Ironhart Part 2
The travel to the Bed Rock Kingdom was grueling for Koga. Not because he misjudged just how far he'd have to go, having to leave Dreamland entirely, not because he ran out of food and drinking water, or because they kept running into bandits or vicious creatures. It was because of his headache from listening to Bean, Elfo, and Luci. Throughout the Journey, Koga, on the receiving end of listening to Elfo's constant—"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are there yet? Hey Koga, hey Koga, hey Koga, are we there yet?" The constant repetition of the exact two words resulted in Koga grabbing Elfo and tossing him into a nearby river. Elfo was sputtering and struggling to get out of the water.
"You know he can't swim, right?" said Bean.
"It's not even that deep," said Koga.
"HEEEEELLLLP!" Elfo cried.
"We can just leave him," said Luci.
"No, we cannot!" Bean glared at Luci. "Even though Koga made the right choice... we're not doing that."
"Ugh…" Koga rubs his head.
After fishing Elfo out of the water, making camp for the night, hanging Elfo's clothes to dry, and sleeping, they continued their journey. It was Bean's turn to try to spice up the trip by playing a game she had just invented.
"Oh, oh, I got an idea for a game!" Bean said excitedly. "It's called I Spy!"
"How do you play?" Elfo asked.
"Like this. I spy with my little eye, um…" She looked around. "I spy with my little eyes...something… um…brown!"
"A tree?" Elfo answered.
"Yes! You got it!" Bean smiled.
"I'm already bored…" Luci groaned.
"Come on, Luci, try it!" said Elfo. "It's fun!"
"Ugh…I spy with my little eye something green, ugly, and annoying,"
Elfo looks around. "Oh, that's a hard one…where did you see that?"
"I'm looking right at it," Luci grinned.
"Ooooh, you're talking about me. HEY!" Elfo slapped Luci, and the two of them began to fight.
"Guys! Knock it off!" Bean said, trying to separate the two.
Koga would end the bickering by grabbing the two of them and tossing them into a nearby pond. Elfo emerged from the water, struggling. "HELP!" He cried.
Luci just stood there, staring at him. "Elfo...it's shallow water…"
"I CAN'T SWIM!" Elfo whaled.
"You know what…" Luci grabbed Elfo's head and placed it into the water, attempting to drown him.
"Are you guys serious?" Bean hops off the horse and runs to break them up.
"All I wanted was a peaceful horse ride across the country…was that so hard to ask?" said Koga, looking up at the bright blue sky. "At least it's pretty out…" Suddenly, clouds emerged, and rain began pouring rain. Koga said nothing, as his hair was wet and covering half of his face. The group's travels were once again interrupted. The group had retreated under a large tree where the rain couldn't drench them. The singular tree was on top of a hill, and they had a nice view of the terrain. The healthy forests, mountains, and sunlight begin to break through the cloudy sky, adding to the beautiful view. The sweet smell of honeysuckles that grew in the trees complemented the breathtaking moment.
Once the rain had finally stopped, they were on their way.
Elfo had his face buried into their map. He glides his finger across it and says, "We were here, here, oh I remember here, I got tossed in a lake here, then a pond, we ran into those hornets here, we got fruit here, and—"
"Elfo, we're here," said Bean.
"Where on the map?"
Bean yanks the map out of Elfo's hands, and he looks forward. "Ooooh, we're finally here!" The elf exclaimed. The horse trotted onto a hill, and the group's eyes fell onto vast, rugged rocky terrain stretching for miles and miles. Rocks of different shapes were shooting out from the ground in various positions. Sitting in the middle of it all was a large castle and a town below them—The Bedrock Castle.
"Whoa…this is the first time I've ever seen this place before," said Bean, in awe.
"That is one big castle…" said Elfo.
"Yeah, it makes the dreamland castle look like a hut," said Luci.
Koga pulls the reins, stopping the horse. "Hey, let me see the map," Bean hands Koga the map and looks at it. "Your brother said that Gregory Ironheart was on the outskirts of the bedrock kingdom, right? We shouldn't have to enter the kingdom itself." He folds the map and places it into his coat pocket.
"We're not going to go in and get anything to eat?" Bean frowned. "I'm starving…and thirsty and need a beer!"
"Yeah, let's go into the kingdom and get some food!" said Elfo.
"Tch, mortals and their need for nourishment. I don't even need to eat food. So while you guys are starving, I can sit back and watch," Luci chuckled. He clears his throat. "I could go for a drink myself, though…" He clicked his tongue.
Koga rolls his eyes and groans. "Fine…we'll get a bite to eat and head off right after." He snaps the reins, and they trot over to the entrance gate of the bedrock kingdom. The knights of the bedrock kingdom confront Bean, Elfo, Luci, and Koga as they approach. The guards are clad in chain mail armor and carry spears in hand.
"HALT!" The guard demanded. "State thy name and purpose for entering the bedrock kingdom!"
"We're hungry!" Elfo stated.
"Guys, let me handle this," said Bean. She clears her throat and places her hand on her chest. "Thy name is Princess Tiabeanie of Dreamland! We are requesting entrance to the bedrock kingdom! Please?"
