by Eric Vall
Pindor’s cocky grin fell as he caught the silver one last time.
“If this is about something Deli and Mina told you, they’re full of shit,” he assured me. “I fucked them incredibly well. They’re just jealous I have broader tastes than they can offer. They can’t handle it.”
“Handle your bullshit?” I chuckled half to myself. “I believe it.”
Pindor rolled his eyes. “You don’t get it.”
“Oh, I get it.”
Maybe it was the intrusion when I’d finally found a moment to enjoy being home, but Pindor’s presence grated on my nerves even worse than the runes had been. It was probably the way he spoke of the sweet pair of girls I knew damn well weren’t bitches. Or the fact some fifteen-year-old had been fucking in my bed while I battled possessed elves in the middle of a carnivorous jungle.
I shook my head to the stonework of the floor, and in the back of my mind, I knew I should have more patience for the kid, but I didn’t.
So, I cut straight through Pindor’s bullshit.
“Let me guess,” I sighed, “you wanna have an endless harem of women at your beck and call.”
“And you don’t?” Pindor shot back.
I sat up and considered the pompous expression on the kid’s face.
“That’s not remotely what I’m doing here.”
“Bullshit,” Pindor snorted. “Those women do anything you want, and you know it. I heard you added another one, too. You’re no different, you’re just mad I get to--”
“Okay, let’s get this straight,” I interrupted. “I don’t know what you’ve been up to the last month, but my women do what I ask because I don’t fuck around where they’re concerned. They’re my family, and we look out for each other. That means anything they need, I make sure they have it, and anything they want is theirs, no questions asked. Unless it’s about killing someone. But I don’t fuck them and throw them aside, and I don’t grab at every pair of tits that waltzes down the street. So yeah, my four women are more than happy to do whatever I want, and they don’t sit around bitching about me when it’s done either. Quality, Pindor. On both sides of the bargain.”
Pindor scowled while he worked to find another shitty comeback, but Deya’s silvery voice called my name, and she came skipping into the shop with her violet eyes glittering.
“There you are! You will not believe--oh. I’m sorry,” she giggled when she noticed the tension in the room and Pindor glaring at me.
Then the kid glanced over, and his jaw unhinged as his snotty expression finally went slack.
Deya’s cheeks were still flushed from her run, and a glimmer of sweat beaded her supple chest. Her long pink braid had gotten a bit disheveled, and the bits of mud and leaves clinging to her bare toes made her look more like a wild sprite than ever.
“It’s alright,” I told the beautiful elf as I beckoned her over. “What were you saying?”
Deya smiled sweetly and sent the kid a wave before she came to my side. Then she perched herself on the edge of the fountain beside me, and I dropped my arm around her shoulders as she pulled me in for a kiss.
The beautiful elf took her time before she finally pulled away, and her cheeks were an even brighter pink as a giddy smile spread across her pixie-like face.
“I met your friend Kurna outside, and he asked me to tell you there is a surprise waiting,” she explained. “I was so nervous when I returned to the village, but everyone I have met is so kind when I tell them you brought me here, and they all want to be sure I am comfortable. I can walk anywhere I like for once and never have to worry I will be unsafe, and one of the mages even invited me to a pub named after you. I can hardly believe it. I feel like a queen in this place.”
“Good,” I replied with half a grin. “I’d expect nothing less, but why isn’t Ruela with you?”
“She’s eating a creature she killed while we were out,” Deya said with a shrug, and then she slid her arms around my waist and left a kiss on my cheek.
My pulse kicked up at the thought of the beautiful elf wandering around with no one beside her, and Dragir’s warning echoed in my mind.
Still, I patiently let her enjoy her bliss for a moment because I knew she’d spent her entire life looking over her shoulder.
“Thank you for bringing me here, Mason,” she purred. “I know I have been so nervous and ridiculous, but I love everything about Illaria, and I don’t ever want to leave it.”
