by Eric Vall
“Pizza,” I chuckled as I tore into a dried piece of mutton. “It’s a specialty in Chicago, the town that I grew up in.”
“How can squashed tomatoes in a bowl of bread be your favorite food?” Cayla questioned with an incredulous laugh. The princess kicked her legs back and forth while Stan jumped between her swinging knees.
“It’s not just squashed tomatoes,” I said defensively. “It’s the softest bread you could ever imagine, filled with layers of piping hot tomato sauce, melted, gooey cheese, and spices that make your mouth water. Not to mention any toppings you wanted to throw on there. Olives and pepperoni were my favorite.” Saliva gathered behind my teeth as I remembered the pizza place around the corner from my apartment back on Earth. I was such a regular there, they knew my order by heart.
“Uh-huh,” Aurora muttered unconvincingly, and her face was still creased with disgust. “It still sounds… soggy and unappetizing to me.”
“Just you wait,” I said as I pointed a finger at the half-elf. “Once we deal with Dred and have access to a full kitchen again, I’m figuring out how to make the two of you a deep dish.”
“I’ll try anything once,” Cayla chimed in with a smile.
“How hard do you think it would be to make an oven?” I mused as I chewed a mouthful of food. “It can’t be that hard, right? It’s just like a big metal box.”
“One project at a time, Mason,” Cayla laughed as she licked honey from my fingers.
“I know,” I replied with a smile as my eyes locked onto the princess’s darting pink tongue, “I’m just thinking out loud. But it would be pretty sweet to make my workshop into a self-sustaining getaway. I could put in an oven, a real bed, and you won’t believe how awesome indoor plumbing is.”
“Wait,” Aurora said with a frown, “are you talking about doing those things to this workshop or the one back in Illaria?”
“Both?” I shrugged. “Who knows how long it’ll take to root out Dred and his merry men? And we still have our mission to consider. It might be months until we return to Illaria, but whenever we do, my first workshop will still be waiting there.”
“Ah yes, our mission,” the half-elf murmured as her brow furrowed.
“The master,” Cayla said, and she rubbed her arms as if she were suddenly cold. “I’d almost forgotten.”
The mysterious puppeteer had plagued my dreams when we first came to Cayla’s kingdom, but as we focused more on the threat of Camus Dred, and since no new strange attacks had occurred since we came to Cedis, this ‘master’ had slowly faded to the background of my thoughts. But now that victory against the bandits was almost close enough to taste, all my previous questions came roaring back to the surface.
“It’s been suspiciously quiet,” I remarked as I rubbed at my jaw.
“There has been no news or rumors since we arrived in Eyton,” Cayla said with a frown.
“And nothing has arrived from Illaria,” Aurora added.
“We must have set him back more than I thought,” I muttered as I scratched at my cheek. “But we need to focus on one problem at a time. We’ll deal with Dred as quickly as possible. Once the people of Cedis are safe from thieves and cutthroats, then we’ll concentrate on our original mission. Maybe we can even find something about those runes in the royal library.”
“My father had someone check already,” Cayla replied, “but we do know a little more now than we did then. The scribe could have missed something.”
“Then that’s where we’ll start,” I began with a nod, “and once we discover his identity, he’ll be dealt with, too.”
Aurora and Cayla nodded with finality, and a sense of calm purpose settled over me.
Our enemies had no idea who they’d decided to fuck with.
After lunch, I got back to work.
“Time to add some improvements,” I said as I rubbed my hands together and looked over the scattered pieces of metal around the shop. “Things that will be useful going up against bandits.”
“Things like what?” Cayla asked curiously, but Aurora sighed beside her.
“Do not bother asking,” she muttered. “He keeps insisting that it must be a surprise.”
“Don’t sound so dejected,” I teased. “It’s much more fun this way, and it’ll be so much more satisfying when you see the end result.”
“Uh-huh,” the half-elf grumbled, and then she glanced at Big Guy before she sighed again. “I guess I will reheat the forges.”
