by Eric Vall
Soon after, King Temin gave another speech about bravery and perseverance, but truthfully I was more than several pints in already and the words kind of blended together. It must have been a rousing address, however, because the gathered nobility, and mages I saw, all gave a raucous cheer before Temin reached over and clapped me hard on the shoulder. I raised my half-empty mug in a half-hearted salute, and Cayla giggled at me, her pale face flushed with wine.
“Now,” the king cried, “let us have some food before we all wither and perish!”
He clapped his hands together, and the food was whisked out in too many courses for me to count.
First, there were rounds of freshly baked bread, passed around with bowls of golden butter, honey, and several kinds of fruit jam. Then, there was a rich and hearty soup of lamb, leek, and potato. The lamb melted in my mouth, and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. After that, there was a small round of boiled eggs and soft cheeses.
“They’re a palette cleanser,” Cayla whispered to me. “We have four courses still yet to come.”
My eyes went wide as I took in the already abundant amount of food. Where the hell was I going to put it all?
The princess, of course, was right, having been to a few royal dinners herself. After the egg and cheeses came the stuffed peacocks and swans, the birds blackened along the edges but tender and juicy on the insides, seasoned in spices and a glaze of honey that made me salivate nearly uncontrollably. I would have gorged myself on those if the main course hadn’t been brought out just then.
A wild boar, roasted on a spit, its flesh sweetened by apples and pears that had been stuffed in its belly. The meat practically fell off the bone and was the perfect blend of savory and sweet. I was full to bursting after the boar, but somehow, I made it through the last two courses of pears poached in red wine and a selection of decadent pastries made from cherries and strawberries and other in-season fruits.
“Please,” I groaned as I sat back in my chair after polishing off the last cherry tart, “please tell me there isn’t anymore food left.”
“You are safe.” Aurora laughed. The half-elf’s eyes were bright with mirth, and she was flushed with happiness and alcohol. I had never seen her so relaxed, except in the confines of her own room and bed.
Which reminded me…
“What do you say about getting out of here?” I asked with a grin as I leaned toward the gorgeous blue-haired maiden.
“I think you may be quite intoxicated,” Aurora teased with a quick smile.
“I think I am entitled to it,” I replied with a faux frown. “I did save Illaria after all, and now I’m going to go off and save Cedis. I’m… I’m…” I trailed off, at a loss for words.
“A hero,” Cayla supplied from the other side of me. I turned to find the princess smiling slyly, her blue-eyes hazy with contentment and wine. She reached out and ran her fingers down my cheek. “You are a hero, Mason Flynt.”
I shivered as desire spiraled through my veins, and then I looked between the beautiful women on either side of me. I didn’t have the capacity to explain what I wanted at the moment, so I slid to my feet and held out my hands to the half-elf and the princess. They both took my hand without hesitation, and I quickly tugged them away from the banquet table, out of the hall, and through the castle.
We were drunk and couldn’t stop laughing as we stumbled through the corridors. The women teased me with their smiles, lured me in close, and then darted away just before my fingers could brush their skin. I didn’t even realize Cayla was leading us somewhere until we stumbled up to a great, wooden door and she produced a key out of seemingly thin air.
“Where were you keeping that?” I asked in bewilderment as I dragged my eyes over the princess’s outfit. She definitely did not have any pockets.
The raven-haired beauty only smiled at me slyly before she opened the door and tugged Aurora and me in after her.
However, when the door clicked shut behind us, the sudden silence and closeness of the bedroom fell heavily on us. Cayla grew suddenly shy and dropped my hand as she cleared her throat. I didn’t want her closing back up, so I reached out and drew her flush against me.
“Is this okay?” I asked as I pushed a lock of hair out of her ice-blue eyes.
“Y-yes, but,” the princess stuttered as her eyes went to Aurora, “I-I do not want to intrude or cause any issue between the two of you.”
“You are not nor will you,” the half-elf said reassuringly. “As long as you do not have an issue with me.”
Cayla shook her head. “None at all.”
“Are you sure?” I questioned. “I do not want to make you uncomfortable.”
“I… my father had two wives,” Cayla explained hesitantly, “before my mother died. She and Freya, the other wife, were fast friends. It is not such a strange concept to me.”
