The Mercenary

Chapter 1

Dark, menancing boots slammed down into the muddy earth, the dark matter sticking to them. The rain washed away at it, again, and again, step after step. The black cloak, that covered the wearer to the knees offered little protection against the rain and wind, being ragged, ripped apart in battles from many years before.

The cold earthen path leading through the treeline was the only way for the traveler to follow. But the conditions of his travel was one taken with little to no interest, for him, a general occurance. He walked forward, seemingly wearing a colder air than the one around him.

But the traveller's misfortune seemed to end, as in the distance, sticking out of the trees, was placed a large cabin. It had 2 floors, and was wide and imposing, with no windows in sight, except for one at the very top, in the middle of the building.

A sign had been carved above the cabin's door, with it's name being uttered by the wanderer, as if recalling many things.

"Ignis..." He exhaled a rather large sigh, while looking at the inn in front of him, as if questioning his reasons of coming here.

Shaking his head, he stepped forward and opened the door.

The first floor was rather normal looking, the typical tavern. A bar, plenty of barrels of cheap booze, a number of tables and chairs, with plenty of people now staring at him.

His eyes seemed to light up, a silent warning filled with so much ill intent, that all of the people previously staring, averted their sight, choosing to stare at anything else other than him.

The wanderer was satisfied, looking at the mass of people in the tavern, his dominance asserted. With that in mind, and with the safety that none of them would try anything, he walked towards the bar with long strides, before plopping himself on a bar-stool.

Looking up, he saw the barmaid finish sweet-talking someone out of their money, before she switched her attention to him. Something seemed to click within her mind, as if she recognized him, as she excused herself from the love-struck client, and made her way to him. Getting closer, she leaned onto the bar, staring at the stranger's hood, while filling a glass with an alchoolic liquid, the color of pale gold.

His favourite drink here.

Taking the glass from her hand, he emptied it in one go, feeling the burn inside his throat. Setting it back onto the counter, he didn't push it towards the barmaid, for a re-fill. Instead, he only planted a few coins on the bar, and stared back at the barmaid, who giggled while looking at him.

She was a fairly beautiful woman, with long brown hair, dark eyes, tanned skin, wearing a simple long dress, most surely not made for her job, but to look good. A red scar crossed over her right cheek, adding a roguish sense of danger to the woman, and making her seem younger than she was.

'Again, she always hid her age well, and that only helped sweet-talk the clients for their money.' The stranger mused to himself, at the fact that the woman nearing her fourties could actually pass as being in her young twenties, and charm guys half her actual age.

It was then that the woman started speaking.

"My, my, my, what brings the big, bad Blaze Demon around these parts, forgotten by the world?"

Then, she leaner over more, giving him an ample view of cleaveage from the low-cut dress, and whispered into his ear.

"Do you know what they say about you these days?"

She paused for a second, as if wanting to see his reaction before she told him, but only received a deadpan, which caused her to pout.

"Ruin my fun, why don't you?"

Rolling her eyes, she continued, not expecting any remark from the person in front of her.

"They say you can do anything for the right price. You've become quite a legend since you left this place, haven't you?"

The stranger took his hood off, revealing pink hair, black eyes, and a large scar stretching from above his right eye, over it, over the bridge of his nose, and finally reaching his lower cheek.

"Natsu." The barmaid finished, saying his name for the first time.

Not even acknowledging her use of his name, and instead, opting to finally push his glass towards him, for a re-fill, which the barmaid complied with.

Taking a small sip of it this time, to enjoy the taste, he sat the glass down.

"I just had a mission around these parts, and stopped by, until the storm picked up. That's all, don't fancy yourself special."

The barmaid just grinned again, looking at him amused.

"I knew you cared!"

A snort was her only answer.

Taking another sip, this time slightly larger than the previous one, he asked the first question that popped into his mind.

"How's the old man?"

Apparently, it had been the wrong question to ask, as the barmaid winced.

'Ah... I see...'

Looking at the glass in his hand, he knocked back the drink, setting the glass aside.

"For how long?"

"A little bit over a year."

The response had been a little bit too quick, he figured she would already have been prepared for that question.

He sighed heavily again, staring at the now empty glass on the bar.

"I couldn't find anyone to send you the news. The burial was made a day after. It's in the backyard..."

Natsu understood quite feel what she implied, 'You can go pay your respects, just don't get seen by anyone.'

