Chapter 6: Jarvis
(Later that night) (Begin Eatery)
The Begin Eatery, the favored restaurant of many adventurers and junior members of the Warriors Guild. It stands at the cross road leading from Theater Vancoor and the castle of Radiata itself. It served as both a restaurant and a bar for its more senior patrons.
But tonight, it was a place that Ridley and Jack celebrated their graduation from trainees. Despite its modest appearance, the Begin Eatery does have a reserved room at the second floor of the building. Tonight Jack spared no expense in his earning as a knight trainee. He reserved the whole second floor for himself and Ridley and ordering all the things he used to have when he was a member of the Warriors Guild.
Before long, their table was filled from all the most delicious delicacy this modest establishment could offer. From roasted chicken to simple bread to mushroom soup, everything was there.
Ridley could not help but stare at awe of the delicacy presented before her. Being a member of the nobility, she was often given the finest treatment and food. But this was different. The food that the girl named 'Yuri' presented was something of exotic value. Everything she smelled was different from the castle. It was like she was in another country entirely and she couldn't figure out which one was the appetizer and what was the main course.
"Go ahead. Eat up. Everything is on me." Jack declared jumping in hands first on the chicken before gorging it in his mouth. There was nothing. No manners, no etiquette, no fine dining household rules. It was complete anarchy. "What's the matter? Not good enough?"
"Jack… this is just…" The girl had the words but none of them could come out. It was like she was stuck in a zone where all of her lessons didn't apply. "Don't you use your utensils or something?"
"Utensils? Like… spoon and fork? They're right there."
"Yes! That's the point exactly!" She snapped quietly. "There's only one fork and one spoon. The soup spoon is missing, the knife and ladle aren't in their places and… ugh… my head."
"Wow. You must really be used to all that stuff at the palace."
"It's called… etiquette. Something I doubt you will ever know."
"Meh. Big words aren't for me." Jack didn't seem shaken. He merely continued his gorging without any worries whatsoever. It didn't really bother him that one of his hands was busy. "Besides, if I had to follow every rule on the table, how would I even enjoy the food in front of me? (Huaa…) Relax. You're not in the castle anymore. You don't have to be stiff. Learn to let loose, you know… like me."
"Somehow I get the feeling that if I did that, the world will end with me."
"Come on. Just try it for once. It's a time for celebration. We're here to cheers, sing kumbaya and all that. (Kumba what?) Ah… no… never mind. I like to spout random words sometimes. (Clearly…) Listen. Just give it a shot. No rules, no regulations. Heck, you can even use your hands. There's no one here but us… and the rowdy guys downstairs." Again Ridley hesitated, looking down at her soup. "No good?"
She blushed. "Can… you please pass the salt?"
Jack's face beamed…
(Giske bar)
In a bar next to the Begin Eatery, Etha was at the center table with a bunch of off duty workers chugging down beer. There she sat with Jarvis, the sergeant of the Hecton Squad going to their seventeeth… er… ish… mug of stale root.
"Wahhh!" The axe-helmet warrior let out a gasping burp as he finished his pot. "Zake that wung lady!"
But Etha didn't back down. Her face was equally flushed as the man. With a grin on her lips, she chug down the next glass and the crowd around her cheered. "Huaaa! Now that's what I needed. Keep'em… keepvem coming boyes! I shant do this all night long!"
"Zats the spirit!" Jarvis cheered. "You know, more gurl… more girls should act like you. Most ofem act all high and mighty. They zink of us guys are pretentious winos. They should like… lighten up… right?"
"Yeah… totally." No one could tell if the girl was really agreeing or she was just in her drunken talk mode. "I know this… this little pretentious lady. Her name was like Apho… Aphrodite. She's like… Oooh look at me. I'm the goddess of love and pleasure. Every loves me, worships me because I'm the prettiest of all! She made this two couple fall in love yeah… and burned the city of Troy just because it'd be amusing to see millions suffer."
"Whoa. So whatdcha do?"
"Zer was this guy. Alexandros. He made this sculpture of her to like… honor her and stuff. So I like… ripped her arms off! Let's see a guy fall for that!"
The crowd laughed though none of them really understood the joke.
"Hey! One of you two better have the cash to pay for all of this." Giske the bartender warned, noting the many empty kegs around them.
But Etha didn't mind. She easily pulled out a whip of cash from her petanko and placed it on the table. "Relax gramps. I got this covered. Next round is on me!"
The crowd cheered once more with not a care in the world what joked she'd pull next.
(Begin Eatery)
"The crowd next door sure is rowdy." Ridley stated hearing the loud cheer from its patrons.
"Well, you know bars. Once they're full, it's hard to control them." Jack recalled knowing well how bars worked. His former sergeant Jarvis often got kicked out of them for being too rowdy and never paying his tab. "Don't pay attention to them. They're just having fun. So how's your beef stew?"
"It's… different…" She answered. "But in a good way. They have nothing like this in the castle."
"Of course not. Only Yuri knows how to make this. It's this place special recipe. But you should try the curry. Oh and don't forget the fried chicken. It's fabulous! And don't even get me started on the spareribs."
"Hang on. There's only so much I can take in."
"Well get your fill. It's not every day I get to order this much."
"I think you may have ordered a bit too much." Ridley countered. "But… this is… nice. Though I'm going to have to get used to eating with just one spoon."
"Hehehe. Now that's the spirit. And maybe next time we can bring the Captain here. It'll be the three of us having a feast of a lifetime."
"That… wouldn't be such a bad thing. I'm sure he'd love it here." Ridley continued before suddenly getting a little… shy. "Hey Jack… are you… alright?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I mean… your arm. Does it still hurt?"
The boy pointed at his cast. "What? This thing? It's fine. The doc already told me it'll recover in a few days. It's not like I get to be scratched by a Blood Orc every day."
