Metal Mage

by Eric Vall

  “It used to be.” Cayla sighed. Her face had grown troubled, and she frowned into space over my shoulder.

  Something about her tone reminded me of Aurora the first day we met. The half-elf had said something similar about Illaria then.

  “What do you mean?” I asked Cayla the same way I asked Aurora weeks ago.

  “Cedis is currently under attack,” the raven-haired beauty informed me solemnly. “At first, it was only a few, random incidents, animal attacks mostly. Most believed it was a rabid bear or wolf. However, as the attacks became more frequent, a pattern began to emerge, and the details didn’t resemble normal animals going berserk.”

  A shiver of recognition dripped down my spine. This was sounding very familiar.

  “What did you find out?” I asked as I leaned forward on my stool. Cayla had my full and undivided attention now.

  “First, it was discovered that a chimera had been responsible for the slew of deaths along our eastern border,” Cayla replied. “This alone was cause for alarm since chimeras very rarely leave their cave homes deep in the southern forests. However, the beast was quickly dealt with, and the citizens of Cedis thought that they could rest easy.”

  “Let me guess,” I cut in, “that’s when there was another beast attack?”

  “Almost,” Cayla responded. “It was another attack, but it wasn’t beastly in nature.”

  I sat back a little in shock. “It was a person?”

  “Yes,” the black-haired beauty nodded, “a seemingly innocuous man, a simple farmer who owned a single plot of land, walked into a small town one day and massacred half a dozen people with a hatchet.”

  “Goddamn,” I breathed in horror.

  “That was the general sentiment, yes.” Cayla sighed as she rubbed tiredly at the bridge of her nose.

  “How did you know that these incidents were related?” I asked with a frown. “The beast and the man, I mean.”

  “We didn’t at first,” Cayla replied as she furrowed her brow. “Not until it kept happening. The people and animals of Cedis began to behave strangely, violently. It has reached the point where people are afraid to leave their homes now, boarded up and barred in case a chimera or drake comes calling. The king of Cedis has declared that nothing short of dark magic could be the cause of the violent plague that has befallen our nation.”

  “Dark magic?” I echoed. I thought of Abrus and his two-toned eyes. I had yet to meet his counterpart, a Tenebrae Mage. They supposedly controlled the shadows, but I didn’t know if that was specifically classified as ‘dark magic.’

  “That is what our king believes,” Cayla repeated, “and it is the reason I am here. You see, Cedis is a very small kingdom. It does not have the power, prestige, or the established organization of magic users that Illaria has. If a mage is born within the borders of Cedis, or any of the other smaller nations for that matter, they typically leave their home countries and immigrate to Illaria in the hopes of being trained by the Order. This leaves a vacuum of vulnerability behind, and Cedis is, unfortunately, reaping the consequences. We don’t have the means to fight back this darkness that threatens our beloved kingdom.”

  Cayla’s voice wobbled dangerously at the end, and I couldn’t stop myself from leaning forward and putting my hand comfortingly on her knee.

  “I’m sorry you’ve had to suffer like this,” I told the beautiful woman honestly.

  Cayla shook her head. “It is not my suffering that I care about. It’s the rest of the citizens of Cedis. The poor, the weak, the vulnerable. They are dying. I could no longer stand by and do nothing. So, I decided to travel here, to Illaria, to ask King Temin for aid.”

  Surprise filtered through me. “You spoke to the king?”

  “Briefly,” Cayla replied bitterly, and her pink lips twisted into a scowl. “I arrived several days ago and was granted an audience with Temin. He listened to my tale and expressed his sympathy, but in the end, he told me that he was unable to provide Cedis any aid because he was too busy worrying about the welfare of his own kingdom.”

  “To be fair,” I hedged with a wince, “that isn’t a lie. Illaria has also suffered its share of unexplained attacks and violence. King Temin has been hard pressed to find a solution.”

  “I know,” Cayla said as she met my gaze squarely. “That’s how I heard about you.”

  Something preened pridefully in my chest. “Oh? What exactly did you hear?”

