by Eric Vall
“So how was your first experience on Bobbie, Shoshanne?” Aurora called from the front as we puttered into place next to the workshop.
“Very--” the young healer paused as she searched for the right word. “Very stimulating, thank you.”
Aurora and I shared a laugh as I helped the Aer Mage off her seat and led her into my workshop. Shoshanne stopped, and her eyes widened at the sight of Big Guy.
“Another of your… creations?” she asked, and her voice shook with apprehension.
“Yes, my latest one,” I said proudly. “A work-in-progress, I should say. You’re here to help me finish him. We call him Big Guy.”
Shoshanne reached out and touched his metal shell with her graceful caramel-colored hands. Then she shook her head in confusion.
“What can I do to help?” she asked. “I can treat wounds of the flesh, but this is no man of flesh.”
“Dear girl, watch,” Aurora said with a smile and held out her own pale hands. At her will, flames began to dance along the tips, first red, then yellow and orange, and then blue. The Ignis Mage wove them until they enveloped her arm to her elbow.
“By Pallax, does that not hurt?” Shoshanne gasped.
“Quite the contrary, it feels delicious,” Aurora purred. “This is my element at my command. Nothing feels better to a mage than contact with the element which chose them at birth.”
“You have already made a connection just by instinct,” I added. “The trick is opening yourself up to that connection. I can feel it surging through my veins when I release my power to control metal and earth. Remember when I asked you at the infirmary if you felt a charge in your body when you were healing people? That was you touching your power even though you didn’t know you were doing it.”
With a gesture, Aurora directed her flame at a tallow candle. The fire arced through the air and set the wick ablaze.
“First test, blow out that candle,” I said with a grin.
Shoshanne stepped up to it, and Aurora stopped her.
“Don’t actually blow it out with your mouth,” the half-elf chuckled. “Summon a gust of wind to extinguish it.”
Shoshanne still looked lost, and I couldn’t help but think back to the battle with the drake when I first discovered my power as a Terra Mage. I had my hands on a rock, a boulder really, beyond my ability to pick up and throw, but that was the moment I felt that I could do it with every fiber of my body. I stepped up behind Shoshanne and traced my fingers down her long slim arms. When I reached her hands, I pushed her fingers open, and when she relaxed, she spread them wide.
“There is air all around you,” I whispered soothingly in her ear. “Let yourself feel it. Feel its presence and power charge through your body in waves. Close your eyes and picture in your mind your target. The candle. And then, release it.”
Shoshanne listened, and I could see her slim body tremble as she connected with the power which was her birthright. She sucked in a big breath of air, and her long russet hair began to whirl around her head as she was cradled in a gentle breeze. I felt the invisible force as it grew in intensity until it finally drifted off her toward the candle.
The flame of the candle flickered.
“More!” Aurora encouraged, and I glanced at the Ignis Mage to see an excited smile stretched across her lips.
The wind around the Aer Mage grew. Then the robes around her slim figure whipped from side to side, and the long thick coils of her hair danced around her head like a nest of angry copper-colored snakes. A blast of air flew from her fingertips and extinguished the flame of the candle. Another even stronger blast followed, which knocked the candle clean off the table.
I was ready to catch her when she collapsed. I knew what to expect.
“By Pallax,” Shoshanne breathed as I helped her sit down on a stone stool I raised from the ground with a small surge of my power.
“You’re going to have to learn to reign it back,” I said with a smile, “but you did great. The weakness will pass as you train more.”
“Remember how I had to give you some Tiorlin berries to get you back on your feet, Mason?” Aurora asked with a teasing grin.
“We’ll definitely have to get more of those if we’re going to get in the business of mage training,” I laughed.
“That was… amazing,” Shoshanne said and stood up a bit wobbly. “Show me more.”
“You have to be careful not to overtax yourself.” Aurora frowned in concern. “It can be fatal.”
I agreed, but I liked the young healer’s enthusiasm to learn.
“Let’s go down to the mine,” I said happily. “I’ll show you what you can do to help me finish Big Guy before we leave.”
