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A shadow in the bar, men and women discussing things, drowning their sorrows in the slick alcohol of this town. The oil that ran the cogs. These people. Questioned nothing in their lives. Even as they lived in their misery. To him, this city disgusted him. Spiran born, the number of machines to him was herisy. However. He'd been here before. And many other places during his travels. Hiring himself out as a mercenary. For now. The trade of the mercenary was lined in gold. Blood money. The Galbadian and Shinra war had lined his picked with gil. And slathered his hands in blood. He looked down, his left hand clawed and metal. Underneath bone and flesh and skin. But that isn't what he saw. He saw an instrument of death.
His eyes looked up. " ....Water...". He mumbled out as the big breasted bar woman asked him about what he would like to drink. At the moment there were mercenaries who were still waiting on their cash from the last conflict. He'd already recieved his. Hired directly by the sorceress and her general personally. At this time, most mercenaries waiting would just build up a tab, drinking away their problems. Going to a whore house, running up a tab there. And by the time they got paid, they would have nothing left paying their debts off. It was a sickening life. And one he didn't see fit to partake in. He stood up and walked out of the pig hole of a bar. He still had his religion. His beliefs. And a reason to be living in this life of blood.
" Adiona"
His summoner. After all, he wasn't just some faceless mercenary. He was a guardian. He did this to fund his summoners journey around spira....and to buy her more time. Everyone knew that at the end of a summoners journey came death. In kilika her steely stance had shattered. Fear had crept in. And so he'd left her there to wait his return. Saying he required more money to continue the trip. Although he'd had plenty of money, he wanted enough to make her trip around Spira as comfortable as possible, even as her life came closer to and end. Something of a hospice. Memories drifting back. His first meeting with her in the rainy skyline of Bevelle. Just after he'd murdered both his last employer and the man he'd been sent to kill. Taking money from them both and hiring a boat to Besaid.
Then sin had attacked Bevelle. And of course. He'd been blamed for it. He'd cut the rope.
He banished those thoughts from his mind. The dark guardian made his way down the streets of the town towards the Inn at the southern quarter. There he'd look for more work. Maybe he'd hit lucky and find another recruiter for either side of the war. Regardless with his experience he'd find something. In the corner of his eye, his preriferal vision he spotted a couple of cloaked thugs following him. Likely they were after his coin purse. Unfortunatly for them, it seemed they had missed his weapons under his own cloak. He put down the hood, and turned to the right, moving into an alleyway. He continued walking, until his ears picked up the distinct grinding of a steel blade against leather. He stopped, waiting, and then heard running.
He turned quickly, his cloak flicking in the face of his first attacker, catching him off gaurd. With that Zero stepped forward, and drove the claws of his gauntlet into the mans stomach. He quickly withdrew as the inards began to spill onto the streets, the other launched himself forwards. Zero's bloodied gauntlet moved up and caught the wrist of the thug. He twisted his wrist, hearing the sickening snap of his wrist bones. The man screamed in agony, Zero drew back his spare hand and punched the thug directly in the nose. Another snap more blood spraying like a mist. He let go and the man slumped against the wall unconcious.
The dark guardians eyes moved down to the dagger the man had wielded. He slowly picked it up and placed it to the unconcious mans throat. He thought for a moment. He could simply be trying to feed his family. But that didn't excuse his trying to kill. Quickly he dragged it across his throat cutting deeply. Standing, he wiped the dagger on the back of his cloak and discarded it. Zero made his way into the inn, signed himself in as one of the mercenaries looking for work. Grabbed a table near the corner...and waited.
Cain's crimson irises stared upon the center of the table, his arms crossed over his chest as he slumped against the chair, quite a sluggish contrast to his usually crisp and collected manner of behavior. Why was Cain so gloomy that day? Well, he had become but another mercenary waiting for his pay after coming back from a skirmish. And which side had he fought for? This time, he was hired by the Sorceress, or at least, one of her generals. In fact, as he gave the room a quick brief glance, he could spot out a couple of faces he had seen on the other side of the battlefield. A soft smirk played upon the Lucarvi's face, his right hand twitching in slight excitement.
What a simple bunch of humans they were. They would follow the highest bidder for their services and slaughter whoever was deemed an enemy on the battlefield, taking the life of another simply for the benefit of a full pocket. However, once the battle was done, they'd be naught but men in the same occupation. Hell, they could even drink with each other and laugh, as if the blood-lust and thrill they had experienced outside this tavern had been naught but a dream. Yes, humans were simple sick creatures indeed. And as sad as it was, yes, Cain thought himself to be human too, for he had been banished without a single memory of his time as a Lucarvi, nor does the term ring any bell of familiarity in his mind.
