Meeting the clients (Orc Brothers)

Helena had been directed by the guild’s staff to a nearby merchant’s guild, and after explaining her purpose to the front desk secretary she’d been led into a small meeting room. A few minutes after Helena, a pair of people arrived. One was a middle-aged man, lean and prematurely balding (likely due to stress) and wearing simple traveling clothes. Behind him came a brunette in similar traveling clothes who had a sword at her hip.

The man walked up, offering a handshake. “Hello ma’am. My name is Dav Etiel, of Etiel Trading. Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of us, we aren’t a big name.”

“And I’m his sister, Van. I’m usually in charge of our security, but he insisted we call in help.”

Helena nodded. “My name is Helena Markel, I’m the one who took up your job request.”

“I was hoping we could get a party…” Dav said.

“Then you should’ve offered more,” Van replied. “Honestly we were lucky to get anyone at that price.” She looked Helena up and down. “I figured you were some newbie who couldn’t get other work, but you at least seem to be in good shape. You feel confident you can take on an orc?”

“I can defeat both if need be,” Helena replied.

Van laughed. “You’re certainly confident! Well, the main reason I’m allowing my brother to do this is because I could take them one at a time but not both at once. All you have to do is stall one while I take down the other, then I can clean up.”

Helena shook her head. “I assure you, I can hold my own.”

Van hummed a bit, as if thinking about Helena’s words, and then suddenly drew her sword and slashed straight at Helena’s neck.

But Helena vanished from the spot she sat as soon as steel left the sheath, and had used wind magic to blow herself behind Van. Her own sword was drawn, and gently poked the older woman’s back. “I take it you were trying to test me. Is it safe to say I pass?”

Van laughed. “Hell yeah you do! I’d have taken not pissing yourself as a win, but you seem to be worth way more than thirty gold. You sure you accepted the right job?”

Dav, who’d been scared witless when his sister suddenly drew her sword, finally found his voice. “Sister, please do not discourage her-”

“I just want to make sure she didn’t see an extra zero on that bounty or something, because I can assure you she’d be worth it.”

Helena sheathed her own sword. “It’s okay. I don’t worry too much about money when I take jobs. My priority is to see the work gets done.” With that, she sat back down. “Now, could we go over what is required?”