text: If you actually had a little help, you probably would be able to pull off killing him in the fort, but the risks are too great and while you might have a love of battle, you also have a strong sense of self-preservation. So luring Kane out it is.
  
  The next day you come up with a plan and your first step is seeking out a lone peasant. It doesn't take long and after you get him to calm down you ask him a few simple questions such as if he has family, where he lives, is he part of the rebellion, etc.
  
  Happily he's pretty informed on things being a travelling peddler and all. He ultimately tells you he has no ties to the rebellion, but he's aware of certain villages that he's visited that still have sympathies a lot stronger than they let on. You make a note of where to head to for the third step of your plan. The second step involving killing the peasant and disguising yourself as him, well not as him, but as another wandering merchant.
  
  After disposing of his body you set off towards the town of Volgst. You start off by assessing the Empire strength there. It's moderate, but nothing that couldn't be handled. It's obvious the people are just trying to go about their business, but if what the peddler said was correct, this place has just been temporarily cowed into submission due to occupation and closer proximity to Fort Destiny.
  
  You decide to head to the local tavern and take in some of the atmosphere. You order a drink sit at a table in the corner and pretend you're just going through some of your inventory. You get a few people asking you about some of the jewelry you have on the table. To you it looks cheap and it probably is, so you don't charge much, just what you think its worth since you aren't here for that anyway.
  
  You sit there a few hours and then finally some Empire soldiers come through the door. The tavern gets a bit quieter and that's when you decide to make things louder again.
  
  "Hey barkeep! Gimme another ale!" you shout walking up to the bar interrupting the soldiers who were attempting to order their own drinks.
  "Uh, hold on sir. I just have to serve these gentlemen first."
  "Oh come on, I was here first and they aren't supposed to be drinking on the job anyway!"
  
  At this point one of the soldiers addresses you.
  
  "We happen to be off duty right now citizen."
  "Off duty? When there are rebels running around all over the place? What the hell man? You should be out there killing the sons of bitches, not getting drunk!"
  "I can assure you we are, and citizen you need to calm down."
  "Why is it taking so long anyway? Is that captain of yours just sitting on his fat ass in that fort all day while rebels terrorize the area? I thought the Empire was supposed to be doing something about it, but it looks like it's as impotent as ever!"
  
  At this point now several bar patrons start to take notice, some try to get you to calm down, others just outright leave. The soldiers to your surprise haven't tried to kill you yet. It's almost like they're trying to diffuse the situation and dismiss you as some loudmouth drunk because all they really want to do is relax after a long day. Oddly enough, you can understand it, unfortunately you can't relax either.
  
  You step it up and physically push one of the soldiers. That does it, and the swords come out. You kill two soldiers almost immediately, the third one runs off for help, leaving the fourth one to try to finish you off. He fails miserably when you run your sword through his chest.
  
  Three bodies lay at your feet and several patrons are in shock along with a very scarred bartender.
  
  "What the fuck did you just do? We're all dead men!" he screams.
  "You were dead long before I got here. Now if you want to live, you'll help me fight these Empire assholes and get them the hell out of this town."
  "You dumb fuck, don't you realize they'll just send more troops? The Butcher of Rask himself will probably come here himself and lay waste to the entire town!"
  "That's what I'm counting on. Now I know this place still has rebellion sympathies, and I'm telling you right now, if you really want to be free of the Empire you'll start helping me rather than hiding...or don't if your conviction is lacking. Either way I'm stepping outside and I'm going to be killing Empire soldiers and I'm not stopping until all of them are fucking dead. Do what you like."
  
  You take your leave at this point and face the small platoon of soldiers that is running in your direction. You don't use any shadow magic, just pure skill to put soldier after soldier down. After you've killed about six of them in the open street, some of the citizens actually start growing a backbone and begin to help.
  
  A riot ensues and you've accomplished your mission. The remaining soldiers are quickly overwhelmed and those that aren't manage to run off. You could easily catch up with them, but you figure Kane will show up quicker if someone's alive to talk about what happened. While the celebrating is going on, you take the opportunity to slip away before someone holds you up as some sort of hero when you really aren't. This is all just a means to an end to you.
  
  Your escape back into the wilderness isn't completely unnoticed though and you draw your weapon again when you sense yourself being followed.
  
  "Alright I know somebody is following me...shadowing me even. Might as well come out now so we can get this over with because no cloak is going to help hide you."
  
