by Eric Vall
My eyes shot to hers at the last words, but she ignored me.
“And whose word is it that you’re givin’ me? Yours, or the kingdom’s?” Thrungrig asked. There was a challenge in his voice as he eyed the pale beauty, and I saw him notice the gun on her hip.
Cayla didn’t miss a beat. “Both. My name is Cayla Balmier, princess of Cedis, and I was commissioned by my father, the king, to see that trade amongst our nations is made as safe and accessible as possible. We only seek to ally our nations for the good of all races.”
The dwarves had stopped their digging when they heard the princess’s words. Now they looked to Thrungrig, clearly not sure if they should bow or snort.
Thrungrig didn’t look sure either, he only continued to eye the princess suspiciously. Finally, he approached her, and his eyes were sharp as metal.
“Why?” he asked.
Cayla looked at me then.
I shrugged, not sure which way to flip this one, so she returned her gaze to the dwarf.
“We believe all of our nations are in grave danger,” she explained. “Dark powers have begun to threaten the kingdoms of Illaria and Cedis and caused the people to suffer. Many villages have been burned and pillaged, while others are attacked by beasts who have no reason to be where they have been rampaging. We believe this force is powerful enough to threaten even Orebane and Nalnora, but we hope this rail will provide a means of repairing damages, providing the people with basic necessities and armies to defend themselves should this threat become even greater.”
Well, there it was. I hadn’t expected her to be completely honest with the dwarf, but I shifted my weight and waited for the response. Hopefully, they wouldn’t laugh in her face.
Thrungrig turned to the other dwarves, and their conversation was low and charged for several minutes. The mages around us looked at each other uneasily, and then Thrungrig turned slightly and eyed Yaxin and Durigh as he said, “What do you have to say of it?”
Durigh cleared his throat and spoke before Yaxin could. “It’s true. Hell of a thing. A man went mad down there, possessed by some dark power or somethin’. The guys who were there said he exploded all over the place, nearly took down the kingdom of Cedis. Hell of a thing.” He shook his head gravely.
Yaxin chimed in. “Then they set their fire birds on us. That’s why we’re late bringin’ all this to ye. They tried to swallow us whole. Mason there, he blew the damn thing to pieces, but they kept at it. Finally defeated whatever was settin’ fire to everything, but I don’t doubt there’s more to come. Never would have believed it to hear it, but I believe the things I seen. That damn fire bird was something else.”
The fear in the tradesmen’s eyes was clear as day, and Thrungrig seemed to see it, too. Two dwarves began to speak urgently in their leader’s ear, but he silenced them with a single look. The dwarf scratched at his neck once more, but he had apparently made his decision and turned to speak to me.
“Beasts made of fire, you say?” he inquired.
I nodded. “They were created by an Ignis Mage who’d been possessed by this dark force. We were attacked by a fire scorpion, a fire bird, and a fire dragon as well. Each beast was stronger than the last and determined to destroy this machine.” I gestured to the locomotive. “That’s how I know we have to build this rail and bring it to the capital of Orebane. There’s only one reason this force would want to destroy it. And that’s if it gives all our nations a hope of defeating it.”
Thrungrig considered my words, and when he spoke again his voice was no longer hostile. He spoke as if he were beginning a fable of old, and the cadence was intoxicating as it drew the attention of everyone in the cave.
“Beasts of fire, who bring such a force of violence they could destroy the nations,” he began. “In the lands of Orebane, we suffer a darkness which overpowers us as well. But these are beasts of ice, which roam this range and destroys the mines and homes, leaving a sea of glass in their wake and freezing whole villages into oblivion. These giants screech on the wind, and soon the ground begins to shake, bringing a fearsome cold just before the attack. The ice comes like a waterfall of daggers and impales everything in its path. Enchanted ice that engulfs everything it touches, spreads faster than fire. They have plagued these mountains for many months now, and the capital has sent army after army to their deaths to protect their blessed lands. Many dwarves have met a frigid end in the name of the elders, and yet the ice giants continue to screech on the wind, and they only grow stronger by the day.”
