Metal Mage 13

by Eric Vall

  “Clearly,” Shoshanne agreed. “If we use tranquilizers, the roping ordeal would be less invasive for him.”

  “What?” I scoffed.

  “A little forceful, but effective,” Cayla muttered with a calculating look.

  “So… drugs and ropes?” Aurora asked the group.

  “Alright, ladies,” I sighed, and I blocked the entrance of the house to make sure I had their undivided attention. “I’ll say this one time. If any of you try to rope me down over this war, it won’t matter how sexy or potentially pregnant you are. I’ll cut every one of you off for the rest of the month.”

  My four women blanched at the thought of an all-out sex ban, and I held their gazes to make sure they understood my stance on the matter before I stepped aside.

  “Now that we’re all on the same page, go choose your weapons and stop trying to decide how to contain me. I stopped trying to contain you.”

  “But-- ” Shoshanne tried.

  I shook my head and gestured toward the atrium, and the healer pursed her lips as she stalked past Alfred on her way to the workshop.

  Aurora eyed me more closely, though. “You’re handling this much better than we are. I’m proud of you.”

  “Thank you,” I said with a grin. “I’m blocking out a lot of emotions right now. At this point, focusing on how I feel about you guys will probably lead to the end of the world.”

  “Maybe I should try your approach,” the half-elf mused. “I’m usually so excited for killing shit, but how I feel now is less fun.”

  “We should be having more fun,” Cayla decided. “We have a metal army and so many guns! Starting now, we have no feelings. Only weapons. That’s how a bad cop would think, isn’t it?”

  “Um… not quite,” I admitted.

  “I like this idea,” Deya said with a nod. “If we block our feelings, and embrace our weapons, there’s more blood. I’ve been liking blood lately.”

  “Yeah, blood is a good place to focus,” Aurora agreed.

  “So much more fun,” Cayla sighed.

  As cryptic as my women had suddenly gotten, I didn’t want to risk anymore tranquilizer talk, so I just nodded along while they headed to the atrium. The second they were out of sight, though, I grabbed Shoshanne’s healer’s bag from the entryway and handed it to Alfred.

  “Hide this until we’re ready to go,” I muttered under my breath, “and from now on, anytime there’s a battle, do a thorough search of the mansion after my women leave in case I’m bound and gagged somewhere.”

  “Very well, sir,” the butler replied. “Shall I check the infirmary as well?”

  “Good idea,” I agreed. “There’s three levels, but maybe do a sweep of the tree line, too.”

  “As you wish, sir,” Alfred said with a bow.

  Then I joined the four women in the shop, and I did my best to keep them focused on preparations so their mommy demons wouldn’t flare up before we got out the door. The sight of my full arsenal always amped them up for killing shit, so that did help a lot, and while Aurora and Deya discussed the amount of blood a glaive could produce compared to a serrated sword, I helped Shoshanne load up a sack of spare magazines to carry with her.

  I could tell by the crinkle on her forehead that she wasn’t nearly as capable of replacing her concern with weapons or blood, and I wished I had something that could help shift her perspective, but I didn’t. So, I just kept handing her magazines, and once she was done filling her sack, she stared at the work table for a long moment.

  “What else?” I tried. “Anything fun? Maybe a flail or… ”

  “I guess I need a small enough knife that won’t catch on my healer’s bag while I’m trying to help the troops,” the healer mumbled.

  “I’ve got just the thing,” I assured her. Then I picked through my blades to hand her a stout little five-inch Halcyan dagger with a hooked tip. “Small, yet creative.”

  “Okay,” the healer said with a blank expression. “I think I’m all set now, I just need to grab my healing staff from the infirmary. Stan wants you, though.”

  I furrowed my brow as Shoshanne left in the same disconnected state, and my women looked as concerned as me when I glanced their way.

  “She’s less into blood,” Aurora pointed out. “We may need to find a better replacement for her.”

  “Shoshanne likes blood,” Deya countered. “She just likes Mason more.”

  My women began quietly discussing how to bolster our healer while I headed to my work table, and I found Stan waving to me from a precarious stack of magazines he’d made so he could be taller.