"True… but still… you wouldn't have gotten it if I had been more careful. It's my fault that…"
"Are you still going on about that?" Jack interjected sounding annoyed. "Listen. It's not your fault that I got cut. I did this to myself. Besides, compared to what might've happened… this… this is nothing." The girl noted his choice of words but decided to ignore it. "Hey… and let's not forget, it's because of this we were able to skip all that knightly duties. So considering what we got out of it, a few days of hurt is a bargain."
"You really know how to be optimistic, Jack."
"Yeah. My sister did always say that I was kind of a glass-half-full guy. I try to look at the better part of things, you know?"
"Yeah… I can see that now." Ridley submitted before she reached out for the last chicken on the plate. But to her surprise Jack made the same attempt. "Oh…?"
"Oh you can have it." Jack offered.
"No, by all means. You have it. You're the one paying after all."
"No no. You're my guest and I say you have it."
"I couldn't. I can have something else. Please go ahead."
"Oh no. Ladies first."
Short version. Neither of them had the chicken.
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After a few hours, the soon to be knights exited the Eatery looking plenty full. Jack in particular looked like he gained a few pounds. "Oh boy… I don't feel so good. I think it might've been something I ate."
"Which one? The ribs or the curry?" Ridley inquired looking a little pale herself. "Ugh… maybe I shouldn't have ordered a second serving of stew."
"Heh… I told you it was awesome. Hmmph! Oh… that's not good. I feel like my insides are about to go outside."
"Please don't say it like that. It makes me feel nauseous." The girl held her mouth in to stop herself from puking. "I don't know what's coming out. The stew or the mushroom soup."
"Are you two… gonna be ok?" Yuri, the owner of the Eatery looked at them worryingly.
But Jacked nodded it off. "We're good. This is nothing compared to what my sister gave me on the Harvest Festival. Ohh…!"
"Let's head back." Ridley suggested which the boy seemed to agree. "If my father finds out I'm out this late, he'll be furious."
"You worried about your old man?"
She shook her head in reply. "No. It's just that I wonder what he'll think if he sees a young lady prowling the city at night. Come on. I'll talk to the guards."
But just as the two knights to be were about to head off back to the castle, a sudden tantrum alerted them in the establishment next door. "What was that?"
They quickly moved out only to find a familiar man being thrown out of the bar. Jack almost immediately recognized him as his friend, Jarvis, the drunk. "What do you think you're doing!? Do you know who I am!?"
The bartender who threw him out didn't seem to care. "I don't want to hear it, Jarvis! Unlike that girl inside, you don't have the dough to pay for all the drinks you used up. I'm not letting you back in until you've paid your tab, you hear?"
"Shove it!" The man threw a fit like a child on the street. And without even waiting, the bartender returned to his bar, tending to the paying patrons inside.
"Oh boy…" Jack felt bad for the guy. Normally he wouldn't pay any second thought to a drunk but knowing the guy actually made him feel bad for ditching him. "Man… I feel sorry that old wino already." He turned to his partner. "Hey Ridley. Mind going on ahead of me? (What?) I'm gonna bring this guy back to his place."
"Wait. You know that man?"
"What? No. It's just that he looks like a warrior so maybe I thought someone in the Warriors Guild could recognize him. (But…) Don't worry. I'll just haul him over and be back before you know it. Just tell the guards to keep the door open for me, will you?"
Ridley opted to protest but decided to leave it. "Alright. I'll tell them you're out doing something for the brigade. That should buy you some time."
"Thanks a bunch." As the girl went out of sight, Jack turned his attention back to the snoozing fellow on the floor. "Ha… it feels like forever since we last met, old man. You haven't changed a bit. Now… come on. Let's get you back to the guild. Wouldn't want you catching a cold out here." Even with his wounded arm, Jack was able to lift the man up, carrying his entire weight on his shoulder. It wouldn't be the first time he brought him back from a bar, smelling like a keg of beer. "Alright. Up you go you old wino. Ha… you know. One of these days you're gonna thank me for doing this so many times."
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The Warriors Guild.
The place was exactly as Jack remembered it. The sweat in the air, the sword marks on the wall, the blood splatter by the door, and Thanos at his table. Jack wanted to cry but he saved those tears. Thinking back on the days of the war, he recalled having to fight his comrade in arms. Each of them a dear friend turned foe because he chose to follow the love of his life.
It made him wonder if he could take it back. All those things he did to everyone.
"Who the hell are you?" The man on the desk asked, breaking his train of thoughts. "And what are you ca… Jarvis?"
"Sorry. But I got someone here for you." Jack said plainly as he pulled that old drunk through. He expected to see some familiar faces around here but considered how late it was, it was only natural they would be asleep by now. Normally it would be Thanos who would take the last shift around here.
"Oh… him again." Thanos sighed knowing well what it meant when someone dragged one of his employees reeking of alcohol. "Let me guess. Giske threw him out again?"
"Well… yeah." Jack feigned ignorance. "I didn't want him to catch a cold so I thought I'd bring him here."
The desk clerk placed his hand on his waist shaking his head, disappointed but at the same time grateful for the boy's actions. "Don't worry. It wouldn't be the first time he's been drunk like this. Just bring him over to the restroom. It's that room on the back."
"Sure… thing." Jack struggled to pull the man up bringing him to the sink to wash his face. "Come on Jarvis. I can't bring you to your room if you…"
"Huh? What? Who… the heck are you kid?" Jarvis was able to wake momentarily before falling asleep again. "Oh… this is home. Night."
"No! Hey wake up!"
"Forget it kid. When Jarvis is down, he's down for the night." Thanos explained pulling the old warrior aside. "Just leave him there. The restroom is a lot warmer than outside. He'll wake up good as new."
"Yeah, I know. The drunks always seem to feel better or worse in the morning."
"Haha. An't that true. Well anyway. You did good bringing him here. Most folks would've just left him to rot in the gutter somewhere. Here… take this. It's not much but it'll at least compensate you for bringing this guy in." Thanos produced some Dagols from his pocket offering it as a reward. "He's not a bad guy… he just can't seem to get a hold of his drink."
