The Destiny of Nephe-chapter 3
3rd chapter. sorry for the lateness in getting it up. got caught up writing chapter 4
Fate's Hand Starts Ticking
“So, what kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time, Lily?” Lor didn't bother to turn around. He knew that it was the female mercenary that was walking up to the bar. After the past three years he had gotten used to her quiet footsteps and her ability to sneak up on anyone...well, almost anyone. She hadn't been able to sneak up on Lor ever since she stumbled into his bar three years ago. He shook his head slightly. It was unbearable to think that he had met her a scant three years ago. It seemed longer than that. After hearing her sit down in her usual spot, he indicated to the waitress to give the mercenary her usual meal of beef stew, rye bread, and an empty tankard that had her name scratched into it on the bottom of the wooden base.
“Nothing,” Lily said in between bites of the soup. “I didn't do anything wrong.” Lor spun around on his heels and rested his fists on his hips, a damp rag hanging out of one of them.
“This time, ya mean. What am I gonna do with you? I let you stay in my place for a cheap rent and then you up and leave three months later without a word. At least you managed to pay for the rest of the year in advanced. But I didn't hear from you for at least six months after you left and that was only to pay a year's worth of rent. I rarely see you nowadays and that has me worried. If you were my daughter...”
“But I am not your daughter,” retorted Lily. “And I may never be your so-called daughter if I continue my mercenary ways...which, for your information, I will continue to do. It is a good way to earn quick money in a short span of time.”
Lor snorted at her words. He looked at her with a disgusted look on his face before walking away from her. “Yeah, yeah. Just don't get killed on your next missions.” He was about to head to the back room when he stopped. “There was a few fellas looking for you about three hours ago. I told them you may or may not come back today and to stick around town for a bit. Not sure if they are still around but it may be wise for you to see what they wanted. And before you say anything they ain't from the Empire. Already checked them myself before I told them to stick around. So, get a move on after you finished your meal.” And with that, he quickly walked into the backroom to do some payroll, shutting the door with a dull thud.
Lily hesitated for a few moments. A few men wanted to see her?! That was impossible unless...She tilted her head to one side and tugged on a lock of hair. Maybe a few rival mercs had seen her wandering in this direction after her last mission and had decided to follow her? That was unlikely but nothing was impossible with the strange things that had happened with her in the past. She closed her eyes and reached her mind out to one of her two hawks that were waiting for her in the forest. :What do you think, Taka?: she asked the elder of the two. :Unknown. What me to scout?: Lily thought on that for a few moments. :Be discrete, though. I don't want anyone to know that you two exist. Besides, this will give Sen a good chance to learn how to scout better.: The younger of the two hawks butted into their conversation. :But...I am a good scout,: she protested. :Yeah, right, Sen. Who was it that botched up that one mission?: retorted Taka. :Not my fault!: Sen argued back. Back and forth they bickered before Lily stepped in to break up their argument. :That is enough! Now, Taka go! And take Sen with you. I am going to stay here until you two report back to me. And make sure not to take forever. I am not sure how long those...people are going to stay in town for. They've been here at least three hours so far and they may not wait any longer for me.: Lily felt the two hawks disappear from my mind, indicating that they were obeying their Master and had gone off to find the men that were in search of her. Hopefully now she may be able to enjoy a good meal in silence...at least for now.
Three hundred miles away, in Morcliff, the Mæster paced back and forth in his office. He was right to be nervous at that very moment. In front of his desk sat two mercenaries. One of them shifted uncomfortably in the padded chair that he sat in. the other one stared at the Mæster with a blank look on his face. The Mæster continued to ignore the two mercenaries in front of him. He was too busy reading a letter in his hand. He continued to read and pace for several minutes, the silence between the three men growing with each second. Finally, after what seemed like ages, one of the mercenaries finally broke the silence. "So, Mæster Chamberlayn, do you accept our offer?" The man put an emphasis on the word Mæster, almost as if he despised to speak that word aloud. The Mæster stopped in his tracks and stared at the man that had talked.
"Umm...give me a few minutes." The Mæster paled slightly and returned his attention back to the letter. "You've had the past hour to read it and also all of this morning to read it before we got here you could have..."
"Hashim, quiet," the second man said to the first, cutting off his partner with a low whisper that only the Mæster and his partner could hear. The first man paled slightly and rubbed his bald head slightly.
"You know he had time to take a look at the letter! The least he could have done..." The man's words were cut off when his partner stood up and pressed a knife blade to his throat.
