Metal Mage 13

by Eric Vall

  Dwarves chided elves for wasting their energy on overzealous flips and rolls, and ogres insisted the dwarven army should learn to carry heavier maces. I even heard a couple elves discussing the idea of forging metal armor for their warriors with a group of dwarves, too, and when I came to General Kralok’s table, I found him admiring a bloody Halcyan glaive while a man from House Quyn calmly explained Dragir’s superior abilities.

  “How’s the shop coming?” I asked as I sat down to join the dwarven general.

  “General Haragh said it would only be ten minutes,” Kralok grunted. “It’s been twice that.”

  “He wanted to check on his woman before he got started on the building,” I told the dwarf. “It won’t be long now, I’m sure.”

  “Wouldn’t have been long at all if ye’ had a decent smithy in this town of yours to begin with,” Kralok muttered before he drained his pint.

  “Hey, I’m usually the metal guy around here,” I chuckled, “but our mages can visit the shops in Serin if they need to.”

  “A town this size needs its own blacksmith,” Kralok said.

  “I’ll get on hiring one, then.”

  “No need for now,” Kralok assured me as he handed the elf his glaive back. “We’ll set ye’ straight, for the time bein’ anyways. Got half the armor gathered up, but we’re havin’ trouble getting any of these elves to hand over their swords.”

  “Halcyan blades do not dull,” the elven warrior said with a cocky smirk. “Elves know better than to waste their time on weapons that will not last.”

  “Don’t know well enough to wrap their arms in better than a scrap of leather, though,” the dwarf grumbled, and the elven warrior clutched his bandaged forearm and walked away without another word.

  “Well, the elves of House Fehryn could use your help replenishing their arrows,” I told Kralok. “They prefer serrated tips, but the bows I made for them require a specific length of shaft. I’ll have them bring a few over to reference.”

  “Don’t suppose I could get a look at them fancy bows ye’ made?” Kralok asked with an eager glint in his eyes, and the dwarves around us looked up from the maces they were cleaning.

  “That could be arranged,” I replied. “I’ll show you how I made them later on this week. Let me go see if there’s any word on those forges yet.”

  “Better be cast iron!” Kralok hollered after me. “None of that fired brick shit.”

  “Yes, sir,” I chuckled as I headed toward the barbican, and the mages who’d been delivering more provisions from Serin were wheeling their wagons off to the side for unloading.

  Once I confirmed the new forges would be here tomorrow afternoon, I grabbed another batch of armor to bring it over to the dwarves, and I scanned for a sign of Haragh to make sure he’d started constructing the new shop for them, too. Then I gathered the next round of swords from the troops who’d arrived more recently, and I’d just piled them beside the bloody maces when I saw Aurora coming into the marketplace.

  My half-elf was still a sooty mess from the battle, but she’d insisted on handling the troops before she got cleaned up, and she let out a satisfied sigh as she dropped her flails next to General Kralok for cleaning.

  “How’d it go?” I asked.

  “Deya and I got the dwarven army back to Aurum, and Rammstein should be here any minute with the Boms from Orebane and Nalnora,” the half-elf reported. “I’m having him go back to bring some of the injured dwarves down to see our healers, though, and Dorinick’s joining them for the trip. I told him you could build more barracks in Falmount for the time being.”

  “Gladly,” I replied. “The mages are already working on a place for General Kralok’s men. He’s offered to stick around while we figure out our next moves.”

  “Looks like we didn’t scare off all our allies,” the half-elf mused while we strolled along the edge of the market.

  Her emerald eyes gleamed as she looked out at the sea of soldiers clanking pints together, and I couldn’t help admiring the sight of so many differing groups piled anywhere there was room to sit.

  “Apparently not,” I agreed. “Everyone’s offered to stick it out, which means the ogres need us to rebuild the caves they destroyed. Grot said to hold off until the healers are done with him, though, so his women don’t get too territorial. I guess they take over the tribe when he’s not around, and they’re kind of like you ladies.”

  “Nice,” Aurora said with a devilish grin. “Has Cayla arrived?”

