Atomic Mage 2

by Carter, Garrett

  "Thank you, my son, but I don't think this is going to work. There might be a rather large mess back here." Drea said hesitantly as she grabbed the warm towel from Cade through the crack of Poppy's glass tailgate.

  Cade's sour mood lifted as the fake smile on his face changed to a real one as he fought to keep from laughing at Drea's embarrassed tone and Seth's huffing breaths.

  "That is for you mother, get cleaned up and dressed and I will take care of the rest, with fire," mumbling the last part Cade walked around the vehicle and joined his snickering wife and her brothers.

  "Ok, they are done, finally. My love is there anything I need to know while our parents get dressed?"

  Beth's eyes lost focus for a moment after he finished his question before she smiled and answered.

  "No my love think courthouse wedding, just with a lot more animosity from the judges."

  "Ok I can make that work, oh and the happy couple emerges. You two are an inspiration and give me hope for the future of our marriage."

  Smiling at his slightly disheveled in-laws Cade broke down their massive mess and absorbed it with a new respect for the centuries-old couple, I was a BIG mess.

  "We are ready when you are mother," Beth said as she attached herself to Cade's side, vibrating his arm as she shook with excitement.

  "Can't forget these," Cade said as he lifted the two large chests of procs that had miraculously survived Seth and Drea's passions and carried them behind the group as Beth almost pulled him off his feet in her rush to the doors of the council chambers.

  "There is no rush, my love, we have your mother here and in fine health with their payment in tow. Let's enjoy throwing it in their faces while they sign our contract, and our life together can really begin."

  Cade's light tone as he made his declaration faltered a little as a flash of doubt flew across his bride's face.

  As her excitement returned Cade let her tug him along, ready to claim the firey dwarf for his own.

  Strolling with his bride to be on his arm and his, thankfully, subdued inlaws trailing behind them Cade brought the two chest containing the outrageous fine in front of the five dwarves sitting at a long table with designs similar to Drea's office table.

  The frowning dwarves arrayed in the dias before Cade and his group flinched as Cade dropped the two chests brimming with procs in front of them.

  The council members recovered slowly as Cade created chairs for his family to sit on and wait for the fireworks to begin.

  "You have come before the council today Drea Urth to sign your daughter Beth Urth's marriage contract with... Cade Willmartin. Am I to assume these chests before us contain the payment for the assault of one of the council's family members?"

  As the council member finished reading the first page of the contact to the group Drea stood from her seat at the head of her family and responded with a simple "yes".

  "I Darius Strong Stone as my clan's representative put forth a motion to have the contents counted to ensure the proper amount is contained within." As Darius finished his request Cade saw disgusted looks pass over the face of everyone in attendance.

  As Cade moved to rise and call bullshit on the stupid time-wasting task he was stopped mid-rise by Beth as she gripped his forearm and with a tense look inclined her head toward Drea.

  "The amount is there, isn't that true counselor Unthar of the Broken Ax clan?" As his mother in law sat the heavily scarred black-bearded dwarf at Cade's far-left nodded curtly and glared daggers at Darius as he rose from his seat.

  "The amount has been verified by Captain Arnol of the Urth Clan and myself to contain two million and twenty-three thousand four hundred and twelve procs."

  As Unthar at, still glaring at Darius, another dwarven council member rose.

  "I Wes Yarin's Bane move to accept the count of Unthar Broken Ax and move on to the contract signing." As Wes sat down in his seat glaring at the fuming Darius.

  Smiling as he sat waiting for the red-faced Darius's head to explode Cade almost laughed as the motion passed with a 4 to 5 count in his family's favor.

  "Looks like there is trouble in paradise," Cade whispered to his soon to be wife.

  As Beth fought a fit of giggles Drea strode over to the council table and laid Cade and Beth's marriage contract on the table.

  As Darius moved his hand to pick up the Wes snatched it way with another quick death glare at the seething Darius as he looked the document over before he nodded passed it to the next council member in line.

  As each of them nodded their agreement and passed it to the next dwarf Darius was finally able to take a look at the marriage contract.

  "Do we need a human involved with our mining, it is our right as the dwarven nation to control all mining in Zeme, I for one do not think that setting this precedent will benefit us. I move to deny the contract until such time as..."

  As Darius began to build up steam a round of irritated nays went around the table, before a dwarf Cade didn't know the name of stood up.

  "I Erik Quick Stroke move to approve the marriage contract between Beth Urth and Cade Willmartin, who's authority, if you read the damn contract, over any mining operation is superseded by his wife's as clearly stated in the contract along with their children when they come of age."

  Darius had the good sense to look chastized as Erik finished his tirade with an irritated huff.

  "I Otom Fire's Breath second Erik Quick Stroke's motion to approve the marriage contract so they can leave and Darius Strong Stone can count his own damn coins!"

