In Constantinople's busy streets, the day was going on normally. The sights and sounds and smells that lingered were common in the city square on a market day. Merchants were shouting to passer bys about their wares, beggars sat with arms stretched out and hands cupped, thieves stood against walls and looked for potential query, and everyone else had a place to go, a person to see, and a thing to buy.
This was the case with the two sisters, Cassandra and Sophitia, and Sophitia's children, Patroklos and Pyrrha. Traveling down the busy street, they were looking for someone. Not someone in particular, but a certain type of someone. In this case, they were looking for someone tough, and trust worthy.
"Sophitia, I still don't understand why you had to bring the children along."
"I already told you Cassandra. With that girl servant of Soul Edge still out and about, I don't trust my children being out of my sight." Sophitia said quickly as she reached out and pulled Pyrrha out of the way of a cart off to the side.
"Well, then we should get a room at an inn and deposit the kids so we can search more efficiently." Cassandra suggested as she lifted Patroklos out of the way of a bunch of thugs that looked like they didn't like children. "I highly doubt that the girl knows where we are."
"I don't want to take the chance that she does know, and leaving the children in an inn room alone would be playing right into her hands." She said irritably as she caught a pot that Pyrrha had taken off a stall and dropped accidentally. She then placed it back upon the stall and helped Cassandra pull a hyper Patroklos out of a booth filled with toys.
"Mom, I'm hungry! Can we get some food please?" Pyrrha pleaded, tugging on Sophitia's skirt.
"Alright, we'll stop at…that inn and get some food." Sophitia said as she pointed to a sign that showed the images of food and rest. "If we stop though, you two have to promise that you'll behave for the rest of the day" she insisted.
"We promise." The twins said in unison.
"Finally, a way we can get them to settle down." Cassnadra whispered into her sister's ear. "I'm feeling a little hungry too, and that place looks gre…" she stopped as the sisters saw a man fly through the inn's window and crash into a booth across the street. A war cry that sounded both human and animal followed. Men started streaming out of the inn, some on their own two feet, others carried by their friends.
Sophitia and Cassandra both drew their weapons and equipped their shields.
"Sophitia, stay here. I'll investigate what's going on." Cassandra shouted back to Sophitia as she ran into the ruined inside of the inn.
Tables, chairs, and groaning men were scattered everywhere. The sawdust was thick in the air from all the broken wood. In the center of the room, a huge figure stood. A huge weapon that looked like a mace was strapped to its back, accompanied by the skin of a lion. Horns grew out of the top of its head. Though it had normal colored skin, Cassandra wondered if it was human. She had heard tales of the golem Astaroth, the creation of Ares, the god of war. Though he didn't have an axe like it was said he had, he seemed to be the right size.
The huge figure turned to so that Cassandra could see its side.
"Does anyone else here want to make an insult at what I am wearing?" the man shouted to no one. From the side, Cassandra could see that the horns were part of the man's helmet. It was indeed a man, since Cassandra could see the huge Adam's apple upon his throat, and his chin was covered with whiskers. The sight of this man acting bold gave Cassandra a crazy idea.
"Excuse me sir, could I have a moment of your time?" she asked, standing on her tiptoes so he might see he better.
Turning to face her, the man walked over to her. She had to crane her neck up to look him straight in the face. At this view, Cassandra noticed that his chin had a lot of gray whiskers mixed in with the black ones. This man was probably over his prime. His rippling muscles showed that that really wasn't a concern.
"What do you want little one?" he asked, his deep voice booming straight at her, just enough to ruffle her hair.
"I was wondering if you would be interested in a job." He asked, her gaze never waving from his eyes.
"A job eh? What is this job?" he guaffed, pulling up one of the few unbroken chairs and sitting down. Even while sitting, his face was still higher then Cassandra's. This only strengthened Cassandra's resolve to hire him.
"Well, it all started when…" Cassandra began. She told him the whole story. She noticed that he had started paying more attention when she mentioned Soul Edge, and he really started paying attention when she mentioned the servant of the cursed sword.
"…and so now the children are endangered by this servant, who seeks to use them for unknown ends."
With this the giant slammed his hand down on a nearby table, breaking it in two.
"By the spirits, this girl wants to use children?" He stood up and looked down at Cassandra. "Do not worry, for you've just officially hired me."