For killing the son of the lord he served, such was his punishment. Of course, the sin had been an accidental one, the one Lucarvi prodigy having being set up by an envious rival, the demon whom Cain had been so close in replacing among the ranks of his demon lord. Ah, such was an unfortunate twist of events indeed.
The blue-haired assassin let out a soft grunt as he adjusted himself upon his seat, his hues now fixated upon the cup of drink that he had laid upon the table in front of him. He was drinking but a simple cup of soda. He knew better than to get drunk in an environment than this, where he was surrounded by mostly-drunk men, all of which had abilities in terms of combat. It would be a dangerous place to be were a fight to start here.
At that, the man that sat upon the table beside him left his spot, the simple motion distracting Cain's idle mind. What had he do that day? Well, other than waiting for his pay, he had basically no plans nor thoughts whatsoever of how the rest of his day, or night, was going to be played. Perhaps in the company of a woman? Many mercenaries here had to resort to entering brothels to enjoy the exotic night life of humankind, but Cain was different. He was... Charming, to say the least. He grinned at the thought, before sipping down what remained of his soda, standing up then.
Figuring he might as well get some rest after the long and demanding skirmish, he decided to prop himself down in the nearby hotel, the sound of his combat boots on the tiled floor drowned out by the sounds of laughter and celebration in the merry tavern. He held a soft smile upon his face, his long black cloak concealing his two blades that rested upon his outer thighs. He opened the door, the sound having a different tone to it now that it was no longer contained in the room. And of course, it sounded even more different as the blue-haired male closed the door behind him.
With a soft sigh, he glanced up at the moonless sky, almost deep at thought. However, he would snap out of it was he turned towards the hotel, his eyes forward and his arms swinging in small arcs by his side, alternating with his rhythmic footsteps. Then, ahead of him, he saw a peculiar scene indeed. The man from earlier, the one who had sat on the table beside his, had entered an alleyway, only to be followed by two other cloaked men. Cain slowed down in his pace, his eyebrows furrowing as he shifted himself closer to the wall. It was not long after did a sound of pain emerged from the alleyway, Cain stopping in his tracks completely then.
After a few brief moments, the man emerged from the hallway, seemingly unscathed. Cain followed him with his irises for a moment, waiting until he was inside the inn before proceeding forward in a much faster pace. Upon reaching the mouth of the alleyway, the assassin looked inside was quite surprised by the scene. No, not shocked surprised, but amused surprised. One man had his stomach ripped open, blood trailing down from his nose too. If he was still alive, he would not be for long. The other man seemed to have drowned in his own blood, as half of his throat had been cut open, an expression of fear etched upon his face. An expression that Cain was all-too familiar with.
He chuckled to himself, before entering the inn. As procedure deemed it to be, Cain signed himself in too as a mercenary for hire, for at the moment, his contract with the Galbadia had ended. As he turned away from the counter, he caught sight of the man once more at the corner of the room, upon another table. He gave him a brief stare. It did not take much of a killer to know how dangerous both individuals were. At that, Cain passed him quite a hospital smile, before choosing a table of his own, in fact, considerably close to Zero's. It was not long after that he sat down did he actually open his mouth.
"That was messy, by the way. Effective and painful, but messy nontheless."
Word Count: 999 Total Word Count: 999 Average Words Per Post: 999.0
It came out merely as a silent whisper as he stood in the streets of Kalm, such a nice little town it was. One would think that due to it being such a little town, that there would be no crime in its streets. But rather, it was quite the opposite, in fact, the death toll tended to be higher in Kalm than in most other places. Why was this? There was a very simple explanation; Kalm just so happened to be a nice haven for the Mercenary type. Of course, that alone usually isn't bad, as not all the mercenaries are so stupid as to randomly start fights. Of course, sometimes you had the idiots, but they either hadn't been a merc for thirty minutes or they were just plain too dumb to live and got what was coming to them. But if those who knew what they were doing knew to stay out of trouble, why was the death toll rather high here in Kalm?
It was the beer. Or the ale. Or the whiskey. Or the moonshine. Hell, even the soda in some rare cases. For some unknown reason, whenever some sort of drink got involved with mercenaries and taverns, things got bad. Some slurred words would be exchanged in a heated argument, though the reason was likely stupid. It was either something about being bumped into, or it was something they overheard and decided to get in on, the idiots. Though to Nightmare, the crowning moment of stupidity he had seen, was when two older men ganged up on a young man, declaring themselves wanted men. The kid did try to apologize and genuinely wasn't even interested in getting into any nasty scuffles. It didn't help though when the larger of the two older men grabbed the kid by the shoulders, easily scaring the piss out of the poor kid.