"Princess Tiabeanie?" The second guard looks at his partner. "You're not here to kill our King, are you?"
"What? No! Why on earth would I want to do that?"
"Well, it's just that...Prince Guysburt died when you almost married him, and our prince died when he went to visit your brother, Prince Tavish,"
"And didn't Merkimer turn into a pig because of you?" said the other guard.
"He does have a point, Bean. You and Tavish have a hefty kill count," said Luci.
"Ugh, will you just let you in already? We don't give a damn about your king or queen or whatever. Move it already!" Koga shouted.
"Well…how rude. Fine then," said The guard. "OPEN THE GATES!" He yelled.
The doors to the Bedrock Kingdom opened, and the group walked through the town's bustling streets. The building structure of the Bed Rock kingdom was much taller and better designed than it was in Dreamland. Some buildings had multiple floors and unique designs that made each stand out. But to Bean, fancy buildings and streets don't matter now. Right now, she, Elfo, and Luci were thirsty and hungry.
"Ok, once we're done here, we head straight for the outskirts. And Bean," Koga looks over at her. "ONE drink," He holds up one finger. "ONE!"
"Yes, DAAAD!" The princess rolls her eyes. That's when a thought occurred to her. "umm…I'm broke. Elfo, do you have any money on you?"
"Why would you ever assume I have money on me?" said Elfo.
"I gambled all of my money away recently," said Luci.
The three of them look over at Koga.
"No way I'm paying for your meals…" said Koga.
The three would then give Koga puppy dog eyes.
"UGH! FINE!" Koga gave in. He began mumbling under his breath as they entered the bar. The three of them wasted no time ordering what was on the menu. Koga, like always, just asked for a glass of water. He rested his chin on his hand, watching them devour their freshly made meals and chug their drinks in one go. As they continued, Elfo overheard two citizens in the background converse. One of them had mentioned heading over to the local Blacksmith to get one of the tools fixed.
"You know, Koga, you could try one of the blacksmiths here," said Elfo. It would save us a lot of trouble, AND we could stay at one of the inns, too!"
Koga pondered on the idea. "Nah, I'd rather go find Gregory,"
"Does it have to be Gregory?" Bean asked.
"Um, yes? Legendary Blacksmith? DUH!" Koga shook his head.
"Fine, fine, whatever," Bean returned to eating her food.
Once they finished eating, they left the bar and headed into town. Koga's eyes scanned the crowd as they walked by. He noticed how many knights and warriors looking to make a name for themselves were scattered in the crowd—some he even recognized. Elfo pointed straight ahead towards a blacksmith shop. The group entered, and the owner, working on a sword, greeted them.
"Welcome to Bob's Metal Works. We make the blades and don't ask any questions. How can I help you?" said the Blacksmith.
"Can you make a colossal sword?" Bean asked.
The Blacksmith's face twisted. "A colossal sword? Why would you need a sword that big?"
"Um, it's not for me. It's for my friend here," She gestured to Koga.
"Oh," The Blacksmith eyed Koga up and down. Yeah, that sounds about right—three thousand gold pieces."
"Three thousand?!" Elfo gasped.
"Do you realize how many resources go into making freakishly large swords like that?" said the Blacksmith.
"I knew these things would cost an arm and a leg," said Luci.
"I take that as currency, too!" said the Blacksmith.
"Anyway, you could give us a discount?" Bean asked.
"No way, " The blacksmith shook his head no. "Why would you want such a big hunk of metal anyway? Spears are better!"
Koga rustles his hair. "Spears are for losers!" He yelled.
"Spears are for skilled warriors who understand the battle. Spears are for the winners!" The Blacksmith shot back.
"THERE FOR LOSERS!" Koga glared.
"WINNERS!" The Blacksmith glared back.
The argument about which weapon was better would continue until Bean finally had enough and dragged Koga away. The group decided to leave town and head to the outskirts of the bedrock kingdom on horseback. On the way there, Koga was mumbling about his argument with the Blacksmith over which weapon was better.
"Why do you spears so much, Koga?" Elfo asked.
"Because they're stupid," Koga replied. "It's a piece of metal on a stick. It's bland, and they make no sense."
"Is it because you can't fight spears?" Luci grinned. "Wow, you're not so mighty after all."
"I can, too, fight spears!" Koga shot back.
"What's wrong, mighty wanderer? You got a bruised ego?" Bean smirked.
Koga grits his teeth. "Shut. Up."
The trio laughed as they entered the outskirts. The surrounding area had less earth than when they arrived. Some parts of the area had odd placements of forest and wildlife. Vines, trees, and flowers sprouted from the ground, entangled the rocks, and wrapped around boulders. It was uncanny and out of place. Everything conflicted with one another. There was a spot where it looked like molten lava was trying to seep through. Nothing made sense.
"What the hell is up with this place? Are you sure we didn't make a wrong turn?" said Bean.
"We should be in a village right now…" said Elfo, reading the map.
"Man…this place is giving me all sorts of weird feelings," Luci shivered.