"Tell me about it. He can't get past that fifth glass no matter how hard he tries."
"Ha! It seems like you know his style? What are you two? Old acquaintances?"
"Something like that." Jack muttered. "Anyway, please make sure he stays sober. I gotta run."
"Well, don't let me keep you."
But just before Jack went off, he quickly recalled his old home under the old bridge. It was his old place. A place where he stayed when he was a member of the Warriors Guild. Back then, nobody would've even known the place existed. But after Jack became one of the most famous warriors in the guild, it became one of the go-to addresses when someone needed something killed or found.
"Hey Thanos…" The boy motioned to the clerk. "Does the guild still own the place by the bridge? (The what?) That room under the bridge. Is it for sale?"
"Oh you mean that old storage room?" Thanos recalled. "Well… no one's using it right now, if that's what you mean. I was saving it for a new recruit but it seems like no one has the guts to join up."
"No new recruits?" Jack thought. "Oh right. Today was supposed to be the day I joined up. But since the brigade wasn't disbanded neither the Captain nor myself signed up."
"So… it's not being used?"
"No. We just throw in stuff we don't really know where to put. Why'd you ask?"
The boy rubbed his face embarrassingly. "Well, it's kind of a weird thing to ask, but would you mind giving it to me?"
"Ha?" The clerk recoiled in shock. "Why in the world would you want that old dump, kid? You homeless or something?"
He waved his hands defensively. "No. Nothing like that. It's just that… I thought I'd get a place for myself. You know… somewhere to crash when I'm out. Staying in the castle all day can be pretty boring."
"The castle?" Thanos raised a brow and quickly recognizing the boy. "Wait. Now I recognize you. You're one of the knight trainees that just got admitted a few days back. You're… Jack… right?"
"Yup. That's me."
"Huh? Well I don't know why you would want that dumpster for yourself, but I suppose it's better than leaving it empty. I can rent it out for… oh… I don't know, a thousand a week."
"A thousand!?" Jack flinched back at the price. "Oh come on. You can't be serious about selling off that place at that price. That's outright robbery!"
"Hey, a Guild needs a way to generate money. But if you don't want it."
"No way I'm paying a thousand for that place. The best I can do is 500."
"Five? Damn… you're a tough seller, kid." The desk clerk groaned. "Fine. 750. That's the lowest I'm willing to go. Take it or leave it."
"Man… maybe I shouldn't have spent all that money on food." Jack whined to himself but decided to go for it. A few Dagols was a fair exchange for his old home. "Fine. Here's the pay for the first two weeks. I'll come back later."
"Nice doing business with you kid."
(Radiata Castle)
"Stupid Thanos. Selling me my stupid old place for a stupid price. If I knew I had to pay that much, I wouldn't have bought it in the first place. Sheesh." The boy mumbled his way back to the palace. The night was getting pretty cold and the magic lanterns that filled the city were turning on. Jack wondered if he may have stayed out a little too long as the castle doors were already shut. "Oh man. It's this late already? Hope Ridley told the guards to wait for me."
He made his way to the castle grounds expecting to find someone there who would let him in but much to his surprise, Ridley was there, by the outer railing, looking slightly frustrated. She seemed to have been walking back and forth, darting at the clock nearby judging the time. Like a worried daughter waiting for her parents to come home.
"Jack!" She noticed him immediately the moment he came through the road. "Thank goodness you made it."
"Ridley?" The boy looked slightly surprised. "Were you waiting for me this whole time?"
"Well… yes! I mean… no. Well… maybe a little bit." She stuttered slightly, a blush forming around her face. "Anyway, did everything work out? You didn't get in trouble, did you?"
"Trouble? I don't really see how much trouble I can get by helping an old wino back home."
"Yes… but I heard that the Warriors Guild is filled with some rather shady individuals." Shady? Jack wanted to burst out laughing. Ridley wasn't wrong. That place was full of people who looked like they could be murderers, cutthroats and serial killers. His first impression of those fellows there was probably the same. Most of the warriors in that place hardly even looked like warriors too. But because he used to be one of them, Jack's opinion changed over time.
"Don't sweat it." The boy waved her worries away. "Those people might look like that but they're hardworking honest folk."
"You sound like you know them."
"Well… maybe a few of them." More like all of them. "But believe me. They're good people. I can vouch for them."
"If you say so." She tilted her head sounding unconvinced. "Anyway, let's hurry on back. I already told the gate guard that you were busy running an errand. Oh… and Jack. (Hmm?) Thanks… for today. I got to try a lot of things I've never even heard of before. It was… pretty fun going out."
"Ha! Told you so. So what was it? Was it the stew, the soup or the chowder?"
"Please don't mention the food." She held her stomach sickly. "I'm still feeling lousy from the meal."
"Well that's the fun part of it." Jack added. "You eat till your heart's content. Literally."
"I'd rather have just the right amount than to have my stomach bursting out of my mouth."
"Cool. I'd totally pay to see that!" The boy joked much to her annoyance. "Ahahaha!"
"Oh hush."
(Dark Elf village) (Audience chamber)
Lord Nogueria let out a sigh as he returned to his throne. After dealing with today's duties, he felt exhausted to the point that he could just sleep in his room. He told his guards that he would retire for the night and made sure that the magic candles around him were dimmed enough for him to sleep over.
But before he could reach his bed, he noted a knock on his door. "Who is it?"
"Lord Nogueria. Sorry for the interruption. It's me…"
"Oh? Clarence? Come in." A Dark Elf entered kneeling before the Elf Lord. "Report…"
"Yes sir. Our guards have scoured every inch of the forest and have found no trace of any other orcs. We've scoured also the Wind Valley and the southern part of the Nowem Region but found no areas of any new entrances. However…"
"However?" Nogueria raised a curios brow.
