by Eric Vall
He wasn’t too far off, so I connected with his channeling gem directly, and he promptly followed my order to return here to me.
Stan bounced around on my shoulder until I finally let him hold on to the letter for Dragir, and I could tell he was feeling very important as he wrapped his metal arms snug around it.
“Are you looking forward to seeing your old buddy Dragir?” I asked the metal man, but he shrugged and shook his head.
“Well, hopefully he’ll be able to save our asses on this one,” I snorted. “I’m sure he won’t bother you about seeing your rune again, though. We have bigger fish to fry.”
Stan shifted his head a little like he was side eyeing me, and I was chuckling when Big Guy whirred his way up the lane and came to a stop just ahead of me.
“Big Guy, I’ve got a very important mission for you,” I told the automaton, and he saluted. “There’s a man named Dragir who lives at the southwest edge of Nalnora. I’ll instill the directions into your gem in a moment, but I need you to take this letter with you and not let anyone get it from you except Dragir. Then, you’re going to lead him back to us, and make sure absolutely no one follows you. You have my permission to kill any elves you want, unless they’re wearing gold bands around their heads, or if they have all grey gear on. Those are my allies, so don’t harm them. They’ll probably try and get you anyways, but be cool and carry on with your mission, alright?”
Big Guy nodded as he held his hand out, and Stan leapt from my shoulder with the letter still clutched against his chest. Then he jimmied the slip of parchment between two steel plates where Big Guy’s thumb met with his palm, and he gave it a tug to be sure it was secured. Stan and I shared a nod of approval, and I raised my palm to transfer the information of Dragir’s whereabouts into the automaton’s channeling gem, but then Big Red’s treads bumped into my calf.
“Hold on,” I muttered, “I’m giving Big Guy another solo mission.”
Big Red just nudged me again, though, and I sighed as I glanced over my shoulder.
“What’s up?”
The automaton pointed to Big Guy and himself before he saluted, and I furrowed my brows when Big Guy did the same thing and held out the hand he had the letter in.
“You want to go in Big Guy’s place?” I asked, but both automatons shook their heads, and I could tell Stan was just as confused while he prepared to leap onto my shoulder to sort this out.
Then Stan missed his landing for the first time ever, because Big Guy and Big Red raised their giant arms toward each other and bumped fists above our heads.
I yelped and scrambled to catch the little metal man before he could fall into the moat, and the sound of my eels snapping like maniacs was all I registered while I stared between the two automatons.
“Hold up,” I finally muttered. “Is this really happening? You two … want to work together on this one?”
The automatons nodded in the affirmative, and I felt my insides suddenly turn to mush as a lump hitched in my throat. Stan and I held each other while I manfully blinked away a few tears, and I could sense the little metal man was struggling to stay composed, too, while he clutched my hands tightly around himself and leaned his head against my chest.
“That’s … this is … “ I sniffed and shook my head. “I fucking love you guys.”
Big Guy nodded while Big Red clunked his hand on my head like I was a dog, but I knew he was joining in on the moment, too.
“Damn, this is just so nice to see.” I grinned. “I really didn’t want to rewire you guys, and you kicked so much ass together last night. I’ve never been prouder of anything in my life than I was when you two coordinated to decapitate all those ogres. Together, you’re going to be unstoppable. This is a total game changer.”
Stan elbowed me to get my attention, though, and when I looked down, he swept his arm out across Falmount and shook his head.
“Oh, shit,” I muttered. “You’re right, I can’t send both of you guys. No one will be here to guard Falmount.”
That’s when both of the giant machine’s channeling gems slowed their pulses, and I could tell they were internally slumping in disappointment. My heart clenched at the sight, and I knew I couldn’t let this moment slip by. It was too important, for all of us.
“Fuck that,” I decided. “I’ll build someone else to guard Falmount, you two just enjoy your brotherly mission to the jungles. This is the perfect opportunity to bond and get used to working together, and with two of you showing up at Dragir’s, he won’t have any choice but to come back with you. You have my permission to drag him if you want. Maybe see if you can’t get a few high-fives out of him.”