“Oh,” I said as I blinked. “Well… perfect.”
The princess smiled seductively up at me as she wound her arms around my neck. “Yes. Perfect.”
With her tight body pressed up against me, I was powerless to stop myself from leaning down and claiming her mouth. Our tongues tangled against each other, and I tasted the sweetness of the wine she had just recently drunk.
The three of us tumbled quickly into bed after that, shedding our clothes as we went. I spared half a thought as to whose lavish bed this was, but I quickly didn’t care as I looked at the bare and beautiful women before me.
“God, I want you two,” I gasped as I fell back against the pillows and my cock twitched.
Aurora and Cayla wore matching grins as they knelt over me. They were both thin and lithe and sexy as hell, and their pale breasts glowed faintly in the moonlight that fell through the window. I noticed that Aurora’s nipples were a paler pink than Cayla’s, but gods, I wanted to taste them both.
“Patience, dear,” Aurora teased as she leaned over and licked at my bare chest. I reached for the half-elf, but she moved to the side and collapsed on the pillows beside me. She pressed her naked body against my arm and purred into my ear.
“We have had our fun a few times already,” she whispered as she ran her tongue over the edge of my ear. I could feel her begin to touch herself against me. “Do you not believe the princess should have a turn?”
I nodded wordlessly, not enough blood left in my northern brain to even form coherent words. I looked back to Cayla as the gorgeous princess straddled my hips.
“I want you, Mason,” she said huskily as she ran her hands over her own body. I reached up and pinched at her nipples until they were pink and pebbled.
“Then have me,” I rasped hoarsely as my hands wrapped around her curvy hips.
Desire flared in her ice-blue eyes as the princess knelt up and guided my cock to her warm and wet entrance. She locked eyes with me as she began to sink down but then she was overwhelmed by pleasure, and her head fell back with a moan.
“Mason,” she groaned as she began to swivel her hips. “Oh, Mason.”
“Yeah,” I grunted. “Just like that, Cayla. Gods, you’re so damn beautiful.” I latched onto the tops of her thighs and held on for the ride.
And what a wonderful ride it was.
After Cayla rode me to climax, it was Aurora’s turn, so I took her from behind while Cayla kissed me and rubbed the mage’s naked and delicious body. It didn’t take long for the blue-haired beauty to reach orgasm, and then our positions changed again so that I was back inside of Cayla while Aurora ravished my skin with her lips, tongue, and teeth.
After an uncountable amount of position changes and climaxes from my lovers, I once more found myself on my back with Cayla slowly grinding me, but this time Aurora rode my mouth, and the two women faced each other and did… well, I couldn’t really see what they were doing to occupy each other’s mouths while I pleasured them, but the three of us all reached a simultaneous orgasm that ended with us trashing, moaning, and gasping together as I filled the princess’ slender body with my sperm.
Then the three of us were tangled in the sheets, coming down from our euphoria while the sweat cooled on our bodies. Cayla and Aurora quickly fell into a deep sleep, their lithe bodies curled around me. I laid there and stroked their hair idly, but sleep just wouldn’t find me. After half an hour staring at the ceiling, I finally slipped out of bed and padded toward the large window that overlooked Serin below. Something itched inside of me, restless, even though I should be satiated on all accounts. I was full of good food, good ale, and I had just had the best sex I could remember with two insanely gorgeous women.
So why was I so antsy?
I sighed and sat in a small chair beside the window. On the table next to me, a glint of metal caught my eye. I reached out and realized it was one of the chains Cayla wore on her outfit. It must have been flung over here in our earlier fervor. I slid the cold metal between my fingers and smiled as I looked over at the princess.
I sat there for a time and absentmindedly fiddled with the chain, and I glanced out over the capital city again. Even with all the revelry, I couldn’t push the more pressing matters out of my head, especially now that we would be departing for Cedis in the morning.
Now, I didn’t regret killing Abrus, the bastard had it coming to him, but I wished that I could have pried more answers out of him before I had turned his brain to slush. Aurora had gone through his office, but he had been smart and left no evidence behind. All we had were questions, like who this master of his was, what he was planning, and how exactly had he and Abrus controlled those beasts. Aurora had said elves used runes to channel their magic, but Abrus was no elf. So how had he been able to use runic powers? Did that mean anyone could use them?
