by Eric Vall
Half my lovers had enhanced vision already, and since Shoshanne was never going to be the branding type, I doubted I’d be needing it ever again.
So, while the healer continued gasping through Nulena’s steady explanation, I let my powers seep into the curling design at the end of the branding iron, and I studied the way each element balanced amongst each other in this form. The elemental degrees of the sight rune resonated within their own strip of iron just like they did in the engraved lines I’d gotten used to creating, but where they fused together, I felt the smallest flux of energy. So, I took some time to become familiar with the melding of the elements, and then I let my powers seep through each strip of iron at once to soften the metal.
Since the handle of the branding iron was already engraved with the proper rune to make it effective, I decided to alter one strip of the tip at time to match them to the elemental degrees of the silencing rune rather than start from scratch. So, I summoned the first elemental degree, and once I could feel its presence coursing through the air around me, I connected with the metal in front of me. Then I slowly shifted a strip of iron to the proper degree line, and the balance of the existing rune immediately fell out of sync. I could hear every element chanting in a chaotic garble from the slight alteration, but I took a few deep breaths while I focused harder on drawing the presence around me into the strip of iron.
The task became more difficult as the other elements warred against me, but within five minutes, I could finally sense the altered strip of iron was resonating with the proper elementals. My head ached from the effort, though, and while I continued making my way through one strip of iron after another, the increasing imbalance made each alteration take longer than the last.
Part of this could have been on account of my own distraction, though, because my women were informing Shoshanne of my immortal dilemma, and this brought several other concerns to mind. Like the possibility of my women’s mommy demons morphing into their everyday personalities now that the target on my back was cosmically engrained.
I knew my women would become increasingly obsessed with my safety if I didn’t come up with my own solution to the issue, but the fact was, I didn’t even know where to start. How one mortal could fend off a god’s wrath was beyond me, and unfortunately, my body had given up functioning before I had time to finish my discussion with Nemris.
I had an infinite number of questions on the topic, and I didn’t doubt my women would be wanting to know the answers to all of them as well. The same concerns would crop up in their minds with the passing days, and I could barely keep them calm about my safety as it was. Nulena’s shields seemed to have partially subdued them for now, but she was only one spectra up against Rekekis, and who knew how long her powers could hold out against a god?
My mind anxiously ping-ponged between these points while the chanting of the elementals warred around me, and it must have been thirty minutes later when I finally began altering the cohesion line to complete the rune. My brow was beaded with sweat as I carefully fused each element to the final strip, and I let out a ragged breath as the warring of the elements abruptly ended.
The rune on the tip of the branding iron perfectly matched the sketch on the worktable, and the balance of the elements chanting within the metal was identical to what I’d heard in the foothills. I nodded to myself as I rubbed my aching temples, and I forced my concerns to the back of my mind while I stretched out the knotted muscles in my back.
That’s when I realized my fatigue was more than it should have been.
I’d thought I built up my stamina lately with how many firearms and sentries I’d been replicating, but after forming one branding iron, I felt like I’d been working my magic nonstop for hours. I figured this fatigue probably had to do with the energy required to alter the existing rune, though.
When I adjusted the engravings on my weaponry, I only enhanced the existing elements without changing them completely, and now that I thought about it, I never forced an existing rune to change its make-up.
The energy required to alter the existing rune was more taxing than I expected, but it made sense considering how violent some runes became when they felt they were under attack.
Then I furrowed my brow as I recalled the multitude of runes dotting the Master’s grounds.
Initially, I’d assumed his interior defenses were the main hurdle between my magic and the stone, but after the process of altering the branding iron, I began to wonder if the silencing runes and the Master’s rune would be so easy to remove. There was a decent chance they’d war against my efforts the same as the iron had, and I was considering what this could mean for our plans when my women appeared in the doorway.
“Mason, I can’t believe this!” Shoshanne huffed, and I tried to look completely unfazed as I turned around on my stool.
