“All orders?” Wintersbreath asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I already have Mousie. I’m talking about combat,” Alvin clarified. “None of us will be touching you.”
“Awww, Hero, you’re ruining my fun,” Becky sighed.
“Unless you ask, and the other one accepts. Happy, Gothy?”
“Thank you. I just want to see if I can break her,” Becky laughed.
“Understood. I will accept your offer, then. Going back in disgrace is not something I wish,” Wintersbreath said.
“We’ll get you a radio tonight,” Alvin said. Tapping his UI, he brought a key for the base into existence and handed it to Wintersbreath. “Hold on to that. I’ll want it back when we’re done with the forest.”
“What does this go to?” Wintersbreath asked, dropping the key into a pocket.
“It allows you access to our base. We have a butler there. He’s a bound elemental, so play nice with him.”
“I recall hearing of him from Skyfall,” Wintersbreath nodded. “I shall behave as a guest should.”
“Still clear, Gothy?”
“Yeah. They might be consolidating,” Becky replied. “We going to tail for an hour, then head back?”
“That’s basically what I was thinking,” Alvin agreed. “Keep your eyes peeled on the skies, too.”
“I am.”
An hour went by with no sign of pursuit, and Alvin finally brought the Humvee to a stop. “The town is lost, but still standing. It was on fire when we left, but I want to go back and torch anything left. This way, they don’t have a forward operating base.”
“Going into town to cover the manor in napalm?” Becky asked. “The roof is wood, so it should burn. Once the roof goes, the interior should catch, too.”
“That would do it... burn down whatever else we can on the way out,” Alvin nodded. “The question is; did they bring the undead inside the walls or did they retreat?”
“They might be getting the dead animated and out of town,” Kuro suggested.
“Possible,” Alvin admitted. “We’ll go with trying to get into town and burning what’s left of it. Once we’ve done that, we’ll need to reevaluate our steps going forward. I’m thinking a spiral around the forest. We’ll work toward the center, burning as we go.”
“What am I to do to assist with this?” Wintersbreath asked.
“Gothy, you’ll be gunner, so hand down your flamethrower. Kuro will flame out the driver’s side, and Wintersbreath out the passenger side.”
Wintersbreath got the tank strapped on and moved to the back seat with Kuro. There was just enough room for Becky to stand between them, with the flamethrower tanks taking up most of the room.
“We’re ready,” Becky said.
“Okay, let’s go see what kind of trouble we can get into.”
The trip back to the town was quick, as they had been less than ten miles away. The fire they had started at the gate was mostly out. The doors were still smoldering, but the ground between them was no longer on fire.
“Going in. Don’t burn anything yet unless we’re attacked,” Alvin said as he pushed the gates open with the Humvee.
Just inside the gate, a half dozen dead beasts lay smoldering. Driving over them, Alvin’s eyes kept darting around looking for any sign of an ambush. Thick smoke hung over the town where small fires still burned. A good portion had been burned to ash, but a number of buildings still stood.
The lack of movement was setting them all on edge as the Humvee slowly navigated the rubble-filled streets. Closer to the manor, Becky was the first to see the robed figure coming out of the walled compound. Not waiting, she took aim and began putting rounds on target.
The sudden gunfire got everyone’s attention, but Alvin was the only other person in position to see the Elf. The first round hit the Elf and staggered him sideways, but the next few were absorbed by the barrier that sprang up around him.
“What is it?” Wintersbreath asked.
“One male Elf,” Alvin said. “He put a barrier up.”
The target touched his wounded side and snarled at them. Dropping the item he had been carrying, the Elf began to gesture and chant.
“Necromancer,” Becky said, watching the barrier crack as she continued to dump rounds into it.
Alvin didn’t speed up any; the rubble was still a hazard, and their slow speed was making it possible for Becky to keep on target. “He’ll be on your side shortly, Winter. Be ready.” The barrier shattered as the M240B continued to fire. The necromancer screamed briefly when the next few dozen rounds pulped his body. “Or not,” Alvin added as a pulse of energy exploded out of the dead body, just missing the Humvee.
A multitude of roars came from all sides of the vehicle. “Ooops,” Becky said. “I think that pissed them off.”
“I want whatever he was carrying,” Alvin said as he pulled the Humvee to a stop next to the body. “Winter, grab the thing at his feet.”
Wintersbreath jumped out, grabbed the item, and sprayed the manor down with the full tank of napalm. She got hastily back into the Humvee, her fuel tank smashing Becky’s legs into Kuro’s tank and drawing a growl from Becky. “I have it. It’s the Matriarch’s rod of authority.”
“Hero, get moving,” Becky said, glad her armor absorbed what would have been damage. “We’re about to have company.”
Alvin started the Humvee moving faster than they had on the way in, but still not too fast as it rock-crawled over the debris. “What does it look like?”