"We discovered something near the meadow at the southeast entrance. Two iron cages and one empty carriage."
"Cages?"
"Yes sir. They were… big… large cages fit enough to put orcs inside."
The Elf Lord's eyes sharpened. "So you assume that the Blood Orcs' appearance here in the north has something to do with it?"
"Yes sir. I think that whoever brought them up here may have tried to hide the evidence. But because their cart broke down, they had to abandon their equipment. We also found tracks… human tracks… sir."
"I see." Nogueria nodded sounding pleased with this information. "That would explain much. Tell the guards to double security for the next few days just in case. If the timing is correct, we should be expecting visitors sometime soon."
"Yes sir." As Clarence left the room, Nogueria could not help but feel somewhat insecure to the future.
"I can only pray that war will not be the answer."
(Rose Cochon Brigade meeting room) (The next morning)
It was a new day in Radiata Castle. Jack was at the meeting room after he was summoned by Al this morning. Today was his first official day as a real knight of Radiata. He gladly tossed his trainee robes and traded them in for a pair of Valor Armor which made him look quite striking. Knights of the order were identified by color. Most times, the pink would be the standard crest for all knights but for more renowned brigades, the captain can change them to his liking so that they may easily be discerned amongst the crowd of knights and be distinguishable among their peers. For the Rose Cochon, Captain Ganz ordered them to be painted blue.
Jack didn't mind. Though he had to admit that the armor he was given was ten times more protective than that trainee shirt. During the war, he had to wear armor that was probably about the weight as himself. He got used to the iron pads and metallic smell but protection seems to beat comfort any day. The guy in the armory recommended he tried the helmet but the boy rejected it saying that it made him look like those nutcrackers by the toy store.
Still… he never thought that he'd actually get to wear something like this. Not as comfy as the time he was in Theater Vancoor but it certainly didn't look bad on him either.
"Admiring yourself in the mirror?" The boy was caught off guard by Ridley's voice.
"Ridley? Hey… I was just umm…" Jack stuttered trying to find an excuse to his constant posing but failed. "I was well… oh?" It wasn't until later did the boy realize that Ridley had also changed from her trainee vest. It seems that her family spared no expense in making her armor both protective and fashionable. It bore the same color as Jack but with the emblem of the Rose Cochon on her left and the crest of the Silverlake family on her right shoulder. She was even provided a silk laden cape which dangled beautifully behind her. "Wow…"
"Wh… what is it?" The girl grew a slight blush trying to discern what she had done wrong. She tried fixing her hair, her shoulder pads but nothing seemed to be off. "Do I look… weird?"
"What? No! Not at all." Jack also returned the same blush. The armor she wore was so striking that it actually reminded her of back then during their date at the Ressan Tree. "It looks… great. It looks great on you. (Oh… thanks) It looks… different from the others."
"My father had this made for me." She explained with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I think he's just trying to win me back with these small gifts. But… the quality is remarkable."
"Well that's one way to get back on my good side. You look great… Ridley."
"Thanks… you too."
"Really? Cuz it kinda feels like the armor is nibbling at my butt. The guy downstairs said that it'll grow with me or something."
"I'll have to see that for myself." The girl let out a childish chuckle making him blush even redder than a tomato. "Where's the Captain?"
"Dunno. I thought he'd be here first. He was the one who called for us."
"Huh? That's odd. It's not like the Captain to be late." And just like she called it, Ganz stormed into the room, panting like a dead beat lion. "Captain?"
"Sorry for being late everyone. Let's get on with the meeting!" He ordered gathering his breath. The two former trainees quickly got to their seats and listened in for their next assignment. "Now I'm sure all of you are exciting about your promotions. It's good that you are in your armor because as of now, the Rose Cochon Brigade will be undertaking more assignments from here on."
"Bring it on. Ridley and I can take it." Jack threw in his enthusiasm which Ganz was supportive of.
"That's the attitude, Jack. But I'm afraid our brigade doesn't have an assignment today. (Huh?) I called for this meeting to show you what's expected of you as Knights of the kingdom." The blue ball explained producing a small document in hand. "Though you will of course, follow the mission issued to our brigade, any individual knights may also take up independent assignments from the work board at the office upstairs. Most people with problems or tasks that require some talent are often posted there. They range from monster extermination, escort, patrols or simply finding a lost cat."
"Tasks? You mean like… jobs like the guilds do?" Jack inquired.
"Correct Jack. Most of the time, people can't really afford the services of the other guilds so they file a task to us. These tasks not only bring our order prestige but it also ensures that the people are getting their taxes worth."
"So you want us to go do some of these assignments when we have the time." Ridley concluded which again, Ganz confirmed.
"Precisely. Not only do you help people out, but you also earn a little pay for every completed task. Not to mention it would be a great way to hone your skills in combat."
"Alright. I'd like to see what kind of jobs they have for knights like us."
"That will be all for today. There will be no new assignments for the next week so use this time at your leisure. I'll have more news for you by then. Dismissed. (Sir!) Oh… and one more thing." Ganz quickly fiddled in his pocket producing strange small pieces of paper in hand. "Um… while you two are out doing some task… perhaps… maybe you can deliver this?"
The two knights grabbed one and noted the small print on those papers.
'The Rose Cochon Brigade' Knights of the Empire… serveyice."
It felt like someone made that typo at the end on purpose.
"What's this?" Jack inquired feeling somewhat familiar with this object.
"Business cards of course!" Ganz answered proudly. "I asked a colleague of mine to make them. He said that if I want my brigade to be renowned, I have to start getting the name out there!"
"You're kidding." Ridley wanted to say but kept it to herself.
"Imagine it. People hailing us as we walked down the streets. Our names in big signs! Oh the glory! Now now, off you go you two. Times a wasting."
After the Captain shooed them out of the room, Jack and Ridley couldn't help but stare at one another looking like they were just being asked to do something ridiculous. It seemed more like a con rather than an order.