“My pleasure,” I assured her, “but please don’t forget the dangers the king mentioned to us. I’m happy you feel safer here, and you are, but there’s still a lot to watch out for right now. We’ll know more once we scout the Oculus tomorrow, but I don’t want someone taking advantage of how little you know about the area. Just stay wary of anyone who invites you to go with them for now and keep Ruela with you, okay? I also want you armed at all times, and no matter what happens, don’t take that necklace off.”
Deya nodded diligently. “What weapon do you want me to carry?”
“Let me think about it,” I told her as I brushed a stray strand of pink hair from her cheek. “I’ll probably have Cayla and Aurora train you with all of them for the next few days, and then we can decide what would be best. How much did your brother teach you?”
The beautiful elf furrowed her pink brows into a stern line and did her best impression of Dragir.
“Go inside, Deya!”
“Right,” I chuckled. “Well, we’ll start at the beginning then.”
Deya nodded once more, and then I turned back to a gaping Pindor.
“Tell you what, kid,” I sighed, and I stood up as I offered an arm to Deya, “you just do what you know best. I think it’d be better if you left Magehill and moved back to Serin, though. Deli and Mina are fixing to murder you in your sleep, and as much as I’d like to get into this, I have enough on my plate. Take my sheets with you to get them cleaned and pressed, and if I don’t have them back by tonight, rest assured, I’ll be kicking your ass before dawn.”
I led Deya from the atrium and left Pindor blatantly gawking at her ass, and then the elf swiftly trotted ahead to pull me along behind her. When we came to the doors of the entrance, she flipped around with a little bounce and sent me a mischievous smile.
“You have to close your eyes for this,” she commanded. “Wait, leave them open. Or close them. It doesn’t matter really, you can probably already hear your surprise.”
I cocked a brow at the silly expression on the elf’s face.
“I hear people walking,” I told her in confusion.
Deya’s violet eyes glinted, and she pushed the doors at her back open as she stepped aside.
Kurna was already waiting for me on the other side, and the brawny mage glanced over his shoulder with a broad grin.
I joined him outside the house, but my feet stumbled to a stop at the sight of the sea of mages gathering in the meadow. They filed in from the steps of Magehill and the marketplace by the dozens, and a few were even arriving from the stables. They waited patiently while the lanes continued to fill in, and the determination in their expressions told me they must have some good reason to be here.
“What is this?” I muttered.
“Your recruits,” Kurna informed me. “You said King Temin wants you to lead an army of mages, so I sent a mage to the capital and made an announcement in the marketplace as well.”
“All of these mages want to join?” I clarified as I stared out at the crowd of mages stretching across Falmount Rift. There were at least fifty of them, with more still arriving on horseback, and the nearest ones to the house chuckled at my look of shock.
“Of course we do,” a young Flumen Mage said soberly. Several others around him nodded their agreement, and Deya giggled as she wove her hand in mine.
“Surprise,” the beautiful elf whispered.
Chapter 8
Kurna raised his hands up high to silence the conversation amongst the mages, and when he turned to motion me forward, I realized I was s
upposed to be addressing my … army?
I cleared my throat. “Hey guys,” I chuckled a little uncomfortably. “So, I’m Defender Flynt--”
The mages immediately began clapping, and a few I recognized from the battle in Orebane whistled loudly above the cheers of the others.
I swallowed hard and waited.
“Okay,” I mumbled once they settled down a bit. “Uhh … as you heard, King Temin’s hoping to form an army apart from his own in order to address the more recent threats that have come to Serin. I’m still assessing the situation, but I do have experience dealing with the Master’s rune power, and if the circumstances are as hazardous as we expect, we’re going to need all of your help to ensure the mages of Serin and the non-magical citizens remain safe.”
More cheers rose up, and as I waited once more, I eyed the many young faces in the crowd. Nearly half of them looked no older than Pindor, and aside from the few mages I recognized from Orebane, the rest had robes so impeccably clean there was just no way they’d seen any kind of serious combat.
