by Eric Vall
“Sorry about that. You ready to go?”
Stan and Solana both nodded before the princess could respond, and she reached up to pat their little heads with a slender finger.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let the mean elf hurt you,” she assured them. “And yes, I am ready to leave as soon as I find my whip. I seem to have misplaced it.”
“Alfred might know,” I pointed out. “You should ask him.”
“Good idea,” the princess agreed.
“So … about the incident with the metal dragon,” I muttered, “I just wanted to say I’m--”
“No, I’m not talking about it,” Cayla said curtly, and she brushed past me as she blushed with embarrassment.
“Okay.”
We headed back through the mansion and down the steps while the princess took clipped steps and avoided my gaze, and we found Alfred neatly stacking my women’s satchels near the front door.
“Alfred, have you seen my whip?” Cayla sighed.
“Yes, my lady,” the butler replied. “I hung your whip on the large metal cage nearest your bed. I wasn’t sure where else to put it.”
“Thank you,” the princess said with relief. “For future reference, it can go in the training hall. It’s not a recreational whip.”
“My mistake,” Alfred replied, and he bowed. “I will remember that in the future.”
Stan and Solana hopped onto my shoulder before the princess departed, and the rest of my women came jogging down the steps in much higher spirits than they’d been when I left them crying onto their cake.
They were chatting excitedly as if this was another vacation for them, and Alfred kindly offered to see them off at the station as he loaded his arms with seven satchels. The women loaded their arms as well while Aurora snatched Solana to ride on her shoulder instead, and I grabbed the one bag I needed before Cayla rushed out the door ahead of me.
Dragir trailed after us while he tried to convince me Deya would be safer here, but I kept pretending I couldn’t hear him by joining in my women’s conversation any chance I got.
When we split off from the group, Alfred assured me he would help the women get settled in our train car, and I led Dragir to the center of town while the remaining mages and merchants gathered near the fountain. Then I made a quick speech to make sure everyone understood the protocol while I was gone, and Stan stood on my shoulder with his hands on his hips as he nodded to everything I said.
The fifty-five Defenders who were to be stationed in Falmount confirmed they had their orders from the generals, and I made sure their arsenals were fully stocked on the battlements as well.
Dragir stood like a statue beside me through all of this as he looked down on the townsfolk with a menacing cast in his serpentine eyes, and I did my best to make it clear he was actually here to protect them all, even though it looked more like they were now his hostages.
Somehow, a handful of pretty mages weren’t intimidated in the slightest, though.
They giggled like schoolgirls while they ogled the fearsome elf, and I could have sworn I saw Dragir send a group of these women a subtle smirk.
Then he caught the look on my face, but he just shrugged.
“Enjoy your trip,” the elf said.
The pretty mages giggled even more when they heard his Elven accent, and I sighed as I stepped down from the fountain and dismissed the townspeople. I had a feeling I might seriously regret leaving Deya’s brother alone in my village, but he’d promised to kill my enemies for me, and that’s what mattered most.
Dragir took his sweet time following me back toward the station while he deliberately passed by three groups of giggling mages with a stoic nod, but eventually we made it to the platform, and he was a nervous big brother again.
He followed Deya in and out of our car while he tried to convince her to stay behind for her own safety, but the beautiful elf just smiled sweetly as she loaded her satchels along with the other women.
The generals came by to inform me everyone was boarded and set to go, and Raynor even came to see us off and let me know he’d hired our cooks himself. He assured me the troops would be in good hands along the way, and I assured him he did not have to let Dragir drink up all my Rosh. I gave him freedom to make his own judgement calls where the elf was concerned, and I reminded him his Aer Magic might come in handy if Dragir got too demanding.
Then I saw Bagneera strolling up and down the platform with her hands on her hips, and the all business scowl she wore gave the impression she owned everything from the engine right down to the tracks and ties.
So, I saluted the old woman when she saw me there, and I sent her a wink just to throw off her façade a bit.
