Interview

Marcus and Sif were staring at the mission board inside the Mercenaries Association. Marcus was a least, Sif was busy watching other people go about their business. Sif was just very curious by nature, which made sense. She was still learning a lot everyday. Marcus was still technically copper rank, so his choices were very limited on what he could take.

There were of course the usual manual labor and gathering missions. There were a few iron rank escort missions as well. He was about to take one when he noticed something posted on the board that was partially hidden by another post. It was an unranked guard mission, all it said was to inquire at the front desk if interested. With his interest piqued, he and Sif walked up to the front desk.

The mission was fairly straight forward, in three weeks time, a noble's daughter was going to Rose Valley. Rose Valley was the city closest to the Frontier, so it was one of the largest, but also most dangerous cities. The family's personal guards were going, but they wanted extra manpower just in case. It was unranked because you must be recommended by the Association head to even get the interview for the position. The mission would pay fifty silver per day, and would take about four months total. Not only would you get fifty silver per day, all your food and lodging would be covered as well.

Marcus was really interested in this mission, so he requested to put in for it. After telling this to the clerk, and securing a meeting with Howard, the Association's president, Marcus and Sif found themselves waiting once again to meet with him. Luckily they didn't have to wait long, it was only about ten minutes before they were sitting across from Howard Marcel.

"Your timing is impeccable, I was just about to send for you." Howard started the conversation.

"Not about this mission of course, but about the fact that Shaun Refick was found dead not too long ago. His father is furious, he's offered a reward of three hundred gold coins for the head of the man, or men, that killed his son. Now, there are no leads, and I have no proof, but I have a feeling you may know something about what happened." Howard said, one side of his mouth curling up.

Marcus just remained still, keeping his best poker face on. "I really have no idea about anything that happened. It's too bad to hear about his son though."

Even Sif was looking anywhere but over at Howard. Marcus thought that her doing that just made it even more suspicious, but he didn't really care all too much about it.

"Just be careful, that's all I have to say about that. Now, as far as this mission is concerned, I see no problem recommending you. You'll still have to interview with the father, he is very protective of his daughter, so he won't just let anyone guard her."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it, you pulled off the impossible, so I'm sure you will have no problem with this mission. I'll send the family your achievements along with my personal recommendation. Here is the address, be there tomorrow at noon for the interview." Howard said as he slid Marcus a folded piece of paper.

Marcus put the paper in his pocket after reading the name and address. The last name on the paper was Bishore, for some reason he felt like he had heard the name before, but he couldn't remember where. Now that he couldn't remember it would probably bug him all day. Thinking this, Marcus stood to leave.

"Thank you once again. Oh, by the way, I bought a house so if you need to send for me I'll be there." Marcus wrote down his address and gave it to Howard.

"I'll be on my way now, have a good day Howard."

"I don't think we're on a first name basis just yet." Howard said, slightly annoyed at Marcus's chummy attitude.

Marcus just laughed as he walked out of his office. Now that he had another mission lined up he would just go to the Merchant's Association and cash the promise that Tobias had given him. With that money he would get some furniture and better clothing for the ball that Clair had invited him to. He would also see if he could get Sif some armor of her own. He wasn't sure what she could do combat wise, but a little extra protection never hurt.

........................…

Marcus and Sif were looking up at the tall iron gates that blocked off access to a beautiful estate. There were two guards standing in front of the gate, they were waiting for the butler to come and retrieve Marcus. He had already shown his ID for the interview, so now all he had to do was wait. The estate was huge, with a stone wall that was ten feet high that surrounded the whole thing. From what he could see from where he was, it looked like the mansion was made from pure white marble. It was four stories tall with thick columns in front.

