bed next to his cow of a wife! HAHA!"
Thrax he takes a sip of more hellfire
Thrax
"When I first tried it out, I took two sips just before we went into battle during the First War. I was in the front lines for the 13th Legion of the Northern Fleet of The Fjorn Baronies. Next thing I remember, the war is over and I'm being decorated with medals and awards for deeds I don't even remember doing! On a long holiday during the peace times after the First War, I was on a beach shore of a tropical Island called 'Araca' in Northern Chaladon, and I came across my trusty flask once more. I dared to take three sips, I woke up 20 years later, cast away, accused of treason and exiled in an abandoned stable in the middle of the vastness with a barely salvageable Spire Airship I used to commandeer."
Thrax's tone saddens a little. He looks into the distance as he spoke further.
Thrax
"I promised myself never to drink again after that happened. The next 10 years after that were the worst sober years of my life. In my travels I made friends and worthy allies from people from the Order, the Republic, the League and the Merchantile Guild. They gave me
utmost respect and looked onto me as a fellow brother."
Thrax looked down at his feet and took a deep breath before he continued.
Thrax
"...All was well until...u-u-until I met her."
Lockheart sympathizes and empathizes with Thrax. He offers him the remainder of his pint to stop him from breaking down.
Thrax acknowledges Lockheart's offer and accepts the pint. He downs it immediately and continues talking with hellfire still dripping freshly from his lips.
Thrax
"Her name was...J-J..."
Thrax nearly breaks into tears, but he slowly recovers and keeps his composure. He takes a deep breath and a sigh before saying her name.
Thrax
"...Juliet"
He takes a drink from his Mug.
Thrax
"She was an exotic woman, from a far away land - a land which name I forgot. Her hair was long and dark brown, which draped disheveled on her slender shoulders. Her lips red like the crimson sunset, more exquisite than the reddest Parona wild rose. Her cheeks, ever so soft and tender, her skin softer than silk. Her voice, was like music to my ears, it could sweep any man off their feet. She had the bluest eyes which gaze could entrance and mesmerize any man to his knees. I was under her spell.
Thrax stood up and gazed onto the horizon as he spoke further.
Thrax
"Our families despised each other terribly. But we did not want to be a part of our ancestor's quarrels. We wanted to create our own destiny. We did everything to try and stay together while keeping our love a secret. We were caught eventually. We tried to elope and even pretended to kill ourselves at one point."
Thrax looks back onto Lockheart.
Thrax
"All was going well until she met this 'Prince' called Paris. Next thing I know, I get home form a full day of honest labor, and she ends up in his fancy pancy kingdom and she was his 'all beautiful' queen! La di da."
Thrax mutters various profanities that are too overwhelming and vile for a person to hear.
Thrax
"Flaking fancy rich Noblemen... I was so furious and angry that with the help of my allies, I managed to send a thousand airships to get her back and take her away from Paris' city. We threw everything we had at them, and eventually, we only managed to get into the city gates by being hold up inside a massive wooden rabbit and pretended to give it as an offer of peace. Come midnight, we slaughtered the lot and I eventually came to Juliet."
Thrax sits back on his chair.
Thrax
"When I came to her, she was so joyous and eager to see me! She had looked even more radiant and ravishing than ever. She had a new look to her and everything!"
Thrax takes a large cigar out from his pocket and lights it up with a few matches.
Thrax
"But as luck would have it, that wasn't the only surprise she had for me. Just before my lips touched hers, she spoke to me softly and said - 'There's someone here to see you my dear' - I thought she had invited an 'additional partner' to the bedroom. She turned away slowly and stepped aside, only to reveal the worst thing a man like me could ever dream of. The kind of thing that sends shocks that could kill a man in an instant!"
Lockheart sits closer eagerly.
Lockheart
"What was it Thrax??!"
Thrax
"She turned to me...stepped to her side a-and r-revealed a silhouette of a small figure emerging from the shadows of the room. 'He's your son' - she told me. My heart stopped, my spine felt like it was made of liquid and my knees weakened immensely. I was trying to think of any excuse to get out of there, but the only thing I could think of and mutter was - 'I left the toaster on in my ship' - and then I ran out of there as fast as I could."
Lockheart gave Thrax an odd look.
Thrax
"Our unrequited love was never meant to be I suppose."
Lockheart places his palm on his face.
Thrax takes another swig of hellfire.
Thrax
"So there I was running like a mad man, and I just got on The Titan (my Airship) as fast as I could. I put the engines on full speed and made my way as far from there as possible. I was on the verge of breaking down and going mad, to a point where I even tried to jump off in mid air-flight. Luckily I remembered I still had my flask on me. I just had to get out of there, I couldn't handle the stress. I took the flask and grasped it in my hands.
Thrax's tone gets more serious as his story's tension started to build up.
Thrax
"I took One sip, my head started to get weary. I took a second sip and my senses fleeted a little. I took the third, and... well... I woke up on your ship."
Thrax takes out the flask once more and hands it to Lockheart for him to see.
Lockheart
"Is there a name for this magical and mysterious concoction that could cause such things?"
Thrax
"Well, the very wise and very old hermit called it 'Absinthe'."
Lockheart was in awe.
Thrax
"That, my friend, is the epic tale on how I came about waking up on the Commodore Beckett. and I have a feeling the mad adventures aren't going to stop here! Haha!"
Thrax and Lockheart clink mugs together and chug their drinks down.