When the dwarf ended his tale, all was silent.
I blinked and shook off the daze his words had put me in, and then I turned to see Haragh and the others were also silent and still.
Aurora spoke first. “You say they’ve been around for the past few months?”
The dwarf nodded, and he was followed by more fervent nods from his companions.
The half-elf narrowed her eyes. “The first attack in Illaria was around that time.”
“For us as well,” Cayla added.
I turned to Thrungrig. “You said these ice giants have grown stronger?”
“And meaner,” the dwarf grunted. “The first was no taller than this contraption of yours. Took half a village, but we defeated it with great effort. The next was twice that size, and since then we’ve not been able to contain one. They come in herds now, crawling down the peaks like angry ants from their hive.”
“Godsdamnit,” I breathed. The thought of an army of giants spewing shards of ice from the height of the mountains made my blood burn in my veins. I had a feeling this was the work of the Master, and if that was true, he had gained a firm hold on the northern mountains while we’d been busy with our defenses in the south. This force would be well established, and from the sounds of it, stronger than the flaming beasts we’d encountered. “Shit.”
Haragh joined me at my side. “How many Ignis Mages you send for?” he asked.
“I didn’t say specifically,” I replied with a frown. “Just asked Bagnera to send a few on. That could be two or ten.”
The half-ogre considered this. “We’ve got three, so assuming six is our end count, I’d say we have a leg up. Aurora alone is a damned force to be reckoned with,” he chuckled and sent a wink to the half-elf, who smirked for the first time since the cave-in.
“With a little training, I could have these guys as light on their feet by the time we reach the capital,” she assured him.
I thought this over as I looked around at the mages in question. Their eyes were wide and unsettled, but they had worked seamlessly together at the cliff face and taken direction from the half-elf without faltering. I remembered the ferocity of Aurora the day we’d met, and her cunning and speed had only increased in the weeks since then. If anyone could ready a troop for this battle, it was her. With a threat that promised a frigid end to everything in its path, the Ignis Mages would truly be our strongest asset.
“When the others arrive, I could send for a few more, and we’d hopefully have a good sized army by the time we get near the capital,” I announced.
Thrungrig narrowed his eyes. “An army?”
“Yes. As the princess said, the kingdoms do not only seek a trade alliance,” I explained as diplomatically as I could. “The kings of Illaria and Cedis have sent us to build an allegiance against this dark force, and from the sounds of it, it’s here and fucking decimating the lives of your race. We will bring any army we can to join our forces with yours against the ice giants.” My gaze was steady as I promised him this, and my hand extended to the dwarf who had listened carefully to my words.
After a moment, he took my hand, and his grip was firmer than it had been when we met only an hour before. “If you will fight beside the dwarves, and destroy these ice giants, then I will vouch for you when we reach the capital.”
I grinned. “You have yourself a deal.”
The dwarf grunted, then looked to the back of the cave. “Suppose you made that mess?”
My recent boost in confidence fl
uttered and gave out. “Yeah,” I admitted.
The dwarf raised a brow at me and looked me over like he couldn’t believe I had made it this far. “You trying to kill yourself?”
“And my entire crew, apparently,” I joked half-heartedly. What could I say? Not many mountains in Chicago.
He shook his head and motioned for the dwarves to join him at the rubble left behind by the cave-in. “This will take weeks to work around. Then there’s the shoring up to do--”
“Not quite,” Haragh cut in as he jogged to join the dwarves. He held his hands in front of him and demonstrated his ability to shift and remove the massive boulders that had fallen from the ceiling of the cave, but after two were removed, a loud rumble began again, and the dwarves ordered him to stop.
They inspected the piles closely, then spoke among themselves before Thrungrig turned to me. “Mason Flynt, how many of you have these rock powers?”
I couldn’t help but grin at the word choice. “It’s called Terra Magic,” I corrected, “and it gives us the ability to control both rock and earth. I have five Terra Mages here, including myself.”
His eyes perked at the words. “Five of ye?”
I nodded and looked with pride to Pindor, Jovion, and Zerla as they stepped forward. Their faces were no longer pale with fear, and their determination was clearly restored.
