by Eric Vall
Shoshanne hadn’t made any more arguments after I moved on from her to Deya, and when we left the beautiful elf in our sex jungle to transmute, she refrained from making more than one speech about how careful she should be.
“Once the Master sends his army out, do what you can at each post,” I continued as I set her healer’s bag and staff on the ground, “but work fast and don’t get too caught up in one place. We can’t leave the others without your assistance, alright?”
“Okay, Mason,” Shoshanne sighed.
“Please make sure Deya gets some rest in between the longer flights, though,” I added. “She gets lost in her dragon instincts a lot lately, so she needs some reminding once in a while to take it easy. Also, I know it’s a little jarring to watch her maul shit, but let her do it so the baby gets plenty of nutrients, and if she starts to--”
“I’ll take care of her,” the healer gently interrupted, and she stroked my cheek as I looked down at her. “Don’t worry so much.”
“Damn.” I raised my eyebrows. “If you’re saying so, it’s really not my place to argue.”
Shoshanne’s lips curled into a hazy smile. “Will you promise me something?”
“Sure,” I chuckled.
“If you’re injured, come straight to me,” Shoshanne said more firmly. “I mean it. No being gallant and dying in the jungle just so I’ll do my job. One injury, and Rammstein brings you to me.”
“I’ll be healed before he ever gets there,” I pointed out.
“Mason… ” Shoshanne sighed with an exasperated frown.
“I’ll find you if it’s critical,” I chuckled. “Now, stop worrying so much. I didn’t go through all that effort just so you could undo my fine work ten minutes later.”
“You did do some of your finest work up there,” Shoshanne giggled. “Almost makes me wish we went to war more often… ”
“Yeah, well, I figured I may as well give it a hundred-and-ten percent effort,” I said as I watched the black dragon circle above us to gauge her landing. “It’s not every day a man gets to enjoy the company of two gorgeous women before flying a dragon into battle.”
I released Shoshanne to strap her healer’s bag across her chest, and Deya trotted over before she crouched low so I could help Shoshanne climb up. My battle dragon was so antsy to get started, she kept shifting her haunches as a restless rumble echoed in her chest, but the healer was mostly in a satiated daze as she slumped on Deya’s back with her legs still trembling.
“Are you sure you can handle this?” I checked while I handed her healing staff up to her. “We need you at peak performance out there.”
“Yes, I’ll recover,” Shoshanne muttered with a blushy smile. “But… can you say it just one more time?”
Her blush spread to her temples while she couldn’t contain her smile, and I grinned as I hitched my boot on Deya’s wing to reach her. Then I brought my lips to Shoshanne’s ear, and I even made my voice a little gravelly for her as I obliged her for the second time today.
The healer’s hands shot to her face as she went beet red all over, and she let out the silliest giggle squeak I’d ever heard.
“Okay, I’m ready!” Shoshanne managed as she batted me away. “Let’s do this.”
“Be safe out there, ladies,” I chuckled and hopped back down to the ground. “And Deya, Shoshanne’s under strict instructions to take care of you for me, so listen to her orders like they were my own, and try to go easy on her. We need to keep our travel time to a minimum between tunnels, but she’s not as much of a thrill-seeker when it comes to flying.”
Deya gave a quick nod of agreement as I patted her scales, and I felt my daddy demon creep through my veins as my eyes met with hers.
“I’ll meet you out there,” I said as I quickly motioned for her to be on her way, and Deya didn’t hesitate to launch into the air before she could back out either.
The way Shoshanne giggled when she looked down at me did well to distract me, though, and it was hard not to chuckle at her bright red cheeks.
Then they took off over Falmount, and I abruptly headed for the house.
It was getting more difficult to ignore the fact that my women would be further from my reach than they had been since we’d met, and half of me knew they could hold their own. The other half was looking straight ahead, though, and there was no denying we were about to walk into the deadliest encounter we’d ever had with the Master’s forces.