  “Not yet, but it shouldn’t be long now,” I told her. “Pindor arrived with a batch of his knights who took some serious blows, but Cayla brought the rest back to Cedis and Rainard.”

  “Well, the weather’s finally easing up, so we’re gonna get the troops from House Fehryn next,” Aurora sighed. “It should only take a few trips. Then we’re done.”

  “Are you sure Deya’s up for it?” I checked. “She’s been at it all night.”

  “She’s doing great,” the half-elf assured me. “Ate another griffin an hour ago, and Rammstein’s taking the larger loads for her, but more importantly, why is there no pint in your hand? Of anyone out here, you’ve certainly earned a copious amount of ale after tonight.”

  I grinned. “I haven’t gotten around to it. The dwarves offered to take over repairs, so I’m helping them gather up the weapons and armor, and then I’m gonna check how the Boms are looking, and probably restock their magazines just in case there’s any--”

  “Uh-huh,” Aurora cut in as she turned me around, and then she steered me toward the pub where Raynor was passing out pints from the top step. “All of that sounds like daytime work. Raynor, will you do me a favor and make sure Mason has a fresh pint in hand until he goes to bed?”

  “Aurora, I really would feel better if I took care of all the details before--”

  “Sure thing, miss,” Raynor rasped, and the half-elf shoved a frothing glass into my fist.

  “I love you, but you need to drink now,” Aurora informed me. “If I get back from Nalnora, and you’re not still drinking, there will be repercussions.”

  The half-elf propped herself on her toes as she left a kiss on my cheek, and after nudging my glass toward my lips, she turned away to get back to work.

  “Yes, ma’am,” I mumbled, and I eyed her bloody armor all the way to the barbican before I dutifully drained my pint.

  “Here you go, sir,” Raynor said and handed me another.

  “Thanks, Raynor,” I chuckled. “How are we doing with supplies?”

  “Bagneera’s on her way to pick up a fresh shipment of ale and wine from Thrungrig,” the barkeep answered with a smiling nod. “The ogres said they could replenish the Rosh if you let them take a dragon to Jagruel to pick it up.”

  I smirked. “Of course, they did. I’ll see what I can do, but I’ll have Alfred send over my personal store for now. I’ve got six barrels in the cellar.”

  “That’ll do just fine,” Raynor assured me. “General Urn was lookin’ around for you, too. Think he’s off with Kurna somewhere.”

  “I’ll find them,” I said as the barkeep refilled my glass once more.

  Then I wove through the market while I listened for a sign of my generals, and I found them freshly bandaged and posted against a stout oak tree near the library. It looked like Haragh had just joined them with frothing mugs to go around, and he tipped his glass toward me as I strolled up.

  “Did you tell Taru about my axe?” I asked while I tried not to sound too excited.

  “Sure did,” the half-ogre chuckled. “Forty-one decapitations in under thirty minutes. She was so impressed, she wants to bring ye’ along for her next hunt if yer up for--”

  “I’ll be there,” I said point blank. “Name the day, any day, and I’m killing shit with Taru. I’ll move everything in my schedule aside.”

  Haragh cocked an eyebrow.

  “If that’s okay with you,” I mumbled, and I cleared my throat. “So … is the shop finished for the dwarves?”

/>   “Aye,” Haragh snorted. “Got the barracks up top and out back, forging area in the front, and I left the workspace blank like ye’ asked so you can let Kralok boss ye’ around about the layout tomorrow.”

  “Thanks for taking care of it,” I said. “Dorinick’s bringing some more dwarves down to see the healers, and they’ll probably be sticking around with Kralok’s men.”

  “Good,” the half-ogre muttered. “I’ll be wantin’ to hear Dorinick’s take on that mess ye’ made up in the mountains.”

  “Me, too,” Urn said as he furrowed his brow. “The Defenders just stutter every time I ask them what happened, and the elves who were there are acting like you’re a god in disguise.”

  “Not quite,” I snorted. “I told you, though, it was just a huge blast. Rocks went flying.”

  Kurna rolled his eyes. “It’s never just anything with you. Do you know how many Terra Mages have broken through a mass of stone that big?”

