“How boring!” George exclaimed as he fell onto his bed. He had spent the last few days making sure that Jack was safe, but also checking on the various quests. Other than some creature slaying quests, there wasn’t much for him to do. No recent bandit sightings, no kidnappers, not even lost kittens.

His fingers twitched, wanting to grab a phantom bottle, but he kept the cravings at bay. He had a drink or two a day, but kept it at that. His body wasn’t able to handle it though and he would often break out in sweats in the nights, but he needed to keep clear headed to protect Jack. Well, clear headed enough to think well enough to protect the young man, but not clear headed enough that he couldn’t tap into his Swaying Drunken Sword Art.

When he awoke the next morning he saw the guild was abuzz. As he stumbled down the steps, he noted that Don was holding out a dagger, one which was gleaming silver and blue. He caught Don’s look and the man nodded for him to approach.

“What’s that in your hands?” George asked, only to realise what it was. “Is that a cobalt dagger?”

“That’s right,” Don said. “Two parts cobalt. The boy made it on his first try.”

George raised his brow, as though doubting the accomplishment. On the inside he was screaming. ‘Jack! What are you doing? If you were able to make it the first time, pretend you failed!’ He could already feel his years fall away to the panic which was besetting him. How would he be able to protect Jack from all the greedy nobles if the young man continued to do such ridiculous things?

“What?” Don asked. “You can’t poach the boy, so don’t think about it.”

“The boy’s got some skill, but it’s probably just luck.” George dropped down to a seat nearby, as though he was suddenly lethargic. That was because he was suddenly lethargic, thinking about all the effort it would take for him to protect Jack. ‘Little Jack! You’ll be the death of me!’

“Luck is a skill in its own right,” Don said, smiling down at George. “You look like you haven’t slept too well. You alright?”

“That’s normal for me,” George replied.

Don nodded, leaving it at that. Mercenaries all had their issues and it wasn’t best to pry into them. “Morning orders will be closing on the hour, so don’t forget to order up while you still can.”

George dragged himself up, feeling as though he was completely made of iron as he stumbled his way to the front desk. He saw Alice there writing in a small book, which she quickly slipped away once he was close. “Morning,” he said.

“Morning.” Alice smiled her practised smile. “Morning order?”

“Yeah. I’ll probably go for some porridge today.”

“No potatoes?” Alice asked, surprised. Usually he would order scrambled eggs, a chicken breast, and three potatoes, buttered liberally.

“Today feels like a porridge day,” George said.

Alice thought on the statement as though it was truly profound. George sighed and then tried his luck at the wall, wondering if I had been updated. To his surprise there had been several new quests plastered up against the wall. His eyes scanned the area until he came across a particular request.

Category: Slay

Creature: Iron Snake

Requirements: High Iron First Core

Rewards: 50GP+G

Fifty gold pieces was a fine enough reward, but it seemed the guild was also willing to buy the materials for slightly higher than typical. He wondered if it had anything to do with Jack, but he also realised that this could be a good chance for Jack to practise using the Iron Snake’s materials. He smiled to himself and then made his way to the front desk where Alice was writing in her book again.

“I’ll add a few drinks to my order, and I’ll take this quest too.” George placed down the poster onto the desk.

“Plate please,” she said. As George placed it down, Alice confirmed that he was the right rank and then wrote something down in a different book. “Please take care when dealing with the Iron Snake. It may be quite slow, but it is extremely tough. I would recommend that you reflect on your strength before choosing this quest.”

“An Iron Snake is no big deal for me,” George said, smiling. He pointed his thumb at his chest. “I can beat it.”

Alice bowed her head slightly, wondering if George was perhaps overestimating himself. She recalled the fight with Don, the way he moved with much more grace than she expected, and then the fact that he asked for more drinks right before he set off to go and slay this creature. Was there more to him than met the eye?

George ate his meal and then left, heading to where the poster had told him. The Iron Snake seemed to be north east of the city, and was within a couple of days journey. He wasn’t worried about Jack since he’d be safe in the city for a few days without his supervision.

He remembered how he had returned to the guild and the young man had proclaimed that he was Chief Bloodwall’s son. ‘There’s no way you can get into any more trouble, right?’ Suddenly he felt his stomach gurgle with nervousness, but he shook the thought away.

He travelled with greater speed, even travelling into the night. As he approached the top of a rocky ravine, he heard something large and heavy begin to move nearby. His ears twitched and he smiled, glancing over the edge of the ravine in the ground and then saw a large form begin to shoot up towards him.

He pulled back right as the snake shot up, the ground rumbling as it blurred with its swiftness. He managed to raise his sword just in time to clash with the creature’s head with the side of his sword. He could feel his muscles burn as they met one another.

“Hello there,” George said, smiling towards the creature. The pair pulled back from one another, the snake slithering onto the land near him. The journey had been so quick, he didn’t expect to face the creature with very little trouble.