Said larger guy then conveniently got his right arm hacked off by some old man in a cloak.
What. An. Idiot.
Well after the little scuffle, someone now had one less arm, and of course, the tavern was in an uproar. Then things tended to get violent over monetary things, just like usual when it comes to the profession of a mercenary. It was hectic, chaotic, but all in all, it was somewhat fun, just pretty goddamn risky no matter where you so happened to go. He remembered overhearing two peole talking of a debt, one commenting how he would pay the usurer with interest. The other, apparently an employee of the usurer, said the boss was done waiting and wanted him dead. The rest was more or less a blur, he heard a gunshot, and before he knew it, the employee's face was on the table. The other guy had killed him with a bullet before turning to the bar keep and giving him some cash for the trouble.
Nightmare never did figure out who shot first.
But that was all it came down to; gil, if you had the money on you, you could get away with any-freaking-thing. He never got that, was it just some sort of Mercenary trend that said mercs tended to do to make themselves look (and possibly feel) cool? It was always; Get into a fight, kill the other guy, hand the bar keep some gil, and everything is hunky dory. That was it, in that routine, all the freaking time, never any variation, and even then it didn't make sense. The police would be asking questions and looking for clues, it was just common sense when you thought about it. I mean yeah, maybe you could pay for the damages to the bar in the little scuffle you just had and all. But let's face it, you just possibly committed murder, the police isn't going to just let that go, you know.
Hell, even in self defense, no need to pay for the damages.
So when Nightmare saw what he presumed to be a merc lead several poor bastards into an alley, he knew what was going to happen. So calmly, he took a few steps after them, just enough to get a decent peek into what he presumed to be a hilariously one-sided fight. Of course, he had called it right as he watched the cloaked merc disembowel one of the poor bastards. Though he had to admit, slitting the throat of one of them after they were probably dead was a bit overkill. But to each his own, perhaps some just liked going completely overboard with the way that they did things. He couldn't really blame him, even he liked to cut loose sometimes and just go a little over the edge. It was pretty much unavoidable, although, it was actually pretty fun when it did happen, he just made sure to avoid taverns.
Although when the merc was done, he just calmly strolled right into the inn, causing Nightmare to shrug a bit. This guy could be useful, perhaps maybe he could come along with Nightmare to help him achieve a goal. Of course, Nightmare had plenty of gil in his saving, last he checked, around two hundred grand. Honestly, it stunned him that people paid him in gil, in the thousands to assassinate someone. It was illegal, yet for some reason, he was always paid an insane amount for doing such a thing. Made you wonder why everyone didn't do it when it always paid so well, though he wouldn't complain. Though, as he followed the man into the inn, he couldn't help but remember what a Sniper had said a while back about assassination. Well, sniping, but it could be applied to assassination in general.
"Snipin's a good job, mate! It's challengin' work, outta doors. I guarantee you'll not go hungry. 'Cause at the end of the day, long as there's two people left on the planet, someone is gonna want someone dead."
That really stuck with him.
So when Nightmare entered, he did the usual thing, signed himself in as a mercenary and took his seat. His seat however, had actually been at the same table that the one he followed had taken, it seemed stupid yes. But if there was one thing he knew about mercenary fights, it was that whoever flipped the table won. So on the off chance that this man did wish to kill Nightmare, Nightmare would simply respond by flipping the table. The laws of the Mercenary alone would guarentee his victory, but he'd keep it going if the man didn't stop. Though he wasn't entirely sure whether he would be able to get this to work, of course, a promise of gil could help. But he'd start friendly, raising his right gloved hand just a few inches as a friendly wave to him.
His eyes darted to the right, ever since he'd left the original bar he'd thought that there was someone watching him. Immedietly after he had entered another man had followed and signed himself in, sitting at a table nearby. He watched the man sit down, and waiting till a waitress approached him and grunted out once more. " Water...". The woman looked rather aggrivated by the fact that he was getting water, which of course in this cities inns was practically the only drink a person didn't pay for. Normally mercenaries were known for being notorious drinkers. But Zero wasn't. In fact he was a bit of a teetotaller. He didn't like drinking, it made the mind foggy and the hands shakey. Besides...it was a bit of an addiction. And in his life he couldn't exactally afford that. Maybe after Adiona got the final aeon and defeated Sin.
He'd certainly endulge in it then. And would be suprised if he didn't.