“Yes, please,” I said to the Ignis Mage. “If I put my nose to the grindstone, we can have both dinner and a show tonight, featuring Big Guy and all his new toys.”
“Sounds exciting,” Cayla said with bright eyes.
“It will be,” I chuckled.
And I couldn’t wait.
Out of the dozen ideas I had for Big Guy’s upgrades, I finally settled on the three coolest but also most practical designs. I decided to go with the easiest improvement first and work my way up from there.
“Sorry, buddy,” I said to Big Guy as I turned to the animatron, “I’m going to need to take these back real quick.”
I reached out and grasped the machine’s right arm, and then I closed my eyes as magic flowed out of me. A few moments later, the arm came loose in my grasp, and then I walked around to the left side to detach the left one.
“Why are you doing that?” Aurora asked curiously as she watched me walk back to the table with my freshly severed limbs.
“It’s easier to work on them like this,” I replied with a shrug. “Don’t worry. When I’m done, I’ll put them back where they belong, new and very much improved.”
The half-elf arched a slim eyebrow at me, but I just flashed her a confident grin before I turned back to the table.
Even though the general idea was pretty simple, there were quite a few moving parts involved and a lot of intricate mechanics that I had to fiddle with. A few weeks ago, it would have taken me forever to figure out a problem like this, but after working with Elias on the guns back in Illaria, and after making the top break, I had a decent amount of tinkering experience under my belt. In the end, it only took me several hours to screw in the last piece, and I stood over the pair of silver arms on the table with pride.
“And my first masterpiece is complete,” I declared.
“Can we finally see?” Cayla asked from behind me, and I heard a stool scrape against the ground as she jumped to her feet.
“Come feast your eyes, princess,” I said as I threw a grin over my shoulder. “You too, Aurora, don’t try to pretend you’re not interested.”
The half-elf sighed exaggeratedly, but I saw that she slid to her feet almost as quickly as Cayla, and then both women practically ran to my side. Cayla pressed herself against my right side and Aurora did the same on my left. They leaned over the table, and I watched as their eyes roved over every inch of the disarticulated arms on the table. Even Stan slid down Cayla’s arm to land on the table so he could take a closer look.
“You made one of them… bigger?” Cayla observed as she cocked her head.
“You’re technically correct,” I replied as my smiled widened. “I’ve only finished the right arm, but I did make it bigger, both longer and thicker, but this outer sheet of metal has some space between it and the actual arm, kind of like a gauntlet but without the glove.” I reached out and knocked against the iron, and a hollow note rang out.
“Well, what is in that space?” Aurora asked with a frown.
“I’m glad you asked.” I reached out, picked up the arm, and flipped it so that it was palm up. The gauntlet like sleeve extended from the elbow down to the wrist, but beyond that, the hand looked normal and unchanged save for a small rectangular button right where the hand connected to the wrist.
Aurora, with her keen elven eyes, spotted the tiny rectangle right away.
“What is that?” she questioned as she pointed to it.
“Patience, woman,” I teased. “I need the two of you to take a step back before
I show you.”
The Ignis Mage frowned, and Cayla looked equally concerned, but they relented and moved slightly away from the table.
“Alright,” I said as I rubbed my hands together. “Stan, can I get a drum roll, please?”
The little stickman looked around the table for a moment before he spotted a piece of scrap metal a few inches away. He jogged over to it and then began to tap his arms against the metal in a tinkling rhythm.
“Thanks, buddy,” I laughed, “and now without further ado!”
I took a step away from the table, and then I reached out with my magic and depressed the button at the base of the mechanical arm. An instant later, a double-edged blade shot out from under the gauntlet with a slight metallic screech. It was about a foot and a half long and as wide as my wrist, and it glinted silver in the light of the workshop.
Cayla gasped, and Aurora’s jaw fell open a little in disbelief.
“Sword hand!” I exclaimed, unable to contain my excitement and wait for the two women to find their voices. “How fucking awesome is that!”
