Thread: For Cause or Coin? (Valanaer & WriteMood)

Merek yawned as his eyes slowly opened, light warming his face and rousing his senses. It seemed the shade from the tree had allowed him to continue sleeping until near mid-day but the light inevitably interrupted his dream of a wonderful day lazing in bed with a beautiful woman. It wasn't an unusual dream for the man, nor was it so odd for his reality, his lucrative job funding his rather extravagant lifestyle. Beautiful women, fine wines and food, even the items he carried were of the best craftsmanship. That being said he was constantly on the move going wherever money was to be made. He was currently in one such place, a country in the turmoil, a corrupt and wealthy aristocracy using mercenaries to fight the rebel forces. It was common knowledge that the insurrection wasn't being quelled so easily though, the righteous rebel forces decimating everything thrown at them. It was to the point that the so-called leaders of the nation had begun to spend all their precious wealth on the best mercenaries, extending invitations to the larger and more infamous groups and even extending such an invitation to him. It was an invitation he fully intended to accept if the coin was right, not that he didn't find his possible employers to be disgusting but he didn't much care who he killed as long as there was plenty of coin to keep him entertained afterwards. Thoughts of money in his future motivated Merek to rise from his comfy position beneath the tree and onto his feet, releasing another small yawn as he did. The man reached up and brushed a leaf out of his hair and dusted his clothing off before retrieving his things. He didn't travel with much, the clothes on his back, a small pack with a few 'essentials', and his rather unique and perfectly balanced sword. His essentials were merely some food, a few odd trinkets, more than a few golden coins, and a bottle of strong alcohol. He never traveled anywhere without a stiff drink and that was just for the road, whenever he stopped at an tavern or city he would drink more and refill his own, never running out if he could help it. With everything situated he let out one final yawn before continuing his journey through the woods, having previously seen the map and still being pretty sure he was on the right path. Of course he could be wrong but his sense of direction was usually quite precise. Not that he would mind getting lost for a day or two if it came to that, the woods in the country were incredibly lush and peaceful and with the warm climate of the region it was quite relaxing. Besides, the money he received would not be impacted by the date of his arrival, he would get his fee and fight until the job was done. Yes, he would enjoy the peace for as long as he fate willed it, though it seemed that it wouldn't last long. It wasn't long before the sound of song birds turned to a much different and more familiar sound. It took him a moment but he soon recognized the sound of clashing steel and it was nearby, his interest immediately peeked as he wondered what he was about to stumble upon. Merek walked casually towards the sound, heading into a clearing before he actually had any visual of what was going on. It wasn't a sight he had expected to see, there were a good number of bodies, a few wearing uniforms and the others dressed in random armor of all sorts. When he looked up he figured out what was going on, a group of four soldiers had surrounded someone and were attempting to circle and finish off the opponent. It wasn't very interesting to Merek until he noticed who exactly they were fighting, an insanely gorgeous female warrior, a rarity to say the least on any battlefield. She was quite something and as he watched her fend off the men he just couldn't help himself. The side of him that would rather avoid such a troublesome thing was quickly overturned by his weakness for a beautiful woman. Oh Merek, when will you learn? With a chuckle the male sat his pack down and drew his sword, walking about halfway to the men before taking off in a run towards them. Their was no sound or warning before his sword opened the man up from the back, leaving a deep lethal cut. A smirk rose on his face as the other three turned, it was too late for another as the blade extended forward and pierced his throat. Merek brought his sword back and put a little distance between him and the two others, both of them backing up with eyes wide. Merek had left plenty of room for the beautiful damsel in distress to move away from her assailants and he would soon make short work of the others. He didn't hesitate to move back in, it was best to take them out before they regained their composure, blocking a measly attempt at a counter before slashing through the chest of the first of the remaining two and then dropping down with a swooping attack to cut the mans legs and sending him screaming to the ground. He walked over the man and shoved his sword down into him, ending the misery before wiping his blood-stained blade on the soldiers tunic. He shoved it back inside it's sheath before turning to address the reason for his heroic deed, a small mischievous grin on his face. Looked like you needed some help, just thought I would lend a hand.