His eyes then moved over as the man by the table began to talk. It seemed that he had saw what had occured in the alleyway with the theives. Or at least the end results of it. For a moment he ignored the man, and let the waitress bring his water over. The glass wasn't really clean but he didn't complain. He took a sip and then stared ahead. and spoke. " It wasn't intended to be asthetically pleasing....have you ever seen a corpse that was?...". He closed his eyes and put the glass back on the wooden top of the table . His eyes moved over to the man, even by his sitting stance Zero could tell he had experience. The man was sat in a way that was although comfortable, was accessable as well.
A quick draw sword position.
Zero himself however was sat in a different style. His claw gauntlet was another weapon, far more accessable. And deadly. He kept it under the table laid on his knee, the remainder that moved up his shoulder hidden by his cloak. If he ever got into trouble. the claw was a quick slashing and stabbing weapon that could disembowl anyone from a drunk thug to even an experienced fighter. Once again his eyes slid over to the other man. He was experienced. But Zero had a feeling the man didn't quite have what it took to take him down. Some people might see this instant judgement as insulting. But it was again, something experienced warriors did. Even when allies. For in this business..your best friend could easily become your enemy. It was good to know your limits.
Thats of course when another man walked in, like the last one he signed in as a mercenary. But this time sat down on Zero's table. The dark gaurdian's eyes moved up to the man, a semi cold glare would be what met him. " If you arn't interested in hiring...I advice you move to another table....I'm not in the mood for company".
Well well, someone was feeling rather hardcore, perhaps having just killed three men gave him a bit of a rush. Or maybe he was just so depressed that nothing really phazed or even helped cheer up the guy anymore. It was another odd sort of thing when it came to mercenaries that Nightmare really tended to notice. Once people got used to the job, the reactions to each job would eventually become uniform in ways. The first, and seemingly most common, was that it just got old, they were no longer phased, nor bothered by what they did. The second wasn't as common, but still somewhat prevalant; they grew to love it, to the point where it was the only time they even felt remotely alive. The last, was that they relatively seemed unaffected by their lives, keeping their before-mercs personality and overall seeming to be normal, functioning mortals.
But then the question came to him; just what was he? Which category would Nightmare fall under when it came to these observations? So far, if anything, he appeared to be type three, but was that because he had just adapted to Mercenary life well? Perhaps he still had a bit of innocence that had yet to be taken away, he wasn't exactly sure with himself on that. Maybe what he was after, maybe that was what would destroy that innocence, should he have any of it left. Perhaps it was merely confusion, and like most things, would clear itself up as time kept moving on. Things could be confusing at times for him, but even then, he managed to find a way to get through it all. Perhaps he was just a natural for the life of a mercenary, and could simply get out of anything that was thrown at him.
So Nightmare gave the man sitting before him a somewhat bored expression, unsure of how to word everything. His left elbow planted itself on the table as he let his head fall into his grasp, not exactly threatening. his free hand moved from a wave down onto the table as well, tapping in a somewhat random combination. It was erratic, and in truth, it could be deceiving, it would look as if he had no experience whatsoever. But the truth would be the exact opposite, despite his disposition, despite the way he sat, despite his movements, he was very dangerous. His Phantom Blades would allow him to pull something sharp and pointy right out of thin air if things got dangerous. He wasn't a complete idiot, although he did happen to rely on Refuge in Audacity a bit too much to get by. Then again, he had the luck to back it up.
He looked the man before him up and down, yes, he seemed awfully familiar, and he could tell he was dangerous. Those three he encountered may have been common cutthroats, but they had the advantage of numbers. This man had not a scratch on him, admittidly, Nightmare knew he'd be in for a tough fight if one broke out. But perhaps that was a good thing, after all, the one he needed to hire would have to be able to fight a good fight. What he was after was not something that could just be someone's little plaything, it was a catastrophic set of artifacts that he felt he had to possess. The reasons for wanting them were many, and in truth, he probably wouldn't care to explain every reason. But he wanted to make sure no one messed up in the head got them, and in a way, he wanted the power for himself.
It was funny as to what power could do to people, it could change them, whether that change be for better or for worse. But, the power of the one he hired not only had to be exceptional, but so did the professionalism of the one he hired. He had to make sure he wasn't backstabbed at the end, granted, the vast amount of gil helped, but he couldn't be 100% sure all the time. And in all honesty, hiring in itself was a rather large gamble that even he didn't feel all that grand about in the first place. He was only doing this because he had a feeling it'd be a bit more difficult than he would like if he did it alone. Who knew what he would have to deal with on his quest, but just what was his quest, was it important? Well, finding out would depend on whether the man in front of him would be right for the job he wanted done.
