The Iron Mercenary

Ch. 1 The Mercenary Lord

A brown furred dire boar is seen roaming on top of a hill with a person laying on a blanket near it. The boar's eyes are an unusual shade of yellow. The tusks are long slowly curving up with a tint of yellow. It ducked it's head to the grass as he munched on the fibrous plants.

The man, Iron, who was laying beside the boar had blonde hair. His eyes were closed as his face moved with his snoring. He wore a light brown long sleeve shirt with a black leather vest. On his head he wore a brown head band with a white tree pattern. The brown linen pants that the man wore moved as his legs shifted in his sleep. His feet kicked having the metal boots clank. He turned over as he snored on the brown blanket.

There was a saddle and saddle bags that he was using as a pillow under his head. A light lance was laying beside him on his left. It had a chain at the hilt that linked to the saddle bags. A belt was laid beside the blanket with 15 foot and a half long metal darts.

Down the hill were three women sitting on blankets and two guys. One of the guys, Maul, had tanned skin and was older with balding head with the remaining hair was gray. His eyes were a white ice like two snow balls. His clothes were rich blue and as a cloak suggesting he would be a magic user. His feet wore a pair of blue sandals with silver plates on his ankles.

Another man, White, was dressed in a green pair of linen pants with brown cloth wrapped around his calves. He wore several bundles of brown socks to protect his feet. He did not wear a shirt showing his well developed abs and pecs. On his back were several scars showing his years of discipline and dedication to conflict. On his brown belt were a pair of one handed norn axes with a slightly shorter helve each. His long orange hair went down to his mid back being tied into a bushy tail. The white eyes seemed to state his blindness.

The three women that were sitting on a purple blanket were all beautiful. Just as the men were handsome. The first woman, Blade, had brown hair done in a bun with a sheathed dagger holding in the middle of the bun. The hair was held by a string to make sure the hair didn't unravel. Her brown eyes looked down at the nursing baby at her bosom. She wore a red cloth on her shoulders that was currently an open wrap. Her skirt was long and pink with white frills.

The second woman, Star, had tanned skin and was currently holding her belly protectively. She was pregnant with a yellow cloth dress covering the top half of her healthy body. She wore a pair of green linen pants with a black belt. Her green hair was in a pony tail with curled bangs and the right parted part of her hair in curls while the other half was straight. Her eyes were like two orbs of the sky at sun set.

The last woman, Cinna, that sat on the blanket with the others had a bob of black hair. Her deep-set orange eyes were like two chunks of amber. She wore a yellow wrap around her bosom exposing her left shoulder. A pin held the two ends of the yellow fabric tightly in place. She wore a green cloth on her right shoulder with two pins holding it to the yellow chest wrap. Her midriff was exposed with a silver stud on her belly button. She wore a pair of green shorts and had a mace on her. There were two cross bows ground behind the women.

A voice could be heard in the distance as a young boy was running to the field. He saw the flag that was by the five people at the bottom of the hill. The flag had a boar sitting under an orange tree. Hollering the boy said to the five, “Boar clan, Boar clan!”

Maul stood up as he walked to meet the boy. The boy pulled out from his bag a purse and a scroll. Maul took the paper as he looked at it. The boy then said to Maul, “My master would like your master to handle a mission for him. I have a purse and instructions of the mission.”

Maul nodded as he walked to the hill, “Please pay respect to the Ladies of our clan. Perhaps Lady Cinna will attend to you or offer you some food for his journey.”

The boy replied to Maul, “No, no, I don't need any of your food. It is above me master.”

Maul stopped as he said to the boy, “I am not your master. I am but a servant like you. You will eat our food if offered or you will bring your master dishonor.”

The boy nodded as he then sat down by the women. The ladies giggled at the boys conversation. Maul resumed his walk up the hill as he walked up the incline. Cinna reached into a basket as she pulled out some beef. It was preserved with salt and was presented to the boy. He began to eat the slice of beef that was put on a wooden plate for him. A pair of celery sticks and an orange was placed on the plate. The boy began to eat the fish with his hands instead of the utensils provided to him.

Maul walked up the hill as he reached top he heard the boar emit a noise. Iron woke up as his eyes opened to the noise the dire boar made. His iron colored eyes went to his belt of darts. He snapped his arm to the belt as he grabbed one of the darts.

