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Post by Evelyn Bradford on Jul 10, 2015 15:48:50 GMT -6
Hmm, it seemed he wouldn't be able to cover the full trip. Regardless that was fine. Finding a mercenary to cover her trip from here to Lycia was more than enough, especially if he was truthful about Ciaran. If he wasn't...hm, she'd come up with proper plans in due time. She thought over his words and tapped a finger against her chin before nodding. Might as well make a contract with him.
"I'm sure officials will not need be handled, but otherwise you make a good case for youself," Again: as she would have guessed. What mercenary is going to walk up to her and say he's a failure at his career. Hm, none. She supposed they wouldn't be living if that was the truth, "With that in mind I'll be willing to make a contract with you,"
Well, that was the easy part. Now came the more difficult matter of discussing payment. Mercenaries were loyal to gold even above themselves. Pay them poorly and they won't stick with you...if you're lucky. Evelyn had heard stories of mercenaries that turned on their employers in a various number of ways because of inadequate payments. So she had to make sure he would be satisfied with what he would be making. At the same time, spending too freely is against her code.
"Now, then, how do you charge your clients?"
It'd be easy to come up with payment when she actually knew how he charged. Evelyn assumed it would be a charged based on time spend working, but clarification was always important.
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Post by Ryuzaki on Jul 10, 2015 20:55:55 GMT -6
"Hm. A good case? I like to think that I am quite honest in my appraisals. I have earned my coin and my swords, and I have fought as hard as any seasoned warrior.
So... Down to business, then.
My usual rate for protection encompasses all I have previously listed; I will defend you from any threat that arises. For extra, I will actively remove any threat I believe will become an issue. Let me illustrate. You might be traveling along the road. I see highwaymen. I will defend you if they attack - but for a small extra fee, I will take them out before they even think to try.
Rates are also unusual in that I only charge 100 gold for each town-to-town leg. Quite affordable. But should trouble arise, it is 1000 for every neutralized or eliminated target. I don't hold back when I fight, but I will not try to kill to milk gold out of you. That risks my own life, which I value far too much.
So I would suspect that traveling through Etruria, to Lycia, ending at Ciaran... would cost you in the range of 2000 to 3000 coin. If you are capable of fighting alongside me - which most clients are not - I will half the rate. 1000 to 1500.
So, Evelyn, will you be hiring the finest personal protector this land has ever seen?"
The assassin cocked his head and tossed one last piece of bait.
"If you like - I'll sign on for free. After the first confrontation, if you like my defense work, you can continue to employ me. Consider it a trial run."
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Post by Evelyn Bradford on Jul 11, 2015 2:18:53 GMT -6
Evelyn nodded and listened to the mercenary, fighting off a smirk when the man finally started to speak numbers. 2000 to 3000 gold. For one man. Entire mercenary companies could be bought and paid for with that sort of coin for a week's worth of work. 2000 to 3000 is the type of funds one amasses when having their own personal ship built. 2000 to 3000 was likely the bi-weekly income of the finest silk shop in Bulgar, Sacae.
It was most certainly not what you paid one man to walk alongside you down a few roads, regardless of the dangers. Hell one would think that Dragons were back in full force and ready for war once again with a charge like that!
But Evelyn merely let her smile fade a bit, keeping her act going, "O-oh, I see...well, I suppose I am able to fight alongside of you," She wasn't willing to bet it would count. While She has practiced her dark magic quite a bit and studied very carefully she has never had the chance to apply it to actual combat. That was an experience she was, admittedly, hoping to fufill on her journey. "I am eager to test my magic, though, so I will be sure to use it on any foe,"
"Having said that I do believe that 2000-3000, on average, is a bit much...especially if I am just hiring you. Are you a lone worker? Have you no company or band in your fold? That price would not be too bad if I was hiring more than just one man, even if he is the most skilled protector,"
Evelyn didn't even bother to comment on his offer of a "free trial". By the time they run into trouble they'll already be quite far from Etruria and likely nowhere near a town of any kind. She'd have no choice but to accept sign him on by that point, lest she be abandoned in the middle of nowhere.