After he had left the Association yesterday, he and Sif went to a carpenter to order for furniture. He bought a wardrobe, kitchen table and chairs, a couch and loveseat, and a custom made bed. He had to have the bed specially made in order for him to fit comfortably on it. He really enjoyed staying the night with Clair, but when it came to actually sleeping, it was a little cramped. After the furniture and the high quality clothes he bought, plus having some armor made for Sif, he had spent about fifteen gold coins. The rest of his money would go to Clair to pay off his debt.

Soon the irons gate creaked open, its hinges making a high pitched noise. Marcus and Sif both looked over to see a man in a butler's uniform walking through the gates. His posture was impeccable, and he was groomed flawlessly as well. He had black hair and a square jaw, he held his hands behind his back. His eyes looked to be closed, but he had no problem seeing where he was going. He gave a slight bow to Marcus before speaking.

"Mister Marcus, if you would please follow me."

"Of course." Marcus replied, returning a bow of his own.

Marcus followed the fast pace of the butler. He was surprised to see him walking so quickly, it was maybe three-hundred feet to the mansion and they covered that distance in as little as a minute. It was no problem for Marcus, but anyone else would have been sweating by the time they reached the mansion. Not entering through the main door, they made a detour to the left. There was a small building next to the mansion, most likely the staff quarters.

Behind the staff quarters was a large stable, Marcus could hear the neighing of horses. He had only seen horses pulling fancy carriages, most commoners used oxen to pull their wagons, horses were quite expensive. Oxen could pull heavier loads and had slightly higher stamina, but horses were much faster, and looked better as well.

The lawn was well groomed, bushes lined the buildings. Some were even in the shape of animals. Sif seemed to take an interest in one that was shaped like a mighty dragon, but this one had four legs. A fountain was in front of the mansion, with a statue of a beautiful woman in the center. For some reason she looked very familiar, most likely he had seen that same statue someplace before. An orchard was visible, just barely, it was located behind the mansion. It had red fruit on the branches, they looked to be the same apple like fruits he'd eaten after escaping the ruins. He really didn't see why anyone would want to grow them, he didn't care much for the taste.

They soon arrived in front of the staff quarters, it was made of the same white marble as the mansion and the stables, making it blend in with the other buildings. The butler knocked three times on the door, soon another servant, a maid, opened it from the other side. She was very beautiful with brown hair done up in a bun. She was wearing a maid outfit, with the skirt being very short, exposing a large amount of skin. Her legs were very well toned, showing that she took physical fitness very seriously. Her breasts were modest, fitting her body type perfectly. She looked at Marcus with dark brown eyes, then bowing and speaking in a reserved manner.

"Welcome to the Bishore estate, please follow me inside. Master will be conducting your interview shortly."

Marcus followed her in as the male butler left, probably to take care of other matters. She led him into a waiting room with a pot of tea set out on a table. He and Sif took a seat while the maid poured him a cup. The tea tasted very bland, they did not set out any sugar or cream, just tea and some hard bread. Marcus didn't mind, he figured he was lucky that they offered anything at all.

"I don't see anyone else. Am I the only one here for an interview?" Marcus asked.

As far as he could see, he was the only non servant here. He wouldn't have thought that he was the only one, but he wasn't sure.

"There have been a few more before you, master wanted the times so that they wouldn't overlap."

The maid didn't explain any further, she just stood silently behind Marcus, waiting in case he needed anything, and to keep an eye on him. Marcus drank the bland tea, he even offered some to Sif. She just sniffed at it, then turned her head, giving a small snort. Sif was apparently not a fan of the tea.

The room they were sitting in was a small and plain room. There was only a sofa and a small coffee table in front of it. There was one paper window letting the light in, he could see dust particles dancing in the sunlight. The walls were painted a beige color, there was no artwork on the walls. Marcus and Sif both sat there in silence, waiting for the interview; it was very uncomfortable.

Thankfully, after what felt like an eternity, yet another maid came to retrieve Marcus and Sif. The maid had the exact same outfit as the one standing behind Marcus, her hairstyle was even the same, the only difference was that she had blonde hair and blue eyes. In a high voice, almost childlike, she beckoned Marcus to follow her to another room.