A crease was embedded on the healer’s forehead while she looked at me with deep concern, and she held Nulena tucked tight against her side while Aurora and Cayla hovered behind them.
“I know it’s a lot to consider,” I admitted.
“Yes, it is!” Shoshanne agreed. “I’m taking Nulena to the infirmary right this instant, and I’ll be tracking her vitals every hour. I’m shocked we’ve allowed this to go on as long as we have, but--”
“I’ve only been pregnant for two days,” the Baroness sighed.
“A tired woman is not a healthy woman,” Shoshanne preached. “Having Mason’s baby in your womb only makes it more important that I take care of you.”
I glanced at the other women, and I couldn’t decide if they’d bailed on the whole plan and lied their asses off in there instead.
“Why are we checking vitals?” I clarified.
Shoshanne let out a heavy sigh. “Immortal or not, your god-baby needs the utmost attention and care, Mason. With Nulena practically falling to pieces to protect us, it’s crucial we do everything in our power to ensure she’s healthy throughout this pregnancy. How is your god-baby supposed to rise to its rightful place amongst the pantheon if his poor mother is wilting like a rag every day?”
“I’m fine,” the Baroness growled. “That was not at all the point of what I told you, and for the tenth time, I’m immortal. Cannot die.”
“Exactly,” Shoshanne countered sternly. “Mason, tell her you agree with me.”
“I am not sure I understand what’s going on,” I admitted. “What did you say about falling to pieces?”
“Consider how much work Nulena has been doing to protect us all,” the healer pressed. “She splits her magic six different ways, sends it outside herself wherever we go, and never lets it rest. Even when she sleeps or murders her victims, she’s still shielding us, and the only time she can recuperate is when we’re all together. Then her magic can at least remain within her while guarding us as one entity, but she’s still utilizing it. Now, we’re running all over the regions, fighting battles, and flying dragons, and can you imagine how taxing that is for her?”
“I hadn’t until now,” I murmured as I frowned with concern. “Nulena, is that why you’ve looked so exhausted lately? I thought you were just murdering more civilians than usual, or getting really creative with where you hang their corpses.”
“I am immortal,” the Baroness reiterated. “It hardly matters if I wear myself thin, especially for all of your safety. I’m fine, and there are several other points we should be focusing on.”
“Nulena, wearing out your magic can kill a mortal,” Aurora gently pointed out. “Existing in a strange in-between state has to be terrible for you. I wish you would have told us before I had you training me with your magic on top of everything else.”
“It is no inconvenience,” Nulena insisted. “My Tenebrae powers are stronger than you realize, and I enjoy helping you become an even more prodigious Ignis force. I understand this is difficult to comprehend, but for the last time, if I cannot die, it hardly matters--”
“Those bags have been under your eyes since the ambush,” Shosh
anne informed her. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed, and this is after you defied the entire cosmos to save Mason’s life! I cannot believe we’ve been so ungrateful.”
My gut clenched as my gaze darted to Nulena, and I decided not to move a muscle in the hopes the topic of her actions would fall by the wayside. The last thing I needed was my women thinking what Nulena had done was in any way okay, but I guessed she brought it up to keep the healer from worrying about me.
Then Aurora spoke up, though, and I decided letting Shoshanne worry would have been better.
“Mason, how did you fail to mention that Nulena found a means of making sure we never have to lose you?” the half-elf demanded. “That, above all else, should be honored.”
“Absolutely,” Cayla agreed. “From now on, Nulena gets to have sex with you before anyone. No exceptions.”
“Hold on,” I cut in. “Nulena is not shattering the cosmos every time I almost die. That was a one-time thing, and if you consider the extent of the repercussions she caused--”
“Shhh,” the healer interrupted. “Don’t upset Nulena, she’s in a very delicate state.”
“Again… immortal,” the Baroness countered.