Could I use them?
As I thought this, a strange symbol appeared in my mind. I concentrated on it, wondering where I had seen it before, but it didn’t look exactly familiar, only similar to the runes Abrus and the basilisk had sported. As I focused on the rune harder, my magic stirred deep within me. Curious, I let my power rush to the surface, and my fingers went warm with energy.
I looked down and noticed that Cayla’s chain had melted and reshaped in my hand. I blinked and brought it closer to my face.
“What the…?” I murmured in confusion. The chain had reformed into the shape of a little, metal stickman and there, in the center of its chest, was the symbol that had been in my head, except now it was carved into the metal. Did my magic do that?
I let a little more power trickle out then gasped as the rune glowed a bright white. I squinted against the light and turned my face away. When I looked back, something moved in the palm of my hand, and I nearly fell out of my chair.
The tiny stickman I had carved tittered at the edge of my wrist. I stared at it with wide eyes as it windmilled its arms to keep from falling. I twitched my hand slightly, and the stickman fell backward onto its butt. Then, it looked up at me.
“What the fu--”
“Shhh,” a voice over my shoulder said, “or you’ll wake your women.”
I shot to my feet and whirled around to find Nemris standing behind my chair. The goddess looked exactly like I remembered her, resplendent purple gown, silver hair, and eyes the color of the cosmos.
“Hello, Mason,” the goddess whispered with a smile. “It is good to see you again.”
“Nemris,” I replied through numb lips. “W-what are you doing here?” I looked back to the animated stickman in my hand. “D-did you do this?”
“No.” The goddess shook her head as her smile widened. “You did.”
“But… how?” I asked incredulously as the little stickman tottered to its feet again and waddled across my palm. “I thought mages could only perform elemental magic?”
Nemris’s smile widened. “And who gifted that magic to you in the first place?”
“You did?” I replied hesitantly. When she nodded, I added, “So you’re the reason I can manipulate metal.”
“Yes,” Nemris responded. “I believed you could use an extra skill set or two for your quest, and you’ve done remarkably. Illaria is safe for the time being. I am proud of you, my love.” She reached out and cupped my face, and a sense of calm and purpose washed over me. “But your work is not yet done, Mason.”
I frowned. “You mean this master Abrus spoke of.”
Nemris nodded again. “Yes, he is very powerful. He will be a formidable adversary, but nothing you cannot handle, my love, especially with my gifts.”
I looked back at the little stickman, and he waved at me.
“Nemris, I--” I started as I looked up again, but the goddess had floated over to the side of the bed, and she smiled down at the sleeping forms of Aurora and Cayla.
Guilt quickly rose up in me, but the goddess must have sensed it because she turned to me with a grin. “Do not fret, my love. It does not bother me who warms your bed on the mortal plane. I know your heart, Mason. I know that it is large enough to love more than one.”
“O-oh,” I stuttered as relief flooded through me.
Nemris glanced back down at the sleeping women with a softer smile and added, “I can see into their hearts as well and know that they care deeply for you. You will all need each other during the next portion of your quest. Look out for one another.”
“We will,” I vowed.
“I know,” the goddess replied simply, and then she turned to float back over to me. She lifted up her hand and brushed it against my cheek again. “Be brave, my love. I will be watching over you.”
Nemris leaned forward before I could respond and kissed me gently. My eyes fluttered shut as I kissed her back, but then the pressure of her lips vanished, and when I opened my eyes, the goddess was gone.
I sighed and sank back into my chair. The stickman wobbled in my palm and fell onto its butt again. I couldn’t help the wide grin that stretched across my face as I prodded at him.
“Well, little buddy,” I said, “why don’t we see what else I can do?”
My magic eddied beneath my skin and rushed to the surface again, eager to stretch its newfound legs.
And build more awesome creations.
End of Book 1
End Notes
Thank you for reading Metal Mage. If you enjoyed the book, the best way to ensure another one gets written is to leave a review. Thank you!
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2018 by Eric Vall