She made sure to mentally thank her father, for teaching her how to negotiate. Once she understood how the man desired to be paid it was easy to understand. After all numbers mean the same thing in nearly all circumstances. They cannot lie. 2000 to 3000 gold for a man she'd never heard of or seen before is the same foolishness no matter how you cut it. What if he wound up cutting down seven highwaymen? That would be 7000 coin! Plus the extra fees of travelling from town to town.
A flat payment rate would be better, honestly. She'd have to see if she could convince him to accept a flat rate, or at least haggle him down to 500 gold per threat eliminated.
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Post by Ryuzaki on Jul 15, 2015 8:57:53 GMT -6
"Aha... So you think so, hmm? How astute! You clearly know the lay of the land - we'll always quote a high price, and we're always ready to come down. So... if you'd like a more reasonable offer, here is my tried-and-true formula. Helps me, helps you, and nobody gets the short end of the stick.
You pay 500 gold now and 500 gold upon arrival in Ciaran. Plus, if we happen to run across attackers, I'll charge on the half-score. 500 per 10 men eliminated or neutralized, rounded down. Which means, if you are generally careful and don't insist on strolling during the night through the bad parts of town, you might make it to Lycia without going over 2000. Most likely, you'll be in the 1500-2000 range, all costs included. Which is a bit more fair.
Just be aware - my services are not cheap, like some you might find - but they are quality. I pride myself not on how much gold I have, but how well I fight, how fast I stop threats, and how many weapons I can use to deadly effect.
So. My offer stands - would you like to hire me to escort you to Lycia?"
The assassin stood, his eyes flat and his mouth neutral, arms loosely crossed as he sat, silently tapping one finger on his leg as he watched the woman. Evelyn clearly knew how to negotiate, but in the end, he knew he had an advantage. She knew he had a powerful weapon, he was the only merc she knew here, and... he was a bit more refined than some of his 'colleagues.'
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Post by Evelyn Bradford on Jul 15, 2015 12:26:25 GMT -6
Evelyn wrinkled her brow in thought, bringing a hand to her chin as she pretended to mull heavily over this new offer. Though it was a farce, Evelyn WAS thinking about the offer. It seemed like a better one than his first. In fact it was absolutely a better offer. Her snarky opinion of the man's negotiations faded a bit and she appreciated that he would treat her with some respect, and recognize she wasn't just some rich harlot who'd drop a manor's worth just for some attractive merc-...ergh, task at hand Evelyn. Task at hand.
The young lady gently cleared her throat before nodding. It was still price-y, but this man did seem of a higher class than the average mercenary. Not just of skill but of character...well, sort of. He did seem rather shady but not in the creepy sort of way. More in the "dangerous" sort of way.
"500 here, 500 upon arrival, and half that for any attackers. I suppose I can agree to that deal," Evelyn said with a small smile, "Thank you, Zak,"
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Post by Ryuzaki on Jul 16, 2015 13:53:07 GMT -6
"Well, then I am glad to enter into our contract. Feel free to choose any and all times - departures, route, any of that. If there are... known problems with any segments, I'll definitely let you know. We don't want trouble... Especially not big trouble. After all, no matter how good we are fighting as a team, there's still a point at which the horde of attackers gets too big to manage. I'd rather not have Shinryu taken by some barbarian and end up in pieces in a ditch."
The assassin chuckled wryly. He'd actually done that to a man once. Left him in pieces in a ditch. That was a good day. The man hadn't seen him coming, at all - he'd slashed and hacked and then all of a sudden his arm was off, then his other arm, his leg, his head, and then the other leg, as an afterthought.
Now back to business...
"So, Evelyn. You avoided the question earlier - are you a practicioner of Anima magic? My father was a Shaman, but always more bookish than anything... And that's Elder magic, not Anima. But regardless, I would like to know what you practice, and your skill - I always enjoy sparring with casters, since it gives such a different dimension to the fight, and I would venture to guess that you have no idea how a swordsman would go about attacking you past the rudiments. So, if you'd like, I'd be happy to help you grow, so long as you would do the same - after all, it would be mutually beneficial."