"Didn't I tell you to be quiet?" Hashim nodded his head. "As you wish, Creed." And with that Hashim went quiet. "Now, Mæster, you were saying you needed a few minutes to think about our offer?" Creed asked, putting an innocent smile on his lips. The Mæster shuddered slightly. It was very unlike the mercenary. Usually there was no expression on the man's face-not even a glimmer of what he was thinking or feeling. It was like the man was stone cold and loved it.
“Er, yes,” the Mæster said in a slightly hesitant tone of voice. He stared at the mercenaries with a slightly frightened look on his face before turning his attention back to the letter. He had gone over it earlier that day, several times actually, but he wasn't really sure if he should accept it or not. He had wanted to talk to his council to see what their opinion was...that is if he was allowed to. The mercenaries specifically told him in the letter that if he even went to the council and told them about the letter that the deal was instantly off. He had snickered earlier that day about it. How could two men know if he went to his council? Of course he knew instantly an hour later when he tried to go to the council chamber to tell them about the letter. Well, several answers. At least three sniper rounds had made it through the window that he was about to pass in front of, missing the Mæster by about a foot. That had scared him into running back to his office.
After a few minutes, the Mæster stopped pacing and sat down in his chair behind his desk. “Gentlemen...” the Mæster started to say when he was cut off when Creed put his hand up.
“Mæster Chamberlayn, we are no gentlemen. We are mere pawns of the Underworld.” He smirked widely as he said those words, the Mæster suppressing a shudder.
“Well, then, what do you want to be called?” Creed looked over at his partner who shrugged slightly. “Call us mercenaries if you wish but not gentlemen.”
Mæster Chamberlayn nodded his head. “Well, I see that you demand at least a hundred thousand gold hawk bits for your services. I haven't had a demand that high before. Actually, no past Mæster has had a demand that high before. Even the Vethelots Maestros Clan didn't have a demand that high and they were the biggest clan in all of Elysium before their massacre in my predecessor's reign.”
“Ah, yes, I remember that clan. That clan was founded back in Mæster Tadakuni's time. Ah, I remember that time like it was only yesterday,” Creed said, the smirk still on his lips. “The clan wasn't very big back then but it was considered the largest mainly because mercenary clans back then didn't get much bigger than five people. If I recall, that particular clan had at least a dozen adults and at least half a dozen children and babies.” Mæster Chamberlayn looked at the mercenary with a confused look on his face. Creed ignored the look as he continued on. “But as I was saying...we aren't the average mercenary clan that you have seen before, Mæster. Well, maybe my partner is as normal as any Nephian but I am not normal. No, I have seen what your predecessors have been through...well, the past three. I am, if you shall call it, immortal. Not completely, though. My ex-partner, though, he is a true immortal. I just have enough Magick to call myself semi-immortal. And my demands in the past haven't been quite as...demanding. But in these times aren't like they have been in the past, Mæster. Times are rougher now than they have been in the past.”
The Mæster shuddered slightly. This man in front him couldn't have seen his predecessors' and the one prior to his predecessor reigns. That was just insane. He shrugged slightly. Maybe his ancestors did and wrote it down in a journal or something of the sort. That just wasn't possible. Magick just wasn't real. At least to the Mæster it wasn't real. His religion didn't even allow for him to believe that Magick was possible, either. It just was unnatural to even think that. He shook his head slightly. No, the mercenary must be around his age and his partner at least five years younger.
The Mæster sighed loudly. He glanced down at the letter that he had set on his desk in front of him. What other choice did he have? These two were the only mercenaries that answered his ad that he had discretely put out over three months ago. Shaking his head, he folded the letter and put it in a small drawer in the inside of his desk. "If I agree, when shall I give you the service fee that I owe you."
Creed closed his eyes for a few moments before staring into the Mæster's eyes. "The next time the moon becomes full," the mercenary answered, his voice holding a hint of pleasure in it.
"But..that's ten days from now," protested the Mæster. Creed nodded his head. "Then you better get a move on with the funds then. If there is nothing else, then we shall take our leave from your office. Remember-talk to no one or else."
The tension in the air grew and the Mæster nodded his head stiffly. Of course he knew what the 'or else' part meant. "Yes, of course," the Mæster stammered and dismissed them with a wave of his hand. Creed nodded his head respectfully at the Mæster, glanced over at Hashim for a brief moment, and then stood up slowly. They both turned swiftly and walked out of the Mæster's office, a skip in Creed's step.
As the two mercenaries left the hallway leading to the Mæster's office, a young woman was entering them. She paused briefly in the entrance of the hallway and looked back at the two men. She raised an eyebrow before walking down the short hallway and knocked once before entering the office. “Father, who were those two people?” she asked the Mæster curiously.