Still, I firmly adjusted my frame of mind because I was too far into this plan now to second-guess any of it. The station was empty, my allies were all on their way to the tunnels, and as I registered the calm that had settled over Falmount again, a steady sense of assuredness settled in my gut.
It was time.
“Alfred, let’s get in touch with Raynor to make sure the merchants and mages who are staying behind have their defenses prepared,” I told the butler as I entered the house. “I’m gonna draw up a note for Temin to let him know everything’s in motion, but could you see it reaches the castle as soon as possible?”
“Certainly, sir,” Alfred replied.
“I need to handle a few last-minute details, but then I’ll be heading out with Stan. Solana will be in her scrap pile in the shop, though, so you might need to comfort her now and then since she’s not used to being apart from Stan.”
“How does one comfort a small metal dragon?” the butler asked.
“No idea,” I admitted. “Cuddles?”
“I’ll start there,” Alfred agreed with a bow.
When I reached the atrium, I found Stan laid out with his ankles and arms crossed, and it looked like he was snoozing as he kept his helmet tipped down over his eyes. Then he nudged the rim of the bill up, and I could sense his pointed look despite his blank metal face.
“Come on, buddy, don’t give me that,” I chuckled. “I think we both knew I’d end up having sex with all of them.”
Stan straightened up and nodded without surprise, and then he patted his chest as he bowed his head a little.
“Thanks,” I said with a grin. “I think it was the right thing to do. You wanna help choose my arsenal while I work on a letter to the king?”
The metal man shot up and ran along the table to take stock of what my women had left behind, and I slid a fresh slip of parchment over to relay everything to Temin. I’d never conducted an offensive attack for the Order of the Elementa before, but once the king received this letter, the laws of defense that Aurora and I had agreed upon would go into effect, and this notion made my skin prickle with anticipation as I detailed our next phase to the king.
While I wrote, I sent my magic outside myself to double check on the Oculus, and Big Red was dutifully patrolling the interior of the magical city. I didn’t sense any commotion taking place within the streets, but soon, the king’s guard would arrive to put the instructors on high alert, and the mages would begin preparations to lock down the city. Then they’d organize their defenses in case Serin was brought under attack in our absence, and I hoped the Master wouldn’t stall on his colossal plans for too long, since I’d just cleared out the last of our Defenders from the capital.
Knowing the nobles’ armies were still in Illaria eased my concerns a bit, though, and as soon as I finished the letter, I handed it off to Alfred before I joined Stan.
Then I furrowed my brow at the very small stack of weapons he’d decided on. “You sure that’s all we need? I was planning on going big for this one.”
Stan held up a hand to show he wasn’t done yet, and then he began strutting around like a Victoria Secret model while he mimed gunning down our enemies.
I grinned. “That has to be Cayla.”
The little metal man nodded, and as I considered the travel times my troops had to get to their posts, my grin widened.
“I mean… I’ve technically got a little time,” I admitted. “I don’t see any reason why Cayla should get to have all the AR-15s in the family.”
Stan and I looked at
each other for a split second, and then we both promptly headed for my work stool as I summoned some fresh metal from the shelves.
“If I can get this done in fifteen minutes, we’ll be in business,” I told the little metal man.
Then I closed my eyes, and without the distraction of ogres tearing shit apart or dwarves berating my mages, I found it surprisingly easy to slam together another semi-automatic rifle for myself. By the ten-minute mark, I’d already rigged everything except the copper wiring, and after having done this process ten times between my Boms and Cayla’s rifles, I shaved two minutes off my production time.
While I worked on engraving the proper runes, I thought over how many more rifles I wanted to make for the rest of my women, and depending on how busy Dragir was, I could get a few made for Haragh and my other generals, too. As long as they were runed for special use, the idea of distributing my rifles wasn’t so bad.
Then I began mulling over a few potential designs so I could induct Big Guy and Big Red into the rifle family, as well, and when I finished the last rune, I’d even considered working out a miniature version for Stan.