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Post by Evelyn Bradford on Jul 18, 2015 15:53:46 GMT -6
Evelyn nodded as Zak spoke. "Well again, I likely won't be leaving for at least a few days. I should have a route mapped and planned out by then," It was true. These few days gave her extra time to prepare for such a journey including her finding the safest and quickest path to their destination. It would certainly save her some money, but beyond that it saved her time that would be better spent practicing her craft or forging connections.
Zak then asked her about her what magic she studied. Evelyn bit her lip and looked around. This tavern looked harmless enough but it was known to all that Kraft had eyes everywhere, even where you would least suspect them. It was already suspicious for a Bradford to be in such an area. She'd have to take care not to speak too loudly or too frankly. After a bit of thinking Evelyn found herself ready to respond.
"Your father, you say? Yes..." Evelyn said, but nodded very meaningfully as she did. That was her hint, her clue. She decided it was overall much safer not to state the name of her craft in public like this. It just wasn't worth the risk, "Unfortunately I have never had the chance to practice my craft in battle, so I would be very appreciative of the opportunity to spar with you, as it were. Did you want to do this in the coming days before our departure? Or as we travel on the road,"
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Post by Ryuzaki on Jul 27, 2015 0:12:50 GMT -6
"Very well... I shall await your command, and then we shall set out."
Then the woman 'answered' his question. He saw her nod, slowly and weightily, the significance not lost on the assassin. He broke into a hearty, full-throated chuckle as he looked at her.
"No wonder you're so curious, then. You were learning and studying and gleaning, were you? I must have underestimated you - you've clearly got a scoop more brains than the average rich-girl. Hah!"
Nodding, the assassin conceded his oversight with a brief 'tsk,' then turning his attention back to her question.
"Let's spar before we depart, to begin with. I want to know how careful I need to be - if you're good, I'll be able to take more risks since I can have some sort of reliance of a way to fall back. If you're not as strong, I'll have to fight more conservatively. Either is fine, but I love to fight fast, strong, and viciously. I live for speed and skill."
The assassin chuckled.
"While we're here, why not have a drink? We don't have to have many, just a little toast to celebrate what promises to be a mutually profitable contract. I'm sure I'll gain much more than just coin from this... Hah! Some things are quite hard to put a price on. And for me, one of those is knowledge. You never know who you'll fight, and so all that you can be prepared for reduces the chance that you're caught unaware. And so... You survive more. What would you care for?"
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Post by Evelyn Bradford on Aug 6, 2015 8:53:25 GMT -6
(OOC: I swear I thought I replied to this. Sorry!)
Evelyn nodded as the assassin agreed to her terms, but had a mixed reaction to his "compliment". It did insult all noble ladies at the cost of complimenting herself. She felt as though she should be offended, though her entire life she was taught to take advantage of the narrow-mindedness other noble women tended to have. It may have been offensive and certainly not applicable to all nobles, but his words did have some truth.
So she decided to smirk and enjoy the compliment for what it was worth. At the very least the man realized that she was no fool he could easily scam gold out of.
"Sorry to disappoint you," Evelyn decided to add. Just a bit of salt in the wound, but almost a playful amount at that. The assassin then offered to spar with her before they left. The lady wasn't certain about sparring today, but perhaps just after they left the cities of Etruria. Aside from that she had no issue with the idea, in fact it benefited her quite nicely. She had no combat experience with her magic whatsoever so she needed all that she could get.
"Agreed on the spar, but perhaps it can wait until we depart. No need to rush it, and we'll still do it early enough that you can gauge how you need to handle threats and such. Are those terms satisfactory?"
Zak then proceeded to suggest a toast before rambling on rather vaguely about...something. Many things? Evelyn was sure she missed some sort of innuendo lost in his words and it made her furrow her brow just a tad. She could agree on the value of knowledge, to be sure, and his philosophy of reducing your risks. Aside from that she still felt as though she had missed out on something.
