by Eric Vall
The ground bowled out for twenty feet around me as a shockwave tore through the soil, and at the center of my tunneled vision, the three titans stumbled from the quaking beneath them. I only increased my power, though, as I kept my fist planted in the mud, and the horses began fleeing as my earthquake gathered in strength.
One titan crashed to its knees while the rain began to pour from the sky in sheets, and when I felt the drops that struck me turning into ice, I let a lethal grin spread across my face.
Then I forced another surge of magic through the ground, and even though my brain felt like it would explode from the effort, my rune and anger spurred me on. I kept my eyes on the titans as the earthquake shook more violently with every second, and before the titans could send out more flames, I rooted my other fist in the mud.
The chasm that broke open beneath them cracked louder than the thunder overhead, and the titans dropped hard as two of their arms broke on impact. Smoking, coal black shards scattered across the ground as their shrieks pierced my ears, and even though I could see them preparing to spew their flames in my direction, I didn’t flinch.
I could feel dozens of mages connecting to my powers now as the Terra Mages formed one massive circuit, and they slammed the earth shut to lock the titans in place up to their ashen ribs.
Pindor’s magic broke off from the circuit a split second later, and before the flames could engulf me, he sent a wall up to shield me.
Then I halted the earthquake, pulled my pistols out, and broke the wall apart as I rose to my feet.
My women and I began firing from all sides while we sent a volley of lightning laced bullets at the trapped giants, and this time, they met their mark without burning up. Dozens of bullets struck the titans in their ashen chests and hollow skulls, and even though bolts of blue began to sprawl across them, I didn’t stop firing until both of my magazines were spent.
The bolts of lightning connected with one another as they gained in intensity, and they began bursting outward and connecting with the clouds overhead to form an electric web throughout the sky. Mages scattered in all directions and urged their horses to pick up speed as the lightning crackled a vibrant blue, and the air around me vibrated from the electricity coursing through the giants.
I slowly holstered my pistols while I held my ground, though, and as the same titan kept his flaming eyes on me, I recognized the calculating look I saw there.
So, yeah, I couldn’t resist.
With lightning flashing all around and rain still pelting down, I flicked the Master off right then with a shit eating grin on my face, and the titan was mid shriek when lightning shot from his eyes. Then a thundering blast reverberated across the lands while the titans exploded in a blaze of blue, and I was thrown into the air as my hearing and vision cut out altogether.
I was flying blind and deaf from the aftermath of the blast, but I sparked my Terra Magic with a vengeance as I tried to soften the ground for as far as my powers could reach. When I did so, I immediately connected with the other Terra Mages working toward the same goal, and I kept all of my focus on this connection until I crashed down and rolled for several feet.
Then I coughed face down and stunned in the mud while my healing rune chanted to restore my senses, and I could feel the rain easing up as the frigid air steadily warmed again. A light tremble shook my limbs from the amount of effort I’d forced out of my magery, and my throat felt scalded raw from the smoke. I didn’t know how long I laid there waiting to recover, but luckily, the other mages hadn’t been nearly so close to the explosion as I was, and I eventually felt myself being dragged to my feet.
I blinked hard through my blurry vision while someone shook me by the shoulder, and I could barely make out Haragh’s voice like he was speaking through water. The red flames were gone from the fields even though there was still blackish smoke in the air, and I could tell the hills were torn apart, burnt, and flooded for who knew how far around.
Then there were others surrounding me, and I recognized Urn’s burly build and Kurna’s muffled voice. They were shouting something at me that I couldn’t understand, but when I saw Bobbie’s headlights approaching, my pulse quickened as I realized something must be wrong.
Chapter 19
“Where are my women?” I demanded, but I could hardly even hear my own voice.
Then Haragh shook me roughly by the shoulder and turned me around to face him, and I squinted as I tried to make out what he was saying. I recognized the irritation in his eyes, which clued me into the fact that my women were probably just fine, but his words were garbled with the chanting of my rune.
