Zachary's Story - Kazen II (english readers .TXT) 📗

The sight of the capital city of Estrey Region mesmerized me the moment I looked at it. Then, I remember what I was supposed to do and followed Karl into Mecor Headquarters, which was located at the heart of the Business District, and which was many times bigger than Kyrun Mecor Station. The place boasted many rooms and facilities, though when I came there the first time; I was surprised that there were different halls for all the different mercenary level: Gold, Silver and Bronze, each with their own assignment counters and reward receiving counters. Then, there was different hall for regular staff to go to so here Karl and I parted ways. Nevertheless, he advised me to go with any mercenary when I return back to Kyrun, because it would be safer for me to have an experience along than traveling by myself. I was intending to do that after I done with my business here.

There was only a single counter at the hall for regular member so I crossed the distance and dumped my load there, informing them I was from Kyrun and asked the clerks there if there was anything to dispatch to Kyrun or Nyra – I told the clerks beforehand so that they would not send me elsewhere, like to Joarna or Biryn. I had to wait for half an hour for them to prepare so while waiting, I had a friendly conversation with another regular staff. His name was Dimitry and he was a Carrier and a Watcher.

“A Watcher? What’s that?” I asked in puzzlement.

“Watchers monitor selective members of Mecor, either mercenaries or regular staffs, as they go about their task, especially new mercenaries. In addition, Watcher helps the corporation with big regional cases,” Dimitry explained.

I did not know regular staff had this kind of division. It seemed there was a lot more to being a regular staff of Mecor. “How long have you been with Mecor?”

“Close to six years. How about you?”

“Just passed my first year mark.”

“Really?” I noticed Dimitry was quite surprised by that fact. “And you are already assigned as a Carrier?”

“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “There was nothing much to do in Nyra and the chief ask me if I want to try being a Carrier,” I said honestly.

“So what do you think of being a Carrier?”

“It’s not that bad once you get use to the travelling.”

“I see. Then, do you want to try a Watcher’s duty?”

“Well..., I’m still trying to get use to being a Carrier...”

“It’s noting complicated. It’s just monitoring without being notice. Then, you will have to write a brief report about the task. Why don’t you try sometime?”

It was a sound suggestion and it would gave me an alternative in finding my way back to Kyrun if I could not find any mercenary to accompany me back to the port city. Thus, when I was called to the counter to collect my dispatches, I asked whether I could take on a Watcher’s assignment. “Do you have anything on a Watcher’s assignment, preferably towards the same destination as I am heading?”

I did not know that normally a regular staff would need to show their letter of appointment for any work assignment for division liked Carrier and Watcher, but the clerk then did not asked me for the letter and asked me to wait for a while before she looked through the stack of paper in one corner of the counter. “There is on currently available. The assignment is to monitor a Watcher who was assign to monitor a new mercenary on a Courier task,” the clerk said as she gave me the necessary document which includes the details of the mercenary, the courier task, and the watcher’s detail.

“I’ll take it,” I said and the clerk gave me something to sign and stamp to indicate that I agreed to do the both assignments – it was similar when Chief Rado gave me the Carrier assignment.

The Watcher duty was easier than I thought. First, I went get a quick meal and to change my clothes. I thought that since I need to be practically invisible to my targets, I have to blend with the general public and wearing Mecor regular staff uniform would not help me in that area. Next, I need to identify the people named in the assignment, without them knowing it and when they began their moves, I followed suit. Luckily, there was nothing happening throughout the journey from Bedin to Kyrun, and though I do wandered how they could be so focused on their own assignment that they were not aware of being followed. I mentioned this in my report when the mercenary completed his assignment, and went to collect his reward at Mecor Headquarters, followed by the Watcher. I exchanged the dispatches to Kryrun with the one for Nyra and returned home to report my Carrier assignment to Chief Rado.

In truth, I was just wanted to experience being a Carrier once. Even so, I should have known that once a regular staff was given a letter of appointment, it meant that he or she had the capability to do that specific assignment. As for the Watcher’s duty, I had no idea that my name was listed under that division until Nyra received the updated version of the name, rank and division list of Mecor regular staffs and mercenaries.