The dwarf motioned us all to join him. “You said your magic controls metal, yeah?”
“Yes, but only I can, and there isn’t any in this rock,” I informed him. “I was reforming the tracks I’ve already made, but I don’t have much, and there won’t be enough to reach the capital until another shipment comes.”
The dwarf waved this off. “Doesn’t matter. We’ve got a steel mine on the other side of this peak.”
I stared at him. “Seriously?”
“Aye,” he grunted. “You’ll have your steel. Bring it out and start on the rock bolts.”
I shifted awkwardly. “The what?”
Thrungrig actually smirked. “Uh-huh. That’s what I thought. Get the metal, and next time don’t go bangin’ your way through a damn mountain not knowing what the hell you’re doin’.”
I couldn’t deny the man’s assessment. That cave-in was a bit more than just a major hiccup, but if the dwarves could point me in the right direction, I would damn sure shut up and listen.
The dwarves brought the Terra Mages with them to the rubble, and as I turned for the locomotive, I caught Aurora’s arm and pulled her with me. I could feel her stubbornly making herself heavier, but everyone was busy listening and talking with the dwarves by the time we passed the opening of the train. I finally stopped on the other side when we were nearly out of the cave, and then I turned to face the half-elf with my hands firmly on her arms.
“Look at me,” I commanded.
Aurora glared at the black sky instead. “Why?”
“Because I love you,” I replied simply.
Her eyes immediately filled with tears, and she shot me a furious look, but at least she was looking at me again. “What?” she snapped.
I wanted to smile, because she was kind of adorable when she was pissed, but I knew better. I lightly touched the stubborn ridge of her chin. “I’m sorry I scared you,” I told her.
The muscles in her jaw fluttered as she clenched them. “Good.”
Now I did smile. “Come on, if you’re gonna be that mad, at least slap me or something.”
Honestly, I thought she would, but she didn’t.
We were silent for a minute, before the half-elf finally spoke up.
“How could you do that?” she hissed, but even though her tone was angry, I could see the fear deep in her green eyes. “I saw you. You fucking stopped. You could have fucking died, and you stopped. I thought that was it. I thought I was gonna have to watch you get crushed by that … that … ”
“Hey.” I held up my hands. “You know how many times you’ve jumped onto drakes and ran up to hydras or fucking leaped up in front of ten swords like it was nothing?”
Aurora only glared so I continued.
“Yeah,” I went on, “and every time, I wanna slap some sense into you ‘cause if you died I’d be fuckin’ lost. But I don’t, because it’s who you are. You jump up and don’t think twice about dying when something matters to you.”
The half-elf had stopped glaring by the time I finished, and she swiped the tears off her face in irritation. Then she let out a long breath to the sky.
“I love you, too,” she mumbled.
I tipped her chin toward me and kissed her so hard she tripped backward and fell against the side of the train, but she pulled me with her and tangled her tongue with my own as I crushed her between me and the metal. When we finally parted, her skin was as hot as flame, and her emerald eyes weren’t hiding from me anymore. They burned right through me with the same fierceness I’d seen the day we’d slaughtered the drake together.
I chuckled, happy to see my favorite blue-haired half-elf again.
“So,” she said, “we’re a couple of idiots who will probably die doing something awesome someday.”
“Yeah,” I chuckled, “but I honestly don’t think either of us are gonna let the other get away with it.” I cupped her cheek and looked deep into her eyes. “Okay?”
She grinned and rolled her eyes as she swiped at them before they could fill with tears again. “Okay.”
We came back around the edge of the locomotive, and I quickly summoned my magic to move a stack of ties. As I headed toward the dwarves, I saw Cayla smile and give Aurora a soft brush on the arm before she wrapped the half-elf in a hug. My luck in this realm really was staggering, and I was grinning like an idiot over my weird and kind of extreme little family by the time I dropped the ties down next to Thrungrig.
The dwarf kept his hands busy as he patted around the walls and rubble, but he spoke over his shoulder. “The joints are spaced at about thirty-one centimeters. Arch shaped. Tensile strength’ll require … ” He calculated while his fingers danced across the stonework, but another dwarf provided the answer.