“Huh?” he looked up to see his daughter, Adele, standing in front of his desk, a stack of paperwork in her hands. She had been hired as his secretary for the summer to help him out with the office business since his regular secretary went on maternity leave a few weeks ago.
“Business, Adele. Nothing for you to worry about. They came while you were at lunch so I tended to them myself. Don't worry about it. I was expecting them around this time anyways.” He smiled sweetly at his daughter and took the paperwork from her. She stared at him for a few moments before shrugging her shoulders and left his office. The Mæster sighed and leaned back in his chair. Thankfully she had been at lunch when the mercenaries had came. He didn't want anymore questions than necessary from her. Grumbling slightly, he turned his attention to the stack of paperwork, the memory of the two mercenaries pushed to the back of his mind...at least for the moment.
Night came early in the Capital of Nephe. The streets came alive during this time, mainly because most people were heading on their way home or the miners were heading out for their nightly shift in the mines. Up and down the walkways, people were scurrying to get to their homes. The curfew would come into effect an hour after the sun-set and no one wnated to be out past that. Only one person wasn't in a big of a hurry. Angelica brushed a stray piece of dust from her dress and paused for a few moments in an alleyway. She didn't really mind being out after curfew. She knew most of the guards that patrolled the streets at night and they knew that most of her business was done at night. Also, if she wished, she could make herself invisible to the naked eye with her being an Angel. Though she was a Fallen one. Still, her powers that she had when she was a full-fledged Angel were retained mainly because He made it so.
Though tonight she didn't do that. She didn't want to make herself invisible. Not that it took too much energy to do it. It required very little energy to make herself invisible. She just liked the attention that she got from random strangers on the streets. They would randomly say 'good evening' or something of the sort to her as they passed by her. Most of the citizens knew of her and her little shop but a few rare people actually set foot inside her building. It wasn't the usual business that most people had.
As the night wore on, Angelica watched as the streets thinned out and the curfew time drawing closer. It was only then that she made herself invisible...well, attempted to at least. She had backed further into the alleyway to proceed with the chants that would make her body invisible when she heard a voice from behind her. “Ah, a customer.” Angelica spun around to see a haggard old woman standing in front of a small, low table covered with a velvet red blanket with a crystal ball sitting in the middle of the table on its holder. “I was beginning to think that I wasn't going to get one today. Been ages since anyone has had their fortune read.”
Angelica stared at the haggard old woman curiously. She hadn't sensed that there was anyone with her in the alleyway. Also, there was something odd about the old woman. The Fallen Angel bent closer to see the old woman's eyes but the gypsy ducked her head down so that her bangs fell over her eyes. “So, young miss, shall I read your fortune?” Angelica nearly laughed. She hadn't been called young in years. She had been called a pretty woman before but never young.
“I guess so. Don't have anything to do until I get to my shop.” The gypsy smiled widely, revealed a mouth that had more holes in it than the average homeless man. There were gaps between her teeth, indicating that this old woman had had hard time before, mainly during the Winter season. Only Winter sickness did that to people's teeth if they didn't eat enough protein in their diets.
Angelica supressed a shudder as she approached the gypsy's table and knelt down in front of it. The gypsy continued to smile as she waved her hands in front of the crystal ball. “I assume you can see what I can see, am I correct?” the old woman asked Angelica. The Fallen Angel nodded her head, her eyes focused on the crystal ball as it filled with fog. “Then I can assume you know what it means. Begone now. I grow weary of your presence.”
Angelica nodded her head, stood up, and took a few steps away from the old woman before she turned around to give the gypsy a tip but saw no sight of the woman. Instead, where the old woman was a few moments ago was an odd, six-eyed, large white crow. Angelica resisted the urge to do the sign of evil on her chest. With haste, she left the alleyway and walked down the street in time to get inside of her shop a few blocks away, just in time to miss the deadline of the start of the curfew.
Inside of the Imperial Shilling Tavern, near the Nephian-Riteno-Ypisiona borders, two mercenaries, done with their string of missions that they had completed earlier that day, sat at a table. Namir stared at his cards in front of him, not allowing a single emotion to show on his 'mask' that he had on his face. Behind him his partner, Terakanis, sat in a chair that was flipped the wrong way. Behind the bar, the bartender shot glares over at Tera but his efforts were fruitless. Tera wasn't paying any attention to the bartender. In fact, Tera wasn't paying attention to the card game either. His attention was on the surrounding people that were also in the tavern. He caught snatches of conversations around him.