He spun the metal rod as he held it at Maul's gut. He then sighed as he said to him closing his eyes and lowering his weapon, “What do you want Maul?”

Maul then said to him, “Master Iron, we have a mission.”

Sighing Iron reached into one of his saddle bags. He threw the boar an orange as it made a squeal of happiness as it caught the orange and began to chomp on it. Iron then said as he stood up dusting of his pants, “Alright, lets get saddled up. You can tell me on the way.”

Iron then shouted to the boar, “Pig, get to it.”

Pig oinked as he walked up to the saddle. Iron put the saddle on his dire boar. He put his belt full of darts on as he grabbed the lance chain and unclipped it off the saddle bags. He clipped the chain to the right side where a silver ring. He took a strap of leather and pulled it around the handle of the light lance as he took the button to the other half of the snap button on his belt. Iron finished attaching the saddle bags to Pig as he got on Pig's back. He clicked his tongue as the boar began to go down the hill. Maul walked with the pair as they finally got down the hill.

Blade had put a pin through the yellow wrap as she hid her bosom. She then put the baby into a carrier as she put on the carrier. She stood up as she grabbed a crossbow with a crank on the side allowing it to repeat shots.

Star grabbed her crossbow as she was assisted up by White. White then took the purse from the boy as he tossed it to Iron. Iron opened the purse as he counted the coins inside. He then said to the messenger boy, “So, let me guess, this is an advance of the larger payment.”

The messenger boy nodded as he replied to man on the dire boar, “Yes, the master is dealing with a monster on the Dry River bank. We need a master of battle and magic to defeat the monster's cult and the monster itself.”

Iron replied the messenger, “Alright, we'll do it. We're going to be moving out now everyone.”

Everyone nodded as they began to get on the dire goats that were nearby. There were six goats that were pulling a coach. Blade, Star and Cinna got into the coach as Maul got on the coach. He took the reins as White got on a single dire goat. The messenger boy began to run after returning the plate to the Boar clan. The clan moved out as they followed the boy to the Dry River.

The messenger boy then asked Iron a question, “Master Iron, I have a question. May I ask it?”

Iron replied with his eyes closing, “You just ask one.”

The boy looked confused as Maul then told to the boy, “Ask it boy before the Master gets cruel.”

Grinning Iron chuckled at his servants words. He enjoyed hearing Maul's comments. He then listened to the boy's question, “Why is a master like yourself a traveler instead of owning a castle or land?”

Iron grinned as he said losing his grin becoming serious, “While my father may have gambled away my people's lands and lords came to take it. I challenged them to a fight. If I won against their 5 greatest warriors in a five on one fight. Then each lord would grant me lordship with no land allowing me to collect money to pay off my fathers debt. And so, I killed 5 warriors at a time of 9 different lords. I killed all 45 warriors. Finally the tenth lord, Lance of the North, decided to forfiet rather than see his five best men die. I accepted his forfeit on the condition that I marry available daughters of his best warriors. He agreed and I married three great warrior daughters and beautiful women. I even have a son of my own now. So, I hope that answers your question.”

The messenger boy nodded as he walked with the group. Iron opened his eyes as he then leaped off his boar. He charged grabbing his light lance off his belt. He lifted it up as he thrust his metallic cone sword.

A being dodged it as it then appeared to show it's true insect like flesh. It looked like a cicade that walked on two legs and hunched backed with four arms holdings whips.

White pulled out his axes as he spun them and leapped off the dire goat. He took the axes in a cross formation to protect him as he got in front of master. The whips struck at White as he then pulled on them as they wrapped around the axes. The cicada monster flew towards White as Iron pulled out a dart. He then threw his dart at it's head as brains and blood painted the dirt.

Sighing Iron then said as he slipped his lance back onto his belt, “Well that was a close one.”

The messenger boy stared in awe at the skill of master Iron. He watched how Iron picked up the dart and began to wipe it of the blood and guts. He then got back on his boar as he said to White, “Lets get going. The Dry River Bank is a few days away. We'll stop by the first inn thanks to this advance. And we'll take care of the beast soon.”