If he wanted to start fighting for our cause, he might as well be armed for it.
It only took me another few minutes to form twenty magazines for myself, and once I hauled my armor up out of the corner of the shop, I added a similar rigging as I’d used on my Boms. I was able to mount all twenty magazines across the front and back of my cuirass, and with my metal powers, reloads wouldn’t be any inconvenience.
The thought of being able to swap out my rifle’s magazines while I fired with both pistols got my adrenaline surging for some action, and I quickly lined my gun belt with runed magazines for the 1911s as I heard a metallic screech in the distance.
Then I strapped the rifle over my shoulder, and I grabbed the double-bit axe Taru had given me off the wall since I’d been itching to try it out.
“What do you think?” I asked Stan. “Locked and loaded?”
The little metal man saluted in a daze as he considered the thirty-five magazines I was packing, and when he pointed to my axe, he nodded with solemn approval.
“Right?” I chuckled. “One thing I’ve learned is it’s always a good idea to bring some extra flare into battle. This baby’s sharp enough to take a head off in one swipe. That’s flare.”
Stan nodded in agreement, and once I propped my helm under one arm, I held out a hand so he could scale his way up. Then he hunkered down between my chest and my armor with his head peeking out, and when we got to the atrium, Alfred had a small package balanced on one palm.
“Raynor assures me the village is prepared to man their own defenses in your absence, sir,” the butler told me. “I sent your squire to Serin with your letter to King Temin, and young Jenik asked me to offer his hopes for a swift and victorious fight for you and your troops.”
I nodded. “Tell him thank you next time he stops by, but I want him to hold off on his training with Big Guy for the time being so Falmount isn’t left unguarded.”
“Very well, sir,” Alfred replied.
“Deya will be transmuting in our sex jungle for quite a while, but if you hear her screaming, or if she gives any signs of distress, fetch the healers from the infirmary and instruct them to mend any wounds she has without disturbing the scale she’s holding. It shouldn’t come to that, since she’s out with Shoshanne, but be prepared to just in case.”
“I’ll remain alert, sir,” Alfred assured me, “and I’ve prepared a battle burger to take with you.”
“A battle burger?” I asked, and as the butler handed over the neatly wrapped package he was holding, the savory scent of grilled onions wafted over me.
“Extra toppings and two patties instead of one,” Alfred explained.
“Alfred,” I sighed, “you’re a hell of a butler. Really. This whole mission would’ve fallen to shit without you around. Thanks for everything.”
“My pleasure,” Alfred replied, and he extended his hand. “Good luck in your endeavors, sir. May the gods look over you.”
I grinned and shook his hand, and just as I headed out the door, I sensed a familiar presence drifting around me. It followed me all the way to Rammstein like a soft cloak, and it reminded me of Nemris’ touch. There was something else about it that was different, though, but I couldn’t place my finger on what it was, so I shrugged the notion off as I came to the metal dragon.
All that really mattered was I had the goddess on my side, and with all the preparations I’d made, this should damn sure be enough to keep me alive.
Hopefully.
“Hey, buddy,” I chuckled as Rammstein blew a tuft of green smoke in my face. “I know you were expecting to fly out with Shoshanne, but there’s been a slight change of plans. It’s you, me, and Stan for this one. How’s that sound?”
I jolted as the dragon let out a grating, metallic screech that nearly burst my eardrums, and my knees were knocking from the shock as I steadied my nerves. I was always caught off guard by how powerful my dragon doppelgänger was, especially since he usually acted like a puppy for my women whenever I saw him, but that was all changing today.
This time, it was just me and him, and I’d finally get to see my metal dragon in full on destruction mode.
“Cool,” I managed with a harried nod, and I blindly unwrapped my battle burger. “This should be interesting. Let me just get loaded up, and then we’ll head south. Cayla and her troops should be at the tunnel by now.”