Aurora shook her head but came along without complaint as I showed Shoshanne the tracks that led down into the mine we had reopened. As always, the Ignis Mage released flames from her fingers and ignited the torches one by one. Shoshanne clung to my arm as she looked into the darkness ahead.
“I take it they didn’t have mines on your little island either?” I asked.
Shoshanne shook her head silently. It was then my nose detected a change, but of course, Aurora with her heightened senses detected it already.
“You’re using your powers now, and you didn’t even realize it,” the half-elf chuckled. “Just by instinct, you’re cleaning the air, exactly like you do when you’re in the infirmary. Trust me, it was very unpleasant in here before. All dust and dead air.”
“I’m glad I made it better,” Shoshanne replied, and she sounded shyly pleased.
“Now that being said,” Aurora added more critically, “you need to control your power and not let it control you.”
The Aer Mage nodded obediently. I had half forgotten what a hardass Aurora could be when I was first starting out. And how hot it was.
The three us entered the second chamber where I had detected the titanium deposits. I waited for Aurora to illuminate the room with fire before I pointed to the wall in question.
“This is probably a harder test than you’re ready for, but I want to give it a try,” I said earnestly. “What I need you to do is see if you can create a vacuum.”
“I don’t even know what means,” Shoshanne protested as she furrowed her brow.
“I need you to move all the air out of a particular spot for a few minutes’ time,” I explained. “There’s a metal just below the rock surface that I need to refine to make a shield for Big Guy. Between Aurora’s power and mine, we can mold it into what we need, but it crumbles to dust the moment it’s exposed to air. That’s where you come in. When I give the word, pull all the air away from the titanium deposit and hold it until we’ve finished. Do you think you can do that?”
Shoshanne thought about it before she nodded slowly. “I-I can try.”
“That’s all I ask,” I smiled, proud of my new pupil. “Okay, everyone step way back. We’re basically going to be working in an open blast furnace, and I need enough room to make a shield worthy of our Big Guy.”
We three mages moved to the middle of the chamber, and then I reached out first. my connection to the stone flowed out from me until it sank into the surface I sought. My pulse quickened as I moved the rock aside. A few minutes passed before I felt the tingling presence of the titanium ore as it called out to me.
“Shoshanne, now!” I shouted.
Instantly, I felt the still air of the cavern come alive. Dust propelled wind surged towards us, blown away from the wall I concentrated on.
“It needs to be a complete vacuum, or this isn’t going to work at all!” I called out over the roar of the wind.
“I th-think I got it!” the Aer Mage shouted back, strain evident in her voice. “Hurry!”
I took a deep breath and let my power writhe out of me like a living thing. Then the titanium burst from the wall, a huge chunk of it, more than enough for what I needed. It glittered in the light, but I didn’t have time to cheer when it didn’t dissolve.
I turned to my Ignis Mage
. “Aurora! Now! Everything you got!”
Blue flames swept out around Aurora like a fan before they leapt across the cavern and washed over the raw titanium ore. The chamber was now awhirl with fire and dust, so it was impossible to see anything. Not that I needed sight, for I could feel the metal as if it were a part of me. At first, it seemed like it wasn’t enough, but I gritted my teeth, and it began to yield to me.
“Mason!” I heard Shoshanne’s desperate voice through the chaos cry out. “I c-can’t hold it!”
“Yes, you can!” I shouted back. “You’re doing great! Just a few more moments!”
I pictured the shield I had already made for my metal soldier in my mind and let it flow out. Minutes passed as I manipulated the molten titanium and felt it take shape. Suddenly, a rush of air blew in from behind me, and I knew the vacuum had collapsed. The roar of wind vanished, and the dust began to settle.
“Aurora,” I said and turned to her. “That’s enough.”
With a nod, the Ignis Mage let her blue flame vanish without a trace. All that was left was the orange glow she launched to help us see. We both turned to Shoshanne who was on her knees, her auburn tresses draped over her head. We were instantly at her side.