As for a drink...Evelyn had only drank the fine wines her family purchased, or the finer wines other nobles served at parties and dinners. She was rather fond of wine, but she was more than certain the tavern wouldn't have any up to her standards. Still she figured she'd ask.
"A toast to our contract and to knowledge sounds lovely...but does this establishment serve wine? Preferably red wine?"
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Post by Ryuzaki on Aug 6, 2015 12:55:33 GMT -6
OOC: Not a problem. No worries!
IC:
"Hah! It's not a disappointment... In fact, it's almost unpleasant, how in-the-box and foolish so many wealthy people are. I enjoy people like you, with an active mind and a sharp eye. Keenness is not lost on me. In fact, I think that you proved your worth when you decided to sneak up and listen in."
Chuckling dryly, Ryu looked over at the noblewoman, raising an eyebrow. Red wine? Well, he could forgive that... Especially since she'd been bright enough to avoid his purse-draining first 'offer.' But honestly? A popular merc's tavern... And red wine. Well, the least he could do was check.
"Give me a minute... I'll see. But the chances of a good wine here are rather... low, to be blunt. Usually the common mercenary settles himself for cheap ale, or, if he's feeling rich after a job, a toddy of rum. But I will investigate."
The assassin rose and made his way to the bar, engaging in a brief, low conversation with the bartender.
"I'm trying to land a good job here... Need two glasses of the best red wine you have."
"Red wine? Who's the client, your grand-mother?"
Ryu's eyes narrowed, but he held his piece and simply slid a few gold coins across. More than enough for two glasses of decent wine.
"Oh, well, I can see..."
Idiot. By the time he had brought back the two glasses of wine, Ryu had calmed down, and the assassin accepted the liquor graciously, carefully bringing it back to the table and serving his companion and employer.
"I will leave the honor to you, Evelyn."
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Post by Evelyn Bradford on Aug 9, 2015 15:13:33 GMT -6
"Likewise. I'm glad to know we value similar traits in people," Evelyn replied with a nod. She watched with an amused smirk as the mercenary actually went out of his way to order red wine. It was not at all surprising that the mercenary was met with insult and question upon requesting the wine, but coin managed to shut the commoner's mouth, as it usually did. "Well done, I'd have handled that much the same way. One can only have so much patience before resorting to coin,"
Evelyn swirled the wine in it's glass and studied it. Already she could tell it was not up to par with the wine in her family's cabinets, but she supposed it was the best an establishment such as that could provide. Zak left it up to her to make the toast, so Evelyn thought on what she would say before nodding in approval and raising her glass to do just that.
"Mediocre...but my thanks for ordering it nonetheless," Evelyn stated before clearing her throat, "A toast: to our contract and future endeavors. May Elimine smile upon us," The noble couldn't help but smirk at the last bit before taking a sip of her wine. It's taste was just as she expected but she decided that it was indeed passable. Of course, after the earlier stress of spying on the mercenary and that so-called priest she wasn't about to reject free wine regardless.
"So tell me, Zak, what made you decide on this occupation? Born with a blade in your hands? Or just decided that merchantry and farming just weren't for you?"
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Post by Ryuzaki on Aug 12, 2015 20:08:21 GMT -6
"Hah, I expected mediocre. It is, after all, a busy tavern filled with mercenaries. We are not usually the most refined - so I suppose I am a happy exception."
Ryu gave a small chuckle, following his employer's lead and tasting the wine. Decent. But the alcohol was the least of his concerns. He had a question to answer, and one that ideally needed to be dealt with using care and precision. He could not afford to tell his whole life story to a stranger, but he could not invent a new one to keep straight. So he edited his own life, his thieving slowly disappearing and coming back as 'jobs,' and then answered, his face calm and composed as he sipped his wine meditatively.
"Born with a blade... No, I suppose not. I began my life in a quiet family, an only child, near the edge of Lycia. I saw few other children, and studied arithmetic, script, and other subjects with my father, a scholar and, as I said, a shaman. He tried to teach me the Elder Arts, but I was a slow study, as compared with other subjects. So he sparred with me, having been a fencer as well back in his youth, and I showed remarkable aptitude for the blade. And once I came of age, I left my home and my family and traveled the continent. I've been many places on many jobs, and I've seen good, bad, and ugly alike. Aye, Evelyn, I suppose while I am young my eyes are old, worn by the injustices and inequities I've seen. But all I can do is keep carrying on, still eking out my living and honing my skills."