White nodded as he got on his goat. The party soon got into a village after traveling about 6 miles. The village had one large building that had a sign telling people that it was an Inn. It even had a complimentary barn for the patrons animals.

Getting off his boar Iron took the boar to the barn as he reached into his newly acquired purse. He pulled out two copper coins as he gave them to the barn keeper. He then said to Pig, “Pig, be kind and courteous, and I'll get you a leg of meat.”

The boar squealed with happiness as it went into the barn obediently. The keeper looked at the boar as if it were a nice juicy meal. Iron then said to the keeper, “If I taste pig for dinner or breakfast, then you will not be eating for years. Make sure he stays in his stall and no where else.”

The keeper nodded as the dire goats were taken into stalls as well. The goats began to eat grasses that were supplied to them. A bag of oats with three bananas was given to Pig. Pig began to eat the meal it was given as it munch into the feed bag.

Iron walked into the inn as he then pulled out five gold coins from the purse. He then said to the inn keeper, “I believe 5 gold will cover a room my wives and I plus a servant. How much for a single room for a single servant plus a boy?”

The messenger boy was startled as he was about to say something. Maul shook his head as the boy nodded. The inn keeper replied to Iron, “It'll be 3 silver.”

Iron pulled out said three silver as he put it on the counter. The inn keeper took the three silver that was placed on the counter. Iron then took out of the purse four cooper and two silver. He then put it into an black purse with a gold badge on it that showed the symbol of his clan's flag. He tied up the string as he put it on the counter with six cooper, “Put this out for the morning delivery. I need to go to the Lord of the North. I believe this should cover the fee.”

Inn keeper nodded as Iron gave the rest of the purse to Cinna. He then said to her with a smile, “Please go and pick us up some food. I'll have White escort you.”

White nodded as Cinna and him walked out of the Inn. Iron then said to the Inn Keeper, “My wife will be requiring your kitchen when she gets back. I expect there to be no fee if we use our own food. And if you think about conning me, just know that I am Lord Iron of the Boar Clan.”

The Inn Keeper nodded as he then said giving them two keys, “Here are the room keys. I just ask that you eat your meal in the dining room where there are tables.”

Smiling Iron replied to him, “Of course, your house your rules. Maul remind you will come out to the dining room with us at dinner time. I'll have Cinna alert you the time later.”

Maul nodded at his master's command. Maul said to the messenger boy, “Come boy.”

The messenger boy walked with Maul to their room. They took one of the rooms in the servants hall way. Iron walked with Star and Blade into the masters hall. As they got to a room Blade took off her baby carrier. She smiled at her little boy as she said looking at his blue eyes, “Oh, Night, how are you my little boy.”

Night cooed at his mother's words. Iron then went to Star as he hugged her from behind. He then said to her with his lips on her neck, “Just a few months and we'll be holding one just like Night.”

Smiling Star then said as she felt her baby just roll, “They haven't kicked at all. I want to name them Calm, because they are so calm in the womb.”

Iron nodded as he said kissing her neck, “Of course my wife.”

Blade then said to Iron, “Iron, beloved, I'd like another baby. This time a little girl, to dress up and impress the sons of lords with.”

Iron smiled as he said to the lovely woman, “It'll be my pleasure to try.”

Iron then said as he laid on the bed, “Well if you can put Night to sleep then we'll get started.”

With Cinna and White

Cinna walked with White as she looked at the different food in the market area. She looked at the pineapples, carrots, lettuce, oranges and other produce. Cinna then gave a few copper coin for two oranges, four peppers, a head of lettuce and three pineapples. She then went to the meat vendor as she looked at the fish, chicken, deer, lamb and beef. She looked at the varying meats as she looked at her last four cooper and two silver. She selected two fishes, a pair of deer shanks and a single cow steak. She pair all her money with the exception of two copper. The rest of the copper went towards a bottle of honey and a small bag of salt.

Cinna began to walk towards the inn. White walked behind her ever so close just to make sure she was protected. His right hand was always near his right axe. He walked into the Inn with her as he walked towards the master hall. Cinna opened the door as she looked inside and saw that Iron was being pleasured by his other wives. She blushed as she pulled away from the room and closed the door. She then turned to White as she said to him, “Let's just go to the kitchen.”