Metal Mage 11 Read online

  Chapter 1

  I took a steadying breath as I raised my pistol toward the blackened trees, but my finger just stayed frozen on the trigger. This would be my sixth attempt at wielding the lightning rune, and after electrocuting myself two of those times, I wasn’t feeling too confident about this next trial run. Still, I double checked every elemental line before I left the house, and the rune had to be spot on now.

  I was pretty sure the webbing element interrupted the directional degree marker last time, so I’d altered this line once again on the engraving, but it was hard to tell if I had it right. Just when I thought I’d figured the rune out, it would turn out that I accidentally overdid another line by a fraction of a hair, and this was enough to throw everything out of balance again. I was this close to giving up altogether, but I couldn’t forget the sight of the lightning rune’s magic bursting all over the Oculus the day I took Hulsan down, and having a weapon no mage could counter was too tempting to turn my back on.

  I really didn’t want to get electrocuted again, though.

  My previous trial run left me blacked out in the forest for hours before my women found me and dragged me back to the house, and it took another hour of effort on their parts to wake me up. Needless to say, Shoshanne refused to let me give it a last try, but I finally snuck out tonight while they were all heading upstairs to get ready for another erotic evening. It would be fifteen minutes or so before they noticed I wasn’t finishing up a few things in my shop, but hopefully, I’d be conscious and already back home by then.

  Luckily, after our first night with the Baroness, my women had gotten extremely inspired with our bedroom antics, and every night seemed to be more elaborate than the last. I was beginning to wonder if we’d ever have a casual night in again, but I had no complaints. If they wanted to keep cooking up new ways of combining our powers to make our evenings either blind, chain-laden, or up in flames, then I’d gladly oblige their kinky appetites.

  Even with all the complex recreational activities, though, I didn’t feel remotely at ease lately. It had been a week since we recaptured the dragons and freed them from the Master’s rune, and I didn’t doubt he knew what we’d done almost immediately.

  Which was why this past week only left me more on edge than ever. Not one attack had taken place after that night, and since the Master hadn’t eased up on us in ages, this long pause was less than reassuring.

  I honestly would have felt better if he sent out even a few mages to drown and brand some of us. Then I could have used the opportunity to track down this unknown element he was using to transport his troops, but until he made another move, I had no leads to follow.

  My women were certainly happy about this, though. They’d treated the past week like a vacation, and after they kept me up half the night making sensual demands, they spent half their waking hours in our new training hall. Sometimes they practiced with their daggers or helped Deya perfect her aim with the 1911, but mostly they took turns “playing” with our new flail and attempting to lift my tungsten axes for longer than a few seconds.

  A surprising number of these training sessions took place with little to no clothing required, so I spent a lot of my designing time with my back propped against the wall and half an eye on my women’s flawless bodies while they paired off for combat training. When they finally redressed themselves and headed to the training fields to check on the mages, I’d drag myself back to my workshop and engrave another fifty or so magazines.

  Overall, the lack of life-threatening situations had my women convinced the Master was out of ideas and that I was just too good at this, but I knew better. No one with a fortress that big and an agenda like his ever ran out of ideas, which meant something colossal had to be coming. For all I knew, this was it, and the Master was finally prepared to make his big grab and take over the regions once and for all.

  So, I tried to embrace this lull as best I could because a break was definitely overdue, but my nerves kept me on my toes regardless. I couldn’t ignore the panic rooted in my stomach over the new elemental line Nulena had taught me about, and while I would have loved to spend my free time coming up with a foolproof means of ensuring none of these portals could show up in or around my town, this was impossible. Without knowing anything about the element, I couldn’t do anything to counter it, and this dead end was primarily what kept me from embracing my brief vacation.

  At first, I stayed busy engraving five hundred more fireball magazines and replicating my 1911s so my women, Haragh, and I each had two. Cayla commissioned her favorite leather maker from Serin to create custom holsters and magazine pouches for all of us, too, so now my women could choose whether to wear their diamond studded drop holsters, or opt for a more practical design that hitched to their sword belts.

  Beyond this, I’d also come up with twenty different options for how to protect Mors Pass with only one channeling gem left in my stash, and I started some mappings of Falmount in order to decide how to utilize and secure all the land the king gave me. I made sure to visit the Oculus every day to assist with the repairs, too, and I arranged to have most of the metal from my mine sent to the blacksmiths’ quarters so they could get up and running sooner.

  In the meantime, though, the dwarven Elders had made good on their word. Four hundred expertly wrought broadswords arrived at the Serin station only yesterday, and the Illarian nobility gladly paid top dollar for the first shipment of freshly mined alexandrite that was sent as well.

  Now, only minor repairs were left for the Oculus, along with piecing together the multicolored dome of the Great Library. I’d seen most of the mages already getting back to their studies there, too, but while the Defenders and I worked to rebuild structures and fuse together crumbled pathways, I was constantly expecting an attack. This was mostly why I was in the underground city for hours at a time, especially with Big Red still on duty in Falmount while Big Guy delivered the Osullas to the south.

  It was an ideal opportunity for the Master to launch an insurmountable attack, but for some unknown reason, no possessed troops ever arrived.