“Are you okay?” I asked, worried that I had foolishly pushed the girl who just learned of her powers to the breaking point.
“I’m sorry,” she groaned, her voice weak. “I-I couldn’t hold it.”
The healer was too weak to stand, so I picked her up in my arms.
“Did we fail?” Aurora asked.
“See for yourself,” I replied without emotion. Well, that was my intention, since I wanted it to be a surprise. The problem was the half-elf knew me too well, and I couldn’t fool her.
I carried Shoshanne as the three us went to see our handiwork at the far end of the cavern. The titanium plate caught the orange glow of Aurora’s light, but it was cool to the touch. It was an exact duplicate, from the handle perfectly fit for Big Guy’s hand to the hooks that attached to his shoulders.
“Shoshanne?” Aurora whispered in the healer’s ear. “Open your eyes and see what you helped create.”
When the healer didn’t answer, Aurora looked up to me with concern.
“I can feel her breathing against me,” I whispered back. “She’s just sleeping. Let’s head back up.”
I used a burst of magic to levitate the titanium shield behind us as we made our way out of the mine. The sun was high in the sky when we emerged, and I carried the beautiful Aer Mage to the bedroom I had behind the workshop.
“We should let her sleep,” I said as I tucked her in.
“Probably, but Cayla will be here in a few hours with our supplies,” Aurora grimaced. “I’m not sure Bobbie 2.0 will be the most comfortable mattress.”
“Ah, but I have a plan,” I replied with a cocky grin.
“Don’t you always?” Aurora asked with a matching smirk. “Do you need my help?”
“Always, my dear,” I said and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Replacing Big Guy’s shield will just take a few minutes, and then… oh, you’ll love it.”
“We’ll see,” the half-elf said suspiciously.
As I predicted, it was a simple procedure with Big Guy. The new shield fit exactly as the old one had, only now it was many times stronger and lighter, as well as water and heat resistant. It was also cool that it shone as bright as a mirror so I could see my own handsome face as I looked at my finished automaton.
Well, finished for now. I had a few other refinements in my head, but I pushed them back for the time being. I felt a little sad to leave Big Guy behind, but at the moment we had more pressing matters, and I didn’t have a use for him right now.
With Aurora’s help, I gathered the raw material I needed for the addition to Bobbie. We were a well-oiled machine by now and worked in tandem, with short breaks for kisses. It took us no time at all to melt and mold the basic pieces needed: a steel studded wheel, some shock-suspension springs, a chunky chain-like connection, and a simple frame shaped roughly like a capsule with an open partition. I knew well that the time-consuming part would be on the field. I had to test and refine.
Bobbie 2.0 purred with excitement as I wheeled out her new companion sidecar. With a small burst of my magic, I welded the connection to her right side with a bolt so it could be put on or off with ease. Then I turned to Aurora and signaled for her to get in the sidecar.
“You have to be kidding me,” the half-elf snorted.
“I need to test the handling with the weight of another person in the sidecar,” I explained patiently. “We can’t wait until we’re halfway to Illaria to find out the balance is off, can we?”
Aurora grumbled but crawled into the sidecar. I knew it wasn’t comfortable yet, but I could fix that once I knew it worked otherwise. I shot her a sympathetic smile and climbed onto Bobbie.
We roared around the meadow for several minutes. I asked Bobbie to test the sidecar out with sharp turns to the left and to the right at variable speeds. To Aurora’s annoyance and discomfort, I also requested the bike drive hard over some rocks.
When we were finished and dismounted, the half-elf walked right up to me and punched me hard in the shoulder.
“My ass is black and blue, thank you very much,” she complained.
“I’ll get to your ass later.” I grinned as I rubbed my shoulder. “Just a few minor adjustments needed, and she’s roadworthy. Did you see how the sidecar leaned in with the turns? That’s key to keeping its wheel on the ground. It actually swivels and follows the lead of the bike.”