"But you don't know what the job is!"
"It does not matter! A story such as that deserves to be honored, and I will honor it. Let me get my things." He then thundered up the stairs of the inn, shaking sawdust from the ceiling with the sound of his boots against the stairway.
Cassandra blinked in confusion. This man was at least certainly enthusiastic about the job. She just hoped that he didn't think he was going on some master quest to find soul edge.
"Hey lady, that man with you?" a voice floated over the bar. Cassandra looked over her shoulder. A man was shakily standing up from behind the bar. He was obviously a native, but he spoke very clearly.
"Hmm? Well, I guess he is now."
With this, the man jumped over the bar and got right up into Cassandra's face.
"Then I guess your going to tell me how I'm going to pay for this, right? Because you aren't going anywhere until I get payment for this! I've spent my entire life trying to make this bar into something, and in one day, some giant comes in, and rips this entire place apart with his bare hands and with my other customer's bodies! And the reason? Because some drunk made fun of what he was wearing!"
The man was fuming, but immediately stopped and calmed down as he saw that he was in a long shadow. Cassandra looked past him into the face of the huge man.
"Well, shall we go...um…I didn't catch your name…"
"The name is Rock."
Cassandra nodded and started to leave. Rock followed her, but half way, he stopped. Turning, he went over to the inn's owner and dropped a giant sack in front of him. As the bag hit the floor, its contents spilled out. The bag was filled with gold nuggets.
"This should pay for the damage I've caused." Turning, the rock finished following Cassandra out, listening to the whooping of joy coming from the inn owner.
Outside, Rock saw his employer meet with a woman he guessed was her sister, Sophitia. Beside her were her two children, each of them gaping up at him. Rock smiled as he remembered that Bangoo had gaped up at him when he first adopted him. Walking up to the small group, he stood behind Cassandra. Sophitia herself was surprised at his size.
"Well, I can tell from the look on your face that Rock is standing right behind me. As you can see, I think he's perfect for the job." Cassandra said smugly.
"Well, he certainly is big. Are you sure he's okay with the job?" Sophitia asked timidly.
"I don't know, he didn't care what the job was, so I waited for him to meet you so you can tell him." Cassandra smiled a fake sweet smile and moved out of the way. Sophitia narrowed her eyes at Cassandra in annoyance then turned to face Rock, but bit her lip in fear before she could say anything.
"Wow mister, your so big! How did you get to be so big?" Patroklos said in awe as he and Pyrrha were climbing up Rock's arms onto his shoulders.
"Patroklos! Pyrrha! Get off him this instant!"
"It's alright miss Sophitia. Bangoo climbed on me a lot when he was their age too." Rock said chuckling. "I got this big because I worked hard at becoming this big my boy." He said, answering Patroklos' question. "Now tell me the details of this job." He asked to Sophitia.
"Well…I want you to help guard my children. Not a month ago, a girl came to our town's temple and wanted to take my children away for unknown reasons. I thought it had to deal with Soul Edge, so I went out after Soul Edge to destroy it. Cassandra followed after me though, leaving my children vulnerable. It was then I realized Cassandra would accept being left behind, so we've had to take my children with us. Looking for Soul Edge with children is hard and dangerous though, so I'd like you to guard them while we search."
Rock nodded. "So you wish me to take them back to Greece and guard them there?"
"No no, they will stay with us. I just want you in the back ground so if we're attacked by bandits, or are forced to go into a scary looking temple or something, we can leave them with you outside." Sophitia said quickly.
Rock nodded again. "Alright, I'm fine with that. Bangoo will be proud of me for doing this."
"I'm sorry, but we won't be able to pay you until we go back to Greece." Sophitia added.
"I expect no payment." Rock said, shaking his head. "Every child deserves to grow up. Morales need not the temptation of a reward to be used."
Sophitia smiled. "Well thank you Rock. We will find a way to pay you back."
"Mom! I'm really hungry now!" Patroklos whined from on top of Rock's right shoulder.
"Alright, we'll get something to eat." Sophitia laughed.
"Know any place where we can get good food Rock?" Cassandra asked.
"In fact I do. Here, follow me." He grinned, turned, and started down the street, with his two new charges on his shoulders, and Cassandra and Sophitia following in his wake.