Aurora reached out tentatively, but then her hand paused mid-motion as if she remembered the last time I had made a sword and she had tried to touch it. Then she turned to me with wide green eyes.
“How--” she started, but then she shook her head and chuckled dryly. “I should not be this surprised anymore.”
“I find it endearing,” I replied with a grin, “and it’s great for my ego.”
The half-elf knocked her elbow against mine, but then Cayla caught my attention as she leaned down over the blade to inspect it closer.
“How does it work?” she questioned as she tilted her head to try to look into the gauntlet that the blade stuck out from.
“Spring loaded,” I said proudly. “I learned a lot about springs when Elias helped me design the revolvers, so I decided to put the knowledge to good use. The button releases the blade, as you saw, and then look at this!”
I reached out to tilt the arm on its side so that the elbow joint was more visible. I stuck my finger in the hinge sprocket, and then I slowly spun it to the side. As I did, the blade began to retract into the gauntlet.
“I had to upgrade the elbow joints, but now the end of the blade is attached to some copper wire that’s in turn connected to this sprocket,” I explained. “When the sprocket is turned, it winds the wire back in and retracts the sword. This way the machine can stab some bandits but also be able to do more dexterous, and safe, tasks, too.”
“Incredible,” Cayla breathed, and then a fierce and sharp grin cut across her face. “I cannot wait to see Camus Dred and his men face this. They will run screaming for the hills.”
“And Big Guy here will run them down,” I said as I patted the arm fondly. “Let’s get this arm attached now because I really want to see it in action. I’ll come back and finish the other arm in a little bit.”
I scooped up the upgraded arm and waited patiently as Stan jumped on to hitch a ride. He stumbled down one of the arms like a tightrope before he careened into the nook of my elbow and burrowed himself there safely. Together we walked over to Big Guy who stood quietly and motionlessly in the middle of the room.
“Which side would you like to be the sword-hand side?” I asked the two women that trailed behind me.
“Does it matter?” Aurora questioned.
“Does it matter?” I echoed with a sad shake of my head. Then I looked down to the stickman cuddled in the crook of my arm. “What about you, Stan? Which side do you want to be the sword-hand?”
The stickman glanced from me to Big Guy and seemed to consider my question. Then he pointed to the left side of the animatron and bobbed his head in a series of nods.
“That’s what I was thinking too, bud,” I chuckled. Then I shifted the weight in my arms to free my left hand so I could pluck Stan out of my elbow and set him on my shoulder. “Hang out here so I can get this all buckled in, okay?”
Stan nodded again and clutched at the hem of my collar to keep his balance.
I turned back to Big Guy and set about inserting the arms into the shoulder sockets. It took a little finagling since I had to reconnect a bunch of copper wires to ensure magic would flow to the fingers properly, but it took me all of maybe five minutes. Then I took a step back and examined my creation proudly.
The animatron was still half a foot shorter than I was, but it was still plenty intimidating, especially with what I knew he now had up his sleeve. He looked a little lopsided without his left arm, but I’d fix that later.
“Alright, Big Guy,” I said as I squared my shoulders. “Moment of truth. Let’s give these lovely ladies a show.”
I kept my eyes open this time as I summoned my magic to the surface. It flowed out of me and into the animatron like a rushing river, and that same disorienting sensation settled over me as I almost seemed to step into the machine’s shoes. Or treads, rather.
When the connection was established and strong, I lifted my chin and envisioned what I wanted in my mind.
“Deploying sword,” I muttered to Aurora and Cayla.
There was a moment’s hesitation, but then the magical drain washed over me as I made my power depress the button on the base of Big Guy’s right wrist. The blade sang as it shot out of the gauntlet, and I grinned wildly.
“Oh hell yeah,” I breathed. “Okay, now I’m going to do some practice swings, so give Big Guy a wide berth.”
The two women moved back dutifully, and then I took a deep breath.
