Mercenary Work

Chapter 2 A Job

BANG

Jackson woke up from his nightmare, breathing heavily and fast. He sat up and hanged his feet off the side of the bed. Jackson was wearing a black muscle shirt and in his boxers, also black. A scar on his forehead was burning, he took his hand and started rubbing it. He felt the familiar shape of a circular dent in his forehead with smaller scars outstretching from it. He got up from his bed, put his pants on, walked out of his room, went down the hall and found one of the brothers sleeping at the desk, he didn't bother him and walked down the stairs. Down in the bar everyone had left except a few unconscious drunks, and the other brother cleaning up the bar.

The brother looked up hearing footsteps instead of snoring "What are you doing up so late." He inquired.

"It's late?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah it's nearly midnight. Just closed up and we close at 11:30, so." He said continuing to wipe down the counter.

"Well I was sleeping but I had a nightmare. A bad one at that. Need a drink to get my mind off it." Jackson said slowly, walking to the bar and taking a seat.

"Sure ladd what'll it be?" He said while putting down the cloth, then reaching under the counter and pulling out a shot glass.

"I'll take some whisky."

"Sure." The brother turned around and grabbed a bottle from a shelf and poured it in the shot glass. "So, what was this nightmare."

Jackson shook his head. "I've had this nightmare scene I was a kid." He took the a shot. "All I see is darkness I hear... laughing then a loud bang, then another and the word Blackwood then I wake up nothing more."

"I see odd dream."

"Listen I need work."

"We're not hiring."

"No not that kind of work, mercenary work."

"Ohh, well." The brother pointed to the left of him. "Some of the Lord's men put up a bounty on that wall take a look."

Jackson got up from his stool "Thanks, hopefully this'll be good." He said walking towards the flier. It read as such.

"Wanted dead or alive." Below this it showed a drawing of a man that had many scars on his face. "Ramesses. This man is the leader of a group of bandits and is highly dangerous last seen entering the woods east of town. Dead- 100 gold. Alive - 500 gold."

"Is there an alchemist in town." Jackson said to the brother.

"Uh... ya, The Secret Star, it's down the street to the left, but it's closed why?"

"I'm gonna need a sleeping agent." Jackson said while going back upstairs to his room. once there he took off his pants and went back to bed.

Later when Jackson wakes up peacefully this time. He takes off his shirt grabs another one from his pack same for the boxers. then grabs his sword throws his pack on and walks out the door. Down the hall and up to the brother at the desk.

"Checking out?" The Brother asks.

"No." Jackson said pulling out 35 gold and placing it on the desk. "This is for the next week keep the room warm if I don't return in a week you can open up the room again."

"Alright I see no harm in that." The brother says picking up the gold then taking out some keys and unlocking a drawer then placing the gold inside it.

Jackson walks down the stairs to the bar. It's deserted except for the brother readying the tables. Jackson says nothing and leave going out to the busy street and turns left till he sees a sign that says "The Secret Star" then enters.
Upon entering the interior is nothing special it's at least a 3 by 5 foot long room with a counter blocking most of it with a doorway behind it leading into the (most likely) brewing area. When Jackson pushed the door open a ding goes off above the door from a bell and a tall man walks out from the back and with a hearty tone he says "Welcome to The Secret Star what's your secret."