Metal Mage 4

by Eric Vall

  The elders exchanged looks with one another at my words, and it was Dogra who responded. “What weaponry could possibly ensure that?”

  “It’s called a Warwolf,” I answered. “It stands over two-hundred feet high and can deliver an attack from a thousand feet away. If only a troop of your dwarves man the Warwolves, then they could provide an adequate force against the ice giants with less risk to themselves while my mages and I fight on the battlefront.”

  The elders were shocked, and Dogra turned once more to Dorinick. “Is it true?” he demanded.

  “Aye.” Dorinick nodded. “There’s three of ‘em up at Thrungrig’s mine. Could be here and ready to fight in a day.”

  Agrokea let out a satisfied harrumph, and I could see a shadow of a smile come to the aged dwarf's face. “Bring your wolves,” he said with a nod. “And your mages.”

  “Agrokea …” an elder warned, but he was waved away by the aged elder.

  “Enough,” the old dwarf said. “Enough … in the name of the Elders of Aurum …“

  “But it’s unprecedented!” Dogra growled.

  Then Dorinick stepped forward.

  “Uncle,” he said, and he addressed the black-haired dwarf, “I understand your worries. But know this: I came to Aurum the moment you summoned me, and I will leave it just as quickly. It is only alongside this man and his mages that I will fight in the name of Aurum. Anything else is a sentence of slaughter. That’s my final word.”

  Dogra’s face lost all of its venom as Dorinick spoke, and by the time he finished, the dwarf looked like a shell of the elder he’d been only moments before. He looked old and tired and scared as he studied his nephew’s face carefully.

  “You trust this man?” he finally asked, and Dorinick nodded without hesitation.

  “Then … ” Dogra sighed as he gathered his composure and turned to me, “in the name of the Elders of Aurum, we pledge our allegiance in arms.

  “Thank yo--” I started to say, but the dwarf cut me off.

  “But know,” he added, his eyes suddenly sharp, “that the last mage to enter this capital was buried deep beneath it. If you betray this allegiance, you and all of your army will suffer a worse fate.”

  I bowed my consent, and the elders rose to cross their hands in the air and repeat the pledge. Agrokea alone remained seated, but his withered face had a shadow of pride in it as he crossed the pledge himself.

  When the elders were seated again, Dogra nodded to the white-haired dwarf. “Foreg,” he said, “You have the floor.”

  Foreg bowed and gestured Dorinick to come forward, but then he seemed to think of something, and he gestured for me to join at the dwarf’s side. “Much has taken place since your departure,” he began. “The last battle was a strange one, and I advise that you consider your maneuvers carefully.”

  “What was different?” Dorinick asked.

  “They came from the western ridge, once again,” Foreg replied, “but they moved in lines, and their ice covered more effectively this way. Also, as you saw this day, they send one alone before the attack.”

  “So, they’ve only recently begun to organize?” I asked.

  Foreg nodded. “There was no order before this last one,” he said, “but their numbers were lesser. No more than ten joined in the last, but they finished the western villages.”

  “What?” Dorinick demanded, and I could see his face had completely paled.

  Foreg nodded gravely once more. “Took the last of them. Only thirty-two dwarves escaped to the gates of Aurum. The guard reports nothing is left of the lands. All is buried in the ice.”

  Dorinick shook his head, a look of disgust in his eyes, and Dogra spoke from his throne.

  “We have needed you, Dorinick,” the elder told his nephew. “Help us to finish the fight against this evil, and you will be rewarded greatly.”

  Dorinick didn’t look up, but his words were low and menacing when he responded. “I want no reward, uncle. Only the safety of my arms.” With that, he turned his back on the elders and made for the doors of the throne room.

  I bowed hastily to Foreg and the others before I quickly followed after him.

  Dorinick didn’t pause until he was outside of the fortress, where he hurled his helm and a stream of vicious curses to the stonework of the courtyard. Then he snatched a spear from a guard and sent it spiraling straight at the silver doors with another strange word to follow. This one caused the other guards to drop their jaws and look deeply embarrassed. They backed away, apparently to shun the actions of the dwarf, who only screamed another thing or two at their insulted faces.

