Hidden Orcs and Argonians.
The bazaar had concluded a week ago. Kefka had settled back into his routine in Tryan Gully. He had finished the backlog of potion orders from his time away after two very busy days. His life had returned to normal for the most part. With the harvest season winding down, there wasn't as much demand for potions. With his newfound free time, Kefka decided to take a walk through the woods near the city to check some spots where ingredients he frequently uses grew. On the way to one of these spots, he came across a familiar orc. Kefka tried to avoid Throk, but Howard apparently missed his friend and decided to jump on his head. The orc barely moved when the slime landed on him. He placed a mushroom in the basket he was carrying on his back and stood up.
"Plenty of porcini out today." He turns to Kefka, his knife at his side. "When were you going to tell me the Argonians were looking for me kid?" The question Kefka had dreaded answering had appeared.
The ranger sighed and rubbed his neck awkwardly.
"Once I knew why exactly they wanted you for. I had one meeting with them, but we didn't reach any conclusion. What little I could get out of them made it seem like either a publicity stunt or trying to use you to do something with the northern orcs. I had your..." Throk raised his hand to stop Kefka from speaking further.
"And what makes you think you know what my best interests are? Or that I needed you to defend me? Your father wouldn't pull this sort of s**t. The organizer for the fighting feast sure didn't. He told me the day after he was questioned by the Argonians that they wanted to know about me. I thanked him for not revealing any information and told him to contact me again if it keeps up. Just because we're friends doesn't mean you can speak or make decisions for me. Speaking our language doesn't mean you know everything about Orc culture."
Throk's teeth were bared briefly and a guttural growl rose from his throat. A shake of his head and he regains his composure.
"Look dumbass, you're like a nephew to me. Your father is one of men I would trust with my life. Just like family though, you shouldn't hide things from me. We could've worked out a list of stipulations or discussion points over the two months we had."
Kefka looked ashamed. "I should've expected you knew. The fighting feast organizer has always been up front with us. I just got caught up in my distrust of nobles to think about the bigger picture." He stepped toward Throk and spread his arms out. "I fully expected you to punch me when we ran into each other. You still can if you're mad. I did something really stupid and caused more problems than I solved. My monk friend is the reason any progress was made at all."
The tavernkeeper places a hand on Kefka's shoulder. "Kupas wouldn't want us to fight each other. You don't get in my position without learning how to settle things peacefully. Being able to read people also helps. Listen, we're going to figure this out. Before I came here, I probably would've expected the same thing you did if a famous orc chef existed. That's the problem though, decades have passed between my time on the sea and now. I don't know what my people want right now. If these people contact you again, we will meet them on neutral ground to discuss things. We can probably use Osdrik's place in Baccarat." He looked to the horizon. "If they wanted an Orc to cook for them, perhaps we can convince some of my people to make something more authentic. I haven't made much traditional food since I started cooking. "
"That's part of what I told them. The food guy said he'd contact me some time after the bazaar is over, but hasn't yet. If he does, I'll tell him I discussed it with you and you'd be willing to meet in a neutral location with a few stipulations. Let me know how I can repay you for being a dumbass." Throk chuckled and pat the basket on his back.
"I already took my payment from your garden the day before you came back. Those peppers make some damn good pickles. We can discuss our demands this weekend. Right now, I need to run back to the tavern and start prepping for the supper rush."
kefkadragon Community Member 
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