Final Fantasy VII: Lifestream - Book 1: Arrival

TWO

"So, Tifa," I asked. "Any jobs around here I can do?"

It was early morning of the following day, light peeking in through the windows of the Seventh Heaven. I was finishing breakfast as I sat at the bar, but the room was empty except for Tifa and I. As it was posted on the sign next to the door outside, the Seventh Heaven wouldn't open until later in the day. It was pretty much a dinner and drinks place and was barely inhabited until evening. I liked it better this way, though. It was a lot quieter, and I'd never been fond of crowds.

After returning from Jessie's place last night, I had eaten the dinner that Tifa had kept in the oven for me. When I was finished, she had led me upstairs to a spare room just down the hall from her own. Inside it was a bed with a clean sheet and pillow. We had sat and talked for a bit, and she had thanked me for helping Jessie. I had thought about asking Tifa about her, but at the time, I'd just been too tired to worry about it. So after putting my things aside, I had just told Tifa goodnight instead. Smiling, she had said the same before leaving the room, but I'd already been laying down by then and had been asleep in moments.

Tifa sat a few stools to the right, nibbling on her own food. "What did you have in mind?"

"Swordwork," I answered. "Something where I can put my skills to use and earn some money. That's why I came here."

She pursed her lips in thought. "I might have a few ideas."

"Such as?" I asked.

"The slums aren't exactly the safest place to live, Cloud. And thugs aren't the only danger. Monsters wander around down here, picking off anyone they can find. Nothing you couldn't handle, but most people in this place don't have your talents."

I looked at her. "So what's the job?"

"I have a friend who patrols the outskirts every day for a few hours and takes out any monsters he finds, as many as he can. And that used to be enough to keep them away from town. But lately, there have been a lot more of them, and they've been showing up closer to home, too. I don't have any idea why, though."

"Go on," I told her.

She nodded. "We could really use your help, Cloud. Give my friend a hand out there and I'll pay you from the bar's funds for every kill you make. And if you do good enough, well... it could lead to other work if you really want it."

"What sort of work?" I wondered.

"We can talk about that later," Tifa answered. "So what do you say, Cloud? Will you help us?"

As long as it paid well, I didn't have any problem with it, although I was curious about what she had meant by other work. But I figured she wasn't about to tell me right now, so I pushed back my plate and folded my arms in front of me. "I'm in. When do I start?"

"Today, if you want. He's out there right now, actually."

That was fine with me. "Alright. A hundred gil a head. If they even have heads, that is."

"Fifty," Tifa countered. "Let's start small and work our way up."

I shook my head. "Seventy-five. I've got expenses."

She smirked at me. "Sixty. Final offer."

"Deal," I agreed. "Anything else?"

"That's about it, Cloud," Tifa said. "Oh, there was one other job you could do, too, if you want."

"What's that?"

She looked at me. "The attack on Jessie last night got me thinking. She makes deliveries every day as part of her job she fixes and sells all kinds of computers, tablets, and other gadgets as well as equipment for water filtration and storage and with all the trails around here getting more dangerous lately, I'd feel a lot better if someone would go with her to keep her safe and walk her home at night."