Bagneera laughed heartily as she came my way, and she locked her stocky arms around my waist for a firm hug.
“Good to see you again,” I chuckled as the old woman looked me over.
“I hear you’re doing pretty well for yourself these days, baron,” Bagneera teased, and her green eyes sparkled as she patted her frizzy gray bun.
“You could say that,” I allowed. “I take it you’re leading this show, then?”
“Yes, sir,” Bagneera said with a proud nod. “But I’m tellin’ you right now, I don’t care how many fancy titles you’ve got in those pockets, you’re ridin’ on my train now, and I keep a tight schedule. I know these rails like the back of my hand, and I’ve never been one minute behind going anywhere. So, you better get those pretty ladies of yours loaded up in the next two minutes, or they’re not comin’.”
I raised my brows. “Yes ma’am. You know, we’ve got a whip if you wanna borrow it.”
“What makes you think I don’t have my own whip?” Bagneera shot back.
My jaw unhinged as the old woman waggled her eyebrows at me, and then she sauntered back up the platform to leave me drowning in her sass.
“Damn,” I laughed as I turned to my women. “Alright, we’re in Bagneera’s world now, and I am loving it. Everyone, get on the train. Alfred, we love you, stay strong, and help yourself to anything we’ve got in the house. You’ve earned it all.”
“What about Nulena?” Shoshanne asked with a frown. “She’ll expect us to be at the mansion.”
“Oh, yeah,” I muttered. “Alfred, if Nulena shows up, tell her … well, just tell her I dare her to find us.”
“I give it a day,” Cayla chuckled.
“Please,” Aurora snorted. “She knows everything. I give it less than a day.”
“I will deliver the message,” the butler replied, and he was about to offer me a bow when my women all caught him in a group hug.
The old guy remained stock still and stony faced while they covered him in kisses, and he muttered a polite “yes, my lady,” to all of their well-wishes.
Then Bagneera started up the train, and the Defenders hollered out the windows to their families as my women rushed to hop into our car.
I stayed with Deya to make sure my pregnant lover was definitely not left behind, but Dragir still hadn’t given up, and he was blue in the face as he desperately continued his list of logical reasons for Deya to remain in Falmount.
Deya just hugged the elf while she muttered something in Elvish, and at first, he seemed a little subdued until his eyes suddenly went wide.
“You’re his what?” Dragir demanded as the train began to move.
Deya turned to me as she snapped her teeth together with a lusty look, and then she ran to the train where Cayla caught her arm and hoisted her up.
“What is a battle dragon?” Dragir exclaimed.
I just clapped the elf on the arm and sprinted down the platform, though, and once I lunged aboard, I turned back in time to send Dragir a shrug before I slid the door shut.
Chapter 9
One hour later, I was posted at our steel dining table with my boots up, and Stan flew circles above my head on his little dragon. My women still hadn’t finished unpacking their many satchels, and since it only took me five minutes to get my own thin
gs sorted, I was in charge of altering our sleeping quarters whenever they ran out of storage space.
Ten years ago, I might have made some backhanded comment about how much crap they dragged along, but nowadays, I knew damn well everything in those bags was sexy as hell.
Either that, or deadly.
So, I just smirked while they tried to unknot their stockings from their thongs, but mostly, I enjoyed the breeze and the view of the Illarian hills rolling past the window.
Against all odds, we’d managed to get everything slammed together in time to move out two days ahead of schedule, and I reveled in the moment of peace now that things had finally slowed down.
It sounded like the Defenders didn’t mind the last-minute haste at all since they were too busy marveling at their new digs, and for the most part, they seemed excited to officially serve in the Order of the Elementa at last.
I was pretty excited with my own position, too.
My women and I had a car all to ourselves with everything we could possibly need, and in my current position, I didn’t have to run around trying to keep track of every tiny detail. I’d assembled a more than adequate crew of mages I could rely on, and Aurora had been right that day in the woods. There were all kinds of ways to lead the Order.