It took a lot of effort, but I made the animatron roll back a few feet to be extra safe, and then I had him do some combat moves. It was easier to make him jab forward with the sword than swing it, but I still managed to do both. I pictured half a dozen bandits surrounding the machine, and he spun on his tracks to face them, parry blows, slice, and stab. Somewhere along the line, I realized the line between Big Guy and me had become blurred. It was like I was fighting the imaginary bandits, and as I swung around to block another fake killing move, my arm sliced clean through the air and cleaved my imaginary opponent in half.
I gasped as I brought Big Guy to a stop, and then I realized sweat was trickling down my neck and my mouth felt suddenly parched.
“Good job, Big Guy,” I rasped. “Retracting sword now.”
I used one last tendril of magic to reach into the inner mechanics of his elbow joint, and then I slowly rotated the sprocket until the blade had disappeared back into the gauntlet.
I didn’t have the energy to fist pump, but Stan jumped up and down on my shoulder in celebration.
“Do that again,” Aurora said as she stepped forward with an eager expression on her face.
“I need a bit of a break first,” I admitted with a tired smile.
Aurora frowned in disappointment, but then she looked over Big Guy with a critical eye.
“Camus Dred’s days are numbered,” she announced, and even though my muscles quivered from the magical drain, I smirked in satisfaction.
“Him and anyone else who threatens the peace of Illaria and Cedis,” I added. “This is only the beginning.”
“What else do you have planned, Mason?” Cayla said as she walked up beside me and wrapped her arms around my bicep. “I cannot wait to show this to my father. He will be… well, he will be speechless. Stan alone took his breath away, and he is so tiny.”
The stickman turned and looked at the princess as if in reproach.
She giggled and leaned over to press a gentle kiss against the side of his head. “Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course.”
“I actually might make him a little bigger once I finish up Big Guy,” I said as I gestured to the other animatron, “but I kinda like him at this size and shape for right now.”
“And what else do you plan to add to this machine?” Aurora questioned with a quirked eyebrow.
“Ask me in a few minutes once I’ve rehydrated and caught my breath,” I chuckled. Then I walked over to a table, picked up a hal
f-empty canteen, and drained it in two strong pulls.
When I finished, I cracked my neck from side to side, stretched my arms over my head, and jogged in place to get my blood flowing again. Then I turned to Aurora, Cayla, and Big Guy and clapped my hands together.
“Alright, I’m ready,” I declared with a grin as excitement began to bubble in me again. Now that Big Guy’s sword-hand was up and running, I couldn’t wait to finish his left one.
“That wasn’t a very long break,” Cayla argued with a concerned frown. “The sun will set soon. Why don’t we have an early dinner so that you can refuel and then rest for the night? That way you can finish Big Guy refreshed in the morning.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but a headache had started to form behind my right eye, and my stomach gurgled loudly as if on cue. Now that I thought about it, today had been a long day. This morning I didn’t even have a workshop, and not only did I make that, I then went on to finish Big Guy’s tracks and make him a new weapon, and then I tested them both out. The tests alone were majorly taxing, and besides lunch, I had barely even paused work to think this afternoon.
“Maybe you’re right,” I conceded to the princess.
“I am always right,” Cayla teased back with a grin as she began to tug me toward the door. “Let us get you fed and then straight into bed.”
Aurora linked her elbow through my opposite arm and smirked up at me.
“Yes,” she agreed, and her emerald eyes glittered up at me. “Getting you into bed is of the utmost priority.”
My brows raised toward my hairline as I glanced through the doorway to my left. I could see the back bedroom that was attached to the office through the open threshold. This morning, I had made a stone bed in the corner large enough for the three of us. I softened the stone of course, but it was still made of bare rock. Now, though, it was draped in bright cushions and comforters of blues and purples and reds. The padding had to be several feet thick, and it looked like the softest bed in the world.
I looked back to the woman on either side of me and grinned.
“Well, you won’t hear me arguing,” I chuckled, and even though I was tired as hell, my blood sang with desire.