  “I heard that there was a strange mage by the name of Mason Flynt,” the raven-haired beauty responded. “I heard that he slew a drake his first day in Illaria, and not even a month later, he single-handedly took down a hydra with a powerful and lethal weapon no one has ever seen or heard of before.”

  “Well, it wasn’t exactly ‘single-handedly,’” another voice interrupted, and I turned to once again find Aurora framed in the doorway. The Ignis Mage had one hand on her hip and the other on the hilt of her sword as she studied the room before her.

  “Aurora,” I announced as I came to my feet. “I’m glad you’ve returned.”

  “Mason,” the half-elf replied with a curious tilt of her head. Her emerald eyes shifted to the woman still seated beside me. “Who is your friend?”

  “Cayla,” the black-haired beauty introduced herself as she slid gracefully to her feet and extended her hand toward the other woman. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Aurora Solana,” the blue-haired maiden replied as she accepted the handshake. She looked pleasantly surprised to be addressed so directly.

  As they shook, Cayla’s blue eyes dropped to the back of Aurora’s hands. “You’re an Ignis Mage.”

  “Yes,” the half-elf replied as she let go of the other woman’s hand. “I am a member of the Order of Elementa and a Defender of Illaria.”

  “I’ve heard stories about Defenders,” Cayla mused as she looked Aurora up and down.

  “Oh?” Aurora asked, and her tone was more than a little defensive. I could practically see her hackles rise.

  “I’ve heard they are some of the bravest soldiers any kingdom has at their disposal,” Cayla went on, and then she inclined her chin respectfully. “It is an honor to speak with you.”

  I grinned at the shocked expression on Aurora’s face. The gorgeous half-elf still seemed unused to receiving compliments, even though I tried to shower her with them whenever we were together now.

  “I can personally attest to that,” I offered. “Aurora here made sure I wasn’t drake meat the first day I arrived in this kingdom. She was also instrumental in killing the hydra in Edhil.”

  “Then it seems I have come to the right place,” Cayla replied as she looked between Aurora and me.

  “The right place for what?” Aurora asked with a furrowed brow.

  “To ask for your assistance in saving Cedis,” Cayla declared, as if saving a kingdom was merely a small favor, like changing a horseshoe or helping an old lady across the street.

  “You hail from Cedis?” the half-elf questioned as she looked Cayla up and down.

  The raven-haired beauty went stiff under the scrutiny, but she nodded her head, nonetheless. “Yes. I just told Mason how I could no longer watch the suffering of my fellow citizens. I promised myself that I would do anything in my power to save my home. I came and prostrated myself in front of King Temin, and when that did not work, I devised a new plan once I heard the rumor of Mason’s weaponry.”

  Aurora hummed contemplatively and rubbed at the gleaming hilt of her sword.

  “What is it?” I asked. I could tell when the half-elf was thinking hard on something.

  “Abrus informed me of the situation in Cedis this morning,” Aurora replied as her gaze shifted back to me. Her expression was deeply troubled. “It is one of the reasons he and the king want the weapons finished so quickly. If Cedis is experiencing similar troubles, they fear things in Illaria will quickly worsen.”

  Before I could respond, Cayla cut in. “May I ask, what is this fabled weapon exactly?” She looked
between Aurora and me curiously. “Descriptions were a little vague and… perhaps hyperbolic.”

  “Well, all great tales of adventure need a little hyperbole,” I said with a grin, “but to answer your question, these are what I used to kill the hydra.”

  I turned and picked up an unloaded and unfinished rifle and revolver that still needed wooden grips. Then, I carefully handed the revolver to Cayla.

  “What… are these?” the raven-haired beauty asked as she carefully inspected the weapon in her hand as if it would bite her.

  “They’re called guns,” I replied. “That one in your hand is a revolver, named because that big cylinder there revolves around the center axle. This one that I’m holding is a rifle. The explanation of how they work is a little long and convoluted, but essentially they are like a high-powered, mechanical bow and arrow. They’re five times as fast, though, and ten times as lethal.”

