by Eric Vall
“I would like to help,” Aurora said as she took half a step forward but still kept a hand at my elbow. “I’m an Ignis Mage. I can help you put out the fires a little faster.”
“I won’t say no to that,” Mayard grunted.
Aurora then turned to me with an inquisitive look, and I waved my hand dismissively.
“Take your time,” I said with a tired smile. “I can wait while you all finish up.”
I stumbled back a few feet and then fell back on my ass while I leaned up against Bobbie.
“Are you sure?” Aurora asked.
“Yup,” I said with a slow nod of my head. “Go on. If I can get my feet under me soon, I’ll come to help you rebuild some of the houses.”
“Do not overdo it,” Cayla said as she stooped down beside me and transferred Stan back into my lap.
Huh. He must have jumped on the princess as she was propping me up.
I gently patted the stickman on the head, and then I looked back up to Cayla with a wide and lopsided grin.
“Moderation is my middle name,” I replied with a chuckle and a wink.
Chapter 10
Once the fires of Lindow had finally been put out, we returned to the castle. It was well after midnight, and I was practically dead on my feet. Despite Aurora and Cayla telling me not to, I had patched up most of the structures that were partially destroyed, and I even rebuilt several homes from ashes. I also erected another wall around the town, not as tall and solid as the one back in Keld, but high enough to deter any idiots.
There were still some families without a place to call their own, but other citizens stepped up and offered their own homes as temporary housing until more structures could be built. Cayla had tried to assure me they’d be fine, that they’d have some kind of shelter erected within the week, but I knew I could have something up before the sun came up. I couldn’t simply get on my bike and abandon these people to the elements, so I did what I could.
By the time we made it back to Eyton, it was near dawn, every part of my body was sore, and the reserves of my magic were as dry as the desert. Cayla and Aurora somehow helped me to bed, but I didn’t remember most of it. All I remembered was diving face first into my pillow, and then I fell into the deep dark void of sleep. My dreams were filled with chaotic flashes and half-formed images, but they all faded to vague smoke as the sun rose in the eastern sky.
When I awoke the next day, it was already well past noon. My mouth was parched, and the rumbling hollow of my stomach is what had finally dragged me back to consciousness. Bright midday sunlight filtered into my room through the large windows, and I blinked groggily around me.
My eyes fell to the bedside table, and I found Stan standing there, staring at me even though he didn’t have a face. It was a little disconcerting.
“G’mornin’, buddy,” I grumbled as I pushed myself upright. My whole body protested, and I bit my tongue to stifle a groan. “Shit. It feels like I just went three rounds with Mike Tyson. Not like that means anything to you though.”
Stan stood there for a moment, and then he turned and pointed toward the opposite side of the room. I turned to follow his gesture, and I saw a plate of food on the table under the window. A folded piece of paper was propped up against it, and I recognized Cayla’s handwriting.
“Perfect,” I moaned as I extended my hand toward the stickman beside me. “Let’s go see what’s for breakfast. Or lunch I guess.”
Stan bent his knees and jumped from the table into my palm. He teetered for a moment as he landed but then regained his balance. He wrapped one of his arms around my thumb and used the other one to point to the window again. He cut a very striking and intrepid profile, and I couldn’t help but laugh even though it hurt more than a little.
“Tally-ho,” I said as I slowly swung my legs over the side of the bed. The cold stone floor stung the soles of my feet, and I hissed in air through my teeth. I painstakingly stood up, and then I stumbled across the room toward the window and glorious food.
The plate was stacked high with cold cuts of meat. I saw ham, chicken, and something that looked a little like salami. Beside the meats were several slices of dark bread drizzled in honey and fresh berries and a whole red apple. Saliva filled my mouth, and my stomach grumbled loudly again, but I reached first for the note that bore my name in Cayla’s neat cursive. I unfolded the paper, and my eyes quickly scanned the page.