Big Guy and Big Red immediately high-fived, and when their palms connected in a loud, metal clank, the pulse of their gems suddenly fell into sync, and I nearly burst into tears right there.
Stan clung to my vest, and I nodded as I patted his head with my finger.
“I know, buddy,” I croaked. “Me, too.”
Then I gruffly cleared my throat, did my best to regroup, and propped Stan up on my shoulder as I raised my palms to summon my powers. The fact that I was finally delivering orders to the twins at the same time put a stupid-happy grin on my face as I closed my eyes, and it was still there when I finished delivering directions to the pair of them so they could find Dragir. I made sure to send them on a route that would avoid running too close to any Elven Houses, and I also kept them far away from the armistice city of Rhoemir so they wouldn’t draw too much attention.
I couldn’t resist infusing a bit of my pride along with the orders, and when I finally broke the connection, I could tell they were honored to know how well they were doing.
“Now, go out there and have fun, guys,” I said. “Give ‘em hell, and don’t kill my allies. Anyone else is fair game, but remember, no one but Dragir can follow you, okay? And if you see a single owl, shoot it down immediately.”
Big Guy and Big Red nodded in unison, and with their gems pulsing in time, they headed across the bridge while Stan and I waved like a pair of sappy dopes.
We watched them whir away, side by side, until they disappeared into the woods, and I sighed happily while a few of my eels thrashed around in the moat.
“Life sure is good, buddy,” I told Stan, and he nodded in agreement. “Let’s go tell the women! They’re going to be so proud.”
I nearly sprinted into the mansion in my excitement, and when I clomped to a stop beside the dining room table, my grin stretched all the way from one ear to the other.
“Guess what?”
“Big Guy and Big Red asked to go on a brother mission together,” Aurora said with a smirk, and my women giggled at the state of me. “Then you cried.”
“I did not cry,” I lied.
“I heard you sniff,” the half-elf informed me as she nibbled on a slice of pear.
“I had dust in my nose, but if I did cry, it would be totally understandable and super manly. Just saying.”
“I agree,” Shoshanne said, and she squeezed my hand to pull me into a seat. “I’m so proud of them. They’re both such wonderful metal men, and I just know they will accomplish so much together.”
“They’re going to change the world,” I assured her, and I shoveled my food into my mouth without noticing much of anything while I considered the possibilities. “I wish you could have seen what their gems did. When I gave them the okay, they high-fived, and it was like they fell into sync with each other all at once. What if they have a direct connection now, and they can coordinate attacks from further distances? What if the power of their gems can combine, and make them twice as fast?”
“But if you sent them both to Nalnora,” Aurora frowned, “who will patrol Falmount and the Oculus? We don’t know how long they’ll be gone, but after the attack last night, this doesn’t seem like a good time to let our best guards go.”
“I know,” I admitted, “but I couldn’t help it. I’ll just have to make two more automatons real quick. The only pro
blem is I only have the one channeling gem left, and I need it for the metal dragon. I think I might send a letter to the Elders of Aurum and see if they wouldn’t mind lending me two channeling gems. I know they have several, and it’s probably a long shot, but it’d be easier than me having to go to Jagruel and get more from Grot while I have so much else to take care of.”
“I’ll write the letter!” Cayla announced, and she shot up from her seat to fetch a fresh sheet of parchment. “This is the most regal correspondence you’ve ever taken part in, and I know exactly how to manage it.”
“Thank you,” I chuckled, “because I have no idea what to say. I’m kind of worried they’ll say no, just because I know how coveted their channeling gems are to them. The dwarves really pride themselves on the risks they took to procure so many, and I don’t want them to think I’m not up to the challenge. I just … ”
“Don’t want to risk all of our lives returning to Mors Pass when all these other threats are closing in?” Shoshanne guessed.
“Exactly.”
