Carry On, Wayward Caravan [Job, Trently]

Caravan Protection:

Caelus raised his brow.  "Another letter?  And by the same mysterious sender no less.  Telleus, you're sure you didn't see anyone slip this into your pouch?"
Telleus scratched his chin.  "I'm just as confused as you are.  But at least the job seems legitimate this time.  Not just beating down some random gangsters.  And merchants pay well.  I'd take them up on this one."  He took a seat on a bench and folded his arms.  Leaning his head back to the wall behind him he sighed before continuing.  "But i agree that it is strange.  You should try to figure out if anyone from the caravan requested help, and if so from whom.  You aren't an errand boy to be pointed this way and that."
Caelus nodded, and pocketed the letter.  It would be a difficult task to both follow the job's instructions as well as try to discover who sent the letter.

The letter told Caelus to travel to Portsmouth, a bustling town that was a hub for overseas trade.  He would be protecting a merchant caravan from raiders and thieves as they traveled back to Reimano.  When he arrived, he found the train of carts quickly and introduced himself.  The leader of the caravan, a Balbadd native named Atem, welcomed him and explained that they would be transporting fresh fruits and salted meats.  Caelus would be working with a few others, and would be positioned in various spots along the length of the cart train.  He nodded and thanked him then, remembering his second objective asked, "Atem, when you petitioned for protection, who did you ask?"
"It's funny you should ask," he started, chuckling slightly. "We had barely come into port when we were told that protection had already been arranged!  A very lucky break, if i do say so myself, hahaha!"

Caelus smiled, but inside his heart sank.  Still no leads then.  Maybe i'll get something from one of the other hires...  He thought, excusing himself to meet with the rest of the hired help.

~352, 352/1000~

Awaiting further orders, Trently dawdled around the area in which the caravan laid as his thoughts and imagination took narrative. "Hm... It was quite odd. I awoke yesterday morning... to my surprise that an individual sneaked a letter inside of my bag of belongings. Why would anybody do that? Do I appear frightening? Or is it just that the person who did that was simply shy?" Asking himself these questions whilst also questioning why anybody would do that in the first place. When arriving at the location in which was written in the letter he received, Trently did not attempt to interrogate the caravan leader about the subject. It was a simple conversation that basically was to let the caravan leader know that he was hired as a guard for the job at hand. Protection tasks were ones Trently were most familiar with, as he aided a seductive merchant woman previously in Balbadd.

Snapping back from his deep thoughts in which he was questioning the mysterious letter in which he had received, Trently darts his eyes around his immediate area. Catching eye of fellow guards in whom all appeared to be loafing around also until their mission commenced, Trently confronted one of the guards in question of what exactly what was being transported to spark conversation. Crimson is how the hire's hair was perceived by the mercenary deriving from Kou, it was a certainly spectacular color that Trently laid his gaze upon. Assuming this hire in particular may be a descendant of the Fanalis race in which Trently caught ear of during his childhood and recent travels. "Yo! Or well... Greetings! Do you happen to know what exactly what this here caravan is transporting? It didn't quite specify on the letter I received." Asking in a polite yet warm welcoming manner, hoping he could start up an interesting conversation whilst they stood by until the caravan was set up for travels.

WC: 321        
WC Total & Requirement: 321/1000

After briefly questioning the group of hired guards, Caelus found that about half of them had received similar letters, while some were on retainer by the Reim government professionally.  Of those who had received letters, most of them simply saw it as a means to an end.  The work was solid, apparently for good causes, and payment always came through.  The men didn't seem to mind at all.

Caelus' train of thought was interrupted by a boy of about his age, asking about the contents of the letter and the shipment they were guarding.  "Huh?  Oh, i think it was fruits and meats.  Nothing too exotic from what i saw though.  I'm-" Caelus' introduction was interrupted by the shout of the caravan leader.  "Alright!  We're moving out!  Hop aboard!"  Nodding, Caelus motioned for the boy to join him in the rear cart.  "We'll talk on the job i guess.  I'm Caelus.  And you are?"  He asked, as he swung himself up into the covered cart.  He put a hand out for the boy to help him up as well.

As the cart bumped along the road, Caelus felt every stone and pothole they rolled over in his ass and legs.  Who would have thought riding in a cart would be more uncomfortable than walking?  Looking back to the boy he asked, "So you received a letter as well?  Are you okay with just following along with the directions?  Aren't you suspicious at all about who the sender is?  I know i'm worried about who it might be.  Hell, the last letter i got told me to take out some gangsters.  It didn't tell me anything about them, just to take them out and turn them in."  Caelus looked up for a moment, surprised by his own tone.  "Sorry, i didn't mean to unload on you."

~WC: 317, 669/1000~

Being answered his question on the shipments, Trently expected to continue on a lengthy conversation with the hire but time was up. Caravan Leader; Atem, had let everyone know that they were heading out to commence the mission the hires were recruited for. As the recruit swung himself up into the rear cart, Trently planted his right foot onto the cart. Noticing the red haired boy's gesture of the helping hand, Trently clasped hold of the boy's hand and lifted himself up onto the cart. Taking his seat whilst still holding on to the hire's gestured hand, Trently glanced into the newly met acquaintance's eyes and took aloft a soft yet faint smile. Unclasping the hire's hand, Trently took a seat back and listened as their conversation continued into an interesting direction. Upon hearing the name of the hire, Trently felt a sense of relief to be able to refer to him by his name now. "Name is Trently! Glad to meet you Caelus. Didn't expect to come across another person about my age on the job to be honest. Majority of hires tend to be over the age of twenty." Trently revealing his name and expressing his gratitude to meet another mercenary his age on the job. Taking another glance over at Caelus, it appeared that he was not enjoying the cart ride. For Trently, it was truly a pleasure to be able to take a seat for once. Last protection task he was hired for, Trently had to walk for a couple hours with barely any rest. Continuing their conversation, Trently is confronted about the letter he received from a still unknown source.