The bored expression became a smirk as his eyes lightened up, he supposed it was time to give the man his answer. A light chuckle sounded as the tapping on the table, which was probably annoying some people by now, stopped. "Not exactly in the best of moods now, are we? I may be hiring, I may not, depends if I think that you're right for what I have planned. But what do I have planned? Well, you'll just have to pass my interview, won't you, can't take any chances now can we? I hold no hostility towards you, so I at the very least expect the same amount of courtesy in return." Nightmare's smirk became a slight grin, he seemed cocky, whether that was a good or bad thing, he wasn't exactly sure. "Besides, if you're willing, I could start the interview right now, now couldn't I? It could be long or short depending on how well you do."
Perhaps what he had said would grate on the man's nerves, but he wanted to see this man's patience for himself. He knew it would be long, and considering what the prize was, it would probably be very very painful. He had to make sure the one he hired could go through with all that, at least, hopefully without complaining. Maybe he could take some complaining, but really, too much and it would just be completely insufferable. Having to get along with them wouldn't exactly be a requirement, but it would be a nice little bonus, now wouldn't it? But why was he acting like this when he was sitting right across the table from what was a very dangerous person? Maybe it was the youth, maybe it was the arrogance, or maybe he was actually just a little looney.
Perhaps he just held a bit of the Mad Hatter in him.
There was something about this guy, that much was obvious. And Zero didn't like it. Whatever it was it just sent a shiver up his spine. The guy had a sort of aura around him. Not a normal warrior for sure, he had an arrogance that matched the warrior monks in Bevelle. The kind of warrior that he was training to be. Yet his clothes and accent didn't mark him as a Bevellian. Yet for all he knew this could simply be a coincidence. For now Zero just looked up at him listening to each of his words as he spat them out. No aggression. Showing the same courtesy? Obviously this man had never hired a sell sword before. " Aggression is our lives....the moment we drop it....we die....its what makes us different from those idiots out playing hero on the battlefield.....they take orders...go where they're told....sell swords have to rely on their own aggression and killer instinct to stay alive...we're given direction, but the purpose is different....". He shifted his stance slightly, the cloak draping over his left side moving away. slightly revealing the metal gauntlet, but not the claws that lay on his knee ready to vicerate anyone who made the wrong move.
".....I'll go along with your interview....".
He didn't like it much, usually there was very few words spoke between employer and mercenary. The last time he had any lengthy discussion about being hired was when the Galbadian sorceress wanted him on her side. And well. That had been endearing enough. He didn't like standing in her presence. Just like he didn't like standing around this guy. There was almost a similar pattern around how they did things. How they stood. And of course this air of dominance that seemed to push down on him like gravity. He didn't like it. It made him uneasy. But then again. Money was money. And he needed it if he was going to continue his journey with. Her. He closed his eyes and sighed.
"...Suppose you should know if I'm the right man for your job....I've been training with weapons since I was a young boy....I've been in several conflicts as a mercenary...most notable...the Cetran/Galbadian border conflict, and the past two battles of the Shinra Galbadian war.....I'm also a guardian for a summoner back in Spira...".
His eyes shimmered for a moment. "....Doing mercenary work to pay for her pilgrimidge....".
Nightmare listened intently as the man before him began to explaining how aggression and killer instinct were a Mercenary's greatest weapons. The head resting in his hand now tilted back upright, as he let the man finish his fun little explanation. His elbows made their way to the wooden table, hands interlacing with each other as he placed them in front of his face, obscuring him somewhat. The man across explained the differences between soldiers and mercenaries, and in all honesty, Nightmare wasn't interested in that. He already had his answer to the aggression, but he would let the Merc explain his qualities and his capabilities. After all, that was the entire point of this, the interview was to see if he was the right choice to make. So all he could do was listen and see if he was right, though, he did make sure to take notice of the gauntlet, that had to be what was used to disembowel one of the thugs.
So far everything seemed in order, he had trained with weapons as a young child, so he was experienced. Good, he wasn't one of those two-bit morons who declared themselves mercenaries without any idea of what they were doing. At least Nightmare knew what to do, if he didn't he would be dead, he wouldn't be here at this table right now. It was in fact this skill that had allowed Nightmare to rack up a rather insane amount of gil at his disposal. And of course, he would be willing to share a very large portion of that gil with the mercenary if he was right for the job. He was thinking about half, at least, he thought that would be worth what he was going for anyway. Then again, what he was going for was hardly anything normal, so he had to make sure the merc wouldn't turn on him at the last second.