“Mason, the only repercussions we care about are whether you live or die,” Aurora informed me with her hands on her hips. “Who cares about the cosmos? I think all of this proves you’re more important than any silly world, or sect, or whatever got destroyed. Nemris and Nulena clearly agree.”
“No,” I firmly corrected. “Nemris is not supposed to disobey her own laws, and Nulena can rebel against the pantheon a dozen other ways. Destroying billions of innocent beings over some guy is not--”
“You’re too modest,” Shoshanne said as she pursed her lips. “If you were only some guy, Rekekis would not be so threatened by your presence.”
“True,” Nulena agreed.
“And if he is determined to make his opinions about this baby known,” Shoshanne barreled on, “then he doesn’t know who he’s dealing with, because I will not rest until your god-baby is ascending from this world like a king with fire-hair and stunning silver eyes!”
“I appreciate the dedication,” I assured her, “but this is not a topic I’m bending on, because I happen to give a shit if --”
“We give more shits,” Cayla interrupted, and Shoshanne waved me off as she turned to Nulena.
“I want you to know that long before the time comes for this baby to ascend, Mason will have already decimated Rekekis for wearing you out like this,” the healer promised. “He will not stand for having any of his women tried so incessantly, immortal or not. Right, Mason?”
I blinked. “Yes.”
I could tell by the look Nulena was sending me that she had about ten arguments on the tip of her tongue, but as many points as I wanted to make right now, I couldn’t believe how calm the healer was about all of this. So, I leaned into the moment as best as I could.
“Please let Shoshanne care for you in any way she can,” I said, and Nulena dropped her chin to her chest in defeat.
“Fine,” the Baroness sighed. “Obsess over the health of the immortal being in the family.”
“I will,” Shoshanne huffed with a decisive nod. “Mason, we’re going to the infirmary, but are you doing okay? I know this came out of nowhere, and it’s incredibly inconvenient with the siege coming up, but you of all people can handle this. Rekekis may be a god, but you have Nemris, Nulena, and Deya on your side, as well as myself and our illustrious child.”
“I know,” I chuckled.
“Good,” the healer sighed, and her worried expression cleared up for a moment. “I do feel as if it was your destiny to create a god in Nulena’s womb, don’t you? The two of you are perfectly matched for ultimate destruction and unwavering follow-through, and your baby will put Rekekis to shame. This is almost as exciting as our Lux baby!”
I smirked when Nulena couldn’t help blushing under the healer’s adoring gaze.
“Your god-baby really will be the most gorgeous destroyer of worlds,” Shoshanne assured her.
“Thank you,” Nulena murmured. “I hope so.”
Then the healer dragged Nulena out into the rain, and while I listened to her scolding the storm for being a sore loser, Aurora and Cayla cracked huge grins.
“And that is how you handle Shoshanne,” the half-elf concluded.
“You did tell her everything we discussed, right?” I checked.
“Everything,” Cayla assured me. “We told her about spectras, Rekekis’ domain crumbling, his powers wavering, and his stormy vengeance. We shifted the narrative a bit, though, because she would not shrug off the topic of Nulena’s reason for being here. So, instead of Rekekis hunting your soul, he’s just been taking notes from you for a while because the gods find you fascinating and more innovatively destructive than him. Nulena came here on his behalf to get a first-hand account.”
I furrowed my brow. “She bought that?”
“Duh,” Aurora snorted. “It’s more logical than soul stalking, but leave it to Shoshanne to obsess over the one detail we never considered: the health of an immortal being.”
“I’m glad she thought of it,” I admitted. “She’ll drive Nulena crazy doting over her, but I was so caught up in everything else, I didn’t even consider how exhausted she must be.”
“And powerful,” Cayla muttered. “I’ve seen how much your magery can drain you of every scrap of energy before, but how she holds out and continues to shield us is unfathomable. We have so much to make up for!”