“Mason,” I read aloud. “Aurora and I are meeting with my father and Captain Mayard this morning for a debriefing. We decided to let you sleep since you needed the rest. If you awaken before we return, please eat this plate that I have left for you and feel free to journey to the kitchen for seconds. We both know you need the fuel.”
The note was signed ‘With all my love, Cayla.’ I smiled down at the page before I carefully folded it up and stuck it in my pocket. Then I turned to Stan and held up my finger for a high-five that he enthusiastically reciprocated.
“Alright, buddy,” I said as I reached for my plate of brunch. “What do you say about me scarfing this food, finding a new change of clothes, and then we can go work on your big brother?”
Stan bobbed his head in a quick series of nods and pointed down to the plate again as if to hurry up.
“I’m going, I’m going,” I chuckled, and then I grabbed a piece of honeyed bread and shoved it whole in my mouth. The sweetness oozed over my tongue, and my eyes rolled back in pleasure.
I ate, bathed, and changed within half an hour. Bathing consisted of wiping myself off with a rag and using the fresh water from the bowl that sat beside the chamber pot in the corner of the room, and my mind filled with plans to build indoor plumbing, a bathtub, and a water heater in my remote workshop back in Illaria once we returned.
It also seemed Cayla had anticipated my need for new clothes because a pair of pristine leather breeches, a white shirt, and a leather tunic vest lay draped across the end of the bed. I shed my dirty, singed, and soot-stained clothes and let them crumple to the floor. When I was dressed and ready to face the day, albeit still pretty sore, I splashed my face one last time and then exited my bedroom.
Servants and soldiers walked through the halls as they went about their various duties. No matter who they were, however, each one of them nodded to me as I passed, and I saw awe in the eyes of the servants and respect in the soldiers’.
I didn’t run into Aurora or Cayla on my way to the workshop, and while I knew that they would find me eventually, I hadn't expected to swing open the door to the workshop and find the princess and the half-elf already inside waiting for me.
“There you are,” Cayla said with a smile. I was surprised to see that the princess wore pants today. They looked like the female counterpart to my own leather breeches, and a long, royal blue short sleeve coat adorned her torso. The coat was tightly fitted to her generous curves, and it buttoned to just above her navel before it split into two pieces on either side of her thighs.
“Morning,” I said as I closed the door behind me. “How did the meeting with your father go?”
“Very well,” Cayla said with a nod. “He was incredibly impressed with our victory yesterday. The royal retinue, as well as the people of Lindow, suffered no casualties and only minor injuries. Mayard sent some of his men back to Lindow this morning to bring them more food. Speaking of Norick, he has also requested some of your time soon to give him and his men a proper demonstration with the guns.”
“Sure, I’ll pencil it in,” I said with a shrug.
“Thank you.” Cayla walked over to my side and rose up on her tiptoes to peck a kiss against my cheek.
“You’re welcome, dear,” I said as I smiled, and then I nodded to the princess’s outfit. “Seems like I’m not the only one who got new clothes.”
Cayla’s eyes gleamed as she smirked. “I told my father it was impractical for me to be in dresses while Camus Dred is still at large. Pants are technically not proper attire for princesses, but neither are dresses torn in half.
At least this way my legs are covered.”
I hummed in agreement but thought that her tight leather bottoms were the farthest thing from modest. My eyes then shifted to Aurora, who sat perched on one of the workshop’s tables. She had also abandoned her soot-stained clothes, but unlike Cayla and me, the Ignis Mage had simply traded her old white robe for an equally short one in dark forest green that somehow complimented her usual blood red stockings. The half-elf noticed my heated stare as it dragged over her bare thighs, and she threw me a smirk.
“Do you see something you like, Mason?” she teased as she uncrossed and recrossed her long legs.
I felt myself twitch in my new breeches, but I forced myself to smirk back cockily.
“Oh yeah,” I purred as I sauntered across the room. Aurora’s eyes went hooded, and they trailed up and down my chest. But when I reached the half-elf and she tilted her face up toward me, I just kept walking forward past her until I stood beside my animatron.