  “What’s up, buddy?” I asked as I sat on my stool.

  Then Stan jumped down and bolted toward his scrap pile, and he dug around until he found the bent scrap of steel he was looking for. I grinned as he hurried back to me, but when he slapped the steel on his head, I was lost.

  “Something fell on me?” I guessed, but the little metal man shook his head, and Aurora came over to help me decipher his charades.

  I couldn’t help chuckling at how cute the little guy looked while he marched in a circle, ducked, rolled, and saluted, but his scrap of metal kept falling off his head no matter how hard he tried to balance it there.

  “Stan, you’re so brave,” Aurora giggled, and I furrowed my brow.

  “How did you get brave from all of that?” I asked.

  “He wants to join us on the frontlines,” the half-elf told me. “See? That’s his little helmet.”

  Stan nodded vigorously, and then he powered through a set of jumping squats, ten pushups, and some more marching to prove his worth.

  I grinned. “Ahh… so that’s what you’ve been doing. You wanted to gear up for the battle?”

  The little metal man nodded again.

  “Stan, I appreciate the dedication,” I admitted, “but war is no game. It’s gonna get messy out there, and you’re--”

  Aurora elbowed me hard as Stan clutched his scrap metal against his chest, and my heart melted into a puddle at the hopeful hunch in his shoulders.

  “You’re… not properly dressed,” I fumbled. “That should fit more securely to your head. Here, allow me.”

  Aurora sniffed with pride as Stan eagerly handed me his scrap of steel, and I could totally understand where she was coming from.

  I’d been so focused on everyone else, I hadn’t realized how invested Stan was in our endeavor, but it was only right he should join us in this. He’d been along for the ride from the start, and while I carefully reformed his scrap metal into a miniature M1 helmet, I realized there was no way I could do this without my number one little metal man.

  He was essential.

  “There we go,” I muttered while I added a chin strap as a finishing touch. “Try that on for size.”

  Stan let me adjust the strap before he gave his head a good shake, and he looked so happy when it stayed in place that Aurora actually teared up.

  “It’s perfect,” the half-elf sniffed.

  “Are you crying?” I muttered.

  “No,” Aurora lied. “I’m just… I’m gonna go focus on blood.”

  “Good idea,” I chuckled. “Now, Stan, we should go over protocol. You can ride along with me, but we’re facing higher altitudes, hectic fighting conditions, and a hell of a lot of wind. Do you know your fighting position?”

  Stan nodded diligently, and then he pointed to my vest pocket.

  I grinned. “Damn straight. You’re ready for this, buddy.”

  Stan saluted before he marched his way down the table toward his little metal dragon, and when he placed his hand on her skull and bowed his head, I knew he was feeling the moment just as much as I was.

  “Oh, that reminds me,” I muttered, and I gave Stan and his dragon their space while I summoned my powers.

  There was one last detail I needed to address, so I sent my magic surging outward and beyond Falmount, and as I travelled over the foothills, I scanned for the presence of my metal snatchers. As soon as I found t
hem, I connected with their gems, and I was careful to make their instructions as clear as possible.

  I hadn’t intended to use them at Mors Pass for extended periods of time, but there was no way my biggest invention to date was sitting this one out.

  What was a mass ambush without a giant, flaming, demonic metal dragon to mix things up a bit?

  Still, if I wanted to bring Rammstein out to play, I needed to be absolutely sure we wouldn’t lose all the dragons in the process, so I repeated my orders to the snatchers to take his post indefinitely. Once I clarified they should return to Falmount in shifts to refill their darts if needed, I pushed my magic a little further, and I connected with Rammstein’s gem.

  An eager grin spread across my face as I gave the order, and a moment later, I sensed him taking flight, and I couldn’t help chuckling to myself as a fresh dose of adrenaline stirred in my veins.

  “What’s so amusing?” Cayla asked as she compared glaives with Aurora.

  “I’m just excited,” I admitted. “This is the biggest strike we’ve ever attempted, and yeah, a lot could go wrong, but there’s so many perks to launching large-scale attacks.”