“Don’t worry about anything,” Cayla insisted as she shoved her plate away and took a deep breath before placing her pen to the paper. “I have been training my entire life for this.”
Aurora chuckled as she finished the last of her food, and I couldn’t help rubbernecking Cayla’s progress while she bit her lip and filled the entire parchment with the most elegant script I’d ever seen.
“You didn’t write a single ‘please,’” I pointed out. “You have to say please, I don’t want them to think I’m feeling entitled or trying to take advantage of their friendship.”
Cayla nodded and added a single please at the end of the letter, and then she held it up and scrutinized it carefully for several minutes.
“There,” she finally decided. “It’s perfect. Sign your name at the bottom.”
I slid the paper over and did as she said, but I furrowed my brow when I found the princess looking mortified.
“Mason, that doesn’t look at all elegant!” Cayla scoffed.
“It looks like a murderer’s signature,” Aurora agreed.
“That’s how I sign my name,” I said with a shrug, and Shoshanne giggled as she leaned in to take a look.
“I think it’s intimidating,” the healer decided.
“You should have written it in blood,” Aurora muttered, and I sighed as I folded the parchment and stood to head out.
“It’s fine how it is,” I assured them. “I’m gonna get this sent to Aurum right away, and then I’m gonna start on rebuilding Falmount. I think if I don’t take a single break, I could have it completed by nightfall.”
I was halfway to the door when Cayla curtly cleared her throat, and I smirked as I backtracked and turned around.
“Yes, princess?”
“Mason, a baron with as many resources as yourself shouldn’t be building his own town all day,” Cayla informed me. “You have hundreds of mages on hand, and if they intend to live within the bounds of Falmount, they should do their part to contribute to the barony.”
“That’s true,” I allowed and rubbed my chin. “Plus, I’d have time to start on the new automatons sooner if I send crews out to do the rebuilding for me.”
“Why not give your plans to the Defenders?” Aurora suggested. “They’ll have the mages get to work and oversee everything for you. It would be a good opportunity to get a feel for what it might be like serving as head of the Order.”
“I still haven’t decided if I’m gonna do that,” I muttered, “but I see your point. Alright, then. I’ll get the orders squared away, send this letter, and then I’m heading to Serin.”
“I’ll join you, if that’s alright,” Shoshanne replied. “I want to get an idea of how the infirmary there is fairing in case it’s time to send our healers back to the Oculus.”
“Good idea,” I agreed.
“Aurora and I have a few things to attend to around here,” Cayla told me, “but then we’ll stop by the training fields and see that the mages are remaining on task, and whether they’re ready to advance in their training.”
“Thank you,” I said, and I came over to kiss the women goodbye before I left. “You guys are always on top of everything, and I really appreciate it.”
“Sometimes on top,” Aurora murmured as I lingered near her lips. “Sometimes on bottom or hanging in a cage.”
My blood heated as the half-elf’s emerald eyes took on a lusty cast, and I decided to spend another minute kissing her goodbye. My mind was suddenly reliving the sight of her clinging to the bars of her cage last night while she pleasured herself and watched me tear Shoshanne’s leather straps to shreds, but I somehow found the will to leave the three women before I completely rearranged my schedule for the next few hours.
I could still hear them giggling when I grabbed my new designs from the worktable and headed out the door, and once I was in the lanes, I began taking stock of Haragh’s management.
I was glad to see the aftermath from the ogre attack was fully repaired already as I made my way through the village, and the mages weren’t as shaken up as I’d thought they might be. It seemed the extra training helped them all gain some confidence in life and death situations, and most of them looked more focused than ever while they practiced harnessing their elements and pored over books in the marketplace.
I could hear several of the Defenders chuckling to each other and slamming pints down in the pub, and when I came in, Raynor smiled and nodded before he poured me a fresh pint without any prompting.
“Good day, Defender Flynt,” the barkeep rasped.
“How’s it going, Raynor?”