She opened the door before him, when Marcus stepped through he saw a man sitting at a table,with two armed guards behind him. The man motioned for Marcus to take a seat across from him. He was older, with long gray hair tied into a long ponytail. The gray hair was the only thing that betrayed his age, his face hardly had any wrinkles. Without the hair, you might think that he was in his thirties. He was dressed in a victorian style suit, he even had a tophat sitting next to him on the table. It was dark blue in color, with gold buttons and a blue tie with gold embroidery. Lord Bishore looked Marcus up and down, then he looked at Sif for a brief moment, slightly raising his eyebrows.

"I presume that you are Marcus, correct?" Lord Bishore said without a trace of emotion on his face.

Marcus took his seat, then spoke. "That is correct."

"Good, I have already received your letter of recommendation and your feats. Now I just have a few questions, if you could answer truthfully, that would be for the best."

Marcus just nodded, seeing this, Lord Bishore continued.

"Although you have received high praise from Howard, I see that you have not been in Jakarta for very long. Where were you located before you came to this city?"

Marcus had to think quickly, he really wasn't expecting this question. He answered with the only thing that he could think of at the moment.

"I came over from the Empire not long before coming to Jakarta. I was robbed on my way here, so I had to start from the bottom."

Lord Bishore didn't say anything and just looked him the eyes, looking for any hint of deception. Marcus was lying, but he could have a very good poker face when he wanted to.

"A man your size being robbed is hard to fathom."

"I think I was drugged. All I remember is waking up half naked in a field. With no belongings to my name." Marcus said, telling the truth this time.

Not finding anything, Lord Bishore continued with other questions.

"Have you committed any crimes?"

"None." Marcus said flatly.

He did kill Shaun, but he didn't view that as a crime, so he wasn't lying.

"Why do you want to take on the mission?"

"For the money, with meals and board being provided, I would be a fool not to want to take it."

Lord Bishore just nodded to Marcus's answer.

"Can you read and write?"

"Yes."

"One last question. Would you risk your life in order to save the ones you are charged to protect?" Lord Bishore said this with a certain gravity in his tone. Marcus could tell that Lord Bishore would take his answer very seriously.

"I would do everything in my power to prevent anything from happening to them."

Marcus would never take a mission lightly, especially when it came to protecting someone's life. Even if he was doing a simple gathering mission, he would take it very seriously. Marcus replied with a very serious face and tone, emphasizing the last part of his sentence.

"Good, very good. Now that the interview is over, there is only one last thing you must do before I feel comfortable with you taking on this mission. If you would follow Commander Yuri, he will give you a simple test. If you pass this test, then you will have qualified for this mission." Lord Bishore said as he waved his hand and Commander Yuri stepped forward.

He was the guard that was standing to Lord Bishore's left. He had leather armor with stell plates, much like Marcus's, but the plates were much thinner. A short sword hung on his waist, it looked well used, but taken care of. He had broad shoulders laden with heavy muscle, he was a large man, but still paled in comparison with Marcus.

Marcus gave Lord Bishore a bow after he stood up. Then followed Commander Yuri out of the building and to a barracks-like building that was in the back of the estate. In the middle of the barracks was a courtyard, it had training dummies lined up and a few guards were practicing. Commander Yuri stopped in the middle of the courtyard and undone his sword belt.

"We are going to have little spar. I'll gauge your combat abilities, if I think you have what it takes, I'll report back to Lord Bishore."

Marcus had to check his warhammer at the front gate, so he currently was without. Commander Yuri knew this, so he handed him a wooden sword. The only time Marcus had used a sword was when he killed Shaun Reflick and his guards. He was most definitely an amatuer.

Marcus's whole battle plan was just to overwhelm Commander Yuri. He would strike hard and fast, trying to wear him out. If it was a real fight, he would just rush in and kill him in one strike, but he couldn't do that here. Sif made her way off of Marcus and went over to the side of the courtyard, finding a training dummy to perch on. It seemed like she was always wanting to be off the ground, Marcus wondered when she would be able to fly.