He raised an eyebrow at the next bit of the explanation though; he was a war veteran, and a guardian? That was just perfect, so he knew how to play bodyguard, and he knew how to get involved in the biggest of fights. Well, battle wise, he seemed to meet the criteria, so what about the other half; the item Nightmare was after? Truth is, that item was the Warring Triad, and it would likely help if the man didn't know what it was. Though if he did, he could probably convince him to keep from taking the thing when Nightmare was at his moment of triumph. Though his reason for being a mercenary was rather off; he was doing it to pay for her pilgrimage? Didn't summoners get free lodge and such in Spira? Ah well, it wouldn't matter anyway, whatever worked for Nightmare was just fine.
But of course, now that he had finished, Nightmare felt he could finally give his answer about the aforementioned aggression. Moving his hands to the back of his head, Nightmare gave a grin of sorts, as if he knew something Zero didn't. "Well first off, as for your comment about aggression being the only thing keeping you alive, I disagree. Aggression helps, yes, but I believe that intelligence and effective planning works far better than charging in, guns blazing. Anyone who knows how to can manipulate an enemy and second guess their moves, from there, you don't even need to be aggressive. You can screw with them as much as you like, as long as you can outwit them, you don't really have to worry. The only time aggression should be your main weapon, is when you're up against someone like a Berserker or a monster."
He gave a light chuckle and shrugged a bit, he seemed rather unconcerned with the fact this guy could probably impale him in mere seconds. Rather, as long as he kept the idea of money on the table, he could stay the mercenary's blade. But of course, now he had to actually get to the matter of business, but he hoped the man could understand some obscurity. He had his reasons for keeping some things secret, the temptations would be great, and it was something he didn't want to involve his hired hand in. After all, if he knew, then there was the chance that Nightmare would be back stabbed and the money lost. Considering what he had heard the Warring Triad did, it was something that he couldn't afford to lose. The promise of something like that was just far too tantalizing that he couldn't even dream of leaving it be.
"Well, I admit, you pass the interview. I'll just say it then; I'm going for something very powerful, very ancient. I can't afford to let anyone screwy get it or else the world is in real deep trouble, hence why I want help, it'll make things go smoother. I won't tell you what it is, as I don't want to bring any temptation into our little deal, I hope you can understand. I'll let you know that it isn't a trap for you or your... summoner, I can swear that one on my life." Nightmare sighed, the confident facade seemed to loosen up a bit for a more business like tone. This was probably what Zero would want, after all, it would show that Nightmare could be serious when he wanted to. It'd probably make him that much more bearable for the long, hard, painful, and probably breaking quest ahead.
"However, the journey there will be long and hard. However, at the end of it, if we succeed, there's a lot of gil in it for you. One hundred grand to be precise, and no, I'm not making that up to entice you, I really do have that much. You're free to kill me if it turns out I'm lying, it's just what I do sometimes nets me a lot of money. I have a feeling with that much, your summoner's pilgrimage would be quite comfortable for her, no?" Nightmare's smirked reared itself once again, he was sure he had hooked the man in front of him. Holding out his right hand, he moved for a handshake, hoping the mercenary would agree to the contract. "Either way, the job is yours if you want it, congratulations Mr..." Nightmare trailed off, at least hoping for a name of sorts so he didn't have to give him some fancy nickname.
And there it was, the proposal. And the explaination as to why this guy felt so...weird. The similarity between this man and the sorceress had been drawn. Both of them sought power...myabe not in the same way. But power was power in Zero's eyes, whether this meant political power, or....well whatever this guy was looking for. He made his little note on intellegence and cunning counteracting raw agression when it came down to combat. But in Zero's mind that was the last thing that was needed. The man had never truly been in a war. He didn't know what it was like. There was no time for thinking when 3 swords closed in on your from different sides. No time to laugh and mock when pain wrecked your entire body. When fatigue threatened to collapse you. No. The answer to all of these was instinct.
Men who had the killers instinct would survive. A thought on the battle field was what killed you. A moments hesitation. Is what put your down perminantly. His eyes looked up at Nightmare, he thought for a moment about explaining this and then went ahead.
"....You've never been on the battlefield...have you?....never been in a war?....".
