(FINALLY! XD, man, the first week of school, for some reason, took up a lot of time, when it shouldn't really. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and don't hold back on your critiques!)
Ch. 4 – A Rogue’s Priority
Jath found himself walking on a dirt path that was located near the bottom of a valley. This pass led to a small town known as Strux that was home to outcasts and criminals of all kind. Its isolated location kept it somewhat free from an enforcement of the law upon them. There would be, on occasion, people such as self-proclaimed heroes or bounty hunters hired to take out some select criminals here and there, but even that was on a small scale. For the most part, this town was either for those that were not ready to give up their rebellious lives, or for those that were shunned from society from their own choice, or from the choice of others.
He received a direct order from Zerroda to come to this town and seek out a mercenary that would be here resting and re-supplying, before traveling off to his own business. Jath had also separated from Lex some time ago, after sending her off on a predetermined mission. He planned on getting back in contact with her again after his own assignments were completed, such as this specific one.
This particular day was a cloudy one, with sunlight and shadow exchanging dominance over the landscape. Jath noticed a crude wooden sign as he came to the end of the path that read, “Welcome to Strux.” Jath walked into the town, and was not surprised to see that the rumors were indeed correct. There were shady characters waiting in the alleys, and suspicious figures leaning against the walls of stores and pubs. Jath ignored any stares he received from others, and was not intimidated by the inhabitants of this town.
Jath stopped in front of a supply shop. “Ah, he is here, I can sense it…” He walked to the front of the depot, and as he came up to the door, it was opened from the other side. A young black, male yoshi stepped out of the shop, right in his way. Jath moved slightly to the right, “oh, pardon me.” The yoshi didn’t even seem to acknowledge that something was said, for he did not reply at all, nor did he even look in the direction of Jath. He just continued on his way, focused on nothing else.
Jath was now facing the yoshi’s back, and he noticed a green band wrapped around the tail of the yoshi. Jath turned to and continue to speak to the figure, “you wouldn’t happen to be…Anjilo Ra, would you?”
The yoshi stopped, turned around, and irritably replied, “What’s it to ya?”
“I am looking for a traveling mercenary named Anjilo Ra. You fit his description almost perfectly but you look a bit…young.”
The yoshi was a little bit aggravated by the comment, but he didn’t let it get to his head. “Look! I am the only one that fits that description and goes by that name, so hurry up and tell me what you came to say, or beat it before I lose my patience.”
Instead of being intimidated, Jath’s smile grew, “quite a temper you have there. However, that is not always a negative thing. My superior, a man by the name of Zerroda, has asked me to hire you. He also asked me to give you this note describing your duties and payment, among other things...”
Anjilo Ra took the note skeptically, “why couldn’t you just tell me these things? I don’t understand the point of making a note for it. Oh, and just call me Ra.”
“Well, let me explain. My words end the moment I speak them. Though your memory may still hold them close at hand, it won’t provide the same effect when you actually see or hear them. You probably will always have this note with you, which will always be a reminder to you of your duties and responsibilities, as well as our…generosity. It also shows a map of the assumed whereabouts of the rebels.”
Ra unfolded the note, and began reading. It was a fairly long note, and it took him some time to finish it. The only time that he smiled was when he came to the section that described his pay. “Well…generous indeed. I am not usually a man to question my clients, but I am curious. Why are you willing to pay so much just to rid yourselves of some rebellious commoners, as the note describes? I have never even been paid up to half of this, and I have taken some dangerous jobs in the past. Now, don’t think that I am saying that you have permission to lower the pay, because now that you have offered this, I will not take anything under it.”
Jath replied, “I assume that means that you are willing to take the job with that amount then. Fantastic, I shall be the captain of the unit you will be in. You will be serving with--”
Ra cut him off, “wrong. I do not serve under anyone, you got that? I never said anything about accepting it; I just meant I would consider it. This all seems so suspicious, so I will have to take some time to think about it. The pay is very convincing though. However, if I do take the job, then I will do it my own way, got it?”
Jath cast a scowling look at Ra, “I can’t wait around forever, mind you. How long will it take for you to make a decision?”
“That is up for me to decide. You go and do what you need to do, and if I accept, I will find you, alright?”