  Thrungrig jumped forward and caught Dorinick by the arm to haul him away.

  “You’ll get yourself decapitated,” he growled as he finally reigned in the fuming dwarf.

  When Thrungrig released him, Dorinick breathed heavily for a moment as sweat dripped from his brow, but he said nothing. Then he walked over to his helm, put it on, and climbed into the sidecar.

  The Ignis Mages looked at me nervously, and Aurora nodded in the direction of the furious dwarf.

  I approached the sidecar carefully, and when nothing got thrown my direction, I cleared my throat. “Dorinick,” I tried.

  Two burning eyes glared up at me from beneath the metal plating.

  I knew nothing could reassure him except for the survival of his dwarves, but I didn’t feel right about leaving him to his anger, especially when he’d just vouched for me in front of his elders and his family. When I met him, he’d been silent and dejected, but now I knew the sense of honor he possessed, and I respected the hell out of it.

  “I promise you,” I said and held his eyes steadily, “the minute those catapults get here, not one more will fall. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

  He stared at me for a moment, then nodded. “I believe you, Mason Flynt.”

  The words meant a lot coming from a soldier like him, and I was relieved to see his temper cool a degree after he’d spoken them. Then I called the mages over, and we all piled onto Bobbie. I had just turned to ask the dwarves which way I should head when the clanging of bells suddenly broke out across the capital.

  The frenzied ringing echoed through the stony streets, and the courtyard became flooded with dwarves and carts rushing in every direction.

  Dorinick’s helm shook slowly before he raised his steel gauntlet and pointed toward the gates of the capital.

  Chapter 15

  Minutes later, Dorinick stood on the edge of a large stone fountain just inside the gates of Aurum. The dwarves of the capital had gathered around him, and most of them were fully armored for battle.

  “We need only thirty!” Dorinick growled again, and an uproar came from the crowd.

  They were eager to defend their elders, but I could see the faces of the injured who lined the buildings behind the throng. Their eyes were grave and wide with worry, and I could tell they feared for their comrades but didn’t know what to say to dissuade them.

  The dedication of the dwarves honestly surprised me, considering the death toll they’d reached in only a few months, but I stood firm beside Dorinick and insisted that only thirty would be needed. I knew the strength and skill of my mages, but we only numbered four, and I wasn’t about to underestimate the ice giants that headed toward the capital. Thirty dwarves would be enough support to distract the giants, and it would avoid the risk of having too many for us to protect if things took a turn for the worst.

  The uproar of the crowd had already cost us valuable time, so I finally raised my voice above the noise and called for silence. It took a moment, but everyone finally shut the hell up.

  “For the last time,” I hollered, “my mages and I can provide a strong front, but you have to understand we present a danger to you as well. Our flames could devour you, or you could be smashed by falling boulders. Combine this with the threat of the strange ice and the giants, and you’re not in a battle anymore … you’re just being killed. Please, see reason. Your general k
nows his means, and I know my mages. Thirty is all we need, and no more!”

  Several dwarves raised their voices in protest, but Dorinick silenced them this time. “Obey the order or relinquish your shields!” he growled, and I saw the shock on the faces of the soldiers. To protect their capital was an honor for the dwarves, and the prospect of that honor being stripped finally got them to see sense.

  Within ten minutes, we had thirty armored dwarves mounted and ready to move out, and I climbed on Bobbie to follow suit. Aurora slid herself between my thighs, and I could feel the warmth of her skin beneath her red tights. I wrapped my arm around her middle and pulled her tight against me. Then she turned and gave me a fiery kiss over her shoulder.

  “Be careful,” I said and gave her earlobe a light bite in warning.

  The half-elf sighed and ran her hand along my leg to pull me closer against her. “You too,” she purred.

  Mina and Deli mounted at my back, and I reluctantly loosened my hold on the beauty in front of me as I turned to see Thrungrig wink at me from under his helm.