He nodded, to show his appreciation to her, turned around and left, uttering his goodbye.

"I guess we won't see eachother for a while now Camille...Do your best."

Slinging the hood back onto his head, he left the bar, an overwhelming silence pressing the inn, as his aura became colder and colder.

Camille's final goodbye was lost into his stray thoughts, and will probably be remembered later.

Now he had an old friend to visit.

Exiting the inn, he stuck to the shadows as he neared the backyard, before coming to view.

It was a large clearing made by man, tree stumps lying around still rooted. Natsu lightly traced the edge of one, recalling happy memories of him and the old man working here.

Moving forward, with no path inscribed, he only walked towards where he knew the old man's grave would be.

Reaching a small bump of earth which he walked up with steady legs, he reached the place.

On top of the small hill was ever-present, the one tree that Natsu had been forbidden from touching will ill intent. He still remembered the old man showing it to him for the first time.

'Laddie, this is the one tree in this entire forest that you can't cut, mistreat or harm. It's because this sakura tree was planted by my wife, and it's my last memory of her, you hear? It's the tree where I decided that when I die, I'll be buried under. Now go help the lass with the bar, will ya'?'

Smiling, he looked at the base of the tree, and spotted what he was looking for.

Stepping forward, his hand brushed against the cold stone, reading the inscription of the gravestone.

Here lies Rudeus Vranko

Caring and Loving Father

x703-x782

Looking with cold dead eyes at the gravestone, he started talking.

"Hey there old man...I'd ask how you are doing, but I doubt you can answer, so I'll tell you what i've been up to for the last 5 years."

Taking a deep breath, he started telling his story.

"Ever since I've left, I've started to understand how the world works, how everything that I wondered about before, and raged about nothing making sense, tied itself together. It's been an eventfull 5 years, in which I have had plenty of both good and bad.

I won't start enumerating everything I've done, since unfortunately, while you have all the time in the world, I don't...

I've had some run-ins with dark mages, demons, and a troublesome guild named Fairy Tail. They're an annoying bunch, filled with morons that spout of friendship, and stuff like that... But they mean well.

All those adventures left me with, as you would say, the scars for the ladies..."

Natsu chuckled emptily, before he snuffed it out, like a campfire.

"But it also gave me experience, and more problems than I care to count. I also got a little brat which I taught for a little while. She has some serious drive, and talent for the sword. Her name is Kagura.

I basically became a sword-for-hire guy, Not for money, not for contacts, I just travel the world and pick a mission or two where I go to provide me enough money for living expenses, but with how much i generally get for a mission, I reckon i will only need to work for one more year until I don't need to anymore for the next 10. But I probably won't stop doing it, need to keep my skills sharp.

You taught me as much, and believe me..."

Grasping firmly behind his head, he pulled out from under the cloak a greatsword.

Grey, with a long, but tin handle, it was nearly 1 meter and a quarter long, and weighing well over 60 kilograms. No other markings were specific, it was simple, made to do work, made with precise craftsmanship, and more importantly made with a single goal in mind, and that was to kill anything considered a threat.

"This won't be getting rusty anytime soon, and neither will I.

Sheathing back the sword, he wiped a lone tear out of his eyes, and then turned around to leave, the same cold look as before settling in his eyes.

It was then that he saw it, out of the corner of his eye, the moving shadow.

'It's already time huh?'

Nodding one last time at the grave, a sign of respect, he ran into the forest as fast as he could as the sun started setting. Seeing this only made him run faster, as the shadow followed him, soon being joined by more of it's kind. More and more swarmed, as Natsu made a mad dash to the center of the forest.

Reaching it, the sun had finally set, and he realized there was no more time.

He pulled out his blade again, from the massive sheat on his back, and prepared, as the shadows manifested again.

Countless, forming black skulls and bones, spirits twistead by their desire to finally leave this world through the object that Natsu held on his person.

One-handing the massive blade, he pulled from beneath the cloak, a necklance with a jewel on it. It was a red diamond, filled with magical power to the brim, it's use unknown. But Natsu knew one thing, and that was that these things wanted it, and he wasn't planning on giving it to them.

Smirking, he challenged them, pulling the jewel to view.

"You want this? Well then...That's just too bad isn't it?"

As they charged at him, he swung his sword.

It was going to be a long night, like all the other's before it.