  “Like what?” Deya asked, and Shoshanne eyed me anxiously as she reentered the shop with her staff.

  “Like getting to unleash my big metal dragon,” I said with a broad grin.

  Aurora gasped. “Rammstein’s coming with?”

  “Hell yeah, he is,” I chuckled. “He’ll be helping Shoshanne, but he can still--”

  “Wait, what?” the healer cut in.

  “Aww, you get to fly on Rammstein!” Deya realized. “I’m so jealous.”

  “Don’t be, because I am not riding Rammstein,” Shoshanne informed the elf, and I was caught off guard by her hostile tone.

  “I know you’ve never ridden a dragon solo before, but he’s me, remember?” I said with a reassuring grin. “You can trust him.”

  “I know I can,” the healer allowed, “but I’m not riding him. I’m riding with you.”

  “Normally, I’d say yes, but you’re performing the most important part of this plan,” I explained. “If you ride separately on Rammstein for the attacks, you’ll be able to help out at any post without having to wait for me to finish kicking ass. With the power of your healing staff and Rammstein’s speed, our soldiers will stand a better chance, and they'll be able to hold out long enough to end this. Our death toll needs to be kept as minimal as possible given our odds.”

  “Sure, but actually, you’re the most important part of this plan,” Shoshanne informed me. “I’ll ride with you, and then you won’t die.”

  “I… what?” I snorted in confusion. “Shoshanne, it’s not your job to keep me alive. Deya’s an amazing flier, and I’m well-armed. The soldiers on the ground are at the greatest risk. They’re the ones who need you looking after them.”

  Cayla nodded in agreement. “You’re the primary healer for the entire Order. It’s your duty to-- "

  “I don’t care about my duties,” Shoshanne scoffed, and I gasped almost as loudly as my women. “Aloshi could be anywhere, so I’m not leaving Mason’s side for anything or anyone.”

  I stared as I tried to decide if my mind was playing tricks on me, but there was no denying how stubborn my healer looked at the moment. Cayla raised her eyebrows while she failed to find any words, and Deya’s lips puckered into an anxious O shape while she looked between Shoshanne and me.

  “What the fuck, Shoshanne?” Aurora suddenly blurted out. “You’re our head healer! You can’t abandon the Order to protect Mason from one mage!”

  “Like hell, I can’t,” Shoshanne shot back. “He needs me for more than only Aloshi, and Deya does, too. I can protect both of them at once, so that’s what I’m going to do. The Order will just have to deal with it.”

  Aurora bristled as her cheeks flushed with anger, and I recognized the same look in my healer’s eyes that she’d had the night Deya butchered my assassin: it was cold, resolute, and viciously protective.

  Shoshanne was locked into mommy demon mode now, and despite how undeniably sexy she was this way, I knew Aurora was on the verge of slapping her out of it.

  So, before my women could explode on each other, I caught Shoshanne’s arm and pulled her toward the hallway with me. Then I rooted my hands on her shoulders and tried to speak as calmly as possible.

  “I love you,” I told the healer, “and I know the risks are starting to go to your head, but hundreds of lives are on the line right now, and that’s what we need to focus on. If you ride on that dragon like the angel you are, you could heal the wounded and ensure very few lives are lost, but if you ride with me, you’re only protecting me and Deya.”

  “Then I’ll protect you and Deya,” Shoshanne said curtly.

  “I can’t let you do that,” I informed her. “Believe me, I understand how hard this is, but I also know how proud you are of your work. You’re the most dedicated healer I’ve ever met, and that’s why there’s no way in hell I’m letting you back out of your duties. You are getting on that dragon, and you are saving the world with me, because this matters to both of us. Deya and I will be fine.”

  “What if she’s not fine?” Shoshanne stubbornly crossed her arms. “What if Deya gets injured, and her elven form is back here at the mansion, and you can’t fly her to me? There’s a very real possibility something like that could happen, Mason.”

  I froze as my daddy demon rose to ungodly heights, and the thought of Deya going down in this attack made my body go cold as my lungs nearly collapsed. Now, I was just as paralyzed as Shoshanne was, and I furiously scruffed my hair while I tried not to lose my shit.