“Did you hear what Nancy did last night, Emily? It was so...”
“Shesh, Dan, do you have to be that....”
“But Lindsey, you know what Heather said to me. She said...”
“Chris, hey, Chris, are you even listening to me?! Hey don't speed...”
“Sarah, you know Cybele, right? Do you think maybe she can...”
Tera sighed and turned his attention back on his partner. It seemed that the conversations going on weren't worth reporting back to Namir about. Just random gossip today. Turning his attention to the game, Tera noticed that Namir had lost almost fifty silver hawk bits while he was concentrating on the conversations around them. Sighing, the mercenary tapped his foot against Namir's chair leg, an indication that he should pull out as soon as he could. As soon as the hand was finished, Namir politely declined another round and took the hawk bits that he had won and stood up, Tera following in suit.
As soon as they were out of the tavern, Namir looked around for a few moments before falling into step beside his partner. “So, what all did you find out?” he asked, Tera, not bothering to look at the other mecenary. Tera shrugged slightly before responding verbally.
“Nothing at all. Just gossip. Seems like it is too early for the other mercenaries to be there...or maybe they found a new spot to go to. Either way, that place isn't one we should go back too. Seems like the new other went straight and cleaned out all of the trouble makers before we even got there.”
Namir nodded his head slightly. “Then I guess we can leave this town. Might as well go North and see what other town needs cleaning out. Or probably go back to the Capital and go to the guild and see if there is some work there that the other mercenaries don't wanna take.” Tera grumbled out a response that seemed like an approval. That seemed to please Namir as he took the lead, walking towards the main street that lead out of the town, Tera following after like a loyal canine.
In the middle of Hertford, in the The Roaming Cat's Tavern a trio of misfits, a young woman and two men, sat around a small table, ales in front of them but they weren't really paying much attention to their drinks. Their attention was on the fight that was going on in the middle of the tavern. Around the two fighting men the onlookers were busy cheering for whoever they wanted to win. One, a beefy man whose name was Chris Baty was fighting a scrawny looking man. It seemed that the scrawny man had insulted this Chris fellow and was now paying the price. Almost as fast as the fight had gotten to the climax, the tavern owner, a half-cat/half-human man that stood only five feet tall came out with a bucket of ice-cold water and doused the two fighters with it. “Fight outside NOW!” bellowed the owner and he grabbed the scrawny man by the back of his shirt and forcefully evicted him from the tavern. The owner turn around just in time to see the other man running out of the tavern.
The young woman snickered slightly at the sight of the two fighters being evicted from the tavern. “Guess they deserved that, right Lawk?” the woman asked one of the men. Lawk shrugged his shoulders at her.
“Possibly,” he responded to her. That seemed to please her because she turned her attention to the other man that sat with them. “So, Ryu, what do you think we should do now? I mean our 'business' is done in this town.” She curved two fingers on each hand in the air when she spoke the word 'business'. “Should we go to the Capital and see if there is any work over there?” She tilted her head slightly and waited for him to respond. Ryu wasn't paying attention to her. He was busy staring at where the fight was a few moments ago.
The woman sighed and snapped her fingers in front of Ryu's face. “Hello, Elysium to Ryuuzaki, please respond to me...or at least pay attention to me.” That seemed to wake Ryu up before he jerked slightly upright from his slightly slouched position and blinked a few times, looking at the woman with a mildly curious look on his face.
“I'm sorry, did you say something?” Ryu asked, tilting his head to one side as he stared at her. The woman sighed loudly and rolled her eyes.
“You are useless, Ryu. Completely and utterly useless!” She threw her hands up in the air as she said that. Ryu merely shrugged his shoulders.
“Sorry, Arisella. I didn't sleep very well last night.” Arisella shook her head slightly.
“Always excuses with you, Ryu. Always!” She turned her attention away from the elf to look around the tavern. “Seems pretty dead now that the fight broke up.” Lawk nodded his head and looked at Ryu. “We leaving as soon as we are done with our meal, Ryu?”
The elf snapped back to reality again as Lawk spoke to him. “Yeah. Hopefully after we get away from this town we can get a camp going early so that I can at least get a few hours of rest. This place is too busy for my liking. That and I don't really like how this town operates. Been waking up more times during the night than I care to remember.”
Lawk nodded his head and finished the bowl of soup that he had in front of him. “Alright, I'm done. Hopefully you two are, too. If you are having a bad feeling about this place then it is best for us to get on the road as fast as we can.” The other two nodded their heads and quickly departed the tavern after leaving a dozen silver hawk bits, more than enough to cover their meal and a hefty tip.