  “None,” Urn informed me. “Breaking a ridge or two off is the most I’ve heard of. Don’t know how you’re still alive, to be honest.”

  I decided to drink rather than respond, and Kurna nudged me in the side to send me a scheming grin.

  “We’ve been talking about that fortress in the foothills,” the Ignis Mage said as he lowered his voice. “We’re thinking we should go for a siege. The Master’s lost his army, and the allies are already here. If we march on the fortress, we could bury this bastard in the ground easy.”

  “Not so easy,” I muttered before I took another long swig.

  “Anything’s easier than that onslaught he sent out tonight,” Urn snorted. “At this point, he won’t stand a chance against our lot, even without the wounded.”

  “Did any of you come across fire titans out there?” I asked, and the three generals shook their heads. “What about Saurbrin or Wraith Witches? Maybe some scaly creatures who walk on two legs? Black hellcats with orange horns?”

  “Nope,” Haragh grunted. “I think those mages we restored a while ago mentioned some Wraith Witches, though, now that I think about it.”

  “They did,” I confirmed, “and a fire titan came through the portal up in Vasdor. That’s why I ordered the portals to be destroyed. The Master’s got more than just one in that fortress, too. So, if we consider his strategy, tonight’s attack obviously started as a mass branding effort. Then it escalated to a slaughter once he found out we were waiting for him, but the biggest creatures we suspect him of branding didn’t have time to show up.”

  Urn lowered his pint. “Do you think he’s still got them in holding?”

  “I do,” I said with a nod. “Which means we’re gonna need to be sure we can obliterate that fortress and everything he’s hiding in it before we march on the place. Making half a grab isn’t an option.”

  “He’s got the advantage out there,” Haragh pointed out. “We can’t hide all our soldiers and unleash them in doses, but he can from his headquarters. Once we’re all packed into those foothills, we’re stuck fightin’ it out to the end.”

  “But we’ll have no idea where the end is,” Kurna snorted.

  “So, we’ve got some planning to do,” I decided. “We need to get into that fortress and destroy the defenses from the inside. It’s our best chance at countering his advantage.”

  “How do we get inside an impenetrable fortress?” Urn asked.

  “I still have no idea,” I admitted, “but that’s where we need to focus now, and we need to move fast before he can start rebuilding the army he lost tonight. I’ll visit Wyresus and see if he’s gotten any more information from the Elven Scrolls, but while we work on this, I’m sending out a two-man crew to destroy every portal they can locate in Illaria. It’s the Order’s job to protect the citizens, so this constant battle shit ends now.”

  Haragh furrowed his brow. “How’s this crew supposed to track the portals? I thought only you knew how to do it?”

  “I’ve already started training one of them in the western woods,” I answered. “The other one’s a fast learner. I should have them heading out in the next couple days.”

  “That’ll get us some of our Defenders back,” Urn grunted. “The Order took the least damage to our troops, but adding in the losses and the wounded, we’ll need to do something to make up the difference. Across the board, we’re about two hundred down after tonight.”

  “Only eighty casualties, though,” Kurna added. “Not bad at all.”

  “What we need is some more of them machines to fill in our numbers,” Haragh muttered, and I didn’t miss the hopeful glint in his eye.

  “Hell yeah, we do,” I chuckled. “I’ll be expanding the fleet starting tomorrow. Dragir said he’d work on a new idea for a weapon, too, and if it pans out, we’ll be able to keep a greater distance between us and whatever the Master has in that fortress. Like I said, though, getting inside those walls will be our best bet.”

  “You sure you’ve tried everything?” Urn checked.

  “I did,” I said with a nod. “My powers couldn’t influence the tunnels, the walls, or the surrounding lands. Even the mountains he’s built into are untouchable, so I figure the runes he’s using are engraved on the inside.”

  “Why’s that?” Haragh asked as he narrowed his eyes.

  “Each runic symbol usually utilizes directional degrees,” I explained. “They dictate whether the powers the rune harnesses will have an inward or outward effect. Engraving outward defenses on inner walls would explain why the Master’s enchantments bar us from everything from the inside out, and if each elemental line is made thicker or bigger, the powers would be strong enough to expand across the foothills for quite a ways.”