"Ehehehe.... Its alright, I was curious myself on the matter. Its frightening to be honest, how this sender is capable of sneaking us letters without leaving any traces or even further explanation. If you think about it enough, it'll cross your mind that whoever is doing this would also most likely be able to dispose of us whenever he wants. It'll be troublesome if we leave him stuck on our tails for any longer, this was my first letter but the fact that you've received one before is daunting to me. To answer your question shortly, I'm somewhat ready to reveal this sender's identity and start questioning him. For all you know.... he could be watching over us now. Its best if we stay alert from here on forward; its a truly puzzling mystery." Trently told Caelus as he stared at the trail that the cart left in it's path.

"Or it could just be some wack job whom is shy of people. Either way, its some scary stuff." Trently let Caelus know.

WC: 460
WC Total & Requirement: 781/1000

Caelus listened intently as Trently explained his view on the matter.  He was glad that Trently shared his skepticism and cautiousness, putting him at ease that he was not worrying over nothing.  Caelus would ask about Trently's work and other light topics of conversation.  But if Trently brought up Caelus' parents at any point, he would redirect the conversation to something else.  He liked Trently, but his past was still not a subject Caelus was alright discussing with new friends.  The rest of the cart ride would be rather quiet, the caravan only stopping around sunset to let everyone rest for the night.  Unfortunately for Caelus and the rest of the guards, sleep was a luxury they were not getting paid for.  This is where the job really started for them, keeping the rest of the caravan safe while they slept.

Caelus took up a position on the outside of the cart loop.  The carts had circled up to form a protective barrier for those inside.  The night was mostly quiet, and the gentle breeze carried the sounds of nightlife through the camp.  Caelus wrapped himself in Frost Mantle.  The cloak was just thick enough to keep him warm in the cold air.

In the distance ahead, Caelus thought he heard something and looked over to Trently to see if he heard it as well.  As he looked back however, the bandits were already just meters away.  "Bandits!  Prepare yourselves!"  Caelus yelled, drawing Ripple and taking up a defensive stance.  He took a moment to survey the enemy forces, noting that they were outnumbered about two-to-one.  The enemy was also well trained, and almost military-like in their precision.  They seemed to be aiming for the carts that held goods as if they knew beforehand where they would be, the one that Caelus and Trently had been riding in earlier that day was among them.

Two men approached Caelus with swords drawn.  But as Caelus tried to dispatch one, the other moved in to attack him.  They worked in sync, surrounding Caelus and preventing him from making any substantial progress.  Between the three of them, it was a stale mate, with neither Caelus nor the bandits able to strike each other.  But after just a few exchanges, Caelus had figured out their strategy.  He dashed over to bandit in front of him, noting that the one behind came rushing in to try to redirect his attention.  Just as the second bandit thrust his blade, Caelus leapt effortlessly over the first and watched as his friend ran him through.  Caelus landed in a crouch, and dashed in with Brave Engage, taking out the second bandit with ease.  Standing up, he took another moment to look over the other guards to see if any needed his assistance.

Abilities:

Magoi: 130/130
Stamina: 180/190

~WC: 467, 1136/1000~

Caelus' eyes landed on a thin, gaunt man wielding a short blade directing the attack from a position on top of a large nearby stone. As if he felt Caelus' gaze, the man looked to him and they locked eyes. He jumped from his perch and landed a few meters from Caelus. The bandit charged, aiming to stab Caelus in the stomach with Gutting Stab. He was fast, far faster than the two before him. In a moment he was beside Caelus, the blade plunging towards him. With a flourish, Ripple few through the air and sideswiped the blow, tossing it to the left as Caelus circled right. Now behind the bandit leader, Caelus drew a scarlet arc across his back before rolling forward to avoid the bandit's wild swing behind him. He rose holding Ripple in a reverse grip, and sliced through the man's leg, crippling him. The bandit howled and writhed, but was unable to flee. Unlike his comrades, who upon seeing their leader so easily taken down, ran off into the darkness.

It took a good hour before everything was settled. Besides tying up the bandit leader and the few other captured rogues, the crates of food were somewhat damaged. When Atem had finished recounting the barrels and baskets, he noted that only one was missing. He grumbled something about the price of pears, but otherwise was pleased with their work.

They arrived in town the next day and helped to unload the carts before being relieved of duty. Caelus clutched at yet another envelope, this one placed on him during the unload. His payment was inside, along with a bonus for capturing the leader of the group. And once again, Caelus fumed at not being any the wiser as to who was behind the letters. Oddly enough, he had forgotten to speak to Trently before he left, but was sure they would meet again. Being the only other person who seemed concerned by the secrecy regarding the letters, Caelus hoped that if he received word of anything strange he would let him know. But for now, it was nice enough knowing that the pay was good enough for an extra drink at dinner.

Abilities:

Magoi: 130/130
Stamina: 160/190

~WC: 372, 1508/1000~