Returning his attention back to the spar, he held the wooden sword in his right hand. He tried to feel the weight of the sword, but to him, it was like nothing was in his hand. He gave a few swings, making x's in the air in front of him. After a minute, Marcus gave Commander Yuri a nod, indicating that he was ready.

Commander Yuri took his stance, holding his wooden sword off to his side. He had his feet shoulder width apart and narrowed his eyes at Marcus. They circled each other for a moment, then Marcus took the initiative and rushed in to strike. He swung his sword from the bottom up, aiming for Commander Yuri's left hip. Marcus only used a fraction of his strength, not wanting to seriously injure him.

Commander Yuri quickly countered, deflecting Marcus's swing at a sharp angle. A loud cracking noise rang throughout the courtyard, drawing everyone's attention. Commander Yuri also let out a grunt as his whole arm became numb from the force of the blow. Marcus backed off her a second, then rushed in once more before Commander Yuri had time to collect himself. He swung this time from left to right, at the level of Commander Yuri's shoulder.

Yuri ducked down, the wooden blade whistling over his head. He could feel the disturbance in the air as it passed over him. Yuri's face paled slightly, he knew that Marcus wasn't trying to kill him, but knew if that blow landed on his head he would have died. Wanting to end this before he injured himself, Commander Yuri stabbed forwards with his sword, aiming for Marcus's ribs.

Marcus was fast, but was not fast enough to dodge the blow. He instinctively reached out and grabbed the wooden blade and flicked his wrist as he did so. The wooden blade snapped cleanly in half, Yuri's momentum from the stab was thrown off so he was sent stumbling a few steps behind Marcus.

"That's enough!" Commander Yuri shouted out as he was stabilizing himself.

"Your form is atrocious, but you still pass. I can see why you use a warhammer, you have no idea what you're doing with a sword." Commander Yuri said.

Commander Yuri knew that Marcus had no formal training with the sword, nonetheless, if it was a real battle he had no doubt that Marcus would have killed him. Technique can make up for having less strength, but it can only go so far. Marcus's monstrous strength and speed made up for his lack in training. The fact that he was able to snap the wooden blade with his bare hand proved how strong Marcus really was. The swords were made from iron wood, the name wasn't just given to it because of its dark color, the wood was as strong as the metal was. It was used in ships and weapons, it was cheaper, lighter and just as strong, there was no reason not to use it. The only shortfall was it lacked the ability to hold its edge, that was why it didn't replace real iron when it came to weapons.

Straightening himself out, Commander Yuri went and retrieved his sword and sword belt. While he was putting it back on he spoke to Marcus.

"Return to the estate three weeks from today. We will leave at first light. If you are late we will leave you behind and a mark will go against you."

Marcus gave a small bow, thanking Commander Yuri for his time. He then walked over to Sif and pried her off the training dummy she roosted herself on. A maid soon came over and escorted them back to the front gate. After getting his warhammer back, Marcus and Sif made their way back to their brand new house.

...........................

"So, was he acceptable?" Lord Bishore asked Commander Yuri as he was sitting in his study, going over paperwork.

"Lord, I have never seen a man with such strength. Although he has no experience with the sword, his monstrous strength gives him an edge on any opponent." Commander Yuri said with a bow.

"What do you think about him being my daughter's personal guard? If he is as strong as you say, she would be very well protected." Lord Bishore asked, looking up from his paperwork.

"His ability is unquestionable, but I do not know about his character. I can investigate him further if you like."

"Yes, do that. Keep me informed on anything you discover. You're dismissed." Lord Bishore stated, looking back down at his paperwork. He was in charge of city planning, so the amount of paperwork he had to go through was never ending.

Commander Yuri gave a deep bow, then left the room.