Fate's Hand Starts Ticking
“So, what kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time, Lily?” Lor didn't bother to turn around. He knew that it was the female mercenary that was walking up to the bar. After the past three years he had gotten used to her quiet footsteps and her ability to sneak up on anyone...well, almost anyone. She hadn't been able to sneak up on Lor ever since she stumbled into his bar three years ago. He shook his head slightly. It was unbearable to think that he had met her a scant three years ago. It seemed longer than that. After hearing her sit down in her usual spot, he indicated to the waitress to give the mercenary her usual meal of beef stew, rye bread, and an empty tankard that had her name scratched into it on the bottom of the wooden base.
“Nothing,” Lily said in between bites of the soup. “I didn't do anything wrong.” Lor spun around on his heels and rested his fists on his hips, a damp rag hanging out of one of them.
“This time, ya mean. What am I gonna do with you? I let you stay in my place for a cheap rent and then you up and leave three months later without a word. At least you managed to pay for the rest of the year in advanced. But I didn't hear from you for at least six months after you left and that was only to pay a year's worth of rent. I rarely see you nowadays and that has me worried. If you were my daughter...”
“But I am not your daughter,” retorted Lily. “And I may never be your so-called daughter if I continue my mercenary ways...which, for your information, I will continue to do. It is a good way to earn quick money in a short span of time.”
Lor snorted at her words. He looked at her with a disgusted look on his face before walking away from her. “Yeah, yeah. Just don't get killed on your next missions.” He was about to head to the back room when he stopped. “There was a few fellas looking for you about three hours ago. I told them you may or may not come back today and to stick around town for a bit. Not sure if they are still around but it may be wise for you to see what they wanted. And before you say anything they ain't from the Empire. Already checked them myself before I told them to stick around. So, get a move on after you finished your meal.” And with that, he quickly walked into the backroom to do some payroll, shutting the door with a dull thud.
Lily hesitated for a few moments. A few men wanted to see her?! That was impossible unless...She tilted her head to one side and tugged on a lock of hair. Maybe a few rival mercs had seen her wandering in this direction after her last mission and had decided to follow her? That was unlikely but nothing was impossible with the strange things that had happened with her in the past. She closed her eyes and reached her mind out to one of her two hawks that were waiting for her in the forest. :What do you think, Taka?: she asked the elder of the two. :Unknown. What me to scout?: Lily thought on that for a few moments. :Be discrete, though. I don't want anyone to know that you two exist. Besides, this will give Sen a good chance to learn how to scout better.: The younger of the two hawks butted into their conversation. :But...I am a good scout,: she protested. :Yeah, right, Sen. Who was it that botched up that one mission?: retorted Taka. :Not my fault!: Sen argued back. Back and forth they bickered before Lily stepped in to break up their argument. :That is enough! Now, Taka go! And take Sen with you. I am going to stay here until you two report back to me. And make sure not to take forever. I am not sure how long those...people are going to stay in town for. They've been here at least three hours so far and they may not wait any longer for me.: Lily felt the two hawks disappear from my mind, indicating that they were obeying their Master and had gone off to find the men that were in search of her. Hopefully now she may be able to enjoy a good meal in silence...at least for now.
Three hundred miles away, in Morcliff, the Mæster paced back and forth in his office. He was right to be nervous at that very moment. In front of his desk sat two mercenaries. One of them shifted uncomfortably in the padded chair that he sat in. the other one stared at the Mæster with a blank look on his face. The Mæster continued to ignore the two mercenaries in front of him. He was too busy reading a letter in his hand. He continued to read and pace for several minutes, the silence between the three men growing with each second. Finally, after what seemed like ages, one of the mercenaries finally broke the silence. "So, Mæster Chamberlayn, do you accept our offer?" The man put an emphasis on the word Mæster, almost as if he despised to speak that word aloud. The Mæster stopped in his tracks and stared at the man that had talked.
"Umm...give me a few minutes." The Mæster paled slightly and returned his attention back to the letter. "You've had the past hour to read it and also all of this morning to read it before we got here you could have..."
"Hashim, quiet," the second man said to the first, cutting off his partner with a low whisper that only the Mæster and his partner could hear. The first man paled slightly and rubbed his bald head slightly.
"You know he had time to take a look at the letter! The least he could have done..." The man's words were cut off when his partner stood up and pressed a knife blade to his throat.