“I’ve been thinking about you all night,” I said huskily as I ran my hand over the machine’s pointed head.
In my peripherals, I saw Aurora roll her eyes, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“So that was what you were muttering,” Cayla giggled as she walked up beside me.
Stan teetered across my shoulder toward the princess, and she held up her hand for him to jump into.
“Honestly, I probably was dreaming about this,” I admitted with a chuckle as my eyes ran over every line of the animatron. “After the attack last night, I’m eager to get to work on Big Guy here.”
And not just because I was worried about what Camus Dred had planned next.
There was also the mysterious ‘master’ to consider.
There hadn’t been another runed attack since we had entered Cedis, but I knew it was only a matter of time, and this ‘master’ wasn’t likely to wait around for us to deal with Camus Dred before he orchestrated his next move. I needed to get all my weapons up and running as soon as possible.
“So what is our next move then?” Aurora questioned as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“Get to the mine and get to work,” I replied simply. “Have all the preparations been made?”
Cayla nodded. “We finished them right before Lindow was attacked. We are ready to go when you are.”
“Perfect,” I said with a grin, “then we better go find Captain Mayard.”
“What for?” Cayla asked with a furrowed brow.
“Well, it seems my schedule opened up, and I’ve just penciled him in,” I chuckled. Then I held out my arms to both women and bowed. “Come on. We’ll go find him together.”
Cayla smiled at me as she took my right arm and Aurora took my left. “A stroll through the castle? Why Mason, how romantic of you.”
“I try my best,” I said with a wink, and then the three of us walked out of the workshop in search of the red-haired soldier.
It wasn’t very hard to find Mayard. His voice was very distinct, and since he was apparently shouting drill orders in the castle courtyard, his voice carried pretty far.
“Good morning, Captain Mayard,” I called over the sound of clashing steel. “How are you on this glorious day?”
Mayard turned away from his twenty sparring men and frowned as he gave me a once over. “You are certainly… energetic this morning, Flynt. I take it you had a good night’s rest?”
“Slept like a baby,” I replied with a broad grin, “and now I’m really excited to get to work, which brings me to my reason for finding you. How quickly do you think you can get most if not all of your men here in this courtyard?”
The redhead’s eyebrows rose up toward his hairline. “Within half an hour most likely, though a small platoon left earlier to deliver supplies to Lindow.” Then he nodded to the men that stood at attention behind him. “A quarter of them are already running drills with me here. But why do you ask?”
“Because I owe you and your men a demonstration,” I replied as I patted the revolver and holster at my hip. “I want to show you how to use the guns I made.”
“Now?” Mayard asked incredulously as his eyes widened.
“No time like the present,” I chuckled, “but also I need more supplies to further my weapons experiments, so we need to go to some mine Cayla told me about. Digging out those materials will take a few days though, not to mention actually making my machines, and I don’t want to leave you and your men in a lurch in the meantime. I can give a pretty detailed demo within an hour, and then we can head out. This way, if Dred tries anything while we’re gone, you can still kick his ass to Illaria and back.”
“Huh.” The captain chewed on his cheek for a moment, but he eventually nodded his head. “Well, I’m not about to refuse an offer like that, especially since I’ve witnessed exactly what your weapons can do. If we can learn how to use them, Dred won’t stand a chance. I’ll assemble my men.” Mayard grunted as he looked me over again. “I must say, you have a very strategic mind, Flynt. I wish half my men thought as far ahead as you do.”
“It’s a gift.” I grinned. “You should see me play poker.”
The captain frowned at me in confusion, but I waved him off with a laugh.
“Nevermind,” I said, “not important. You should summon your men and have them bring the guns I made from wherever you stashed them. Oh, also have them grab some targets. You have an archery range, right?”
“We typically use this courtyard,” Mayard replied as he gestured around us, “but we do have some targets. I’ll have them brought out.”