  However, tonight marked exactly one week since Deya and I flew through the foothills and took down one possessed dragon after another, and my gut told me this calm would be coming to an end soon, most likely with a deadly storm.

  So, I steadied my stance and took another breath because I really, really needed this lightning rune to be ready for action when that moment came. Then I finally pulled the trigger, and this time, the strength of the lightning rune didn’t misdirect and surge up my arm.

  The copper bullet that shot from the barrel of my 1911 was surrounded by a wispy vortex of blue lightning bolts, and I could feel a static energy building in the air around me. Then the tangle of electrical currents collided with the trunk of an old oak tree, and with a loud crack, lightning sprawled out in an intricate web to envelope the entire trunk.

  Relief immediately flooded my veins, and I let out the breath I’d been holding while I reveled in the pop of the bolts as a vibrant blue light illuminated the trees around me. After a full minute, the lightning began to die down, and I walked over as the last zap of blue crawled across the charred trunk and faded away.

  “Fucking finally,” I muttered to myself as I trailed my fingertips along the heated bark.

  Initially, I’d intended to send out an inconspicuous bullet charged with a blast of lightning, much like the fireball rune, but in every trial run, the bullets kept coming out visibly laced with lightning. At least I didn’t get electrocuted, though, and the amount of lightning I sent into the tree was exactly the balance I needed to accomplish my goal. It didn’t branch off uncontrollably to latch onto the surrounding trees, but it managed to envelope the entirety of my target, and that meant I finally did it.


  Now, all I had to do was replicate the rune a few hundred more times.

  I left myself bask in my glory for a moment as I admired the pistol in my hand and eyed the charred tree, but I didn’t head back to the house just yet. I could hear the distant whir of a pair of treads, and I knew one of my automatons was seeking me out.

  What I didn’t expect, though, was the familiar indigo glow that came through the trees a few minutes later, and a huge grin came to my face as I laughed with relief.

  “There you are!” I called out as I waved my hand high above my head. “I was beginning to worry you got lost along the way.”

  Big Guy came to stop in front of me as he snapped a crisp salute in greeting, but I just threw my arms around his giant metal waist for a hug.

  “Man, it’s so good to see you again,” I mumbled against his steel plates before I released the giant sentry with a sturdy pat to his forearm. “So much has happened since you left, I don’t even know where to begin, but you go first. Tell me everything. Did you get the Osullas delivered? Did you have any trouble finding the smoke lands south of Nalnora? Were you able to keep them all sedated for the trip? Are your treads worn out anywhere?”

  Big Guy’s blue gaze held mine for a long moment like he was making sure I was done, but then he offered only a single nod, and I could sense he was happy to be home.

  “That’s such a relief,” I replied with a grin. “I knew I could trust you with this mission. You’re probably eager to get some rest after that journey, though. Why don’t we head back to the house? I think you’ll approve of the updates I’ve been making, and guess what? We have eels now! They’re so cute, you’re gonna love them.”

  I motioned for Big Guy to follow me, and the two of us began making our way through the western woods while I briefed him on the latest developments, including my most recent stint of flying on a dragon without dying. Big Guy nodded here and there, but when I told him about Deya sustaining an injury in battle, his ominous gaze turned to me in a way that showed how concerned he was for my elf.

  So, I quickly explained Shoshanne’s ability to heal Deya’s dragon form through her elven one, and this made the big metal man completely stop in his tracks.

  “Right?” I chuckled. “It’s pretty incredible and leads to so many questions I have about transmuting, but this does mean the risk of Deya becoming possessed while transmuting is higher than we anticipated. I’ve been working on coming up with a means of protecting all of Mors Pass to prevent this kind of thing from happening again, and I think I’ve almost landed on the right design, but it’s a lot more complex than anything I’ve ever attempted before. I honestly don’t know if I can make it work, but if I can, we shouldn’t have to worry about the dragons’ safety ever again.”

  Big Guy’s gem burned brighter at the thought, and having him back in Falmount to discuss my ideas with him was almost exciting enough to distract me from my nerves. He’d always been my right-hand metal man, well, him and Stan, and I was bouncing on my toes with every step now that I had Big Guy back with me. So, I prattled on like a kid after summer vacation while I told Big Guy about everything from Pindor being a noble to the Baroness spending every evening she could with us. I told him about the new fleet of snatchers I’d sent out, my flail lessons with Aurora, and I even dropped a hint or two about my unbridled attempts at getting all of my women pregnant.

  Because this had secretly become my number two priority in this realm.

  Having an enormous mansion made it that much more difficult to try and catch my women either drinking or not drinking their silly tea, so I gave up trying to scope the situation out. Instead, I’d started willing my semen to develop a superhuman potency that could overpower any magical tea my women did or did not have on hand, and our recent escapades in the bedroom provided me with ample opportunities to fill their wombs until they were dripping with my seed. Then I’d bend each of them over for another round, and another, and I doubted any magical tea in any realm stood a chance against that.

  With any luck, I’d be the proud father of a whole slew of murderous mages within the year, but they’d be cute, not like the scary possessed versions. Strictly cute murderers, very much like some of their mamas, and maybe a few of the babies would have silver eyes like me.