"Didn't I tell you to be quiet?" Hashim nodded his head. "As you wish, Creed." And with that Hashim went quiet. "Now, Mæster, you were saying you needed a few minutes to think about our offer?" Creed asked, putting an innocent smile on his lips. The Mæster shuddered slightly. It was very unlike the mercenary. Usually there was no expression on the man's face-not even a glimmer of what he was thinking or feeling. It was like the man was stone cold and loved it.
“Er, yes,” the Mæster said in a slightly hesitant tone of voice. He stared at the mercenaries with a slightly frightened look on his face before turning his attention back to the letter. He had gone over it earlier that day, several times actually, but he wasn't really sure if he should accept it or not. He had wanted to talk to his council to see what their opinion was...that is if he was allowed to. The mercenaries specifically told him in the letter that if he even went to the council and told them about the letter that the deal was instantly off. He had snickered earlier that day about it. How could two men know if he went to his council? Of course he knew instantly an hour later when he tried to go to the council chamber to tell them about the letter. Well, several answers. At least three sniper rounds had made it through the window that he was about to pass in front of, missing the Mæster by about a foot. That had scared him into running back to his office.
After a few minutes, the Mæster stopped pacing and sat down in his chair behind his desk. “Gentlemen...” the Mæster started to say when he was cut off when Creed put his hand up.
“Mæster Chamberlayn, we are no gentlemen. We are mere pawns of the Underworld.” He smirked widely as he said those words, the Mæster suppressing a shudder.
“Well, then, what do you want to be called?” Creed looked over at his partner who shrugged slightly. “Call us mercenaries if you wish but not gentlemen.”
Mæster Chamberlayn nodded his head. “Well, I see that you demand at least a hundred thousand gold hawk bits for your services. I haven't had a demand that high before. Actually, no past Mæster has had a demand that high before. Even the Vethelots Maestros Clan didn't have a demand that high and they were the biggest clan in all of Elysium before their massacre in my predecessor's reign.”
“Ah, yes, I remember that clan. That clan was founded back in Mæster Tadakuni's time. Ah, I remember that time like it was only yesterday,” Creed said, the smirk still on his lips. “The clan wasn't very big back then but it was considered the largest mainly because mercenary clans back then didn't get much bigger than five people. If I recall, that particular clan had at least a dozen adults and at least half a dozen children and babies.” Mæster Chamberlayn looked at the mercenary with a confused look on his face. Creed ignored the look as he continued on. “But as I was saying...we aren't the average mercenary clan that you have seen before, Mæster. Well, maybe my partner is as normal as any Nephian but I am not normal. No, I have seen what your predecessors have been through...well, the past three. I am, if you shall call it, immortal. Not completely, though. My ex-partner, though, he is a true immortal. I just have enough Magick to call myself semi-immortal. And my demands in the past haven't been quite as...demanding. But in these times aren't like they have been in the past, Mæster. Times are rougher now than they have been in the past.”
The Mæster shuddered slightly. This man in front him couldn't have seen his predecessors' and the one prior to his predecessor reigns. That was just insane. He shrugged slightly. Maybe his ancestors did and wrote it down in a journal or something of the sort. That just wasn't possible. Magick just wasn't real. At least to the Mæster it wasn't real. His religion didn't even allow for him to believe that Magick was possible, either. It just was unnatural to even think that. He shook his head slightly. No, the mercenary must be around his age and his partner at least five years younger.
The Mæster sighed loudly. He glanced down at the letter that he had set on his desk in front of him. What other choice did he have? These two were the only mercenaries that answered his ad that he had discretely put out over three months ago. Shaking his head, he folded the letter and put it in a small drawer in the inside of his desk. "If I agree, when shall I give you the service fee that I owe you."
Creed closed his eyes for a few moments before staring into the Mæster's eyes. "The next time the moon becomes full," the mercenary answered, his voice holding a hint of pleasure in it.
"But..that's ten days from now," protested the Mæster. Creed nodded his head. "Then you better get a move on with the funds then. If there is nothing else, then we shall take our leave from your office. Remember-talk to no one or else."
The tension in the air grew and the Mæster nodded his head stiffly. Of course he knew what the 'or else' part meant. "Yes, of course," the Mæster stammered and dismissed them with a wave of his hand. Creed nodded his head respectfully at the Mæster, glanced over at Hashim for a brief moment, and then stood up slowly. They both turned swiftly and walked out of the Mæster's office, a skip in Creed's step.
As the two mercenaries left the hallway leading to the Mæster's office, a young woman was entering them. She paused briefly in the entrance of the hallway and looked back at the two men. She raised an eyebrow before walking down the short hallway and knocked once before entering the office. “Father, who were those two people?” she asked the Mæster curiously.