I munched on my burger while I fused my axe to the dragon’s frame along with my helm, and I couldn’t help grunting once in a while over how absolutely delicious it was. Alfred had managed the perfect balance so the double patties didn’t overwhelm the other flavors, and I decided I would never go to battle again without one of these bad boys in my gullet.
I really did feel like I could take on anything by the time I got to the last bite.
I was still smacking my lips when I climbed up Rammstein’s jagged leg to mount up, and I scanned Falmount for any signs of Big Guy until I found him patrolling the northern woods. After I let the automaton know my town was in his hands now, I gave Rammstein a hardy pat to the shoulder, and Stan jimmied himself a little lower in my armor so only the top half of his head and helmet stuck out.
“Alright, guys,” I muttered, “we’re gonna be flying all over the damn place, and distance will be our primary issue. Rammstein, let’s see how fast you can go without killing us. Follow the--”
I lurched forward as Rammstein launched into the air, and I barely managed to get a grip on the dragon before he rolled over midflight to turn us toward the south. Then he catapulted over the trees, and I had to crouch all the way forward against the wind while my organs felt like they were ready to shoot out my asshole.
“Shiiiiit!” I growled as we soared south at mach speed, but I eventually managed to get my eyelids closed again.
As long as I only looked straight down at the ground, I figured my skin would stay on my face, so I watched the world blur past while my heart slammed in my chest, and I didn’t recognize anything I saw.
It was all a general green smudge while Rammstein barreled through the sky, and it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes later that he abruptly slowed his speed above a dense forest.
My arms were a little shaky as I straightened up again, and I patted my head to make sure my hair was still attached.
“Are you alright, Stan?” I checked.
When I glanced down, Stan had my armor braced under his armpits while he leaned out for a better view, and he nodded vigorously as he began waving his arms for us to go faster again.
“You liked that?” I snorted. “Well… I’m impressed. For now, we’re coming in for landing, though, so hold tight. Rammstein, take us down by those ruins over there.”
The metal dragon circled wide above the trees as he gauged his landing in the large field below, and I eyed the hundreds of armored knights I saw lugging crates through the trees to sta
ck them inside a row of tents. The ruins of a rundown farm were clustered on the far-right edge of the field, but aside from this, there was nothing but forest for dozens of miles around.
The Master had chosen his point of attack here perfectly, and without any villages nearby to notice his troops’ arrival, they’d only need to sprawl out into the cover of the trees to make their way across the countryside like a plague.
Luckily, it looked like we were more than prepared to head off their attempt, and as Rammstein landed just on the other side of the ruins, I caught sight of the Knights of Rainard. They numbered around ninety men as formidable as any of my generals, and each of them had battle axes strapped to their backs, maces in hand, and dwarven swords sheathed at their hips.
Their armor was more tarnished and battered than Cayla’s army, so it was easy to tell them apart, and my Defenders’ armor was the most recognizable to me thanks to the platinum crest the dwarves had marked them with.
I climbed down from Rammstein as I scanned the field for any sign of Cayla, but it took a minute for my legs to regain feeling after the breakneck flight here.
“Wait here, buddy,” I told my dragon as I patted his steel frame.
Then I headed into the field, and I was glad to see the ogres lugging the heaviest crates for the troops without complaint. Only the elves appeared to be as hostile as before, but they settled for keeping their distance from the rest rather than making any threats against the other soldiers.
This probably had something to do with the two hulking automatons who were patrolling the perimeter, though, and I nodded to their salutes when they sensed my arrival.
I made my way along the edge of the field while I kept an ear out for Cayla, and around the time I finally heard her discussing strategies with a few others, I saw Pindor among the knights.
The young Terra Mage stood at the head of his uncle’s army, and he was in the middle of describing his experiences battling the Master’s forces so far. I slowed to a stop as I listened to his advice, and I was impressed to hear he’d been taking notes on the different techniques of the various possessed creatures.