“Not bad, not bad,” he assured me. “Lost the southwest corner of the pub last night, but Defender Urn fixed it right up for us.”
“Glad to hear it,” I replied as I headed for the table of Defenders, and Kurna dragged a spare seat over for me.
“We were just discussing that wolf of yours,” the brawny mage said with a broad grin. “I saw her tear an ogre’s head off last night, and she ate half the brain before she got back to the battle.”
“Yeah, Ruela’s pretty wild,” I chuckled.
“What’s that you’ve got there?” Urn grunted, and he nudged his pint against my roll of parchment.
“This is my solution to defending Falmount,” I told him.
The Defenders shuffled their empty pints aside so I could roll out the papers, and they all stooped in closer to get a look at the finer details.
“So, since we’re not sure what to do about this new element I told you about,” I began, but Kurna glanced over.
“You did locate one last night?” he clarified.
“I did.” I nodded. “When I followed those last few ogres, they disappeared about sixty feet outside the village, and Deya was able to find the mark on a tree. We destroyed it, but I don’t doubt there are others out there, and until I can figure out what to do about locating all of them, we’re taking a different approach to our defenses here.”
“There’s no wall,” one of the Defenders pointed out. “What’s going to keep the Master’s soldiers from storming in again?”
“Nothing,” I admitted. “We actually want them to storm in now. If we’re the bait for the Master’s soldiers, then making Falmount a trap is our best solution.”
Urn grinned beneath his bushy moustache, and Kurna let out one of his disconcerting chuckles that always made him sound like a demon.
“Let’s hear it,” the brawny mage growled, and I grinned as Raynor brought over a fresh round of ale.
An hour later, everything was in order to begin reconstructing Falmount to achieve every possible strategic advantage, and I shook hands with the Defenders before we left the pub to get to it. They immediately began gathering the mages who weren’t already at training in order to form various building crews, and I left my designs with them and my letter for the Elders with Kurna before I made my way back to the mansion. I was more than excited to see what would come of al
l of this after I discussed every strategic element with the others, and I had to admit, it felt pretty awesome to be able to just hand over my ideas, carry on with my day, and know everything was in good hands.
There were definitely perks to having some authority amongst the Defenders, and Aurora hadn’t been wrong. I could see how accepting the position as head of the Order might be something worth taking on. If anything, it would enable me to deliver orders just as effectively all over Illaria, not only within my own town, which meant I could coordinate our defenses against the Master without risking any missteps.
I was still imagining what kind of leader I’d like to be if I did accept the position when I greeted my water spawn back at the mansion, and I found Shoshanne and Deya practicing with their new flails beside Bobbie.
“How did it go with Dorinick?” I asked immediately.
“Everything is going well in the mountains,” Deya assured me. “I found Dorinick and the dwarf you call Thrungrig, and once the general managed to calm his companion down and explain who I was, I delivered your letter. They asked me to inform you that the Master brought in a whole pack of creatures he couldn’t identify, but they were about the size of myself as the purple dragon, and Dorinick said you were insane to ride into a flock of dragons like that. I believe they witnessed our efforts last week to recapture the dragons.”
“Awesome,” I chuckled. “Thrungrig didn’t try to harm you, did he?”
“No,” Deya giggled. “I was a little bloody when I arrived, and I think he feared I’d slaughtered their troops back at their campsite.”
“Bloody?” Shoshanne asked with concern.
“I took a detour to go for a hunt on my way there.” The elf shrugged lightly. “Are we ready to go to the Oculus? I’d like to join you and see how they’re doing with the Elven Scrolls if you don’t mind.”
“Of course, you can join us,” I replied, and I led the two women to the Mustang as I unsealed the doors. “Everything is in place for the mages to begin rebuilding while we’re gone, Kurna’s gonna get my letter sent to Aurum, and I have to admit, I think being head of the Order might be something I could go for. Not that I have a full scope of what my duties would be, but having the added authority would be helpful in a lot of ways.”