  A lone shadow materializes. To your surprise it's Brother Gannon. He's little older now and a lot more worn looking, almost beaten. He has no intention of trying to kill you.
  
  "Did you have to do that? That place was one of the few towns left that was still able to sneak supplies to us! When Kane finds out what happened he's going to destroy the place! We're suffering from a lack of supplies and allies as it is!" he exclaims.
  "Yeah? Well maybe if Cyrus was taking a more personal hand in this war like I just did, he'd be inspiring more people to follow him more openly. What the hell happened to him? I've been out here on my own for five fucking years and I've seen nothing but Cyrus make mistake after mistake! Pulling back and attempting to lay low? Losing your orc allies? Not reconnecting with the shadows south of Rask?"
  "Actually we did try to do that, but...(sigh) nevermind you're right it's all gone horribly wrong. Master Cyrus' leadership isn't like Master Ebon's. I mean I know he's the one that's guiding us and speaking to Dendrin personally, but his need for control is so uncompromising sometimes. As much as I hate it, I'm actually glad I got assigned to be this town's liaison, anything to be out of that fort! He keeps saying that Dendrin won't let us lose and that final victory will come, but it seems so bleak now. I'm trying to keep the faith, I'm really trying, but...oh why won't Dendrin just hear our prayers and help us now?"
  
  You shake your head and smile at the delusion that continues to plague the shadows. "Why should he? It's more amusing for him to see you all desperately try to squirm out of your hopeless situation."
  
  This cynical (yet true) answer is met with a dead silence. Poor Gannon looks so forlorn that he's probably agreeing with you in his head. Gannon might come in useful though so you decide to try to not break his spirit completely.
  
  "However, MAYBE Dendrin did answer your prayers, namely in the form of me. I probably just bought you all a little more time." You add.
  "What? Your big plan to kill Kane? The Butcher of Rask? I heard you down there in the tavern! If Captain Kane even comes he's going to come with a company of elite soldiers not by himself! Besides, Cyrus sent the best shadows against him and he's killed them all! Why do you think you have a chance?"
  "Simple. I'm an Eternal and if Cyrus remembered that he was instead some Dendrin worshipping fool, we wouldn't be in this situation now."
  "Yeah? Well Sister Talia is one of you Eternals too, she could've done something as well. I don't see you blaming her."
  
  You grab Gannon by his collar before he can react. You stop yourself from killing him, because you know he's just pissed at his lot in life right now. Not to mention he's got a point.
  
  "You know what you're right. She could've. It's not really important right now though, what IS important is that we get prepared for Kane's arrival."
  "We?"
  "Oh yes. You want to help turn things around, you'll help me."
  "How?"
  
  How is a good question. The easiest way is to have him help you organize the townsfolk so that they can at least put up a good fight against the soldiers while you take care of Kane.
  
  The long shot would be to send him back to Fort Destiny to explain your plan and hope he can convince the shadows to come help you. It's a gamble, but maybe Cyrus hates the Empire just a little more than he hates you.
  
  > keep Gannon with you
  Cyrus isn't likely to help you no matter what so the most help you're going to get is Gannon and while that won't be much it'll be better than nothing.
  
  "Gannon I want you to go back to the town and do what you shadows are supposed to be doing, stirring up the people and getting them organized."
  "What? I'm not doing that! When the Empire army arrives with or without Kane, the whole place is going to get leveled anyway!"
  "Look you either help me now and have a chance to make a difference or return to Cyrus and try to explain why you aren't at your post. I'm pretty sure he'll be able to sense if you're lying given how nervous you constantly are. Now what's it going to be?"
  "Oh alright I'll help, but we're all dead men anyway!"
  "Really need to work on that confidence Gannon. Maybe you should pray to Dendrin for some."
  
  And with those words you head back to your campsite to get prepared. You check up on the town the next day and see they're already starting to barricade the place. Gannon's even taking a bit of a leadership role. If they're lucky, you figure they'll only lose about a half of the town before the battle is over. A couple days later you scout a little further south of Volgst and that's when you see a large group of soldiers approaching. Several on horseback, many more on foot and unfortunately a single catapult as well. If Kane is actually with them, you'd guess he'd be on horseback, but then you can't tell at this distance.
  