“Perfect,” I said as I clapped my hands together. “Set them up as you usually do, and I’ll show you how to pick a bandit off from fifty yards with a twitch of your finger.”
The captain’s grin was sharp and hungry. “I like the sound of that.”
“Believe me,” I chuckled, “you have no idea how awesome it’ll feel. I swear, it’s like nothing else out there. Now, go get your men, and we’ll just wait here until you return with the targets. In the meantime, I’ll brush up on my lecture notes, though I’ll admit I didn’t have time to put together a PowerPoint.”
Mayard shot me another quizzical look but shook his head as he began to walk away.
“Not even going to ask,” I heard him mutter, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Alright, men!” the captain shouted as he addressed his drill platoon. All twenty of them snapped to attention. “We need to get every last soldier we have in this courtyard in the next half an hour, understood?”
“Sir, yes, sir,” they yelled back in unison.
Mayard nodded in satisfaction, and then he pointed to the two men closest to him. “Peckard, Dolin. Go to the armory and fetch the box of weapons Defender Flynt made.”
“Yes, captain,” the one on the left replied while the one on the right gave a crisp salute.
“And Villos, Serkin, and Noburk,” Mayard added as he turned to the next soldiers in line, “you three fetch the archery targets and set them up as usual. I better see everyone back here in thirty minutes. Now go!”
The twenty men scrambled into action like roaches when a light is turned on, and then Mayard turned back to us with a satisfied smirk.
“What?” he asked when he saw my raised eyebrows. “I am a captain. I delegate. Now, tell me, what kind of weapon requires you to travel to the mines? Surely, Princess Balmier has told you King Davit ordered for it to be collapsed.”
Apparently, the mine Cayla had told me about was extremely profitable to all Cedis, which is why the king owned it, but that was before Camus Dred came to town. Once the bandits had taken over the countryside, the distance between the mine and the capital has proven too perilous to cross. King Davit tried it once, but the entire cargo was lost along with several guards, good men who would never see their families again all because of greed. In order to keep Dred from accruing more goods and wealth, the king ordered the mine to be collapsed, and since then, it had been abandoned.
Until now.
“She did,” I replied with a nod, “but with my powers that shouldn’t be an issue. I can dig out the mine no problem. The problem is I need more metal, and Gwain’s stores are all but empty now after I made those weapons for you. To finish my new project, I need a steady supply of iron and copper, which I’m told are abundant in this mine.”
“Are you making another riding contraption?” Mayard question with a frown. “The loud one you arrived at the gates with.”
“Oh no,” I chuckled, “Bobbie’s one of a kind. I’m making something else entirely. It’s kind of like… a metal soldier if you will.”
“A metal… soldier,” Mayard echoed as his brow creased severely with confusion.
“I know it sounds crazy,” I replied with a broad grin, “and it’s still in the beginning stages, but yeah. I wanted to make something that could fight Dred and his men with minimal risk. The body will be made of steel, so it will basically be immune to any attack. If I can perfect it, then no more of your men have to get hurt or die.”
“That sounds too good to be true,” the captain grunted, and I watched as a shadow of pain and grief flashed behind his eyes.
“Again, it will take some time, but I’m confident I can complete this project,” I said as I raised my chin. “I already have half the body crafted, I just need the legs. And I know I can do this because I’ve already done it, albeit on a smaller scale.”
“What do you mean?” Mayard asked with a frown.
“Captain,” I replied as I reached out and clapped him on the shoulder, “I’d like you to meet Stan.” Then I turned to Cayla and nodded.
The princess smiled before she reached into her pocket and drew out the little stickman. Stan stretched in her palm, and then he looked up at Mayard and waved.
The red-haired soldier took a step back in shock, and his right hand even twitched toward the hilt of his sword.
“Flynt,” Mayard muttered as he cautiously eyed Stan like the stick figure was going to lunge at him any second, “pardon my language, but what is that godsdamned thing?”