"Well… that was bizaaro." Ridley agreed to his words almost entirely. "So… you wanna go and check out the mission board?"
"The Captain did say we have the whole week to ourselves." She stated plainly. "We can at least do something productive. But are you sure you want to? (Huh?) That arm of yours hasn't recovered yet. Don't you think you should wait for it to heal?"
But the boy simply pumped his good arm in the air with a bright confident smile on his face. "No sweat. I just need one good arm to swing my sword. (Really?) Really. Now come on. I'm dying to see what they got for us."
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The office at the ground floor of the castle was as busy as a bees' nest. Clerks and scribes of all age were working tirelessly, categorizing, organizing and everything else these people do for their bread and butter.
As they approached one of the tables, the clerk's face immediately brightened at the sight of Ridley. "Ah! Lady Ridley. Welcome. Please forgive our mess. It's been a very busy morning. Allow me to congratulate you of your promotion to knighthood." He quickly began dusting his table, removing all the assorted papers from sight.
"Oh… uh… thank you." She replied embarrassingly. Jack wanted to say that he too was promoted but the guy totally ignored him. "We're here to find some tasks to do. Would you mind pointing us in the right direction?"
Again the old man beamed. "Ah. Barely out of your training days and already working for the betterment of the kingdom. You are truly a knight that all should aspire to be."
"Hey, I'm here too you know?" Jack added only to be phased out by the clerk.
"Anyway, if its assignments you're looking for, you've come to the right table. Ah… but where are my manners. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Epoch, head clerk here of the employed office of public affairs. I handle day-to-day meetings with public figures and file them to the proper authorities. My other duty is also handling knight's independent assignments. As you can see, we're swamped full of them."
"Whoa… are all of these papers, assignments?" Jack inquired to which the man finally answered.
"About 90% of them are mostly just garbage. Things that the people do not do for themselves." He explained. "We spend the morning sorting through them and those that have important value are to be given to knights who desire them. Lord Larks handles official missions for knights but he doesn't have time to see through all of them."
"I see." Ridley nodded absorbing the new information in mind. "So these are pretty much just things that may benefit the whole land and its people."
"Exactly. Your wisdom is beyond your years, Lady Ridley."
"Are there any assignments you recommend?"
"I might have one somewhere in this mess." Epoch quickly shifted through his papers and quickly noticing one that stood out. "Aha! This one shouldn't be too difficult. It is a request from Lady Anastasia of the Olacion Order."
"Anastasia?" Jack quickly recalled the large, unnaturally wealthy lady in the cathedral, which unfortunately knew. Despite her somewhat greedy personality, she was a decent merchant and knew how to buy and sell at a remarkable rate. If she wasn't part of the religious order, people might say that she was a crook in disguise. "You mean that big-lipped lady? Has shiny teeth, and cranky most of the time?"
"Mind your manners, young man!" Epoch scolded him sternly. "Lady Anastasia has been a great supporter of the kingdom and his majesty. Why, she is personally responsible for holding dozens of charity events here in the castle herself."
Charity? More like robbery…
"So what does Lady Anastasia want?" Ridley returned to the subject at hand.
Epoch quickly got back to his manners and explained. "Ah of course. Lady Anastasia has made a request for a large shipment of Crocogator hides for an upcoming event these next few days."
"Crocogator hide?" Jack's memories started to stir. "Wait… didn't I…"
"You mean for the upcoming fashion fiesta?" Ridley interrupted earning another beaming smile from Epoch.
"Yes precisely. She plans to unveil her latest trend to the city. Crocogator bags, pelts, boots. My wife in particular is extremely fond of fashionable items made of the same material."
"I… see…"
"I'm certain that if you get some for her, she would be most delightful. It would certainly net you a good standing with the Olacion Order as well."
"She didn't really look enthusiastic to me when I gave her mine." Jack muttered silently on his side.
Ridley skimmed through the order and immediately saw the government seal on the bottom. Already she began to understand the role of the knights. The missions they were assigned weren't assisting the people but rather… a political move. Her years living among the nobility have caused this paranoia in her which prompted to make her see what these little documents meant.
90% were garbage. The other 10% were probably from those big wigs up top. It made her groan how much they use resources for such trivial things. Still… she can't deny the fact that helping Anastasia Ryan would improve her family's standing.
"Alright. I'll take it." She replied finally.
"Excellent! I'll mark this one out of my board so you don't have to worry about competition my lady."
"Hey that's great." Jack cheered. "So do you have any assignments for me?"
The old clerk turned to the boy and simply gave me a lazy eyed stare. "Listen boy. If you actually wish to make yourself useful than being a talking parrot all day, perhaps I could find you a job as a dish washer. Yes… that might actually be suited for you."
"Excuse me." Ridley interjected finally having enough of the geezer's rude attitude. Jack might not be of nobility but he certainly didn't deserve that treatment. Her tone changed almost violently so. "You are addressing to a knight belonging to the Rose Cochon Brigade. MY Brigade. So please be wary to show the same manners, Master Epoch."
The old man visibly flinched at her tone and quickly apologized. "My… my apologies Master Jack. But I'm afraid we do not have many assignments today. We're fresh out, so to speak."
"That's fine." Ridley turned away. "Come on Jack. Let's go. (Huh?) You're coming with me to get some Crocogator hide."
"Huh? I am? But isn't it an independent assignment?"
"There's no rule saying that one knight has to take it alone. Come on."
(On the road to Fort Halencia)
"Hey Ridley…" Jack called out while they were on the road. "I've been meaning to ask."
"What is it?"
"How can you tell a good Crocogator skin from a bad one?" It was something he wanted to know ever since he saw Jarvis the other night. He recalled, last time he did this job Anastasia didn't seem too keen on paying them any more than 50. And considering the standard wage of a Warrior of Theater Vancoor, that was almost outright robbery. Their travel expenses alone couldn't cover that. "I mean… how do you make a difference?"