Koga looked at the ground and saw what seemed to be a large spine bone sticking out from the earth. The further they walked, the more the fossil began to show itself. Finally, they could all make out what it was. It was the skeleton of a giant dragon, its head resting on a bright patch of grass.
"Uh…well…that's not terrifying at all…" Elfo quivered.
"It is just a skeleton, Elfo," said Bean.
"Yeah, it's not like it's going to come alive and attack us or anything," said Luci. "AHHHH OH MY GOD!" Luci shouted. Elfo screamed and covered his face. Luci began laughing and holding his stomach, which Elfo glared and bawled up his fist at Luci.
"This fossil has to be hundreds of years old…" said Koga. "Maybe even older."
"Hey, guys, do you hear yelling?" Bean asked.
They all listened. In the distance, there was a faint sound of a man yelling. They followed the sound of his voice down a hill and continued until they saw a group of people standing before a large steel home. The person yelling was a man wearing a complete armor set and carrying two swords strapped to his back. His hair was brown and buzzcut, and he had a wide nose. He was shouting at a woman with blond hair, a dirty face, and ragged clothing.
"YOU DARE TURN DOWN ME? ONE OF THE MOST WELL-RENOWNED WARRIORS OF THIS ERA?" shouted Gary Conquerer.
The woman, Diana, takes a puff of her cigarette and exhales, replies. "I've never heard of you. To me, you're just all muscle and hot air," She bore an unamused expression.
"I will not ask again!" said Gary, "You will take us to Gregory Iornhart so I can have him forge me—"
"Oh, will you shut up already?" Diana sighed. "I said no, we're not going to waste any of our resources AND our name making a fool like you whatever you want. So kick rocks, jackass."
"You little wench!" Gary grabbed Diana's arm and yanked her forward. "Do you have any idea who you're speaking with?!"
Diana glared. "Someone who doesn't understand the meaning of no!"
"HEY!"
They all turned around, and their eyes were on Bean, Elfo, Luci, and Koga. Bean hopped off the horse and stared down Gary and his followers. "Why don't you pick on someone your size?!"
"And who are you supposed to be, little girl?" said one of Gary's followers.
"Wait a moment. That's Princess Tiabeanie of Dreamland!" Gary's eyes widened. "Ah yes…a beautiful princess that she is. You'll be the perfect woman to stand by my side and—"
"Oh my god, just stop talking," said Bean, rubbing her head. "Koga, can you please do your thing?"
"At this very moment?" Koga asked lazily.
"Pleeeeaaase?"
"Ugh," Koga got off the horse and stepped forward.
"Koga?" Gary as he shoved Diana to the ground and stared down Koga. "The Koga the wanderer? So… our paths cross once more?"
Koga looked confused. "Um…sorry, have we met somewhere before?"
"Don't act as though you have no memory of me! Our last confrontation was during the flight of the ducks."
Bean, Elfo and Luci stared at Koga. Koga slumps. "I don't want to talk about it…"
"So now, I see you're a knight for the princess? If I defeat you, will I become the princess's personal knight?" Gary rubs his chin.
"Hey, if you want the job, be my guest," Koga replied.
"Koga!" Bean shouted.
"I'm kidding!" Koga reassured. He then whispered. "Trust me, you don't want to put up with her."
"Enough!" said Gary. "Men, if you want to follow me, you must show your strength against Koga The Wanderer! Now go!"
Four of his followers charged forward. Then, with a few punches, they were all hurled into the air. Gary placed his eyes onto Koga, who was standing there, bored. Gary coughed and regained his composure. "T-The rest of you! G-Get him!"
Two of Gary's followers rushed over after Koga. Gary cringed as he watched Koga shove their heads into the ground. Gary blinked. Before they could react, Gary hopped into his carriage with his remaining followers and rode off. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS KOGA THE WANDERER!" He bellowed as he disappeared.
"Tch, what a jackass," said Koga.
Bean rushed over to Diana and helped her up. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, just very annoyed," said Diana, dusting herself off. "So, what's a princess- " She looks behind her and stares at Elfo and Luci. "An Elfo and a demon doing out here?"
"Well—wait, you know he's a demon?" Bean looked at Diana, surprised.
"Well, yeah, what else would it be? Although it took me a bit to tell if that was an elf," said Diana. "No offense."
"Don't worry, I get that a lot," said Elfo.
"Finally, someone who isn't dumb," said Luci. Diana takes out another cigarette, and Luci hops on her shoulder. "Allow me." He lights her cigarette for her.
"Thanks," She exhaled the smoke. "So, I'm guessing you're all here looking for Gregory Ironhart?"
"Uh, yeah, we are. You see," Bean looks over at Koga.
Koga stepped forward and took out his broken, colossal sword. "Gregory made this sword, and my friend, Fergus, gave it to me as a gift. Since he made it, I wondered if he could fix it."
Diana stared at the broken sword, her eyes falling upon the lettering engraved on the blade. "And you said that this was given to Fergus, right?"
"Yeah, off the top of my head, I don't know how many years ago," said Koga.
"It was sixteen years ago," said Diana, taking the blade. "My father made it and gifted it to Fergus."
"Oh, cool," said Bean. She then realized what Diana said.
"Wait, YOUR FATHER?!"