Whatever sarcastic reply Aurora was about to say was interrupted by the sound of hoofbeats. Cayla galloped into the clearing on her pony first, and I saw right away she wore her traveling clothes, just as when I had first met her. A tight low cut bodysuit with see-through cutouts and thigh-high boots. I was about to tell her how amazing she looked, but she was quickly followed by Captain Mayard on his black steed. The horse had apparently not forgotten Bobbie since the battle at Lindow when we roared past him on the road to defend the burning town. He eyed Bobbie and stamped his feet nervously as he threw back his head.
“Are you ready to ride?” Mayard asked as he dismounted. “We have all your provisions here.”
“Very nearly,” I said as I slid under the sidecar to fix a little stiffness in the tilting wheel. “You’ll find Shoshanne inside, fast asleep.”
“Oh, I’ll get her,” Aurora said quickly. “You can pack up the infernal machine.”
“I like the new addition to Bobbie,” Cayla cooed as she ran her pretty fingers over the sidecar. “Now there is plenty of room for us and supplies.”
“That’s what I was thinking too, but I have one more thing to add before we go. One second!” I grinned and ran to the workshop.
Cayla and Mayard stared after me, but a moment later I was back with everything I needed. First, I welded an iron swivel-joint base to the front of the sidecar, and then I slid a rifle into position. They locked together perfectly.
“What do you call that?” mused Mayard.
“A turret,” I said with a grin. “For Princess Crackshot over here. Just in case.”
“You flatter me,” said Cayla with a matching wide smile, and her blue eyes sparkled with delight as they ran over the mounted gun.
We loaded the supplies into the sidecar and had just finished when Aurora emerged from the workshop with Shoshanne. The healer’s auburn hair was a bedheaded mess, but she smiled sleepily as they approached.
After some discussion, we decided that the healer would be most comfortable snuggled in the sidecar with all the supplies, while Aurora, Cayla, and I assumed our regular places on Bobbie 2.0.
Cedis had felt like home to me these last few weeks, but it was time to return to the first place I ever felt I belonged: Illaria. I let Bobbie know we were ready at last, and her engine roared in approval. Captain Mayard waved to us as he hitched Cayla’s pony to his own steed to bring her back to the p
alace stables. Then in a cloud of dust, we were on the road.
As we picked up speed, I looked to my right to see how Shoshanne fared in the sidecar now that she no longer had my back to hide against. Far from frightened, she sat upright, brown eyes wide to capture all the beautiful fields and farmland around us.
I was glad our new friend enjoyed herself, but for myself, I would not have traded places with anyone. Once again, I was on my living, magical motorcycle, my hands on the thighs of a beautiful half-elf mage in front of me, and the full breasts of a gorgeous princess pressed against my back behind me.
Life was fucking good.
Storm clouds darkened the sky to the east, so I directed Bobbie to take the north-western route. I wanted to make good time, so I hardly slowed down as we rolled along a wooden bridge that crossed a sleepy little stream. We roared past fields of wheat which blew back like we were a force of nature. In a way, we were.
When, hours later, I saw seabirds in the sky, I turned back to Cayla.
“Are we close to the coast?” I shouted over the wind.
“By the gods, you’ve never seen the Terthlian Sea, have you?” Cayla called back, giddy with excitement. “Okay, there’s the most wonderful place you’ve ever seen just before the border to Illaria! Stay on this path and take your second right!”
I was inspired by the raven-haired princess’s enthusiasm, so I followed her directions. We passed small stone farmhouses and herds of cattle which barely raised their sleepy eyes to watch us speed by. As we rose over a small hill, I got my first glimpse at the Terthlian Sea, a sliver of azure blue on the horizon.
That was the moment I heard the cry for help.
A man stood by the side of the road outside his ramshackle farmhouse. The little land that he owned was fenced in, and I could see several coops in the scraggy grass and dirt. He turned to face us as I brought Bobbie to a stop.
It was hard to judge his age. He could have been fifty or eighty as his sun-ravaged wrinkles were caked with dust. The expression though was impossible to miss: pure anguish.