“Attack!” I finally heard the half-ogre growl. “We have to go!”
“Who’s under attack?” I hollered as I rubbed my eyes to try and clear them.
“Serin!” Urn bellowed.
I tore Haragh’s hands off my shoulders as I whipped around, and even though I couldn’t see for shit, I could make out blurry plumes of smoke over the capital.
“That mother fucker,” I growled as I stumbled toward Bobbie, and Cayla jumped from the driver’s seat to catch me and help me over. “Get every mage who’s still fit to fight headed toward the capital!”
“You’re not fit to fight!” Haragh called after me, but I waved him off as Cayla shoved me into the passenger seat.
“Bring the Ignis Mages!” I ordered.
The generals ran for their horses as Shoshanne hopped into the back seat, and she pulled her healing staff and bag from the floor while Cayla gunned the engine.
“Mason, hold still,” the healer ordered, and it was easy to follow the command since my limbs were spent anyways.
So, I laid sprawled on the seat as I let my eyes fall shut, and the glow of Shoshanne’s healing staff washed over me while she worked to restore my senses faster than my rune could. Within half a minute, my hearing was fully restored, and shortly after, I opened my eyes to find I could see as good as new. Then Shoshanne forced my mouth open and dropped a handful of Tiorlin berries inside, and I grinned as they burst between my teeth and sent a silvery trickle of energy down my spine.
“Thank you,” I sighed, and I realized my heart rate was finally beginning to even out.
I hadn’t stopped going full bore since the Aer Mages first summoned their powers, and now that my adrenaline was ebbing, I registered how taxed my magery was.
“Mason, why didn’t you flee like all the rest?” the healer groaned.
“I had a message I wanted to get across,” I mumbled as I pulled myself up in the seat, and I swiped some mud and ashes off from my drenched clothes.
“A message for who?” Cayla asked.
“The Master,” Deya answered for me, and I glanced over my shoulder to see her back in her Elven form and looking pissed. “He killed those mages as soon as Mason got close. He knew he would have no way to stop him.”
Shoshanne’s eyes went wide, and Cayla looked over at me in disbelief.
“It was just like in Orebane,” I explained. “When we realized he could see us through the eyes of the ice giants. He was doing the same thing out there, and he saw me fly over on Deya. Then he looked me right in the eye and burnt those mages up, the fucker.”
“Gods,” Cayla breathed. “That explains why you jumped. Does this mean he has more titans that he is controlling like he did with the ice giants?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, “but if he does, we’ve got a decent idea of how to handle it next time.”
“Well, next time, please don’t go diving right into their path,” Shoshanne pleaded with me. “I didn’t know what to do with myself when I saw that. He could have killed you, Mason.”
“No, he doesn’t want to kill me just yet,” I countered. “He wants to kill my mages and make me watch, so I made sure he knew damn well that isn’t how this is gonna play out.”
“I couldn’t believe the way you took those titans down,” Deya said with a hint of awe. “You did it on your own and--”
“I didn�
��t do it on my own,” I clarified as we neared Serin. “None of that would have worked without everyone else pulling together to douse the flames and hold them captive. We all took those titans down. Now, we’re all gonna end whatever bullshit that is going on in the capital.”
“Mason, your magery has to be worn out after that,” Shoshanne warned. “I could sense the fatigue when I used my healing staff, and I can’t reverse something like that.”
“I know, I can feel it,” I allowed, “and I’ll be careful, but at this point, I’m pissed enough to do a hell of a lot of damage, so that’s what I’m going to do.”
“Good,” Cayla said, and she sent me a deadly grin. “Me, too.”
“Sniper?” I asked as I returned the grin, and the princess nodded before she sped right through the open gates of the capital.
The first thing I saw were dozens of possessed mages hauling ass at mach speed along the streets, and they lashed out at every citizen they came across without pausing for a second.