With the arrangement we had now, we could stay focused on the bigger picture, and the bigger picture wasn’t looking too bad.
Soon, the citizens of Illaria would be guarded against anything the Master came up with, distributing my new weaponry would ensure his forces were depleted in mass, and I had some idea of how to approach the issue with the new element.
It would have been more reassuring if I could counter it entirely, but I was determined to work with whatever I had right now. If I could somehow locate the portals the Master left all over our lands, then I could not only destroy them, but potentially ambush his incoming troops down the line.
First thing’s first, though. I needed to come up with a means of locating the portals using the small bit of information I got from Dragir, but there was another important task I had half my mind on at the moment.
I was so busy mulling over the nuances of a new design that I didn’t notice Deya had sat down beside me until I felt her head on my shoulder, and when I glanced over, the beautiful elf looked a little sad.
“Can I have a hug?” Deya asked.
I grinned. “Sure.”
“Don’t ever disappear, okay?” the beautiful elf mumbled as she snuggled under my arm. “I was very upset.”
“I know you were,” I replied. “I’m sorry about that. I honestly had no idea you’d all get so attached to the dragon. If I had, I wouldn’t have sent him away without you guys having a chance to say goodbye.”
“It’s okay,” Deya sighed. “We certainly wouldn’t have let you send him away, and then the baby dragons wouldn’t be safe, so it’s better like this.”
“I’m glad you feel that way.”
“I still miss him, though,” Shoshanne murmured, and her brows crinkled as she sat on the floor staring at her pile of silk lingerie.
“Me, too,” Aurora admitted. “I’m so confused.”
I nodded while Cayla stayed adamantly focused on unpacking, but as I considered how distraught losing my dragon doppelganger had made them, I realized this might be a positive development for our growing family.
If I spun it right.
I cleared my throat. “You know … I get it. If any of you were suddenly gone like that, I’d completely lose my mind. I don’t know what I’d do. Probably just curl up and die.”
Deya patted my chest and nodded in understanding, and Shoshanne sent me a small smile.
“Well, you never have to worry,” the healer assured me. “We could never do something like that.”
“Ever,” Aurora agreed.
“I don’t know,” I mused. “Some things are out of our control. Anything could happen, especially when we lead such dangerous lives. Any battle could take a turn for the worst. Any of you could get seriously injured, or even killed. If you think about it, as lovers, but also as future parents, the possibility of that is so--”
“Nice try,” Cayla interrupted as she flicked her blue eyes toward me.
“Yeah, that’s not the same thing,” Aurora agreed.
“Yes, it is,” I argued. “Sudden death is a pretty terrible means of losing someone you love. Same thing.”
“No, it isn’t,” Deya sighed. “Leaving us all alone on purpose is much worse than dying in battle.”
“And you can’t use our sadness to make us agree to let you defend us,” Shoshanne added.
“That, I do forbid,” Cayla informed me.
I locked my jaw as I turned my attention back out the window, and I tried not to launch into a heated debate even though my women’s logic was unnerving sometimes.
Then Deya sighed sadly and snuggled even closer against me, and I couldn’t ignore how depressed they all looked. Knowing it was really me they’d been a mess over would have to be my consolation in this, but in the meantime, it was impossible to be irritated when my women slumped like they’d never be happy again.
“I think I’ll get some work done,” I casually mused.
Aurora cocked a brow. “What is there to work on? I thought we handled everything before we left.”
“This work isn’t really to do with the Order,” I said with a shrug. “It’s just a new weapon.”
Cayla dropped her satchel as she whipped around, and all of my women’s eyes were sparkling again when I sent them a broad grin.
“Wanna hear about it?” I asked.
“Yes!” the princess blurted, and the other women shot to their feet as they hurried over.