  I couldn’t help but chuckle, and I rolled my eyes at the dwarf.

  “Let’s get to it,” I said as Bobbie roared to life.

  “Veer right at the head of the pass we came in from,” Dorinick instructed as he climbed into the sidecar with a long spear held aloft. “Follow that path and try to be quick. If we head them off, then the battle can take place in the far field and give the upper hand to you and your mages.”

  I nodded and kicked Bobbie into gear, and she sped through the gates of Aurum with thirty short and stocky horses at her back. The dwarves of the capital let out a roar as we left, and I could hear the clang of the bells echo through the sky as the torches of the riders flashed behind me in the frozen night.

  Aurora sent an orb ahead of us to light the way, but I could tell by the tilt of her head that she had her ears trained toward the darkness to scan for the sound of the ice giants.

  We came to the edge of a large slope that fell into the darkness of a snowy field, and I brought Bobbie to a stop while we waited for the riders to catch up. I could hear their hooves gaining ground when Dorinick and Aurora pointed toward the peaks at the same time.

  The snow on the mountains glowed in the growing light of the moon, and against the dim white we could see the lumbering shadows of ten ice giants. They walked slowly down the peak, and clusters of avalanches skidded down the side with each step. Still, the giants kept their pace and moved in a line, just as the elder Foreg had warned.

  “We need to break up that line,” I said to the others, and Dorinick nodded as he jumped down into the snow.

  “Aye,” he agreed before he turned to Aurora. “Remember what I taught ye’, and don’t lose your sense while you’re focusing on one. They’ll likely throw their ice at any flame they see.”

  The half-elf and her Ignis Mages nodded as they received their orders, and then the dwarf turned to me.

  “If you need us out of the way, give the order. I’ll make sure the dwarves know to heed it, but if you think you can take one down and there’s no time … ” Dorinick trailed off, and I put a hand on the spaulder of his shoulder.

  “Don’t worry,” I assured him. “I’ll get them out of the way. You just focus on breaking that line. If you can do that, we’ll pick them off one by one.”

  Mina stepped forward now, and her eyes flashed with excitement. “Let me light your spears,” she said at once, and Aurora grinned proudly behind her.

  “Yes!” the half-elf agreed, and she joined at Mina’s side.

  “What?” Dorinick asked.

  “Your spears,” Mina continued. “We can light them with enchanted flames. If you can spear the giants with them, then at least the flames will confuse them and help with the melting. Let us light your spears, quick!”

  The torches of the riders broke through the trees, and Dorinick wasted no time lining up his troops with their spears outstretched. Mina and Deli quickly ran down the line and ignited the sharp points of the spears in hot blue flames that seemed unable to mar the weapons. The dwarves eyes were stunned as their spears sparked with the flames, and Dorinick barked orders to his line to run a course of chaos.

  “Break that damn line!” he ordered. “Use your spears and your torches, cause them to panic and get them separated so the mages can take them down, but be careful! Remember you battle with strange forces, and be wary of where you run to!”

  The dwarves roared their approval, and we turned just as the line of giants came to the base of the mountains and let out a shrill series of screeches.

  I climbed on Bobbie, and the mages mounted behind and in front of me. Then I turned to Dorinick.

  “We’ll catch them from the back once they’re midway here,” I assured him with a salute before I drove Bobbie to the black line of trees that flanked the pristine white field.

  The giants screeched and made directly for the dwarven front, and their icy forms glinted as they neared the flames. The sound of Bobbie’s engine was lost in the horrible shrillness of the giants’ call, and I was able to circle the field quickly and bring us behind the last of their line.

  Then Mina, Deli, and Aurora leapt from their seats and quickly overtook the last giant.

  The moment the half-elf’s palms ignited, Dorinick’s cry echoed across the field, and the dwarves barreled down the hill with their torches and spears held high.

  The giants spread out to form lines of four, but the last giant was engulfed in flames and let out a furious shriek that called the attention of the two nearest giants. Their heads turned, and their hollow eyes trained themselves on the three mages before they both split their jaws open.