“Huh?” he looked up to see his daughter, Adele, standing in front of his desk, a stack of paperwork in her hands. She had been hired as his secretary for the summer to help him out with the office business since his regular secretary went on maternity leave a few weeks ago.
“Business, Adele. Nothing for you to worry about. They came while you were at lunch so I tended to them myself. Don't worry about it. I was expecting them around this time anyways.” He smiled sweetly at his daughter and took the paperwork from her. She stared at him for a few moments before shrugging her shoulders and left his office. The Mæster sighed and leaned back in his chair. Thankfully she had been at lunch when the mercenaries had came. He didn't want anymore questions than necessary from her. Grumbling slightly, he turned his attention to the stack of paperwork, the memory of the two mercenaries pushed to the back of his mind...at least for the moment.
Night came early in the Capital of Nephe. The streets came alive during this time, mainly because most people were heading on their way home or the miners were heading out for their nightly shift in the mines. Up and down the walkways, people were scurrying to get to their homes. The curfew would come into effect an hour after the sun-set and no one wnated to be out past that. Only one person wasn't in a big of a hurry. Angelica brushed a stray piece of dust from her dress and paused for a few moments in an alleyway. She didn't really mind being out after curfew. She knew most of the guards that patrolled the streets at night and they knew that most of her business was done at night. Also, if she wished, she could make herself invisible to the naked eye with her being an Angel. Though she was a Fallen one. Still, her powers that she had when she was a full-fledged Angel were retained mainly because He made it so.
Though tonight she didn't do that. She didn't want to make herself invisible. Not that it took too much energy to do it. It required very little energy to make herself invisible. She just liked the attention that she got from random strangers on the streets. They would randomly say 'good evening' or something of the sort to her as they passed by her. Most of the citizens knew of her and her little shop but a few rare people actually set foot inside her building. It wasn't the usual business that most people had.
As the night wore on, Angelica watched as the streets thinned out and the curfew time drawing closer. It was only then that she made herself invisible...well, attempted to at least. She had backed further into the alleyway to proceed with the chants that would make her body invisible when she heard a voice from behind her. “Ah, a customer.” Angelica spun around to see a haggard old woman standing in front of a small, low table covered with a velvet red blanket with a crystal ball sitting in the middle of the table on its holder. “I was beginning to think that I wasn't going to get one today. Been ages since anyone has had their fortune read.”
Angelica stared at the haggard old woman curiously. She hadn't sensed that there was anyone with her in the alleyway. Also, there was something odd about the old woman. The Fallen Angel bent closer to see the old woman's eyes but the gypsy ducked her head down so that her bangs fell over her eyes. “So, young miss, shall I read your fortune?” Angelica nearly laughed. She hadn't been called young in years. She had been called a pretty woman before but never young.
“I guess so. Don't have anything to do until I get to my shop.” The gypsy smiled widely, revealed a mouth that had more holes in it than the average homeless man. There were gaps between her teeth, indicating that this old woman had had hard time before, mainly during the Winter season. Only Winter sickness did that to people's teeth if they didn't eat enough protein in their diets.
Angelica supressed a shudder as she approached the gypsy's table and knelt down in front of it. The gypsy continued to smile as she waved her hands in front of the crystal ball. “I assume you can see what I can see, am I correct?” the old woman asked Angelica. The Fallen Angel nodded her head, her eyes focused on the crystal ball as it filled with fog. “Then I can assume you know what it means. Begone now. I grow weary of your presence.”
Angelica nodded her head, stood up, and took a few steps away from the old woman before she turned around to give the gypsy a tip but saw no sight of the woman. Instead, where the old woman was a few moments ago was an odd, six-eyed, large white crow. Angelica resisted the urge to do the sign of evil on her chest. With haste, she left the alleyway and walked down the street in time to get inside of her shop a few blocks away, just in time to miss the deadline of the start of the curfew.
Inside of the Imperial Shilling Tavern, near the Nephian-Riteno-Ypisiona borders, two mercenaries, done with their string of missions that they had completed earlier that day, sat at a table. Namir stared at his cards in front of him, not allowing a single emotion to show on his 'mask' that he had on his face. Behind him his partner, Terakanis, sat in a chair that was flipped the wrong way. Behind the bar, the bartender shot glares over at Tera but his efforts were fruitless. Tera wasn't paying any attention to the bartender. In fact, Tera wasn't paying attention to the card game either. His attention was on the surrounding people that were also in the tavern. He caught snatches of conversations around him.
“Did you hear what Nancy did last night, Emily? It was so...”