They were seated around me at the table with eager grins as I chuckled and opened the compartment under my feet, and I pulled out a fresh slip of parchment to start on my next design. Stan and Solana even came in for a landing, and while Shoshanne let the little metal man climb up her arm to sit on her shoulder, Aurora cupped Solana under her chin for a cuddle.
“Can we try to guess?” Shoshanne asked.
“Go for it.”
“Is it … a fancier version of the death machete?” the healer asked.
“No,” I replied.
“Are you going to make a glaive even more impressive than Dragir’s so you can rub it in his face?” Deya asked next, and there was a mischievous glint in her violet eyes.
“No, I couldn’t do that to him,” I admitted. “Unless he wrecks my town while I’m gone. Then I might.”
“It’s a death machete mixed with a flail!” Aurora decided. “Please? Just say yes, you know you love the idea.”
“It is intriguing,” I allowed, “but no.”
“Gun!” Cayla gasped as she clutched the table. “Is it a gun? It’s a gun! Right? Another gun?”
I smirked. “It’s another gun.”
The princess screeched as she hopped in her seat, and she looked like she’d just won on The Price is Right.
“It’s a gun!” Cayla yelled right into Aurora’s face.
“I know!” the half-elf yelled back, and she shook her head while Cayla did her best to sit still.
“Okay, I’m okay,” the princess giggled. “Tell me everything.”
“Gladly,” I laughed. “As you pointed out, the 1911 isn’t ideal if you’re trying to shoot at long distances.”
Cayla squeaked an affirmative as she began bouncing in her seat again.
“So,” I continued, “you’ll need a firearm that can accommodate all the issues we talked about earlier with long-range shooting.”
“What issues?” Aurora asked.
“My pistols don’t work,” Cayla answered for me. “They’re not good enough.”
“No,” I corrected, “your pistols work and are great for many circumstances. However, the further a bullet has to travel, the more complicated things get.”
“Which has nothing to do with my abilities,” Cayla clarified for the group. “That
should be said.”
“True,” I chuckled. “Your skills with the 1911 are … staggering, but if you wanna up your game, I’ll help you get there. For now, let’s just start with the basics to make sure everyone is on the same page. So, the length of the barrel is important for a couple reasons. For starters, a bullet obviously needs enough energy behind it to make it as far as you want it to go. That’s why the amount of gunpowder used is so important, and why the runes that power the 1911 have to be so specific.”
“What is a gun powered?” Deya asked.
“Gunpowder,” I corrected. “It’s … probably not important that you understand that part, because I’ve been bypassing the need to use it with rune magic lately.”
“Thank the gods,” Aurora snorted. “I don’t ever want to go foraging for bat droppings again.”
I smirked at the half-elf. “You won’t ever have to. Now, the longer the bullet is in the barrel, the more energy builds up behind it from the gunpowder, or the rune, and this will help carry it further.”
“So, if the barrel is longer, the bullet has more time to build up energy,” Aurora mused.
“Exactly, which is relevant to long range shooting, because the more energy behind your bullet, the further it will fly before it starts to really drop, which is the actual issue Cayla has with her pistols right now,” I continued. “However, this is only one aspect of the issue, and it isn’t nearly as crucial as the placement of the sights. Having a longer barrel also means the distance between your sights is greater, and that’s gonna help you adjust your aim more accurately for a further target.”
“Then why can’t Cayla switch back to using her rifle?” Shoshanne asked. “It has a longer barrel, and it seemed to work well for her in Nalnora.”
“Because no,” Cayla snorted. “I can’t fire as many rounds as quickly as I like to with that rifle. Mason can make me something better, can’t you?”
“I can,” I chuckled. “A semi-automatic rifle.”
“Semi-automatic like the 1911?” Cayla asked as her blue eyes widened.
“Yes.” I nodded. “It’s called an AR-15, and it looks something like this … ”
I started on a basic sketch to give the women an idea of what the final product would look like, but I only finished the buttstock and pistol grip when Cayla caught my arm to stop me.