“Well, well. When did you do a watcher’s assignment?” Chief Rado asked. He called me into the office one day, three years into my service with Mecor. So I recalled the moment from I met Dimitry until I wrote my report about the task. “You didn’t say anything about this when you return from your Carrier errand,” the chief accused.

“It doesn’t relate with the Carrier assignment,” I reasoned.

Chief Rado just stared at me blankly before giving out a sigh. “And to think they didn’t check you for any appointment letter...I didn’t know if that’s lucky or not. Anyway, even if you do it out of curiosity, your name is listed under both the Carrier and Watcher division. Do you have your signet and plaque with you now?”

Nodding, I placed the items requested on the table – I always brought them about my person. “Did I do something wrong?”

“What?”

“You are taking them away, right? Am I going to be fired?”

“No, you are not being fired, and I’m taking them because they are inappropriate for your rank and line of duty now. Here’s your new signet, plaque and appointment letter,” the chief said as he gave me a small pouch. I look into it and found a silver signet, a silver plaque, and a rolled parchment. The parchment mentioned that I had a supervisor rank for both Carrier and Watcher. “Do you have any more questions?” the chief’s voice brought me back to reality.

“No, sir.”

“All right, and now let me congratulate you on your promotion.”

“Thank you, sir.”

That night I shared the good news with my family and we held a small feast as commemoration.

At first I thought it would have trouble fitting into my new responsibility, but it was baseless. I continued doing may regular work at Nyra, and I did my Carrier duty, along with Watcher duty, when I need be, and I thought everything would continue on like this when the world was thrown into a crisis.

As much as I wanted my life to be full of excitement, I never wanted to involve myself in any kind of crisis, but fate would have none of that and thrown one down on to my lap. It started as a rumors brought by travelling merchants, traders and mercenaries alike, talking about the band of people trying to take control of the Medie Territories – Medie Territories was a vast plain situated to the northwest of Trealm and home to countless tribesmen which made and followed their own rule. Mercenaries and regular staffs were sent out to collect information and to prove the authenticity of the rumors. I was not involved with the assignment so I had no idea how it progress from there, except that they obtained lots and lots of information about the subject, and deemed it as something of concern. Therefore, the upper echelons of Mecor decided to invite all people concerned for a meeting to discuss the matter, and paired a mercenary with a regular staff to personally give away the invitations. Because it was part of my obligation to Mecor, I could not stay out of this. Yet, I knew there was bound to be some problem when I read the details of my supposed partner in this assignment.

“What? This kid’s going to be my partner?” the mercenary sound baffled when Director Malkovich, the introduced us to each other.

“So, can I excuse myself from this operation?” I turned to the director hopeful.

“Sorry, Zachary, I can’t spare you.”

“Can I swap places with him?” Dimitry interjected.

“What’s wrong with you and Dane?” Dane was Dane Ambereyes, who was three years older than me, though he has served as a mercenary of Mecor since he was fourteen due to some special circumstances. By the way, Dane was a Warding Mage and a Gold level mercenary.

“Nothing except that I’m not comfortable around people with abilities,” he answered. Well, even I knew that was a total bull. After all, he had been with Mecor for more than ten years, and I could imagine him interacting with a number of mages through out that period. Besides, I knew Director Malkovich did not like to swap people the people since each one had been chosen according to their compatibility with the assignment. Though, if he wanted to resolve the current issue, he had to agree with what the mercenary said.

“Okay, you and Zachary can swap places. But only you and him,” the director finally said to Dimitry while stressing the last word as not to encourage any swapping from the others.

“That’s more like it,” the mercenary beamed happily.

“I would have preferred to do nothing,” I said under my breath as I passed by Dimitry to make my way toward Dane Ambereyes.

“And let you off the hook? You know me better than that,” Dimitry replied, chuckling away.

“It seems that you’re stuck with me,” I told Dane when I reached him.

“I’m not complaining,” He said simply.

“By the way, what’s our task?”