Pain and Gain (Open)

[Deleted]

"@#$% it", shouted Balgoth as he punched a wall with his fist. The stalwart tax collector was not in a good mood. According to reports another village had fallen to the vile monsters. Anger and frustration built up in Balgoth's heart. People were dying out there and he was going around collecting coin. Balgoth always told himself, every coin he collected was another life saved, but yet while he collected coins for marquess and noble men people were still dying. Villages were being burned, corps being risen from the ground. Bagltoh could sit no longer. He could not simply collect gold coins and prey that the nobles get off there buts and do something. In a fit of rage and illogical thinking Balgoth volunteered to go out with a group of mercenaries. He was going to make a difference. He was going to do more than collect coins and argue with other people how they should be gleeful to give up there gold to the government.

Armed with nothing more than his healing staff Balgoth set out with a group of mercenaries. Their goal was to travel to the village of Western Wind. It was the same town that was reported lost to monsters. According to the report a horde of undead marched through. Their gates failed to keep the mass of dead bodies out and the city was flooded with its own blood. The mercenaries were ready to fight the remaining buggers that still hung around town, but they knew they would not get through this one without a few scrapes and wounds. That is where Balgoth came in. The appearance of the healer was like a light in the darkness. Balgoth gave them the back up they needed to clear out the overrun town.

"Alright the pay out is clear", spoke a burly man as he rallied the mercenaries together. "Every man is owed seven hundred coins on return. If you leave, flee, or do not travel back with the group back to town then your coins are forfeit. If you die your coin is forfeit. If you kill another member, who is not possessed or brought back from the dead then your coin is forfeit. Loot is simple. What you find is what you get. Fighting over loot will not be permitted. The one who started the fight will be stripped of there loot. These are standard mercenary rules set down by the mercenary guild. Anybody who disagrees or can not accept anything in this debrieffing please leave now."

[Deleted]

As the mercenaries made there final preparations Balgoth readied himself for the coming fight. This was going to be his first real battle. He had to be both mentally and physically prepared. He had fought a few monsters before with his bare hands, but that was ineffective and would more than likely result in him being horribly murdered in this fight. Balgoth's job was to look out for everyone else and keep his staff ready. Nothing was needed more at the moment than a healer. Balgoth gripped The Staff of Light. The cold metal sapped heat from his hand as the priest gave a small prey of protection. Balgoth was not a very religious man, but missions like this made you find faith very quickly.

"So there you are", spoke the mercenary leader as he walked up to Balgoth. "I heard that a healer had joined up, but did not expect it to be someone like you." A puzzled expression crossed Balgoth's face. He looked down at himself and his crimson jacket. He was covered form head to toe in muscle so it was not a long shot that somebody would expect him to be a fighter or a mercenary. Balgoth was always weird like that. He put more value on his physical training than he did on his staff work, though that had more to do with his job as a tax collector than his personal taste. The man needed to be strong to squeeze gold of people who did not want to pay up.

"Well my main job requires that I have some muscle on me", spoke Balgoth to the mercenary captain. "Besides I am a battle healer. I am going to need all the muscle I can get to survive these kind of missions."

"True enough", spoke the captain as he took a seat near the burly man. "However I wanted to talk to you for a moment. You see with yours skill as a healer and your willingness to fight the undead. I think the unit could benefit from having you on full time. I know whatever fancy job you do for the church probably pays well but..."

"Sorry but you are mistaken", spoke Balgoth cutting the man off. "I do not work for the church. I work for the government. I am a registered tax collector in all the city states of lycia. My job is to go around and collect coin in the name of the league. Now I know fighting monsters is a needed profession and a good battle healer is a welcome addition to any monster hunting squad, but I can not abandon my job. I am sorry. I feel for the cause, but somebody has to keep the country's coin flowing."

"Tax Collector", spoke the mercenary with surprise. He looked at the man once more and then nodded his head. "Now I know why you need the muscles. Well if you ever change your mind or get tired of being the guy that everybody hates the squadron still has a open spot for a healer", spoke the captain as he walked off to talk to his second. The group was going to move out soon and Balgoth needed to finish his own preparations.

"Alright this goes here", spoke the man as he stuffed a canteen into his bag.