  You find a good elevated spot in some trees and when the mass of troops get in range you do a little sniping with your bow which you've gotten a lot better with over these past five years thanks to your need to hunt on a regular basis (And certainly a lot better than your single shot armbow which you practically never use anymore) You fire at the ones on horseback first, you don't get Kane, but you do find out he's the one that starts shouting the loudest about getting that sniping sonofabitch. Turns out he was walking the entire time. You try to aim for him, but now the chaos is so great within ranks that he wisely takes advantage of getting lost in the mass.
  
  Doesn't take long before they figure out where it's coming from and start responding in kind. You immediately dash from your position and retreat deeper into the wilderness. A group of soldiers are sent to look for you though you dispatch them with relative ease as you use the terrain to your advantage.
  
  By the time you're done with the goon squad that was sent after you, the rest of them are hastening their way towards Volgst. You hope Gannon's done a decent job in rallying the people.
  
  When you make it back to the outskirts of Volgst, you see that it's prepared for a frontal assault. You watch from distance for about a half hour before Kane's company arrives. He doesn't bother with any sort of diplomacy and orders the catapult to fire. A rock smashes through the barricades and the make shift wall that was set up in front of the town. They're wide open for the Empire troops to pour in now, with the Butcher leading the way.
  
  You make your way towards town and jump into the battle, which naturally isn't going well for the citizens of Volgst. When you arrive it gets a little better, but even you can't stop the carnage and what will probably be the utter destruction of Volgst. You haven't seen Gannon at all, he's either dead already or more likely the coward's run off. Right now though all you're trying to do is seek out Kane and kill him.
  
  And as luck would have it, you bump into him, or rather the pair of you catch sight of each other in the middle of the chaos. He doesn't dodge you or even make any sort of threatening war cry, he just walks straight towards you and you to him.
  
  When he stands before you, he certainly displays the signs of a battle-hardened warrior, but there's something more to it than just his size, armor and scars. It's his eyes. Not like a hate filled wrath behind them, but more like he's experienced something that's caused the light in them to go out. Almost soulless.
  
  "The Butcher of Rask, himself. At last we meet." You say.
  "Yes, and you would be the shadow outcast and it will be a pleasure to finally bring you to the Emperor's justice that you've evaded for so long."
  "Hmm, guess you better get to it then."
  
  Kane swings his axe, which you dodge and the battle is joined.
  
  "You're weak. You cannot hope to win this battle." He says preparing for another swing.
  "Right now, just getting rid of you will be sufficient." You reply.
  "You think you can best me? This isn't Mistress' class anymore and you're no Eternal. When I look at you, I see the mockery of what is supposed to be an Eternal. You're not even a shadow. You are a pariah that has no honor at all. You're part of the sickness that has infected the Empire. A sickness that will be cut out and purified like all others."
  
  While Kane tells you what he really thinks about you, he's also matching you in combat skills. To be quite honest you might've been a little too over confident in your abilities because he's really putting you to the test. It doesn't help that in the midst of this one on one fight you also have to dodge other attacks. You use a little shadow magic to speed yourself up and it helps, but it isn't nearly as strong as it once was not to mention you feel the drain a lot quicker. You land a couple of good hits on Kane before you have to stop from fatigue. Kane however has no such problems and isn't slowed at all by his wounds
  
  "Is that the extent of your precious shadow magic outcast? No wonder you were kicked out." Kane says and catches you with a glancing blow across your chest followed by a hefty to your left knee, which causes you to lose balance and fall. You barely roll of the way of his next swing.
  
  You stagger back up only to get your sword knocked out of your hand when you attempt to block another of Kane's axe blows. Becoming desperate you fire your armbow and a bolt flies into Kanes chest. It doesn't stop him and he charges into you knocking you back onto the ground. He doesn't follow up with his axe this time, instead he puts all his crushing weight upon your chest by sitting on it and attempting to choke the life out of you with his own hands.
  
  "You're going to die here today, because you believe in nothing and that makes you nothing and when I'm finished choking the life out of your pathetic body I'm going to eat your fucking heart because I can." Kane at this point pauses with a deranged little smirk. "Heh, maybe one of those wendigo bastards did get to me just a little..." then his face becomes deadly serious again.
  
  As you struggle to remain conscious all you can see are the souless eyes of Kane looking down upon you as he intends to make good on his threats. You punch him several times in the face to no avail. You even take out one of his eyes and he's still not deterred as it dangles uselessly from its bloody socket. You'd probably be a lot more scared if you weren't teetering on passing out. Eventually darkness envelops you and Kane finishes you off with a brutal snap to your neck.
  
  For what it's worth he doesn't eat your heart afterwards.