The shadow of the mercenary (open to any)

[Zeion Lockhart]

It was dawn another mission was complete this one was just a reconnaissance mission for the locals who feared the bandits in the mountains however during the mission he was a young woman in their camp so he decided to go beyond all reasons and charged the camp killing them when they walked into the shadows where they met their end. By the time the sky began to turn the bandits laid dead and the girl was returned home which was here in the city apparently her father was a merchant and the bandits took more than produce.

Zeion was the name of this mercenary his heart was always in the shadow. His cloak was flowing in the wind as he looked down on the town and he let out a sigh. This mission was his hardest due to the large number of enemies. He wanted to be known throughout the land but due to his ninja-like ways no one has ever seen his face on missions but outside of a mission everyone has.

He lowed his hood to show his silver hair he was always calm and cool but his sword was sheathed and his night as a mercenary was over. He had nowhere to go right now. "Another day and hopfully another mission tonight." Was all he really had to say.

[Jadin]

"You missed one."

This simple sentence was accompanied my a moist plop as a small sack landed near where Zeion was standing. As it hit the ground, a small object rolled from the mouth of the bag, approximately the size of a human head. This was due to the fact that is just so happened to be a human head. The head, in fact, of the same merchant who’s daughter Zeion had earlier saved.

Spreading slowly from the sack onto the ground was a red stain as, if anyone cared to take a peek into the open mouth of the sack, they would see additionally the severed heads of the girl and the rest of her small family. Though Zeion had indeed wiped out the group of bandits, at least one had survived, albeit mortally wounded.

Jadin had arrived but a moment too late to accomplish his primary mission, which had been to assassinate the leader of the bandit gang and as many of his followers as was necessary to get the job done. As such, he found his work already completed for him- a job which he intended to claim credit for to still get his pay.

Additionally, from one solitary survivor that Zeion must have missed finishing off, he had begged the masked stranger who had arrived demanding details to seek revenge for him in return for all the gold remaining on him. Now that the man was dead, Jadin still felt his sense of honor compelling him to fulfill his bargain. For starters, he hunted and assassinated the girl whom the bandits had been keeping hostage, along with her family in order to get the bandits final spiteful message across to those who had bought the services of Zeion.

Now, considering his debt paid off, he felt it necessary to give Zeion this one last parting gift to see how he might react.

“Next time, do a better job with your cleanup.”

[Zeion Lockhart]

He looked down at the heads of the family and said."Great just great. Their dead oh well saving the girl got me free gold. Tell you what assassin I'll give you the gold the first merchant gave me so that you'll be paid any way." Zeion got a rather large amount for doing extra and not only that he saved the girl and her father gave him more gold than needed.

Zeion felt compelled to ask about why he killed them but he rather not know. He felt he should at least get the heads buried somewhere but first he figured he should at least give him the gold. "Here from the merchant who bought your service." Zeion said and tossed a bag full of gold coins toward Jadin. Within was the 1000 gold the first merchant gave him when he told him that he killed the bandits. But he got another 1000 from the merchant who's head was cut of. "This is 50% of the pay I received in total. Take it this way we both got our jobs done and we're payed."

Zeion wasn't bribing Jadin he was actually given Jadin's rewards for killing the bandits this way it was equal dispite the death of the family which was a grave thing to happen. Zeion picked up the head that had fallen out of the bag and picked the bag up then began to walk away he wasn't crying he was still shocked by the assassin and the way he acted."I'll make sure I cut off heads during my missions from here on in." He said as he walked away he wasn't given anythign else other than the 2000 Gold which he gave 1000 to the assassin and kept the other half for himself.

[Jadin]

Jadin waited motionlessly and silently as Zeion made his offer to apparently bribe the assassin away, giving little more than a derisive sneer at the man’s conviction to go off and bury the severed head’s of his victims. Examining the bag cautiously as he took it, in case this was some form of trick- it was an assassin’s occupational hazard to look at even a handshake as a possible attempt on one’s life.

“Now, hold it right there.” he said in a soft voice, little more than a whisper. While he spoke, he palmed a dagger in one hand while pocketing the small sack of money in the other. He was making certain to be prepared in case Zeion decided to be unruly.