“First,” I continued, “we need to begin securing the perimeter around Falmount since this seems to be the safest place for all of us at the moment. I will be building up some lines of defense for us, but in the meantime, I want all of you to remain alert. Those of you who have weapons, I’ll be arranging for training sessions to take place over the next few days to be sure you can adequately defend yourselves if necessary. Those of you without weapons, come talk to me, and we’ll see what we can do.”
An excited murmur spread through the crowd, and several mages shifted the rifles on their backs in anticipation.
“Most importantly, ” I said as I eyed a mage no older than fifteen, “I must stress that the dangers you’ll be up against if the Master continues to gain power here will absolutely be life threatening. Rune Magic is a powerful force, especially when combined with magery, and being possessed by the Master’s rune is no joke. It will slowly eat away at your thought process, and you’ll gradually become more savage and less capable of functioning like a human. It’s a slow death that ends with being killed in battle, most likely by me and whatever army I’m leading.”
The mages shifted nervously, and I was glad to see everyone finally sobering up a bit.
“That being said,” I continued, “you will be required to undergo intensive training in order to serve in any army against the Master. This is for your safety, and the safety of us all. I understand the head of the Order hasn’t served you well in the past, and training has been lax, but that ends now. By the end of the week, I’ll inform all of you of our next step, but you can certainly expect rigorous testing of your ability to influence your element. Kurna will be the guy to see about signing up for training and testing. Until then, stay alert, stick together, and try not to shoot each other.”
A few chuckles rose up as they began cheering once more, and I sighed to myself.
“That wasn’t a joke,” I mumbled and eyed the revolvers on the mages’ hips.
I turned back to the house as Kurna began instructing the mages to create a list of all those interested in receiving weapons, and Pindor was standing in the shadows of the entryway with my sheets crumpled in his grip.
“Get those back here by tonight,” I ordered, and then I nodded to him as Deya and I brushed past.
I didn’t miss the mumbled curses he didn’t have the balls to say to my face, but I led Deya to the room I’d been working on before Pindor arrived, and when I closed the door of the atrium at my back, the beautiful elf leapt into my arms.
“You are incredibly sexy when you talk like that,” she murmured against my lips.
I chuckled. “You wanna join the ranks?”
“I would not like to,” she said curtly.
“Good,” I replied, “I had much better plans for what to do with you, anyways.”
I carried her into the next room to set her down in the seat I’d formed beneath the window.
“What do you think?” I asked as I gestured to the shelving and the spot I’d made for Ruela.
“It’s perfect,” Deya assured me as she admired the space. “I’ll bring all of my things in at once, but where are the girls?”
“They went to Serin to spend a lot of gold,” I told her with a smirk. “Your bags are still in the Mustang, so do you wanna help me track down a ravenous wolf while we wait?”
Deya’s eyes went wide. “Gods,” she groaned, “I forgot about Ruela.”
“You really have to stay on top of this,” I sighed. “That dog cannot kill my mages, understood?”
“She won’t!” Deya promised as we swiftly headed for the door. “She is much less touchy after she has hunted, don’t worry.”
“Less touchy,” I muttered. “That’s not reassuring.”
The lanes had cleared a bit by the time we headed to the western border of Falmount Rift, and several mages nodded to me as I passed like I was already their captain. I returned the gesture, but seeing so many inexperienced faces in the crowd made me more uneasy, and I only hoped the women and I could get them into fighting shape fast enough.
With the rate the Master moved at, we couldn’t waste a single moment, and yet, I had a slew of untrained mages and little more at my disposal.
Deya and I strolled beyond the last few huts of the village, and as I scanned the area, I heard the telltale sound of bones being gnawed on and a few strips of sinew peeling away.
“Ruela’s that way,” I told the beautiful elf and pointed to the north.
Deya began a series of whistles I recognized from the elves at House Quyn, and I leaned against a tree while we waited for Ruela to come to her call.