  Haragh nodded. “Well, shit.”

  “The silencing rune he’s using is engraved everywhere for about a mile around, though,” I continued, “and I want to track one down and double check the directional degree on it first thing. My main concern is that our inability to hear anything in the area doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t hear us. That’ll influence how this siege goes.”

  The generals drank while they considered the dilemma, and Raynor appeared at my side the moment I finished my pint to swap it out for a fresh one.

  “And you’re sure he’s got more of those titans?” Kurna asked.

  “Positive,” I muttered as I saw Cayla enter the market. “We need to get our Defenders focusing on their magery more than weapons for now. The mages have their pistols down pat, and from what I’ve seen, they have a decent hold on their elements, too. What we’re lacking is stamina. If another storm shows up, they’ll waste their powers countering the cold before we even take one titan down, and we’ll have more than that to handle once the fight begins.”

  “Yes, sir,” Urn replied. “I’ll let the instructors at the Oculus know what we’re up against, and we’ll increase the Defenders’ training regimen starting tomorrow.”

  “Give them a day off,” I suggested as I raised my arm to catch Cayla’s attention. “They’ve earned it, but then we’re buckling down because the second we have an opening--”

  “Yeah, we know,” Kurna sighed. “You’ll be driving the whip and kicking our allies’ asses all over the lanes.”

  “Only if they kick my ass first,” I said with a grin, and I turned away to meet Cayla near the fountain at the center of the market.

  The princess had mud and blood smeared across her exposed abs and hips, and where her thigh-high boots ended was just as spattered from the battle. Her shaggy black hair smelled like smoke as she curled against my chest and let out a tired sigh, but when she looked up, her blue eyes glittered like she’d had the time of her life tonight.

  “I take it you got down off that mill at some point,” I guessed as I kneaded her muddy hips in my palms.

  “I couldn’t resist,” the princess said with a playful grin. “After you left, twice as many elves showed up, and it was so fucking messy out there. I slit eighteen throats and severed thirty-two limbs just for fun, but I t
hink I may have to rethink my leadership strategies.”

  “What makes you say that?” I asked.

  “Half of my soldiers are terrified of me, and the other half said flat out they won’t continue to serve a woman who threatens to kill them during a battle.”

  I nodded. “I can understand their concern.”

  “Maybe the bad cop role doesn’t come naturally to me,” Cayla sighed.

  “Yeah, I’m pretty sure you’re worse cop.”

  “Worse?” the princess whimpered.

  “In a good way,” I assured her. “See, worse cop is less common than bad cop, but still a fun guy to have in the mix. In circumstances where the perp’s stirring up too much trouble, worse cop comes in handy. You get to walk up when they think bad cop’s bad, and be like, ‘guess how much worse it can get?’”

  Cayla grinned at the thought. “Worse cop does sound more like my style. Does this mean you’re bad cop?”

  “No,” I snorted. “Apparently, I’m rogue cop.”

  “Maybe Nulena’s bad cop,” the princess mused.

  “I thought so at first, but she doesn’t fight for the good of others,” I pointed out. “She’s more like the sexy bad guy we should have arrested years ago, but she got under our skin, so we let it slide.”

  “Ohhh,” Cayla hummed. “That is accurate. Well, we’ll figure it out. Either way, I need to tone it down with my own troops.”

  “Good idea,” I agreed. “Don’t worry, though. Next time we send out your army, we’ll have more time to prepare, and in the meantime, they got a taste of what they’re up against. Did you speak with Captain Huntley about training?”

  “I did,” Cayla assured me. “I’ll be flying down to Cedis a few times a week to check on their progress, and my father’s decided he wants my soldiers to have AR-15s since he saw mine when I stopped by tonight. I told him I’d have to run the idea by you.”

  “Uhhh,” I chuckled uneasily. “I’ll think about it. I do want to distribute more rifles, but after those revolvers ended up in the Master’s hands, I’m taking every precaution I can these days.”