“Good thing Shoshanne’s dedicated to the task,” Aurora chuckled. “I have a feeling she’ll keep Nulena on feather pillows with her feet up every chance she gets. You should have seen her when Nulena admitted she saved you at Vasdor. I’ve never seen Shoshanne so speechless.”
“Well, I’m glad she’s not worried about me,” I allowed, “but you have to stop encouraging this bullshit idea that I won’t ever have to die again. I’m okay with the concept of death, I really am, but I am not okay with causing universal destruction over--”
“Oh, I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Cayla said with a dismissive shrug. “Vasdor was an accident, and normally, you never come that close to dying because we’re all here to slaughter everyone within a hundred yards of you.”
I bit my tongue rather than point out the chances of me getting killed had drastically increased in the last day, and while my women turned to one another as if this thought hadn’t occurred to either of them, I shared a blank glance with Stan and Solana at the worktable.
The two metal figures were cuddled together on a bazooka like they’d been watching a thrilling movie, and the little metal man could only offer me a shrug in response to all this.
“You know, if Rekekis hasn’t caught Mason yet, he doesn’t stand a chance,” Cayla decided. “Especially not with Nulena around and all this super baby energy coursing through our veins. Look at what Shoshanne’s capable of! I bet I could gun down half the Master’s forces in under ten minutes with Mason’s baby in me. I can feel it in my ovaries. This child is channeling all its power directly into my trigger finger.”
“It must be,” Aurora agreed. “My flames felt more erratic than usual this morning at the training fields, too.”
“I saw that!” the princess gasped. “The fire whips you formed were positively vibrating with unpredictable power. I could tell you were hardly trying, too, so if you channeled this super baby like Shoshanne is--”
“Oh, the whole fucking town,” Aurora snorted.
“Up in flames,” the princess concluded.
“Alright,” I sighed as I stood up. “I’m gonna focus on none of this and go meet Deya because it sounds like she’ll be here any minute. Stan and Solana, no more sitting around. I want the two of you training for the rest of the day, and Aurora, would you check in with Urn about the mages he assessed yesterday? The instructors at the Oculus were supposed to send over their recommended mages for promotions.”
“O
f course, Mason,” Aurora replied as Solana shot over her head with Stan mounted on her back.
“Cayla, I have some rifles for the generals coming in,” I continued. “If you could get going on that demonstration, I’d appreciate it.”
“Yes, Mason,” Cayla said with a nod.
Then I followed the two women from the shop, and while they carried on comparing our unborn children to apocalyptic forces, I just shoved my hands into my pockets and sent Alfred a nod on my way out the door.
At least their mommy demons weren’t flaring up half as much as their expectations were.
I’d count that as a win.
Chapter 16
Rain seeped through my clothes as I stood in the clearing beside the mansion, but they hadn’t even dried since I returned home, so it didn’t make much of a difference to me. From where I stood, it looked like the alterations the mages made in town were holding up against the storm, too, and Deya was unharmed as she lowered her shipment into the soggy clearing.
Then I promptly sent the black dragon back to Mors Pass before the next few bolts of lightning could reach my mansion, and when Aurora finished her list of murdery symptoms from her pregnancy, I handed Cayla the bundle of runed AR-15s.
“I’ve already got ammunition stored at the dwarves’ shop, so you can have them bring it all over to get started,” I told the princess. “The Flumen Mages should be able to keep some portion of the field dried up by now. You can work out there, and I’ll have the pistols for your army loaded up along with their ammunition by the time you’re done.”
“Thank you,” Cayla replied. “I’ll take the train to Cedis for the delivery, but I’ll probably be back late.”
“I thought you said you’ve been training Captain Huntley with your own pistols to prepare him for this?” I pointed out.
“I have,” the princess assured me. “I just want to make sure the soldiers are well acclimated, and Huntley shouldn’t have to take on all the training by himself. I am the general, after all, and it wouldn’t be right for me to foist the work onto him without overseeing the upgrade and making sure he’s running the proper drills.”