After a few minutes, I sent Deya a pointed look, and the beautiful elf smiled awkwardly.
“She’ll come,” she assured me.
“She hasn’t moved an inch,” I informed her.
“She’s only having trouble adjusting,” Deya insisted, but I could tell from her expression she wasn’t as confident as she pretended. “Give Ruela a week, and she will be as obedient as ever.”
I nodded and waited while the elf repeated her whistling again, and then another four times. When ten minutes had passed with no result, I finally let out a sigh.
“I knew that dog would be trouble,” I muttered, and I turned toward the northern foothills to give a sharp whistle.
To my surprise, the gnawing immediately stopped, and I heard the thrumming of Ruela’s heavy paws heading my way.
“Seriously?”
The wolfish beast came barreling down the rocky crags with fresh blood all down her front and her piercing gaze locked on me. Then she came to a panting stop at my side, not Deya’s side.
I tried not to look too pissed when I looked over at the beautiful elf.
“This dog thinks it’s mine,” I pointed out. “What was the agreement?”
“But she likes you,” Deya mumbled, and she sent me her sweetest smile.
“Don’t do that,” I warned. “Don’t be sweet and beautiful and think I’m gonna take care of this fucking ravenous dog.”
“You don’t have to care for her,” she assured me with a giggle. “Look, she hunts for herself. She only wants to do what she can for you, and I do not blame her. You’re handsome and hard to resist.”
“I agreed to bring her to Illaria so she could look after you,” I clarified. “Ruela needs to stay by your side, not mine. I don’t need a watchdog.”
Ruela let out a thunderous growl all of a sudden, and she flipped around to crouch at the ready. I scanned the woods in the direction of the wolf’s gaze, and beneath the ominous timber of the beast, I picked up the sound of padded footsteps.
“What is it?” Deya asked nervously as she quickly came to my side.
“Someone’s out there,” I told her quietly.
Ruela snarled and prowled forward a ways, and she remained poised for an attack just ahead of me.
The footsteps stopped dead, and I waited for a long moment, but they
didn’t continue again.
“Come on,” I announced to the beautiful elf more loudly than normal. “We should head back.”
Then I walked over to silently nudge the wolf’s flank, and Ruela abruptly lurched forward.
Her deep growls ripped through the trees as leaves flew up under her heavy paws, and the footsteps I’d heard took off the moment they realized they were being hunted. I waited where I stood with Deya while Ruela disappeared into the wilderness, and I carefully tracked her course.
Whoever had been in the western woods made a mad dash to the south, and from the sound of it, they lunged off an embankment to escape the beast on their trail. My magic sparked as I felt the earth shift in the distance, and when the same embankment rose several feet higher, a grin came to my face.
“Terra Mage,” I said with a nod. “Interesting.”
The only reason I could imagine for a lone Terra Mage to be scouting the village would be if they had plans to destroy Magehill, and realizing how many fatalities could result if the whole place came crumbling down kept me from pursuing the mage. I still needed to get a feel for what these possessed mages were capable of, and what their orders were at the moment before I risked any unnecessary confrontations.
So I let this one go for now, and with another sharp whistle, I brought Ruela back from her furious snapping at the top of the embankment. When she came panting to my side, I gave her a firm scruff around the sable fur at her throat.
“Good dog,” I praised, and Ruela gaped up at me with her massive fangs gleaming. There was still a chunk of fur lodged behind her canine tooth, and the blood on her front smeared against my leg to blend in with Dragir’s.
Deya sent me another sweet smile, but I shook my head.
“Not my dog,” I clarified, “but still a good dog.”
I shifted my spot at least five times as we walked back to Magehill, but it didn’t matter what maneuver I tried, Ruela fell in step at my flank instead of Deya’s, and the beautiful elf was practically in tears from giggling so hard when we got back to the house.
The mages in the lanes all scattered at the sight of the massive and bloody wolf, and even Kurna blanched a bit when we approached.