“Shesh, Dan, do you have to be that....”
“But Lindsey, you know what Heather said to me. She said...”
“Chris, hey, Chris, are you even listening to me?! Hey don't speed...”
“Sarah, you know Cybele, right? Do you think maybe she can...”
Tera sighed and turned his attention back on his partner. It seemed that the conversations going on weren't worth reporting back to Namir about. Just random gossip today. Turning his attention to the game, Tera noticed that Namir had lost almost fifty silver hawk bits while he was concentrating on the conversations around them. Sighing, the mercenary tapped his foot against Namir's chair leg, an indication that he should pull out as soon as he could. As soon as the hand was finished, Namir politely declined another round and took the hawk bits that he had won and stood up, Tera following in suit.
As soon as they were out of the tavern, Namir looked around for a few moments before falling into step beside his partner. “So, what all did you find out?” he asked, Tera, not bothering to look at the other mecenary. Tera shrugged slightly before responding verbally.
“Nothing at all. Just gossip. Seems like it is too early for the other mercenaries to be there...or maybe they found a new spot to go to. Either way, that place isn't one we should go back too. Seems like the new other went straight and cleaned out all of the trouble makers before we even got there.”
Namir nodded his head slightly. “Then I guess we can leave this town. Might as well go North and see what other town needs cleaning out. Or probably go back to the Capital and go to the guild and see if there is some work there that the other mercenaries don't wanna take.” Tera grumbled out a response that seemed like an approval. That seemed to please Namir as he took the lead, walking towards the main street that lead out of the town, Tera following after like a loyal canine.
In the middle of Hertford, in the The Roaming Cat's Tavern a trio of misfits, a young woman and two men, sat around a small table, ales in front of them but they weren't really paying much attention to their drinks. Their attention was on the fight that was going on in the middle of the tavern. Around the two fighting men the onlookers were busy cheering for whoever they wanted to win. One, a beefy man whose name was Chris Baty was fighting a scrawny looking man. It seemed that the scrawny man had insulted this Chris fellow and was now paying the price. Almost as fast as the fight had gotten to the climax, the tavern owner, a half-cat/half-human man that stood only five feet tall came out with a bucket of ice-cold water and doused the two fighters with it. “Fight outside NOW!” bellowed the owner and he grabbed the scrawny man by the back of his shirt and forcefully evicted him from the tavern. The owner turn around just in time to see the other man running out of the tavern.
The young woman snickered slightly at the sight of the two fighters being evicted from the tavern. “Guess they deserved that, right Lawk?” the woman asked one of the men. Lawk shrugged his shoulders at her.
“Possibly,” he responded to her. That seemed to please her because she turned her attention to the other man that sat with them. “So, Ryu, what do you think we should do now? I mean our 'business' is done in this town.” She curved two fingers on each hand in the air when she spoke the word 'business'. “Should we go to the Capital and see if there is any work over there?” She tilted her head slightly and waited for him to respond. Ryu wasn't paying attention to her. He was busy staring at where the fight was a few moments ago.
The woman sighed and snapped her fingers in front of Ryu's face. “Hello, Elysium to Ryuuzaki, please respond to me...or at least pay attention to me.” That seemed to wake Ryu up before he jerked slightly upright from his slightly slouched position and blinked a few times, looking at the woman with a mildly curious look on his face.
“I'm sorry, did you say something?” Ryu asked, tilting his head to one side as he stared at her. The woman sighed loudly and rolled her eyes.
“You are useless, Ryu. Completely and utterly useless!” She threw her hands up in the air as she said that. Ryu merely shrugged his shoulders.
“Sorry, Arisella. I didn't sleep very well last night.” Arisella shook her head slightly.
“Always excuses with you, Ryu. Always!” She turned her attention away from the elf to look around the tavern. “Seems pretty dead now that the fight broke up.” Lawk nodded his head and looked at Ryu. “We leaving as soon as we are done with our meal, Ryu?”
The elf snapped back to reality again as Lawk spoke to him. “Yeah. Hopefully after we get away from this town we can get a camp going early so that I can at least get a few hours of rest. This place is too busy for my liking. That and I don't really like how this town operates. Been waking up more times during the night than I care to remember.”
Lawk nodded his head and finished the bowl of soup that he had in front of him. “Alright, I'm done. Hopefully you two are, too. If you are having a bad feeling about this place then it is best for us to get on the road as fast as we can.” The other two nodded their heads and quickly departed the tavern after leaving a dozen silver hawk bits, more than enough to cover their meal and a hefty tip.