  “And this killed the hydra?” Cayla asked skeptically. “It doesn’t look very big.”

  “Well, sometimes size doesn’t matter,” I responded cheekily. “Believe me, this weapon gets the job done. Just ask the people of Edhil.”

  “I have,” Cayla replied as she met my gaze. “They said not only did you save them with this strange weapon, but also that you spent the rest of the night rebuilding their homes.”

  “Their village burned down,” I said with a shrug. “What else could I do? Leave them out in the cold?”

  “Many would have,” Cayla observed as her ice-blue eyes scrutinized me. She looked as if she didn’t know what to make of me.

  “I’m not like most people,” I replied as I lifted my chin defiantly.

  “I am beginning to see that,” Cayla said with a soft smile. “So, will you help me then, Mason Flynt? Will you help the people of Cedis like you did those in Edhil?”

  I opened my mouth to reply yes instantly, but I hesitated as I caught Aurora’s eye. The half-elf had her lips pursed as she glanced pointedly around the room.

  Right.

  I took a deep breath and sighed.

  “Look,” I began, “I want to help you, Cayla, truly I do, but I have already promised King Temin that I would build him a cache of these new weapons so that his army can better protect and defend Illaria from these mysterious threats. I am under a royally tight deadline, and I don’t think Temin would allow me to take a break to save another kingdom.”

  “Illaria comes first, always,” Aurora chimed in with a sharp frown. It still amazed me how loyal the half-elf was, considering how poorly she told me the people of this kingdom had treated her in the past.

  Cayla’s porcelain brow furrowed as she carefully considered my words. I braced myself for the impending argument, but instead of accusations or an angry tirade, the raven-haired beauty only asked one question.

  “If you were finished building these weapons,” Cayla hedged, “and King Temin didn’t urgently need you, would you then consider helping me?”

  I thought about the question for a moment.

  “Yes,” I finally replied. “If I had no prior obligations, I would help you.”

  “Perfect,” Cayla said, and then a wide grin stretched across her beautiful face. “Where would you like me to start?”

  I blinked in confusion and glanced at Aurora, but the half-elf looked just as bewildered.

  “What do you mean?” I asked hesitantly.

  “I-I do not have much to offer you in the way of payment, a little gold, but I can offer you my assistance. I made a vow that I would do whatever it took to help save Cedis,” Cayla replied resolutely. “Helping you accomplish your goal is simply a means to that end. I’ll do whatever I can to speed along the process. I don’t have any magus abilities of my own, but I am a quick student and a diligent worker. Tell me what you need to be done, and I will do it efficiently and without complaint.”

  For a moment, all I could do was stare in surprise at the slender woman before me. She had guts and perseverance, I’d give her that. I looked again to Aurora to gauge how she felt about the situation. I expected to find her frowning, but instead, I found respect and admiration in her eyes as she stared at Cayla’s profile. It seemed the raven-haired beauty’s dedication to her kingdom had struck a chord in the Ignis Mage.

  If I were honest, it struck a chord with me, too.

  And it couldn’t hurt to have two drop-dead beautiful women around, could it?

  I turned back to Cayla, who waited for my verdict with trepidation in her icy blue eyes. When the silence had stretched to the point of breaking, I let a grin split my face. Then I moved forward to extend my hand, but Aurora interrupted me.

  “I have a few questions for her first.”

  “Oh?” I asked, and Cayla and I turned toward the blue-haired fire mage.

  “Yes,” Aurora said as she cleared her throat and leveled her bottle-green eyes at the other woman.

  “Go ahead,” Cayla responded as she bit her lower lip.

  “First, how do you feel about bat poop?”

  “Bat poop?” Cayla asked as she wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure what--”

  “And rotten eggs,” Aurora interrupted. “To join our team, you should really like rotten eggs.”

  “Are you… uhhh, joking?” Cayla asked as her face paled. Then she looked at me, and I fixed her with a stare.

  Then Aurora and I busted out laughing.

  “I’m confused,” Cayla said as her face turned red.