  Big Guy graciously agreed to help keep my hypothetical kids from falling into my moat, and I was just getting to my concerns about this recent lull in the action when the automaton’s attention suddenly shifted, and I could sense tension building in his gem as the pulse slowed to a heavy thrum. Then I saw a red glow through the trees ahead, and I sighed as I glanced sidelong at Big Guy.

  “Yeah … ” I mumbled and cleared my throat. “I had Big Red stand in for your patrol while you took care of the Osulla situation.”

  We came to a stop in the clearing beside the infirmary where Big Red was standing at attention, and he must have seen me head into the western woods earlier, because he seemed to be waiting there in case I didn’t get back okay.

  “Hey, buddy,” I said, even though Big Red was looking at Big Guy instead of me. “I was just telling your brother what’s been going on lately, and that you were more than willing to step in on short notice to help with his patrol.”

  Neither automaton gave any sign they’d heard me, and I shifted my boots as I glanced between the two. Their eerie glowing eyes peered from beneath their steel helms while they considered one another in a weighted silence, and I was a little surprised to sense their rivalry had only grown since the last time they were near each other. I’d kind of hoped absence would make the gems grow fonder, but apparently, they’d spent this time apart making internal lists of the things they hated about each other instead.

  “So! Big Guy’s solo mission to the south went off without a hitch,” I proudly told Big Red, but the automaton didn’t move a single metal limb as I turned to his brother. “And Big Red’s been doing a great job keeping a close eye on the town. He’s even started doing some one-on-one training sessions, kind of like us.”

  This got Big Guy’s attention, and his indigo eyes snapped furiously to mine.

  “Not with me!” I chuckled awkwardly. “Come on, Big Guy, you know you’re my designated training buddy. This is for my squire, Jenik. It’s actually nothing like us, forget I said that. Big Red’s just going over standard swordplay and helping Jenik gain some confidence with a blade.”

  The bloody gem in Big Red’s chest pulsed smugly despite the look Big Guy turned his way, and as I crossed my arms, I decided it was time I finally drew the line with these two.

  “Look, I don’t want to be that dad, but I’m not above rewiring the two of you,” I informed the automatons, and both of their gems stuttered. “You heard me. I’ll alter your orders from the ground up until you’re holding each other’s hands, and big metal hugs will be a daily thing around here. How does that sound? Because I think I’ve made it pretty clear I’m equally proud of both of you lately, but teamwork is an essential part of this operation. All your other brothers get along just fine. It’s only the two of you who can’t seem to get past this petty rivalry, and if you don’t work it out, it’ll cost us in the long run. So, what’s it gonna be?”

  Neither of my machines acknowledged my little speech beyond a barely noticeable flicker in their gems, and I was about to spark my magic to prove I meant business.

  Then a blood curdling scream rent the air, and we all whipped around.

  We stood there for a moment and stared down the torchlit lane while my pulse pounded in my ears, but then the bells at the top of Magehill began to clang, and more high-pitched screams reached us.

  For the first time ever, Falmount Rift was under attack.

  Chapter 2

  “Son of a bitch!” I growled as I barreled down the lane with my automatons on either side, and I checked to make sure I had a spare fireball magazine stored on my belt.

  Mages streamed out their homes and into the streets as panic swept through the village, but I wa
s glad to see them mostly keeping their cool under pressure. The residents of Falmount had their rifles and revolvers cocked and at the ready, and when I ordered them to fall back and conceal their positions, the majority promptly took the cue and crouched behind trees, under awnings, and around the shadowy edges of their homes.

  Others just ran in every direction as the bells clanged on, but I shoved through the mayhem and scanned the perimeter with my Terra powers to locate the threat. My legs went numb when I registered the massive footfalls pounding over the tracks, and I already knew what we were up against before the first guttural roar broke out.

  Big Red and Big Guy were ready to plow right through the crowd, but I hollered for them to hold back as I tried to decide what the fuck to do about this.

  I could see the blood red and bulging eyes of the Master’s ogres now as they tore their way over the tracks and into the streets, and their browned, broken teeth were bared while they foamed at the mouth. Then they used their bare hands and giant clubs to rip through the first homes they came across, and even after Haragh slammed into my side and clutched my shoulder in an iron grip, I still stayed there staring as three possessed ogres beat their way straight through the stone walls.

  “Haragh,” I muttered, “these guys are possessed as hell.”

  “Yeah, I’d say so,” the half-ogre agreed as an entire wall keeled over and crashed into the street.

  “I don’t know if I can save--”

  I didn’t get any further because an ogre snatched an Ignis Mage and lifted him over his head, and I could hear bones beginning to snap in the ogre’s grip just before I raised my pistol and pulled the trigger.

  I was so caught up in the sudden attack, though, that I forgot I still had the new lightning magazine loaded, and my heart nearly stopped as I noticed the tangled knot of lightning flickering around the bullet.

  Then it struck the ogre, and lightning shot from his gaping mouth to curl back on itself and completely engulf his body. The sprawling web of bolts coursed over every inch of him, but I could also see the tendrils burrowing into his green flesh like electric needles as he shook from head to toe.