  I saw a whirlwind of icy spears spew from their mouths in the light of the flames, and I ran Bobbie around the melting beast to bring myself between my mages and the pair of giants. Then I leapt to the ground and landed with two fists planted in the snow as I called the full force of my Terra magic to my limbs.

  The ground shuddered beneath me, and the giants wavered as their balance was shaken. Their trail of enchanted ice was already piercing and taking over the ground, and I watched it pile itself up and thicken in violent spikes as it tore angrily toward the mages. With a twist of my hand, I wrenched the frozen Earth apart, and a trench intercepted the icy path. Then I pulled the wall of the trench higher and sent it down to bury the ice beneath it.

  The giants had regained their balance, but before they could retaliate, three flaming spears buried themselves in their legs, and the furious giants whipped around to send their ice after the dwarves who’d thrown them. The moment they turned, Aurora and the Ignis Mages leapt over the overturned dirt and attacked the giants from behind with their flames.

  The mages worked together and wove between the sheets of ice that fell from the gaping mouths as they angled their flames at the joints of the knees.

  Over my shoulder, I could see the giant they’d already shattered across the snow, and I sprinted into the fray where the other dwarves fought to break the lines of the giants.

  They’d managed to separate the line of four at the front, but their spears had infuriated the beasts. The giants sent the dwarves running in the wake of the enchanted ice that nipped at their heels, so I waved my hand and raised a wall behind the feet of the dwarves. The ice shattered against the wall with a crashing roar before it slowly spread across the entire surface in a thick blue sheet.

  While the giants reeled at the unexpected blockade, I drove my fist into the ground and caused their trunkish legs to shake as mounds rose up all around them. They flailed to regain their balance, but two of them tripped over the mounds of earth and were brought down.

  “Aurora!” I hollered, and the Ignis Mage abandoned her post to sprint toward the fallen giants.

  Mina and Deli were just finishing the third giant, and as its icy skull shattered in the moonlight, they quickly followed the half-elf’s path. The fallen giants threw streams of enchanted ice straight into the sky,
and it fell like a pack of javelins and caused the mages to scatter to avoid the spikes.

  I pulled the ground right from beneath one of the spewing giants and wrapped it over the body as it shrieked and was pinned by the very earth it stood upon.

  The giant fought so fiercely against the dirt that held him down, I could feel his efforts send tremors through the ground under my feet. Before it could free itself, though, Aurora and her mages were back, and they turned their searing flames on the trapped beast.

  “Hell yeah,” I growled as I counted the four defeated giants and watched as the mages began on the fifth. I flipped around to scan the field and saw several dwarves hurl their flaming spears at two more giants. Just before the jaws of the giants yawned open, I pulled a boulder from the ground at their backs and let it drop down on one of their skulls.

  The second giant shrieked in fury as he saw the skull beside him split in two, so I took advantage of his distraction and tore the ground under its trunks in half.

  One leg plummeted into the ground, and I quickly locked it there as the giant whose head had shattered under the boulder swayed and stumbled over its companion. With a heavy crack, the ice collided, and the torso of the fallen giant snapped under the weight of the other one.

  Mina’s flames arched from twenty feet away, and Aurora joined her to melt the splintering pile of ice into a puddle.

  Then I heard a scream from across the field, and I scanned the darkness and the flashing of flames to find where it had come from. I saw Deli dart out of the way of a line of enchanted ice that was overtaking her as she frantically sent spurts of flames over her shoulder, but they weren’t strong enough to stop the ice.

  I threw my arm out and ripped a trench across the ground, but several shards of ice hurled themselves across the opening and continued to multiply as they trailed the Ignis Mage. Somewhere in the dark, Dorinick gave a fierce cry, and a spear flew into the leg of the giant who watched its ice hunt the mage.

  The giant turned immediately to the dwarf and began to open it’s great mouth. I could hear Deli’s panicked whimpers as she began to run out of steam, and then I saw Dorinick, alone and unguarded, faced with the giant jaws in front of him.