The snake dashed forward towards him, like a speeding arrow. He leapt up above it as it slammed into the earth, causing the edge of the ravine to crumble. It slithered across the land so its entire body was now on the ground.

“You’re a big girl,” George said, landing down nearby. His body was just beginning to warm up. He smiled at the beast and then readied himself as the two faced one another. He remained still as the moon and stars caught the dull scales of the creature.

It was darker than he expected, the colour of charcoal, and its eyes were pure black. There was an intelligence behind those eyes, for this creature was certainly a threat for someone in the later stages of Iron. It was long too, about fifty metres in length. It could easily swallow him hole with that giant maw. Warriors in High Iron First Stage would have trouble facing this creature, but it was unfortunate for it that George was much stronger.

“It’s a shame for you that I haven’t stretched like this for a while,” he said, smiling at the creature. He could feel the itch in his body, the need for a true fight. He stared up at it, his eyes twinkling. “Come at me!” He leapt forward as the creature coiled up and then shot forth again, the pair clashing once more. The ground around them shook, the trees nearby trembled as though they were in fear of the two.

George inhaled deeply as he then planted his feet firmly along the creature’s hard scales and then leapt up. The Iron Snake opened its maw wide and lunged for him, though very quickly snapped its jaw shut and then twisted away, noting the heavy blow which was about to come.

“Swaying Drunken Sword Art,” George said, calling forth one of the techniques he had learnt, “Taking The First Step.” He slashed down vertically, as though trying to cut it like he were cutting a cake. The beam which emerged from him shot down, slamming into the creature’s hard scales.

The Iron Snake shuddered and hissed out angrily. The scales had dented slightly, though it only made George smile. “You’re tougher than you look!” His laugh echoed nearby as he swung his sword once again, though this time the Iron Snake took the initiative and spun around, its giant tail swinging wildly towards George.

“Swaying Drunken Sword Art, Empty Bottle Returns!” This time George took the full force of the blow, feeling his body bruise under its might. He fell backwards in the air as he felt every single throb of his body, but as he fell he swung his blade towards its general direction. The force of the blow only amplified his attack, as this was a technique which absorbed a blow one had taken only to channel it through one’s sword.

The creature cried out in pain, hissing again as it stared up at George, enraged. It had never faced anything which could have harmed it. Its scales had always protected it, but not this tiny being had harmed it twice! It spun around wildly, blurring together with its speed and size.

George landed on his feet and watched it spin and blur. “Hmm…” He reached down to grab his wineskin, understanding that he’d need a little more strength in order to deal with this creature. He drank down the entirety of his wineskin, the sweet wine filling him with a drunken warmth. The creature had finished its preparations as well as it uncoiled upwards and came crashing down towards him like a falling tornado.

“Swaying Drunken Sword Art, Stumbling In The Dark.” George stumbled towards the creature, though as he stumbled he also waved his sword wildly and shot out dozens of attacks. The pair seemed to be like two tornadoes coming together to meet one another.

The Iron Snake landed on top of George, crushing him underneath. The pain from the wild swings had been enough only to barely slow it down, but it had finally managed to crush George with its mighty body. It then slithered all across him, pinning him against the ground in order to really beat the man before it slithered around to look down at the damage.

George lay there in the new crevice which had formed from the force of the Iron Snake crushing him underneath like a pebble into sand. The Iron Snake then opened its maw and crashed down towards the earth with no fear, its fangs easily able to crush rocks, its jaw strength making the rocks like crackers before it.

“Swaying Drunken Sword Art,” George said as the creature swallowed him, its body beginning to constrict him from all around. ‘How soft,’ he thought for a moment. “Waking With The Dawn.” He clutched at his sword tightly and then thrust it forward. The sword pierced through the soft, wet, jelly like flesh and then through its hard scale. The sword poke out through the outside and he cut downwards, slicing through the creature as though it was made of paper. The entire creature’s back tore open, a gap of twenty metres at least, as it hissed out in pain.

George reached up, grabbing either slide of the newly formed slit, and then emerged from the back of the snake as though he had just been born a new man. He looked up towards the dark sky and then down towards the creature, which quivered and twitched.

George leapt off the creature and wiped the slime off of himself. He could feel the dull ache of pain through his body, though the alcohol left some of it at bay. He walked over towards the Iron Snake’s head and then pat it, noticing how hazy its eyes were.

“Let me put you out of your misery,” he said. “Swaying Drunken Sword Art, Waking With The Dawn.” He cut through its skull and slashed down, cutting the entire snake directly in half. As it fell apart, like a snapped biscuit, George watched as something appeared from the newly formed gap he had cut.

He ducked backwards as a blade cut barely across his forehead, causing blood to trickle against an eye, but he slid away and swiped the blood away from him. “How rude,” he said, looking to see various shadows emerging from the darkness around him. “If you wanted to say hello, you could have said it nicely.” He gripped his blade loosely in one hand and let it sway from side to side. “Don’t blame me for being so rude.”