The merchant wasted zero time as he looked around and yelled, "Hey Sarah, can you get us a table and chairs?" A maid came up behind him as if she materialized out of the air. She responded quietly with "Yes master." With a bowed head. She walked back to one of the carriages and retrieved the items requested. She then placed a chair behind the merchant. He sat down as she placed a desk in front of him, with another chair for Eric. She bowed to Eric before going back to standing behind her master. Eric was stunned into silence, looking at the man with his eyebrows arched. "Really?"
The merchant laughed at Eric's obvious annoyance while staring at the soldiers up the hill. A gathering was at the gates. Some soldiers were staring in awe, others had weapons at the ready, while Milano stood at the front of the gathering, rubbing his face in his hands. The merchant crossed his arms while propping his boots on the desk. "Hey man, a guy's gotta have his fun when in new world's. Imagine having an entire empire on your heels just because you have tech and magic they've never heard of. Oh wait… you don't have to imagine." He said with a grin. Eric wanted nothing more than to knock the bastard's grin off his mouth before he sat down. Ignoring the man's outburst, he cut to the chase. "So, why are you here, Jonny?"
Jonny laughed at Eric's response while his eyes gleam. His eyes glow purple like he is a visual scanner. "Let's see. You are pretty much completely out of ammo, your food stores are shockingly low, and you have next to no fuel. I shouldn't have to spell it out for you, but I will. You need me as much as I need you."
Eric sighed as he looked at the man in consternation. He sat down and crossed his arms while looking at the man with a glare. "What can I do for you? It seems you have all the answers. Tell me what you want." It was then that Milano walked up to the table. He had brought his own chair, and sat down next to Eric. He glared at Eric with a "We'll talk about this later look" before turning to Jonny. "I'm curious to hear about your proposition as well, do you mind if I sit in on this discussion?" It was clear he wasn't asking.
Jonny laughed again as he looked at Milano. "Sure old man. The more the merrier." He then looked at the two soldiers with a grim expression. "I ain't here to hustle ya, and like I said, I need ya as much as ya need me. I can fix all your logistics issues, but I am expensive. Think of me like strippers named Victoria. I'll give ya what you want, but your wallet will be empty." Eric sighed while looking at Milano while Milano stared at Jonny. "My men's lives are at stake here, so name your price." Milano said coldly. "If your demands are something I can offer, I will take them. If they are not, I will offer what I can as recompense." Milano decided not to play along with this strange man's discourse, he knew he needed supplies, and needed them fast. Drone feeds were capturing the enemy already regrouping.
Jonny leaned forward while placing his arms on the table. "I want one type of vehicle from each company under your chain of command." Jonny said before continuing "I also want thirty rifles, two laptops, one cellphone, and one of each type of machine gun." Milano stared at the merchant with an angry scowl as numbers were listed that make his skin crawl. He knew the man had an understanding of their equipment types. "I cannot allow you to take everything you listed." Milano said with a sigh. "However, I can offer you items to replace the value of what you requested. I can spare one tank and bradley. I can also give the rifles, laptops, and cell phone. As for the rest of the equipment you asked for, can I offer all the dragon corpses and the downed apaches lying there in the valley?"
Jonny stared at Milano with a cold glint in his eyes. He looked in the direction of the paladins lined up on the walls before sighing. "I agree to your terms, commander. I just want one small concession. I want an area of your FOB to use as my staging ground for when I re-supply. I currently do not have many places to stay at safely. Your FOB is the best place for me and my girls to lay down in the night." Jonny then winked at Eric. "And I promise not to be too loud."
After the meeting, the trio stood. Jonny offered his hand, Milano took it and shook. Eric did not. Jonny smirked as he began to signal his caravan inside. It had been determined that Jonny would have a month to fully resupply the entire battalion, or else he would be kicked out of the FOB. Jonny knew he had to get to work immediately.
Eric sighed as he stepped into what had become his home. The sight waiting for him stopped him in his tracks. Mia stood in the kitchen wearing an apron, and nothing else. He stood there shocked as his brain malfunctioned. Mia smirked at his reaction as she walked up to him. She stood on her toes to kiss him. "Why don't you go get washed up?" She said with a seductive purr. "I will have dinner and desert ready for you when you come back."
That night, moans of ecstasy and pleasure were heard throughout the village, but no one raised a complaint. The two going at it had earned nothing if not that privacy. Kamer sat in the corner of his living room while hearing the noises coming from his neighbors with a smirk. He looks outside while shrugging. "It's good to be young." He says before closing up his book. He shut his mana lamp off before closing his own bedroom door, and heard more from the house next door. "Man, they're really going at it." He growled as he tried to go to sleep.
Very few people in the village slept that night.