“Falunes, wulnines, and at least one grezle,” Becky said as she waited the last few seconds for the gun to reload.
When they got to the next side street, Kuro and Wintersbreath let loose torrents of burning napalm. Roaring flames covered the beasts, the debris, and the buildings on both sides of the street.
“Reloaded,” Becky announced as she began to fire into the oncoming mass behind them.
Alvin kept his focus on driving, letting the three women do what they could to give them breathing room. He headed for the west gate, knowing it had been broken open and would be the easiest path out of town, but he realized it was also likely be the most dangerous exit.
As they got closer to the gate, Alvin could see a pack of grezles ahead of them blocking the way out. “Fuck you, assholes,” Alvin muttered. “Gothy, picking up speed. I’m going for a breakout.”
“Sounds fun,” Becky replied, turning around to face the front while the gun reloaded. “Five seconds for reload.”
The Humvee bounced as it went over the burnt, broken remains of the town, jostling those in the back. Wintersbreath and Kuro clung to the doors and windows so they didn't smash the tanks on their backs. Becky held onto the pintle mounting; that and the gunner’s sling were the only things keeping her from falling.
“Here we go,” Alvin said as the ground became clear of debris and the Humvee finally had good traction.
The M240B opened up at the same time, with Becky doing her best to kill a grezle or two before they got too close for her to put down effectively. “Right side,” she called out.
Alvin was already aimed that way, as it had the least amount of rubble to contend with. “Get ready with the fire,” he called back to the other two.
One grezle had died from the machine gun, and a second was almost down by the time the Humvee hit and killed it. Kuro sent out a spray of napalm, covering the others that attacked the side of the Humvee while Alvin fought the wheel as they went over the bodies.
Alvin floored it when he got to the end of the pile of corpses, and the Humvee began gaining speed. Wintersbreath stuck her wand out the window, angling herself as best she could to discourage the beasts trying to catch them. Kuro had the better angle and did the same, managing to catch a few more of the pursuers in her spray.
The remaining beasts pulled back toward the town after only a minute. “We’re clear, Hero,” Becky said, emptying the rest of the belt at the retreating mobs.
“Going to get some ground. W
e’ll empty the tanks we have before we return to base for the night.” Alvin let out a deep breath now that the immediate danger was past. “Mousie, come on up here and fire from the front.”
“As you wish, Hero.”
Chapter Forty-three
They weren’t attacked as they drove toward the ruined town of Helinaholt and beyond to the edge of the woods. They followed the edge of the forest, burning the woods as they went. Wintersbreath was muttering under her breath the entire time, and Kuro nodded along with whatever she was saying.
When the flamethrowers finally ran out of durability, Alvin summoned the portal to take them back to the base. Instead of pulling in like he normally did, he backed up through the portal. Wintersbreath tensed up, but relaxed when they appeared on the other side. “That was painless.”
“If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t want to use it often,” Alvin said as he got out.
“This is your base?” Wintersbreath asked, climbing out of the Humvee.
“Yeah. Grab the empty tank,” Alvin said. “I’ll get some XP back from it and I need to buy new ones.”
Wintersbreath pulled the empty flamethrower from the back. Becky took it from her and handed it to Alvin. “While you take care of that, I’ll show her the base, and then the three of us will get cleaned up.”
Alvin eyed Becky for a long moment. “Don’t do anything too crazy.”
“I’m just going to explain how things work here,” Becky said, giving him a sweet, innocent smile.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Alvin sighed. “Go on, I’ll be a bit.”
“Don’t be a stranger,” Becky grinned as she led the other two out of the garage.
Alvin hit the repair button for the vehicles on his way past, carrying the two empty flamethrowers on his shoulders. At the kiosk, he stuffed the two empties into the slot and began his shopping. When he went to check out, he paused with his finger hovering over the purchase button, having finally seen his total XP.
“Damn, I wonder how many things died in our forest fire?” Alvin muttered. “Doesn’t matter... all that matters is that we have enough XP to make this plan work.”
Alvin pushed the purchase button and began dragging out flamethrowers one at a time. It took him a while to cart them all to the Humvee and get them situated in the back. The last three, he set to the sides for their own use.
“Sir, I have dinner started,” Jarvis said from the doorway. “Where will the new addition be staying for the evening?”
Lips pursed, Alvin considered the question. “She could rack out on the sofa? For all I know, Gothy’s seducing her into our bed for the evening. Burning the forest down completely will take a couple of days, though, which means she’ll be back here at least a couple of times.”
“Indeed,” Jarvis nodded. “Also, it is likely that from time to time you’ll have more than just miss and Mousie as companions. Companions that aren’t simply invited into your bedroom.”
“Suggesting I expand the base?”
“It is an idea, sir.”
“It’s a good point, Jarvis. I’ll take a look at that and maybe another crafting room that I can turn into an automated room.”