He grunted. "....Try talking to your enemy...when there are four more coming up from behind you...and another two aiming to put their blades in your gullet from the side...followed by 3 long distance gunmen with sights on your skull....". He took a drink of his water and then placed it down. " I imagine....you are only used to one on one fights....one on three or even four at the most.....but you've never experienced the madness of a group slaughter.....when at any moment...from any direction...death can strike....". His cold eyes glared into Nightmare's. "....You think all you like...I'm just a weapon...you point...I'll kill it....as long as I get paid in the end...". He shrugged. " I couldn't give a rats ass what you've got planned....you wanna hijack a nuke? thats fine, regicide...sure....just make sure....you've got the cash upfront at the end....".There was a dark promise in those eyes, one that Nightmare would be wary around. One that promised a slow and painful death should the terms of this agreement not be followed.
".....Hmm..."
He scratched his chin as Nightmare mentioned the monumental sum. It would ensure Adiona had a queens journey and then...a...queens funeral. He nodded ever so slightly. " ....You have a deal......all I need to ask is....where are we headed first?....". In truth he did have a lot more to ask. Just what was it they were looking for in the first place? How much danger was involved? He thought about that for a moment...and then went over the cash lump. A lot. A hell of a lot more than the war. But....it was worth it.
Nightmare smirked as the man made his quip about him never being on a battlefield before, that was understandable. Though while aggression was useful, Nightmare silently disagreed, believing that thought could keep the dire situation from starting. But, the mercenary was entitled to his own opinion, and Nightmare would have enough respect to understand it. But in return, he would stick to the thought that he could win any fight by simply outwitting someone. Though ultimately, the man was right, Nightmare had never actually been in a war, instead disguising himself as a SOLDIER in the Galbadia/Midgar battle. He had taken groups of people on at the same time, mostly one on one, but there had been times when he had been up against several attackers. It was what he was accustomed to, and it was what he could think best and handle the most out of any situation.
Though his quips about loyalty, no matter what Nightmare's goals were, that was a bit relieving to the man. At least it helped ensure that he wouldn't be backstabbed at the very last second by his own hired hand. Though, he would take the safe route and keep the one he hoped to hire in the dark, there were uses for it. If he learned that perhaps, just perhaps it would have the power to save the summoner he was guarding. Well, there was just no telling what would happen, temptation could affect anyone, no matter how much they denied it. No one was truly immune, not even Nightmare couldn't help but feel tempted by these artifacts he was desiring. This was just him giving into that temptation, and making a move to obtain just what he was seeking.
The extended arm slowly lowered itself to the table and retreated back to Nightmare's torso as the smirking continued. Yes, the deal was made, and now he was being asked as to just where their first stop would be. He wanted to answer that, but unfortunately, he couldn't, not yet, he needed to know something. This wasn't due to something he had been withholding, but something that the man he just hired was. And he wanted to clear it up before he could continue on, at least then, he would have a name to go by. Hell, even an alias would be better than someone he didn't have anything to go on if the worst happened. He could strike back, he could ruin them if he had merely a name, he already knew what the man looked like. He was sitting right across from him, he had a clear view of his face, so all he needed was a name so he could track him.
A light chuckle sounded from Nightmare as his eyes showed a slight glint of amusement within them. "Unfortunately, I can't tell you that just yet, you see, my extending of my hand and my trailing off should've been an obvious sign to you. Unlike some people, I like to know the name of the people I hire... that way, if I need someone to do something, I can just look to them. With a name, I can track them, find them, and once again hire them, should they be willing to take the job. I can't do much with just a face, as despite everything that exists in this world, I am but a human." His eyes closed, his hands raised up in a shrug, and he gently shook his head in a somewhat amused manner. Perhaps he was mocking him, but then again, he may have just been simply pointing out that not everything was complete, which to him, they weren't.
Though, there was something about this man, he was secretive, he seemed to be very isolated from other people. He was a professional, that much was clear, and unless he too, had an excellent poker face at his disposal, he wouldn't betray the contractor. Yes, it seemed he had made the right choice in hiring this man, but just how far could he be taken with him at his side. Was it a hopeless ordeal, would someone else beat him to the Triad? He had his doubts about losing. Nightmare was powerful, resourceful, and when he needed to, he could move at a very fast rate. Why was this? Simple, he seemed to have a plan no matter the outcome, and this did hold some truth. Yes, he did have other goals should his quest for the Warring Triad fail, goals that could help him surpass it.
Though, he did feel the need to inform him of the conditions for their little contract, he had to be crystal clear. "I will be frank on this, the full one hundred grand does depend... somewhat on your performance, I hope you realize that. If we fail, you fail, to get me to my goal in time, I will pay you only half, as a sort of... 'thanks for trying' consolation prize. If I die, you of course, get nothing, as I wouldn't even be around to pay you, now would I? And at a much more... obvious level, bailing on the contract, or betraying me, also forfeits the promised money." He didn't want to leave any loopholes, any little hole that this man could get through and abuse. Perhaps it was paranoia, but he didn't want to get screwed over, this was too large for him to do so.