"Oh that? Well… I'm not really sure myself." She admitted. "But I do remember one of my aunts back home saying something about the color. (Color?) Yeah. She said that the darker the hide, the better the quality or something like that. It seems that Dark Crocogators are the rarest of the breed."
"Dark ones?"
"Yeah. That's how you differentiate between a male and female." She explained. "The male have darker, tougher hides than the female which are soft and easy to tear. I learned most of this in class back when I was a kid."
"What kind of lessons were those?"
"Biology." She answered. "It wasn't always good. The teachers there made us dissect a frog once."
The boy instantly beamed. "Cool! No way. You get to cut up a frog!? How awesome is that?"
"Awesome? We cut open a living, defenseless animal." Ridley countered back. "Four of my classmates got sick because of it. I don't see what's so 'cool' about that."
"But still, you get to cut it open. How did it look? Was it yucky? Messy? Disgusting?"
"Um… all of the above, I suppose. But why? Have you seen a Crocogator before?"
"Well yeah. I guess you could say that." The boy had his fair share of those monsters. Every time he left the City of Flowers, he had to fight at least one or two just to get some fresh air. "Still… what I wouldn't do to cut open a frog. That sounds like fun."
"Ugh… please don't."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It didn't take long for the two to get passed Fort Halencia. Thanks to the title of knights that they were bestowed with and Ridley's renowned reputation, the guards quickly identified them and allowed them passage through the fort. Back then, Jack and Jarvis had to cross the whole region just to get there and back. The shortcut dealt that time in half.
Eventually the two of them came upon the swamp that was riddled with Crocogators and other monsters. With their abilities, they isolated one of the smaller beasts and slew it before it could cry for aid.
"Well, that was easy enough." Jack stated, a little disappointed that the beast was so easy to kill. Even with his wounded arm he was still able to kill the beast with almost relative ease. "I guess we got one of the females. It was kind of squishy. Not that I can tell the difference."
"No you're right." Ridley replied. "It's one of the females. Its hide is too light to be a male."
"Wanna try our luck on another one?"
"No. We'll probably just end up riling up the whole pack. Let's take this back with us to the Cathedral and we can call the mission complete."
But just as they were about to cut the beast's hide, a sudden plea for help alerted them to danger.
"HELP! Someone please! Help me!"
"What the?" Ridley pulled out her Glory Axe and readied herself for battle.
"Someone! Anyone! Help a man in need over here!"
"Someone's in trouble!" Ridley immediately ran after the source with Jack following not far behind. The cry came from deep within the swamp almost close to the Crocogator's nest. But when they arrived, they were surprised to find a very familiar warrior screaming atop a tree branch.
"Help! Don't let a man die a useless death!"
"Jarvis?" Jack identified him almost immediately. "Jarvis is that you!?"
The man turned to his supposed saviors and shouted back. "Yeah! That's my name! Help me out here!"
"What in the world are you doing up there?"
"I'm practicing for an opera tournament! What do you think I'm doing!? I'm trapped!?"
"How in the world did you get up there?"
"I climbed, how else? Do you think I brought a ladder all the way from the city just so I can get stuck up here!?" He retorted, clearly deranged.
"Well… why don't you come down then?"
"I'd love to if that thing didn't keep hounding me every ten seconds!"
Thing?
The moment Jack looked at where the sergeant was pointing, a large father of all Crocogator unveiled itself from the water, snapping its jaws at them. The beast was twice if not thrice larger than those they've seen.
"Uh… Ridley. I think we found a male…!"
"No kidding. Get ready. Here it comes!"
The fight was on.
The Crocogator was not just large but it was also fast. It moved with such ferocity that can only be compared to a Smilodon. Its razor sharp teeth snapped at the two knights, breaking their formation down to the center. They each dodged on separate sides, leaving them near defenseless.
The Black Crocogator turned back and continued to snap at them, it focused its attention to Ridley who hid behind a fallen tree trunk. Only that tree trunk was snapped in two by its jaws.
"Ridley! Run!" Jack warned and charged right behind, only to come short when the beast swung its spiky tail at him. "Whoa! That was too close? Huh?" With his quick eyes, the boy noted a blade stuck at the back of the Black monster. "What the? Hey Jarvis, isn't that your weapon?"
"Yeah." The man stuck on the tree admitted. "I… kinda poked it when I snuck up on its nap. I tried to get it back but the darn monster won't let me near him."
"Man… no wonder it's pissed. I'd be angry too if someone stabbed me in the back while I was sleeping."
"Oh quit your yapping and kill that thing already!"
Ridley was doing a terrific job fighting the beast. Despite the appearance of her armor, she was still able to move with great agility, dodging the Croc's jaws and avoiding its tail, all the while countering with near precise blows on its body. She landed several key strikes on the Croc's head sending it reeling backward before she gracefully landed on the ground bowing as if welcoming a patron to the dance floor.
The beast took the bait and resumed its charge thrashing at everything that got in its way. It turned trees into mush and splashed water wildly like it was trying to use an AOE attack. The ground shook and the leaves on the trees flew wildly under its mighty roar.
"Oh no you don't!" Jack followed up with a piercing strike on top of the Croc's head. He expected any monster to suffer serious damage from a strike to the head. But instead the monster simply threw him off like a rag doll. "Whoa!" The boy landed on the shallow water near Ridley's position. "Boy this is a tough one. What's the plan here?"
"I don't know. Its hide is too thick for us to cut through. It's like trying to cut through metal. Maybe if we land a concentrated strike on its body."
"Sounds like a plan. Counterstrike?"
"Counterstrike!" She agreed.
The Croc finally had enough and leaped onto the two knights hoping to separate them again. But once it landed, Ridley delivered three consecutive blows on the monster's head, stunning it for a moment before Jack dealt the finishing strike again at the same spot. Only… the beast didn't look like it felt much.