Jath was not satisfied with Ra’s reply in the slightest. “How will you find me!? I could be anywhere in this land. You would be searching for months, and possibly have no success.”
Ra unfolded the note again, “the map on this note that shows where your enemies are heading; I will find you with this, since I am sure that you will still go hunting them even if I have not joined.”
“…I see. So there is no other way to convince you otherwise, then?
Ra folded the note back up, and put it away. “Nope, and now, if you will excuse me, I will be on my way.” Ra turned around and started to head to the side of the road.
Jath just stood at the door, with his arms folded, looking down at his feet in silence. He assumed that he would be disciplined harshly by Zerroda if he came back with no such success in his objective. He concluded that the only way to come back in this condition was to accomplish such an action as destroying the rebels. He started to walk back the way he came when he entered the town. The door to the store slowly opened behind him, and a figure came out, also exiting the town right as Jath did.
Jath suddenly stopped on the path, and a dismal expression came over his face. “Hmm…it seems that I am being followed by someone…” a smile replaced his grim face, “yes, this is perfect. This curious pursuer is exactly what I need to destroy those rebels. Keep following, my friend…keep following.”
After about 15 minutes of travel, Jath found himself in a secluded spot, seemingly away from any onlookers that he didn’t already know about. He focused his mind, and the color and light in the area he was in began to bend, warp, and twist. Eventually, the surroundings became hazy and blurred, and in just an instant, everything returned to their original state. However, Jath was no longer in the same spot of land that he had been in before, but now he was situated near the edge of a cliff, overlooking a small mountain range.
A woman was sitting on a large boulder, lost in contemplation as she stared into the sunset. She didn’t even notice Jath as he appeared behind her. Jath approached the woman, “enjoying the scene Lex?”
Lexington replied without averting her attention from the horizon, “you really learn to appreciate the beauty of the sky when you are as much of a part of it as I am.”
“Ah yes, you are part of that Mocimaf academy that focuses on teaching about balloon travel and such, if I remember correctly. Tell me more about this organization, since we never really got to talk about it.”
“Well, Mocimaf is one of the most prestigious academies in terms of advancing aerodynamic technology, specifically with balloons. It also focuses on homeland security and military maneuvers with that technology, which has given us the common nickname ‘balloon fighters.’”
Jath folded his arms, “I noticed that you seem to limp when you walk…”
Lexington interrupted, “I would rather not go into detail so much on that, my legs aren’t as functional as I would like them to be, and so it is bothersome to walk. That is why I hold so much priority to these balloons, because I use them as a necessary means of travel and whatnot.”
“I see…I can see why you would want to return to this Mocimaf organization so badly.”
Lexington finally pushed herself off the boulder that she was resting on, and took her attention from off the sky. “Speaking of returning, can’t you use that dimensional travel technique to send me back to Mocimaf?”
Jath let out a sigh, “unfortunately, I can’t, because I am not familiar with the location or its surroundings, and I need such so that you do not end up in the middle of a lake, or buried under a mountain accidentally. Do not stress over it though, for I will make sure that you do get home soon. Until that time comes, however, please continue to aid us in our endeavors, and lend us your skills in destroying these rebels.”
“Thank you, and yes, I definitely will help in any way I can.” Lexington glanced over at the area behind Jath, and noticed a blue yoshi lying on the ground. It was a male, and he wasn’t moving. He had two swords in their respective sheathes, which was strapped to his back. He looked young, probably just recently reaching adulthood as it appeared.
Lexington pointed over to the yoshi, “is that the yoshi that you were sent to recruit? Why is he just…laying there?”
Jath laughed, “actually, no, he is not the same person. This young man decided that it was a good idea to start tracking me as I left the city of Strux. I guess that he wasn’t mentally prepared for the dimensional warp, and he blacked out as we were arriving. I am actually glad that he followed me though, for I am thinking of using him as bait for drawing out the rebels and making them go on the offensive instead of always finding a way to retreat. If they think that he is in danger from us, they will not hesitate to attack, and give us a chance to rid ourselves of them.”
Lexington was silent and her body stood still, as she stared at the unconscious figure.
Jath walked over to the young yoshi, “hey Lex, assist me in tying him up, and then we need to depart. I can’t afford to waste any more precious time.”