Cayla veered left to mow down seven of them in a row, and then she came to a screeching stop as we jumped out from the windows.
Petrified screams and the cracking of stone echoed throughout the whole city as a building across the street burst into flames, and I unsealed the trunk while my women ran to join me.
They grabbed spare magazines, daggers, and swords, but when Cayla reached for a bazooka, I stopped her.
“See that tower?” I asked as I pointed to a turret a few streets over, and the princess nodded. “Get over there, and I’ll make sure you have what you need.”
Cayla pulled out her pistols without another word and sprinted down the street, and I saw her pick off six mages before she turned the corner. Then I sparked my metal magic, and while Deya covered me and took out four mages who were closing in, I sent a bazooka, twenty rockets, and a shit ton of magazines to the tower.
“She should be able to do plenty of damage with that,” I muttered as I reloaded my pistols, and Shoshanne did the same while she turned to me.
“Please be careful,” the healer urged with a worried frown.
I grinned. “What’s your limit these days on strangling?”
“Thirty at once when my powers are at full strength,” the healer said with a proud smirk. “Right now, I could probably manage fifteen.”
“Perfect,” I chuckled. “I want you to bring those numbers today, alright? Head deep into the city so we can get a head start before the troops arrive. I’m gonna clear the entrance so they have a better chance of making it to the higher quarters.”
“Yes, my lord,” Shoshanne purred, and my brows shot up as she giggled shamelessly.
Suddenly, all of those filthy things she was whispering in my ear came flooding back into my mind, and as I watched her duck down a side street with that perfect ass of hers, I decided this attack had to be ended real quick.
I had plans I absolutely would not be postponing this evening, no matter what bullshit the Master had in mind.
So, I gave Deya’s ass a sound smack, and the beautiful elf sent me a mischievous grin before she left a kiss on my cheek and vanished.
The three mages who came around the corner shortly after all met a swift end thanks to Deya, and I chuckled as I climbed onto the roof of the Mustang and sparked my Terra powers. They were barely responsive at this point, but I could still seep through the stonework if I was careful about the distance, and as I tracked twenty mages in the vicinity, I took a deep breath and waited with my fingers poised on the triggers.
They were all headed straight for me, and at first, I found myself hesitating at the idea of killing the possessed mages. Then I recalled the numbers that had been lost in Rajeen at the hands of the Master’s mages, and the way that titan stared me down before he killed off my troops.
As I thought back to my conversation with Temin and registered the screams of the citizens of Serin, the realization hit me like a brick that we were already at war.
So, I picked the mages off like I was in an old western as they popped up around the corners, and while each one jolted and dropped into a web of lightning, I tried not to let the shrill screeches of the citizens overwhelm me. I could still hear all of them begging for their lives and trying to save the people who they loved, but their screams were cut off with gurgles and gasps faster than I could take down the attackers.
Fury bloomed in my chest the longer I fought to clear the streets, but then I heard the drumming of hooves nearing the capital, and I clung to that flicker of relief while I finished off another two dozen possessed mages. When my troops stormed through the city gates, they had a clear path straight to the next quarter, and I jumped down from the Mustang while their horses galloped past.
I heard Haragh and Urn belting orders to disperse the mages to every corner of the city while I unsealed the trunk, and I ejected my spent magazines to reload before I holstered my pistols. Then I rifled through my trunk for a minute, but eventually, my hand closed around a hefty, tungsten axe, and I let out an appreciative sigh.
“Hello, beautiful,” I murmured. “What do you say we split some skulls for old time’s sake? I’m kind of in the mood … ”
“Are you trying to make me jealous?” Aurora chuckled as she steered her horse away from the troops still filing in, and she hopped down to throw her arms around my neck.
Then my grin fell at the sight of her singed braids and clothes. Her face and limbs were black with soot except for her emerald eyes, and she had several gashes on her arms and cheeks that made my gut clench.
“Shit, are you alright?” I asked as I gently traced the largest gouge on her jawline.