"Damn! No good either?" Jack withdrew back to his partner's position. "It feels like hitting rocks. Only the rocks are titanium or something. Any other ideas?"
"Don't look at me. I already gave it my best shot."
"Hey lovebirds!" Jarvis called out to them. "Don't go for the hide! You have to flip it under! (Huh?) The skin on the top is too strong for you! You have to flip it over and hit the soft skin underneath! That's the way to kill it!"
"Soft underbelly, huh?" Jack turned to his partner with a smart grin. "Looks like we'll have to flip it over."
"Leave it to me." Ridley volunteered readying her axe. "Just make sure you don't miss."
"Alright. Flip the pancake for me!" Jack immediately withdrew, getting to his position. Ridley took a guard stance, taunting the beast to take her head on. Like before, it fell for the bait and leaped in like a mouse grabbing for the cheese.
"Huaaaaa!" With spinning grace that can only be taught by a dancer of elegance, Ridley spun away from the beast's landing zone and again with quick moves, lashed out on its left limbs making it squeal and scream. The Black Crocogator lifted its wounded paws and with one good push, it was on its stomach, its soft underbelly laid bare. "It's all yours Jack!"
WHAM!
Jack came down on it like he did the Blood Orc stabbing it right on the chest, feeling his blade sink into the body.
The Croc went into a seizure and wiggled its body around and around spinning Jack like a chew toy before finally stopping, literally dead on its tracks.
"Is it… dead?" The boy muttered hoping that they were done with the deed. He didn't think he could go on fighting that monster in his condition, any longer.
Ridley poked the sharp end of her axe at it before confirming. "I think so. It doesn't seem to be moving."
"Jumping jack fiasco. That was a close one." Jarvis stated with great relief as he saw the two slay the beast. Once he was certain that it was safe he gladly slid down the giant tree to greet them. If there weren't any people around he probably would've been kissing the ground. "Great job taking on that Crocodor. I was beginning to think it would eat you two and have me for desert."
"Well it would've had you for sure if we didn't show." Jack added earning a snotty look from his former sergeant.
"Hey. Just so you know, you two would've been dining inside that monster's mouth if I hadn't given you that advice."
"We were doing fine on our own."
"But that Crocogator was pretty big." Ridley joined in the conversation. "If you knew it was trouble, why did you go the trouble of attacking it alone?"
The old warrior rubbed his head in embarrassment. "Well… to be honest I didn't exactly think that the monster would be that tough. It looked just like any other Crocogator here. Just my luck I seemed to have struck the Alpha of the pack. (Alpha?) The leading male of the pack. Keep up son."
"So you went on and stab its butt while it was sleeping? Nice strategy." Jack mocked with his usual cocky grin which only seemed to make the sergeant grunt in frustration.
"Hey! It's called a surprise attack. Look it up in the dictionary and you might actually learn something. Besides… I wasn't supposed to be alone today. This was supposed to be a squad assignment but that good for nothing second-in-command of mine ran off saying that he didn't want any part of the mission."
Daniel! Of course!
Jack's mind jolted back to this mission. His teammate Daniel, the small round guy with the axe didn't come because of his love for animals. He wanted to laugh out loud in remembrance but thought to keep it to himself. After all, the other two will probably think he was crazy.
"Well… either way, it was a good thing we were around." Ridley added turning towards the dead Black Crocogator. "Now what are we going to do with this? There's too much hide for us to carry. It'll take us all day just to cut it all."
"You think will be good enough?" The old mercenary asked. "I'll be damned if I can tell the difference between them."
"Well, not time like the present. Come on Sarge. Let's get to cutting."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It took them a while to finally get the hide they needed. The beast's body was so huge and so strong that even while it was dead it still proved to be a nuisance. With the Alpha gone, the other Crocogators avoided the intruders like they were the plague and allowed them through without as much as a fight.
By sunset, they were done and on their way back to the city.
"Ugh… I want to get this over with and go for a drink."
"You ALWAYS want a drink, Jarvis." Jack retorted to his former Sergeant.
"Oh shut it shrimp." Jarvis countered back. "How the heck do you even know my name? I don't remembering seeing you two before."
"I was the guy who brought you back to the Theater Vancoor last night." Jack mentioned excusing himself. "Thanos pretty much told me all about you and your Hecton Squad. You guys are pretty popular."
"We are? Ahem! I mean… of course we are! We're one of the best squads in the guild. That reminds me, I never really got your names. What are you, Olacion Order?"
"I'm Ridley, this here is Jack, my partner. We're knights of Radiata." Ridley answered displaying her crest proudly, a tad bit annoyed that someone would mistake them as preachers and martial artists. "Members of the Rose Cochon Brigade. We were following an assignment of our own volition until we heard you screaming. It seems quite foolhardy to take on a monster of that magnitude alone."
"I told you! I wasn't supposed to be alone!" Jarvis repeated like a parrot. "I have a squad with me."
"And yet, you came alone. Some commander you turned out to be."
"Ouch. You tell him, Ridley." Jack laughed off which Jarvis simply sighed.
"Ha… whatever. Let's just get this to Anastasia."
(Olacion Cathedral)
The Cathedral…
Jack wouldn't say that he was a pious person but he had to admit that the architect who built this place had excellent taste. The stone marble and stained window reflected the inside of the cathedral, marvelously. Even the chandelier at the top of the main hall illuminated the whole building at night. Jack visited this place plenty of times and none of them was to attend the mass held here twice a week.
But despite its modest and religious appearance, the Cathedral was merely a front for two warring factions inside. On one stood the proud order of the fists, as Jack liked to call them. This group was headed by Fernando, a man who Jack knew as the guy who practiced martial arts atop his house.
The second faction was of the more materialistic order which profited greatly through their trade of medicine and other fashionable goods. People would likely say that this faction, headed by Anastasia Ryan, was the merchant guild of its own.