  “You’ll fly Deya, and I’ll fly Rammstein,” I finally decided. “Problem solved.”

  “Problem not solved,” Shoshanne argued. “I’ll only fly on Deya with you.”

  I took a steadying breath as I realized my healer wasn’t going to budge on the topic, and I probably should have predicted I’d hit a snag or two where my headstrong women were concerned. Still, of all the issues that’d cropped up today, I never expected Shoshanne would ditch her unwavering morals at the last second, so I wasn’t remotely prepared for this.

  Then Shoshanne blinked up at me for good measure, and there was so much love and loyalty shimmering in her warm brown eyes, I could feel it slice straight through my spleen.

  “I’ll do anything,” I offered out of sheer desperation. “Literally… anything to make you get on that dragon and save our troops.”

  The healer’s expression eased by a centimeter. “Anything?”

  “Anything short of letting you contain me,” I clarified with a firm nod.

  Then Shoshanne glanced briefly at the three women who were spying on us from the end of the hall before she got on her tippy toes to whisper into my ear.

  My eyebrows immediately shot up as the healer laid out her terms, and when she stepped away, they were still stuck in this position.

  “Again?” I muttered. “You are such a little freak for that move… ”

  “Mm-hmm,” Shoshanne said as she nodded shamelessly, and my stomach fluttered with hope.

  Even though I’d come to know my healer as a proficient and steadfast type, I’d also learned by now she had an unimaginable amount of kinky quirks that seemed to offset all of that. I just hadn’t thought to harness this side of her for the sake of shifting her focus, but if anything could quiet her mommy demon, it was some good old-fashioned fetish play.

  “You’re telling me you’d really get on that dragon if I do it?” I checked.

  “You don’t even want to know how many things I would do for it,” the healer admitted. “But you have to say what you said the first time we tried it, and in the same husky voice.”

  I grinned. “You mean the thing that made you blush for a day straight?”

  “Yes.”

  “Alright, but if we do this, we’re going for one good round. No demanding I do it over and over like last time.”

  “Do
it twice, and I’ll let you fly Rammstein while I fly Deya,” Shoshanne countered. “Final offer.”

  “Deal,” I said as I turned to the women down the hall. “Cayla and Aurora, finish gathering your weapons and move out with the troops. I’ll meet you at your posts around the time you arrive.”

  “Yes, Mason,” Cayla chuckled, and she eyed Shoshanne with deep respect and approval. “You do what you need to do.”

  I smirked. “Deya… do you wanna get in on this? Technically, we have time since the troops have a long haul ahead of them, and everyone but you has gotten some today, which is not okay.”

  “Definitely not okay,” Aurora muttered. “She’s so cute and pregnant, she should’ve been the first one you caved for.”

  “I should have been,” the elf agreed, “but I’d love to join the two of you now.”

  So, I grabbed Shoshanne and Deya’s hands before I headed for the stairs, and the caramel beauty giggled as she trotted up the steps with a giddy smile on her face.

  “Might as well take your clothes off now,” I pointed out. “Last time you loved the abrupt start.”

  The healer let her gun belt drop on the spot, and my two women were stark naked well before they crawled onto our bed. I grinned as Shoshanne sent me a coy little smile as an invitation, and while I stood in the doorway and raked my eyes over her delicious curves, it occurred to me that there were millions of men across the realms being sent off to war by their lovers at this very moment.

  I knew for damn sure I was among the luckiest ones, though, and Shoshanne’s wanton giggle echoed around the chamber as I shut the door behind me.

  Chapter 18

  “We’ll do regular rounds to each of the tunnels until the attacks begin, and if this drags out for a few days, I’m gonna need your help delivering provisions to everyone, too,” I told Shoshanne as I carried her out to the clearing.

  The healer was completely limp in my arms as she let out a lazy sigh in response, and I smirked while she kept toying with the edge of my vest like she didn’t have a care in the world. I wasn’t too surprised at the change in her since I’d gone well beyond our original deal, and judging by her dimpled smile and the way her legs trembled when I set her down, I’d say our bedroom antics did the trick.