  As four ayes went around the table Beth tugged on Cade's arm as she rose and pulled him to stand in front of the council table.

  As they arrived Darius rose and stormed off in a fit of childish rage that Cade almost followed before his eyes landed on his little firebrands honey-colored gaze.

  As confused glances went around the table Unthar rose with a groan and took over Darius's abandoned seat.

  "Are there any objections to Unthar Broken Ax taking over officiating duties for the absent representative from the Strong Stone clan as the next eldest? No ayes or nays, this contract signing has taken too long as it is. Just sign the damn thing if you agree."

  As Cade smiled at the gruff dwarf and Beth stifled a squeal of joy the present dwarves passed around the marriage contract, signing it with a smile at the newlyweds.

  As Beth and Cade delivered their vows of love and prosperity for both them and the dwarven nation as a whole cheers went around the Urth clan members.

  After the remaining council members showed their own more subdued cheer as they clapped and congratulated a smiling Cade and Beth, Drea was pulled to the side of the stone chamber by Uthar and quickly followed by the rest of the council members.

  As they struck up a lively conversation that was joined by Seth a few minutes later after he hugged the breath out of his new son in law and his daughter Beth captured her husband's lips in a fierce kiss before she whispered into his ear.

  "We might have more than a mining business to manage after this."

  Inclining her head towards the group of dwarves who were politely but insistently examining Drea's new de-aged body.

  "We might be able to make it work with a few hundred counseling sessions to weed out the assholes who wouldn't make good candidates for the procedure. Oh, and speak of the devil."

  As the loud stomping of booted feet and metal clanking against metal rang down the hallway to the council chamber the absent Darius stepped into the room, a smug smile on his bearded face.

  Cade was just about to smack the unwarranted smile off of the irritating dwarf's face when Karl stopped next to his father with the same smug grin on his face.

  Cade rolled his eyes as the bluster began to flow from Darius and set the surrounding stone vibrating, hoping Karl hadn't forgotten the last time he tried to use that element agist him.

  "I will have that contract now, the human will not have what is ours by birthright," Darius's words were followed by dozen
s of dwarves in armor flooding into the council chamber and surrounding the previously cheery group.

  "Yea no, I have a beautiful dwarven wife to spoil on our wedding night and your little tantrum isn't going to stop that."

  As Cade finished his statement he tried and failed to hold the heavily armed dwarves in place with their armor.

  as he felt the familiar resistance from the dwarves using his own vibration tactic against him he tried to put the assembled group to sleep with similar results.

  As he looked curiously at the weirdly resistant group that surrounded them two dozen black-clad slavers joined the party.

  "Well that was fast," Cade said before his attention was turned to keeping the mind mages out of his head.

  As they raged against his mental shield he sympathized with Qetch as he pushed more and more of his power into keeping the shield intact while simultaneously trying to split his focus and control the bodies of the dwarves threatening his family.

  A fervent mental shout to Promena was answered quickly with an "almost there" as he felt her racing to their rescue in a quickly put together Poppy.

  As the battle between the two groups raged around him as one of the dwarves had slipped his tenuous grasp and impaled Derik on a short sword, Cade turned his focus from stopping the dwarves in their tracks to healing wounds.

  As Beth suffered a sword through her shoulder Cade grimaced as he created weapons for his family and supporters to defend themselves with.

  Mina's roar followed by Eve's higher-pitched one signaled the arrival of his wives to the skirmish.

  Laurith's deep booming roar rattled the stone structure as she fought against the reinforcements Darius hard called for after Cade's healing efforts had drawn the fight out longer than the now fearful dwarf was comfortable with.

  As the battle swung in their favor with the addition of his wives, Cade ended his efforts to keep the council building under his control and turned that effort towards stopping the slaver's assault on his mind.

  As he and the mind mages began their tug of war Cade caught flashes of his wives in action.

  Mina's claws appeared suddenly in the throat of an armor-clad dwarf before she disappeared as the downward chop of an ax wooshed through the space she had just vacated with the gurgling dwarf's throat in her hands.

  Cade grimaced at the grizzly end to the strong stone dwarf before his attention was drawn back to his own battle.

  Currently healing a cut to Eve's forearm Cade smacked away the mental thrust of one of the mind mages before he threw his own back at the leather-clad woman.

  Growing at the reinforced shield that his attack shattered off of he lamented the slaver's almost perfect teamwork as he shot out a less powerful attack at the group of mages.

  As the group removed their protection from the black leather-clad woman he left the healing to Promena for a moment and used that energy to throw a mental lance at her less powerful personal shield.

  As it shattered he quickly overwhelmed the woman's defenses and puppeted her forcing her to use her mind mage powers against her former companions.