As Jack and his party came to the doors of Anastasia, a familiar face came to greet them.
"Hey Elena." Jack recalled her almost immediately forgetting his place and TIME!
"And you are?" She asked bluntly as Jack remembered. Unfortunately, they had the good nature to be friends after that little incident with her little brother, Nalshay.
"I'm Jarvis from the Hecton Squad of Theater Vancoor." Jarvis introduced himself first. "We're here about the Crocogator hide."
"And I'm Ridley Silverlake of the Rose Cochon Brigade. We're here for the same reason."
The name immediately sparked the girl's brains changing her tune almost like a bard twisting the strings of his/her harp. "Oh! Lady Ridley. Forgive me. I didn't realize it was you. Please pardon my lady but she has retired for the night. However, I will be more than willing to pass along any item you wish."
"Is that so?" Ridley muttered. "Well I suppose we can just give a small piece for now and return later in the morning."
"Yes. That would be best." Elena gladly accepted the small parchment of hide and bowed lowly to her. "Thank you again for your time and please accept my humblest apologies for your troubles."
With another bow, the troupe left feeling slightly dissatisfied with the result.
"Well… that was a waste of time. And we didn't even get paid for it." Jack mumbled which his former sergeant agreed almost entirely.
"Tell me about it. How the heck is a warrior supposed to get a drink around here if he doesn't even get his earnings? If this goes on, I won't even be able to pay my tab."
"Perhaps you can go sober for the night." Ridley suggested.
Almost immediately the veteran declined. "Are you mad!? Me going dry? That's like a field of flower without the rain! I need my daily dose of water to bloom."
"You have a strange way of putting up metaphors."
"Heh I'll say." Jack laughed. "You should hear more of his other rants when he's drunk. (Shut it shrimp!) Haha! Maybe if you asked Yuri nicely, she might give you a mug or two."
"You think so?" Jarvis asked sounding hopeful. "Maybe if I put on my manly charms, I might get her to open a barrel for me."
"Manly charms? Really?"
"No one asked you, shrimp!"
"Jack, that's enough." Ridley ceased their squabbling. "Let's consider the mission complete and return to the castle. They'll be closing the gate soon."
"Huh? Oh… sure. Oh… but before that. Hey, take this." Jack quickly handed the old man one of the business cards his Captain gave him.
"What's this?"
"It's a business card." The boy explained. "The Captain said something about getting our name out there or something. If you need help, the Rose Cochon Brigade will be there for you!" Ridley could only face palm herself unable to believe that her partner would actually take that order seriously.
Jarvis too seemed equally puzzled. "Huh… I guess I can hold onto it. But I don't see how—"
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" A loud voice boomed across the cathedral nearly piercing their eardrums. "COME. BACK. HERE!" It was the voice of Anastasia who was running towards them with almost inhumane speed.
"BWAHH!" Poor Jarvis barely had the chance to duck when the lady smashed onto him like a rhino meeting its mark. The impact sent him flying across the room falling flat like a metal coffin in the air. "Ow…"
"YOU!" Anastasia snarled at the young knights in front of her.
"Wha?! It wasn't me! I didn't do it, I swear!" Jack reeled back, almost shocked that his once friend, Anastasia could look so frightening.
"Where. Did. You. Get. This?" She asked… or to be more precise, demanded, holding the small parchment of Crocogator hide.
"You mean the hide?" Ridley inquired looking rather calm though inwardly, she was also equally frightened by the large lady's in-dominate presence. "We got it from the swamp in the north, where most Crocogators live."
"These Crocogator hides are…" The 'priestess' muttered chuckling under her breath. "These hides are… phenomenal! They're perfect! Absolutely perfect for my new line of masterpieces! Look at that sturdiness, the glancing lines, the way it bends yet still hard enough to cut butter with!"
"Wait… so does that mean they're… good?" Jack wondered earning a shrug from his partner.
"Good is hardly the word for it my dear boy." Anastasia giggled like a school girl who just got her candy. "These hides are one of a kind. They're ten times better than anything these… hunters… have provided me. Please… tell me. Are there more?"
"Huh? Well… yeah… we do." Jack quickly produced three more parchment from his back which the huge lady gleefully cheered. "I'm guessing that's a good thing?"
"Elena!" The priestess called out grabbing her servant's attention.
"Y… yes Lady Anastasia? How may I aid you?"
"Call my leatherworkers immediately! I have the material to change in my centerpiece!"
"Yes, of course my lady. Right away my lady."
"And as for you two…" Anastasia returned her attention to the two knights noticing their armor details. "Ah… so you must be the ones who took my request. Allow me to present you with this as a… small token of my gratitude." She presented Ridley with a large roll of Dagols which would probably make a poor man jump with joy.
"That's a lot of cash." Jack mentioned.
"And please… do give that charming clerk, Epoch, my… warmest regards. And tell him that I will be making a more… generous donation to the fund raiser."
Satisfied and not willing to waste any more time, Anastasia left them be, holding on to her precious Black Hide like a babies in her arm.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Jack and Ridley were left standing outside of the Cathedral looking a bit dumbfounded about their mission.
"Should we call that a success? I can't really tell." The boy asked.
"Well… she looked pretty happy. If she's happy with the hide we brought her then we can scratch that off the list."
"I wonder." Jack didn't really feel all that satisfied but decided to just make do. He didn't want to bother any more of those inside of the material faction of the order. "Well, I guess we got paid so that's a good thing. Wanna split that money?"
"What? No! This money goes directly back to the office. (What?) We're not doing this for profit. We do these jobs for the benefit of the people, Jack."
"Are you serious? Couldn't we at least get a little bit?"
"No. Our standard pay will be waiting for us when we get back to the office." She explained pouching the money away. "Now come on. The head office will be closing soon."
"Fine. I guess that means we won't be eating anything fancy for a while. Oh dang it!" Jack suddenly recalled. "I completely forgot to give her one of our business cards!"