“You seem not to have any great affiliation or loyalty to those people, which leads to the assumption that you are just like me- a hired killer. Though I’m sure you’re the type that attempts to glorify your work, ultimately you’re the same as I am. As such, I would propose working together, for it’s often a way to get the job done quicker and more efficiently. Not to mention, if we’re working together, we don’t have to potentially vie for targets.”

[Zeion Lockhart]

"I only kill when it is necessary, like the bandits I at first had no intention of killing them till I saw the girl. You on the other hand kill for the money no matter who it is. We should only ally ourselves when it comes down to missions like last nights."Zeion stated what seemed to be obvious but Zeion was not really an assassin like Jadin. Zeion was a mercenary who'd do almost anything for gold. While Jadin killed the target for the gold.

Zeion actually made is point clear he would join Jadin if it was another mission like last night Zeion was not meant to kill the bandits but did just to save the girl. In an odd way he was both a mercenary and a knight by some people's standards. He looked back at Jadin noticing Jadin had his hand on his knife he smile."You have nothing to fear from me I will not attack." Zeion had is own way what people call a code his code was hard to explain as well as understand.

"So what do you say that we become allies if our objectives are the same?" He asked this was a simple question. This question would decide what their plan would be if they were to slay people like last nights bandits. Zeion however should be taking more jobs in the future just like this guy would.

[Jadin]

“So what you’re admitting, essentially, is that you weren’t even hired in the first place to kill anybody, yet during your mission you went entirely off the path of what you were supposed to be doing in favor of a your complete tangent. You don’t follow your missions at all; simply to go off doing what you personally feel is right. I, on the other hand, remove myself from such considerations in favor of getting the job done.”

“What I find ironic is that, while you may try to take the morale high ground, you’ve easily caused innumerable problems that I have, in essence, just might have corrected.” He continued, hoping to get some favorable reaction from the mercenary with this. Perhaps he might even make a lasting impression, though some people just never learned.

“See, when war breaks out and nations fall, it can lead to hard times falling upon the entire kingdom. So, when that happens, there are a much greater number of people who are forced to turn to criminal activities in order to provide for their families. There are very great odds that, after your actions, many families who already didn’t know for certain where their next meal was coming from now have lost their primary bread-winner. This means that, in addition to the slew of murders you’ve already committed, you’ve condemned many more to die of starvation or be cast out into the streets when they find they are unable to make ends meet.”

“Myself, on the other hand,” he continued relentlessly, gesturing vaguely to himself. “I have removed, in its entirety, a family possessed of great wealth. At worse, the village shall mourn their passing for a day. Yet then they will find no heir and redistribute that family’s wealth, most likely ending up benefiting the town as a whole, thus giving those people that you’ve caused to be turned out on the streets some potential hope for the future.”

[Zeion Lockhart]

Zeion began to laugh at Jadin's words he didn't really mean for the situation to get out of hand like this he just started laughing and he stopped laughing to talk."You don't get it yet do you? Everyone has their own way of living just like I do. Sure saving the girl caused more unneeded deaths but because of my way of living number 2: an opportunity to save a life will grant you more fame and coin."He stated he had actually 10 rules to living like him but number 2 was the most important to any mercenary.

He stood there listening to Jadin's words dispit what Jadin was saying Zeion just started ignoring him and walked away faster in order to stop hearing him complain and talk. It was another dislike he had people who talk too much. Zeion could still here him but he just wanted to tell Jadin to be quiet he had much to think about. "Sorry assassin no more time to talk I got to look around for more work and bury these heads you have given me." Zeion said and began to leave the assassin behind. He began to climb down a latter that had lead Zeion up there in the first place he placed the bag on his shoulder and began to blend into the crowd on the streets below.

[Kina]

Kina watched as a Mercenary leapt into the crowd, and walked on beside him. It made KIna feel fidgety, yet he didn't know why. But either way, this guy is trouble. He pulled out his dagger and hid it in his sleeve.

He quickly pulled his mask over his face and walked a little faster. Something just wasn't right...

The light shone on him and made him extremely hot under his cloak. He undid the straps on his cloak and let it hang around him, though he wouldn't remove his mask.