Aurora rolled her eyes, though. “Of course, I am. Are you ready?”
“Of course, I am,” I chuckled, and the half-elf actually slapped my ass before she sent a jet of flames down the street to engulf four incoming mages.
Then she flipped around, shot down two attackers, saved a group of our mages from a possessed Aer Mage, and still managed to find the time to send me a wink. I was standing there clutching my axe in awe when she turned on a group of mages up the street, but then the ground dropped out from under me, and I came to.
“Shit!” I yelped as I flailed in the air, and the head of my axe caught the edge of the pit before I could drop into the blackness below. I could feel the powers of whatever Terra Mage had caught me closing in, and I summoned my own magic to repel his attempts to crush me.
I was dizzy and nauseous all at once while I clung to the axe handle and tried to pull myself up, but then I just knuckled down and forced my magery to give me whatever I had left.
The edge of the pit bucked as I catapulted into the air, and I was so relieved, I didn’t even care that I was soaring headlong toward a roof. I smashed into the shingles and clawed to get a good grip, and then I hauled myself up onto the ridge of the roof with the axe still in hand.
I knew I was a sitting duck with no cover up here, but since I was already in a decent firing position, I steadied the axe on the roof as I scanned the streets below. Then I grabbed my pistol to take out every soldier I saw before they could get at the citizens, and while revolvers began firing in my direction, I focused on my heightened vision to pick them off faster than they could fire.
From up here, I could see across every rooftop of the tradesmen’s quarters, and our mages were galloping through the streets while they went after the Master’s forces. I could hear the generals helping direct the citizens to safety, and several mages were using tactics from Falmount to gain ground on the attackers. Those who weren’t on horseback took cover in shops and fired their revolvers from the windows, and while they did, they used their powers to counter the possessed mages. Buildings were caught mid collapse and restored a minute later, and the fires that had already been lit throughout the quarters were going out just as quickly while our troops spread across Serin.
Then I caught a couple glimpses of green, though, and I narrowed my eyes as I realized there were more ogres out the
re than just Haragh. There must have been more than a dozen possessed ogres tearing through the streets, but then I saw a few spindly legs as a bout of tar boiled its way down the edge of a building.
I fired two more shots as I whipped around to scan the other side of the city, and even though I’d never personally seen a Chupacabra in this realm, the creature prowling along the southern streets certainly resembled my idea of one.
All throughout the city, all manner of dangerous beasts attempted to destroy the place along with the possessed mages, and the mayhem was enough to send the citizens into a frenzy as they struggled to find any safe place to hide in.
Still, I had to chuckle a little, because as I watched all these crazy creatures spilling into the streets, I kind of got the impression that final “fuck you” with the fire titans might have gotten under the Master’s skin. Clearly, he had his own message he was trying to get across.
So, I was grinning as I emptied the last of my magazine on three Chupacabra, two tarry spiders, and one ravenous ogre, but then the building beneath me began to tremble, and I realized I had no means of summoning my Terra powers at this point.
“Godsdamnit,” I growled as the roof dropped out from underneath me, and I lurched toward the street before I lost my footing.
Then I gritted my teeth and prepared for a bone-crunching fall, but luckily, another possessed ogre intercepted my landing, and I only shattered my knee and maybe a couple of ribs.
I wheezed as I rolled off the unconscious ogre and reloaded my pistols, and I gritted my teeth while my rune worked to heal my injuries. Then I flipped over and sent a bullet into the ogre’s head before he could wake up again, and as soon as the pain subsided enough for me to stand, I hauled myself up despite my shaky limbs.
When I looked around, though, I found seven possessed mages with blank eyes and eerie grins blocking me in. They looked half alive with yellowing skin and gaunt frames, and their limbs twitched periodically as the spark of their magery surged erratically in the air around me. I could tell they’d been in the Master’s ranks long enough that they’d begun to deteriorate, and even though part of me wished I could save them, I knew they were too far gone now.