  As Cade rinsed and repeated the action he finally gained control over the last member of the mind mage group and used their combined power to end the mostly decided battle with the dwarves.

  As they froze Nat was the last to land a blow as her long-bladed polearm slipped into her still opponent's eye hole, killing the frozen dwarf with the rasping sound of metal against metal.

  "Well, that sucked everyone still breathing?" Cade asked rhetorically as he released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding as he used his powers to ensure his family was safe and unharmed.

  A round of "yes Cade" and "yes my love" went around the room followed by a few of the dwarven councils' loud "AYE's".

  "Arnold is also ok, his men and he helped end the reinforcements that fool called. He is asking to be let in, should I?"

  As Laurith asked her question Cade placed a phantom kiss on her draconic snout before he answered.

  "No we will be coming out, it's a little bloody and crowded in here as it is. And I for one am ready to go home."

  After Cade made his declaration he felt the rough scales of his dragon mate rub against his face before he turned to the group standing in varying sizes of puddles of blood.

  "Everyone what to head outside and get this over with, I have wives to spoil."

  As the group nodded in agreement, most of all his wives as they gave him bedroom eyes as they dropped the now useless weapons he had made for them Cade stood by the door and gave compliments and kisses to his wives as they exited.

  "Good job Eve you did well but I think kicking metal isn't the greatest idea let's stick to stabbing our armored opponents from now on ok? Nat beautifully done, I would like to ask you for a date as soon as we get back to Opect if you wouldn't mind? Mina if you wouldn't mind helping our pixie learn that kicking metal opponents is a bad idea I might have another opening for a massage available. My sweet of you would help our dwarven friends with their cleanup I might be able to squeeze in a date for my little snake also. And my goddess thank you for keeping our family safe, you know how much you all mean to me and I would like to show that appreciation when you are ready."

  As a ball of blood followed his wives out of the room Cade broke down frozen slavers and the bodies scattered on the now clean floor.

  A flash of rage crossed his face as he absorbed their energy as he left the chamber caused by the happy memory that he should have gained on his wedding day that wasn't there as he left the now bloody one of his and Beth' joining behind.

  Holy matrimony

  As Cade walked out of the building he smiled at Laurith in her massive dragon form as fifty dwarves sat subdued between her huge claws, being watched over by Arnol and his men.

  Blowing a kiss at her and chuckling as she looked to the side and blushed Cade's good mood vanished as the rage from before returned as he looked upon the ring leaders of this little coup.

  "Hey guys, I know this whole take over the dwarven nation plan of yours didn't work out so well but I for one am glad you tried so I could do this!!"

  As Cade had delivered his speech he had been stalking over to Darius and Karl as they kneeled on the ground in front of Laurith and Arnol.

  Lashing out with a haymaker punch, Cade held tight to his rage as the sound of Karl's cheekbones dissolving under his mithril reinforced punch sickened him a little.

  "I told you to come here and negotiate a deal, instead you try and kill me and my wife because I am human. I would have paid any amount of procs to you and your clan to give my wife her due. You could have been rich and the dwarven nation would have prospered with you. Now I am going to be a very very nice man and leave you in the tender care of the ones you and your racist, idiot father tried to overthrow."

  Stepping back from the marginally healed Karl Cade gave into his petty instincts and backhanded the leader of the Strong Stone clan muttering "dumbass" as he watched blood course down the man's face as he joined his wives.

  As Cade sat in a chair created for him by Promena the tight knot in his chest that had formed as his wives stormed into the council chamber loosened with every touch and caress his hands made as he proved to his still frantic mind that they were ok.

  As the reality of his wife's safety finally settled into his scattered thoughts Cade let his rage go and wrapped his arms around Beth as she gave her husband a worried look.

  "I am fine my giant, we are all ok," Beth said as she rubbed Cade's shivering back as he burrowed his face into her chest.

  "I saw the sword that stabbed you and I thought I would be too late. I can't lose you, I can't lose any of you. I don't know what I would do without you in my life."

  As Cade looked up into his little firebrands honey eyes he took the ruby he had pulled from the ground hours ago and did what he had planned to do with the gem before the fools groaning on the ground in front of them had interrupted his and Beth's wedding day.
<
br />   Forming the band of her wedding ring from his mithril skeleton Cade inscribed the same designs from Drea's desk and Beth's family history into the band before setting the princess cut gem into the setting between his initials.

  Taking her left hand and kissing it Cade slipped the ring on his teary-eyed wifes ring finger before he gave her the same power boost and healing his Mina had received on their wedding day.

  "Mine and ours forever my love," Cade said as he kissed his bride's tears away.

  "Mine and ours my love," Beth replied before she choked back a sob and kissed Cade's own tear-streaked cheeks before she claimed his lips in a short but sweet kiss.