“Ninety-one centimeters.”
Thrungrig grunted. “Ninety-two.”
I’d nodded along alright so far, but when they started to spout off measurements, I finally had to ask. “What’s it that you’re measuring for?”
The dwarves felt around a bit more before they all agreed to the measurement. Then Thrungrig turned briefly from his work. “Every rock’s got a series of joints runnin’ through it. Those joints are your weak points. You find the distance between the joints, and drill the right size bolt into it, then you strengthen the joints, ye’ see?”
The Terra Mages and I listened closely, and Haragh decided to step forward and place his hand on the wall. I could feel the static arc of magic as he felt through the rock face with his eyes closed in concentration.
When they opened, he nodded and said, “Thirty-one centimeters is correct. You say ninety-two will hold all? You sure?”
The dwarves looked at him, and the insult was palpable.
The half-ogre chuckled nervously as he removed his hand from the rock. “Sorry. You carry on as ye were,” he mumbled.
The group of dwarves stared him down as he backed away and put himself behind the other Terra Mages.
I shot him a hard look myself, but there was hardly any heat behind it. The fucking gall of an ogre, though.
Once the dwarves resumed their measuring, I bent closer to Haragh and muttered, “You seriously just questioned the dwarves?”
He sighed and rubbed the back of his great, green neck. “I don’t know, I was just tryin’ to … ” he trailed off. “Fuck it. Won’t happen again.”
I tried to stifle a chuckle, and Haragh nudged me as he did the same.
A few dwarves left their work to approach us, and they knocked the dust off their hands as they talked to one another. They all shot another withering glance to the half-ogre before Thrungrig cleared his throat and spoke.
“You’ll need to anchor the rock,” he instructed, “the tensile strength you’re lookin’ for is gonna require a good hundred and eighty-two centimeters to--”
“Hundred and eighty-three,” a dwarf corrected.
The leader looked at the red-haired dwarf at his side, who raised his brows and shrugged in response.
“Hundred and eighty-three,” Thrugrig continued, his voice thick as he turned back to me, and I tried not to smirk at the exchange. “Make the bolts about two centimeters in diameter, and you’ll get a good twelve tons of holding power.”
“Holy shit,” I whistled, and the dwarf raised a brow. “Sorry, go on.”
“You’ll need to have a wedge at the inner end to increase the compression. I’ll show ye the designs. Toromere,” he said as he turned to the red-haired dwarf. “Get those rocks shifting.”
The dwarf nodded and gestured for the Terra Mages to join him while Thrungrig stooped and used a calloused finger to etch a crude blueprint of the rock bolt and wedge device in the dirt.
It looked so simple I felt like kicking myself in the ass. The massive steel pillars were the opposite of the dwarves’ approach.
On the bright side, I was learning something new today.
“You get this wedge good and tight with that magic of yours,” Thrungrig continued, “and you’ll give the rock the tension it needs to withstand the weight.”
I nodded and made sure I had the measurements he’d given me in my mind before I signaled for Aurora and Mina to fire it up. The dwarves stepped back and watched carefully while I called my magic to the surface of my hands and held a track suspended so the Ignis Mages could send out a burst of white flames.
Aurora sent me a wink through the blaze of light as the track melted into a shining orb of steel again, and I couldn’t help but smile.
Behind me, I could hear the Terra Mages shift rubble under the instruction of Toromere and a few others, and to their credit, no ominous rumbling came from the belly of the mountain. I focused on the orb once it was melted down, and then I separated it into dozens of smaller clumps. I hadn’t created so many small and precise pieces in a long time, but once I’d created one bolt exactly two centimeters by one hundred and eighty-three, I could easily replicate it across all of the miniature orbs. Then I let the pieces drop in a neat pile on the cave floor and moved to the next track. We repeated the melting process, but this time I formed all of the orbs into identical wedge devices like the ones drawn in the dirt at my feet. Once I finished, I turned and wiped the small bit of sweat from my forehead.