  “Don’t worry about it,” I said as I extended my hand. “Welcome to the team.”

  Cayla smiled brightly in return and grasped my hand. Static crackled between our palms and my heart skipped a beat.

  “Thank you, Mason,” the raven-haired beauty said ardently as she released my hand. “You will not regret this.”

  As I shifted my hips a little to adjust for the sudden tightness of my breeches, I wondered at how true that statement actually was.

  Chapter 13

  The next morning, Aurora and I left the Oculus at dawn and made our way north to the workshop.

  I would have spent the previous night glued to my table working, but the half-elf all but dragged me out the door after Cayla left. We didn’t make it to a nice restaurant, but after a little bribing, we grabbed a nice hot meal from the Oculus’s kitchen. The cook even gave us several slices of honey cake after I fixed a crack in his oven with a few drops of magic. Aurora and I then retired to her room for the night, where we perhaps stayed up a little too late, since I insisted on eating my dessert off of the blue-haired maiden’s full and luscious breasts and spent the better half of the night licking honey off her skin.

  “Be careful of catching flies,” I joked the next morning as Aurora’s mouth cracked wide in yet another yawn. For all her discipline and strength, the half-elf really wasn’t an early morning type of person.

  “It is too early in the morning for you to be this chipper,” Aurora grumbled as we trotted our horses down the road toward the workshop. “It is unnatural.”

  “Oh, come on,” I said as I leaned over and knocked against her shoulder. “You weren’t complaining when I woke you up this morning.”

  I thought back to how the half-elf arched her naked body against my hands, how she moaned my name, and a thin tendril of desire snaked down my spine. I couldn’t recall ever being this enamored with a girl back on Earth. I never wanted to let Aurora out of bed or into clothes even if her little white robe was sexy as hell.

  “That was before you made me ride up a mountain before the sun has even fully risen,” Aurora muttered. She brought her ceramic canteen to her lips, and I watched as her hands glowed faintly orange as she heated the tea within.

  “Have I ever told you how enchanting you are when you pout?” I said with a teasing smile.

  Aurora merely narrowed her eyes at me and continued sipping her tea. I was impressed with the Ignis Mage’s ability to not spill anything as the horse trotted, and I guessed it had something to do with her elven heritage and enhanced reflexes.r />
  We passed the rest of the ride in relative silence. I knew by the time we reached the workshop the half-elf would be awake and back to her normal self, so I amused myself by taking in my surroundings.

  We traveled along a narrow dirt path that wound its way north, deeper into the foothills. The workshop and cave were a little over a mile away from both Serin and the Oculus, but I thought the scenery made up for the distance. The trees were emerald green, the sky was painted with the fiery palette of sunrise, and morning birdsong flitted through the air. All in all, it was a rather beautiful sight.

  It all paled in comparison, however, to the gorgeous woman we found standing outside the workshop.

  “Good morning,” I called to Cayla as Aurora and I crossed the clearing. “I didn’t expect to see you this early.”

  “I am an early riser,” the raven-haired beauty explained with a smile. She pushed herself off the workshop wall and then bent down to retrieve a small, wicker basket at her feet. “I also thought you might enjoy a little breakfast before we got started.”

  My stomach grumbled in gratitude.

  “Thank you,” I said with a smile. “That’s very thoughtful.”

  “It is not much,” Cayla replied with a shrug. “Merely some sausages, bread, and a few eggs. There were not many stalls open yet when I visited the marketplace.”

  “That all sounds delicious,” I said as I took the basket from her outstretched hand. “Have you eaten already?”

  “No,” Cayla said with a shake of her head. “That would have been rude.”

  I chuckled at the long-legged woman’s strange sense of propriety.

  “Then let us sit together and eat,” I declared. “We can get to work straight after.”

  Cayla nodded and then looked back to the sealed workshop. “Shall we eat inside or…?” She trailed off and gave me an uncertain look.

  “We could,” I replied, “but there isn’t a lot of table space available at the moment. Besides, the smell in there isn’t exactly appetizing. It’s a potent combination of smelted metal and sweat.”