“I need to get back to the kitchen,” Jarvis said, turning away. “Something to consider, sir.”
Alvin held out his hand and a pad appeared in it, “I’ll do the research and give the ladies a chance to finish showering first. I know Gothy’s good with having Wintersbreath as a notch in the bedpost, but I’m not certain it’d be the best idea ever.”
“I would add something to that, sir, but I don’t feel like having a time out,” Jarvis said.
Taking a seat at the table, Alvin was going over options when Jarvis brought him a drink. Sipping the wine, Alvin gave Jarvis a thankful nod as he continued to look over the base upgrades.
Becky touched his shoulder, pulling Alvin from his thoughts. “Hmm?”
“We’re done,” Becky sighed. “I was hoping you would come join us.”
Looking around, Alvin didn’t see either of the Elves. “Doing anything with Wintersbreath might undo the step I just made with Mousie,” Alvin said softly.
Lips pursing, Becky nodded slowly. “When you put it like that, I guess you have a point. I just think about what someone with that level of flexibility can do…”
Shaking his head, Alvin snagged her and pulled her in for a kiss. “Silly nut. Where are they?”
“Mousie is showing her the dungeon,” Becky smiled. “She seemed quite eager to show off all the toys.”
“Odd, I didn’t think Mousie would do that,” Alvin replied, letting Becky go. “Here, check this and give me your thoughts.” Handing her the pad, Alvin got to his feet. “I’m going to take a shower and go get ready for dinner. Talk afterwards?”
“Sounds good,” Becky said, taking his seat.
Alvin spent his time in the shower waiting for Becky to try something. He frowned as he was drying off, and she still hadn’t appeared. It’s not like her to let an opportunity this easy slip by. Almost as if on cue, Wintersbreath came through the doorway. “Yes?”
Wintersbreath took a long moment to eye him up and down appraisingly before replying. “Dinner is ready... and so are you, from the look of it,” she licked her lips, her words punctuated by his cock starting to rise.
“I’ll be there in a moment. Now shoo,” Alvin gestured.
Knowing smile in place, she did as he said, but not without a glance back and wink. “I’m not adverse to a little obedience... if the one ordering me is strong enough.”
Facepalming, Alvin sighed. What the fuck is it with the crazy ones? Am I a damned crazy magnet or something? Hanging the towel up, Alvin summoned his base clothing. Just ignore her... you’re making headway with Mousie. Don’t fuck that up for the easy bit of ass. Leaving the bedroom, Alvin found the three women all talking softly and looking in his direction. Shit, that doesn’t look good for me.
Becky’s lips were curled at the corners. “Hero, glad to see you made it. Did any unforeseen issues… arise?”
“Unforeseen? No, everything happened kind of like I thought it might. Just not exactly when I thought it would.”
“Hmm, I’ll have to be a bit more unpredictable, then,” Becky smirked.
“Dinner is ready,” Jarvis said, bringing the first platter from the kitchen.
The smell of bacon wrapped filet mignons hit Alvin’s nose like a heavyweight punch, making his mouth water. Curling his fingers in to stop himself from reaching, Alvin waited for Jarvis to bring out the rest of the meal. Lobster tails and melted butter were next, followed by asparagus, mashed potatoes, and mac and cheese.
“Damn Jarvis, if you do this when we have a guest, I’ll have to bring people home more often,” Alvin chuckled.
“I wished to make a good impression, sir.”
“You have,” Wintersbreath said. “If it tastes even a quarter as good as it smells, then I shall be in for a rare feast.”
“Thank you,” Jarvis bowed his head. “Enjoy.”
Seeing Jarvis head back into the kitchen, even with eight empty spots at the table, Alvin frowned. He has a reason... just let it be for now, he thought as he served himself some filet.
Wintersbreath looked puzzled for a second, but soon began to serve herself like the others were. “I didn’t realize it was a self-serving table. You don’t see that often in a Matriarch’s home.”
“It’s Hero’s home,” Becky stated. “Without him, this place doesn’t exist.”
“This place was created with his magic?” Wintersbreath asked.
“In a manner of speaking,” Alvin said. “It can only be used once, much like binding my elemental.”
“You can’t bind another?” Wintersbreath asked.
“No,” Alvin replied, popping the first bit of filet into his mouth. Closing his eyes to savor it, Alvin let the perfect moment linger. Opening his eyes when he swallowed, Alvin gave Jarvis a grin. “Damn, Jarvis. Are you getting even better?”
“My skill is increasing with each meal, sir.”
“Never going to catch him,” Becky muttered, “but damned if I want to right now.”
“Your elemental is a cook equal in skill to the Queen’s,” Wintersbreath said as she set her fork down. “I couldn’t entice him away from you, could I?”
Alvin laughed, “No.”
“A pity, but I understand,” Wintersbreath sighed as she picked her fork back up. “I wouldn’t let him go, either.”
Elven Accord Page 32