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Post by Evelyn Bradford on Aug 14, 2015 8:40:46 GMT -6
Hm, Evelyn did suppose that was true. Not many mercenaries would even consider asking for wine in a tavern. She supposed she was grateful, at least, that this man had some class to him. Or at least enough chivalry to buy wine for his client.
It appeared that Zak was well traveled. He claimed to have a father who practiced elder magic but he himself didn't quite have the gift. That was natural, Evelyn thought. After all she would be quite surprised if any of her family members shared her gift, or had any talent for magic at all! Hah, if anything they would all be adept at light magic, but certainly not her elder arts. Either way Zak had taken to the blade, which explained his magic sword at any rate.
Zak was also, again, well traveled. With that experience came some unpleasant sights. Evelyn supposed she would have to prepare for such things once she left Etruria. Her life had been rather sheltered. While she knew OF the horrors that took place across Elibe she herself had not been forced to witness any of it. The nobles would gossip and talk of these things, be they wars or disasters, but very rarely would they themselves step into what they spoke of.
"I see. It's only natural to have witnessed unpleasant things if you're to travel the world," Evelyn replied, taking another sip of her wine, "I'd be a liar if I said I've had the same experiences. I know what can happen out in the world, but I've never seen it for myself,"
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Post by Ryuzaki on Aug 18, 2015 12:41:59 GMT -6
"You'll see unpleasant things soon enough. No matter how hard you try, you see things as you travel Elibe. But it should be of no worry to you, because we'll be moving in what I assume will be generally higher circles than that of the average mercenary. Indeed, I think that you'll be largely exempt from most of the horrors. All you need to do is avoid wandering off alone, and you should be free of most worries. The ones that stick around... I can take care of."
Ryu looked at the employer, nodding his head in businesslike fashion as he considered it. Probably not a lot of risks associated with this one. After all, she'd stay low - Elder magic in Etruria usually didn't sit well. And then once he'd escorted her, he'd collect and be off - let the noble girl plan her next move alone. He had other work to do, but since he was going her way, he figured he'd be nice - and make some coin off of it.
"Whenever you're ready to set off, just let me know - I've already started acting on-contract, so I'll be around. Keeping an eye out. If you look, you'll see me, but I'll give you space to finish whatever you need to here before we depart. I am, of course, ready to depart whenever you should call upon me. I travel light, so we can move with haste. Hopefully, trouble will leave us alone, and we will be able to have an uneventful journey."
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Post by Evelyn Bradford on Aug 18, 2015 12:54:29 GMT -6
"Oh, you needn't worry about my wandering off. I may be the curious type but I'll take caution over such risks any day," Evelyn replied with a chuckle. It seemed Zak really wanted the same thing she did out of this trip: no danger. Of course she assumed they'd have at least one bad run with danger, but so long as they got out of it unscathed she really didn't mind that much. Even if it costed her extra.
Evelyn brought her glass to her lips to take another sip, then paused, and smiled at Zak, "I propose a second toast, in that case," She lifted the glass up and cleared her throat, "Here's to a boring, uneventful journey. May excitement and danger alike steer clear from our path, just as St.Elimine would desire,"
She supposed the toast was bit over the top, but she found it humorous all the same. Evelyn brought her glass to her mouth once again and took a larger sip. Yes, she imagined she had found a rather good bodyguard to get her safely across the border into Lycia. From there her studies and travels could truly begin. Perhaps she'd even come across her old mentor. Knowing the hermit-like nature of that woman Evelyn wouldn't be surprised if she had retired to some hamlet in Sacae.
Hm, perhaps that would be her first destination when she was done with Lycia. Either Sacae or Ilia. Either way those were all plans for the future. For now she needed only focus on her journey with Zak, and their upcoming spar.
(OOC: End the thread soon?)
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