Times of Peace: Volume 1 of the side adventures to The Mercenary's Salvation

by Anthony M. Johnson



  Times of Peace

  Volume 1 of Side tales

  Of

  The Mercenary’s Salvation

  By

  Anthony M. Johnson.

  Disclaimer:

  The following novel is parody in nature, and wishes to pay homage, analyze, and criticize many of the tropes and stories that are prevalent and popular at the time of writing and to apply them to conflicts and debates of the modern day. While many of the influences are subtle, there are some references that are direct in their depiction of the original source and should be considered parody used under the constraints of fair use laws. To further acknowledge this point, the author stipulates the following:

  -While the underlying storylines and characters bear reference to the stories and characters of other copyright holders, none of the figures presented in this novel are to be considered the same as those seen in other works of fiction.

  -The author does not claim or wish to enact a claim on the copyright of any other work of fiction in this novel. He has not been reached out to or been granted permission to use any copyright that the author does not own, and the reader will thus assume beyond this point that his work is separate from anything else that they have interacted with.

  -The author presents a series of historical events and people in his own fictional setting. Any resemblance to real life events or persons is either down with the purpose of providing commentary or is completely unintentional but coincidental. The author does not wish to affiliate this novel with any singular group or organization, nor does he represent these said groups with this novel.

  -For any questions or concerns, please reach the author through his web page or his email. Thank you.

  © 2016 Anthony M. Johnson. All rights reserved.

  The Worth of a Man

  Book 5

  Of

  The Mercenary’s Salvation

  By

  Anthony M. Johnson.

  Epigraph:

  Méjicano!

  Español!

  Latino!

  Chicano!

  Or whatever I call myself,

  I look the same

  I feel the same

  I cry

  And

  Sing the same.

  I am the masses of my people and

  I refuse to be absorbed.

  I am Joaquín.

  The odds are great

  But my spirit is strong,

  My faith unbreakable,

  My blood is pure.

  I am Aztec prince and Christian Christ.

  I SHALL ENDURE!

  I WILL ENDURE!

  - Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales, Mexican American Poet

  Introduction:

  The works of mice and men.

  When I was forcefully invited to take part in the transcription and abridgement of the long tale that is The Mercenary’s Salvation, I found myself more than happy to do so in order to escape the trivialities of life. Taxes, forms, the day to day drudgery that is the common day to day menagerie that is existence … there’s so little excitement to be had. The Media does little to alleviate it; what’s it to me to watch a movie about the man capable of beating ten men when I’m anxiously awaiting the next super hero or Jedi who can wipe out a hundred? What are small time battles compared to the large scales war being fought both now, in history, and the future? What is the affairs of peasants when you can read the debauchery and madness of kings?

  The alleviation for my chronic boredom and perhaps your own is to examine the large scale battles being fought; not just economic or political exclusively, but socially as well. Gender, sexual orientation, race, and even the treatment of the working classes are all smaller components that need and should be examined in our free time as we better understand who we are and how we treat our fellow man.

  Of course, one of those issues concerns the value of a life.

  Though Products for Patriots typically makes itself clear that we are unaffiliated and teach no single viewpoint save that which is holy or good, we move into more murky waters as we finally begin to dissect what it means to take a life. Is it just? Is it merciful? When does one separate himself as a hero from the murderers, the soldier from the mercenaries, and the lawful from the damnable? Is there a distinction, and if so is it clear as day or as murky as the mists of a dawn stirring a broken battlefield?

  We opt not to provide the answer, but to merely present a tale that raises the issue and stirs your mind into taking a stand. What that may be is up to you; all we simply invite you to do is continue on with the tale you now found yourself holding. The tale of a man and a monster, one who may just prove to be the ancestor to our God should his plan succeed. With that, I gladly present to you…

  The Mercenary's Salvation

  The Worth of a Man

  Distributed by Icy Sherries Publishing

  Story Extracted from the private journal entries of

  Jack E. Wallace

  Edited and complied by Anthony M. Johnson