His right elbow rested back on the table as its hand curled into a fist, followed by him resting his head on that fist. He grinned, obviously satisfied with his own explanation, perhaps it was just his own arrogance at work. Perhaps it would be infuriating, charming, or enlightening, though, taking everything into account, probably the first one. This man didn't even seem to have the word 'humor' in his vocabulary, much less have a sense of it. "So, I'll just ask it in a much clearer manner; what is your name? It tends to help if I know the person I'll be working with. I'm sure you'll understand, and if it helps, I go by Nightmare Darklight, obviously an alias. But it's nothing personal, I find my actual name a rather private matter, but you'll have your money when it's over, I've sworn on my life you know." He grinned, he still didn't really feel all that threatened, maybe he just knew what to say.
He took another drink of the water lying before him. The deal was, for the most part sealed. All that required was Zero giving his name. Like one of those old stories where a mans neame meant his soul. He felt almost as in in part he was signing himself over to a devil. But then again. To him. It didn't ust make a difference what this man was, devil or no he was a paying customer. And he liked that. What he liked more however was the money the man was offering. One hundred thousand gil. A hard offer to turn down. No matter what the job was. And even better, he was willing to pay half even if they failed. Not that Zero was going to fail however. He was much too good for that. He didn't fail his jobs. That was for amatuers. " Thats a generous offer...". He let out solemnly.
"...So...you'll tell me when its closer the time...or when you know me better....tell you now...don't much care what your going after....all I care about is the bag of cash I'll be getting and taking it back to my summoner....".
His eyes moved down to his gauntlet claw. And then back up at this so called " Nightmare Darklight". He shifted again. "....My name is Zero Lorgana....Lorgana...or Zero....whichever you prefer.....you have yourself a mercenary....". He stood up, his cloak moving to reveal his gauntlet, each sharp blade of the claws still stained with blood after eviserating the men in the alleyways. "....My first tip to you is that we leave here...now...before it gets dark....the battles will be finishing and the Galbadians...whether retreating or successful today will be coming back to Kalm....drowning their sorrows or celebrating their victories...neither one is good for the citizens....but thats not going to be our problem". He closed his eyes.
" Our problem comes when they start setting up regulation sentires and charging 'tolls' to enter or exit the town....I'd kill them but they'd no doubt find the corpse...and after that....well they might raze this village to the ground....not that I much care....but its the main hub for finding work....even after this job...after my summoner defeats sin...I'll still need jobs....".
And so it begins that two warriors leave from the village of Kalm to find the legendary statues known as the Warring Triad. Nightmare Darklight, the mysterious employeer keeps this fact hidden from the man he has just hired, out of fear of betrayal. The statues to him represent unimaginable power. The warriors together make their way through the battle torn lands, cutting through the Mythril Mines and into Junon. There they catch a boat to their first destination. In hi hands...Nightmare holds a single clue to the locations of the statues.
The name.: Mysidia
A continent in the west, deeply enthralled in Dragon and Magic lore. To the quester this seems the perfect place for the statues to hide. But there is more than power waiting them there...
ATE Event:: Crimson's Folly
Dark corridors, walking down them on his own. The echoes of his footsteps clearing the way downwards. In his hands the papers he had collected on the Lost Continent from the demonic warrior. And would have finished him off if it wern't the dragon. At the moment however these were the least of his worries. He enters a room, pitch black. Silouttes can be ade out of men. Sitting in a circle as he enters. A crackling voice of an elderly man says. " Have you completed your mission?". A rasping cough sounds out from somewhere in the dark.
" Yeah...but things are moving quicker than I'd thought.....Ruien was there...not our worlds Ruien...but the one of this world.....I was going to put him down for good but-"
A voice echoed, cutting Crimson off. " Silence....we know of your error....but there is more....". The silouttes nodded in agreement. " One more has emerged.....at first we thought it was another adventurer doomed to failure...but.....there have been developments...". Crimson cocked an eye. " Developments?....". Another cough. The man explained the situation. " .... I see....". Crimson nodded. " what would you have me do?". The group mumbled together. " Mysidia is their destination.....make sure that they do not survive to uncover the secrets of the statues....". He bowed.
" Yeah...but things are moving quicker than I'd thought.....Ruien was there...not our worlds Ruien...but the one of this world.....I was going to put him down for good but-"