Metal Mage 5, page 27
The black eyes flicked from the panting elf at my feet and back to me a few times, before Onym strained to nod his agreement with is face still smashed against the ground.
After a long moment, I nodded to Aurora, and she released her hold on him, but she kept her dagger drawn as she stood.
Cayla took a single step back, and Onym struggled to his feet as the princess leveled her rifle at his back.
His brother clutched his wrist to his chest and stood as well, and when the two elves turned toward me, I nodded in the direction of House Natyr. “One wrong move,” I warned, “and I don’t think I need to explain to you how quickly you’ll be disposed of.”
Onym and his brother nodded curtly as they eyed the revolver still cocked in my hand.
They passed by me tensely and stopped at the edge of the clearing, and as Onym shot me a lethal glance, I turned halfway toward the women. “Wait here,” I ordered.
Aurora stepped forward and opened her mouth to protest, but I shook my head as I glanced back to Onym. Him and his brother stood silent in waiting, but their eyes were locked on one another.
I had a strong feeling this new arrangement was a dangerously tenuous one, and with their hatred of Aurora, I didn’t want the half-elf, or any of my women, in the line of fire.
“I’ll be right back,” I assured the half-elf as Shoshanne quickly ran over to her healer’s bag. She pulled a vial out and brought it over to me, and when I looked at my palm, nearly twenty Tiorlin berries glinted up at me.
“Don’t you dare eat them all,” the healer warned, and she laid a fiery kiss on my lips.
Cayla came forward as well and thrust her rifle into my free hand, and I eyed the curves of the porcelain beauty with half a smirk.
“You better be naked when I get back,” I told her as I looped the strap of the rifle over my shoulder, and I sent her a wink before I turned to join the two silver-haired elves.
Chapter 18
Onym and his brother were quiet for most of the walk to House Natyr, but as we neared the bridge, they began a quiet conversation in Elvish I didn’t like the tone of. The brother seemed to have very little to say, and from the sound of it, Onym had plenty of orders.
I listened carefully for a few minutes before I finally got tired of Onym’s many calculating glances toward his brother, and I eventually cleared my throat.
“Why don’t you share with the rest of the class?” I interrupted, and black eyes shot over Onym’s shoulder.
He slowly came to a stop and turned around, and he glanced to the gun in my hand before he spoke. “They will kill you if you bring us forward like this,” he said stiffly.
“And I’m guessing that’s ideal?” I asked sarcastically.
Onym ground his jaw lightly. “No, it is not,” he replied. “You’re worthless to us dead.”
I narrowed my eyes. “There’s no way in hell I’m putting this gun away,” I told him. “Thirty elves could jump my ass the second I cross that bridge.”
The irritation on the elf’s face was heightened, and he exchanged a look with his brother. Then he sighed. “We do not have thirty elves,” he growled. “Thanks to you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “No shit?”
“I do not know what that means,” Onym countered angrily, “but we do not have thirty elves. We also know it was you who armed House Fehryn, because you have the same weapon strapped to your back. Do not expect my father to look kindly on you now. You’ve betrayed us.”
“Hold up,” I interjected. “I had no deal with you guys, so I didn’t betray shit. House Fehryn made me a decent offer, and I took it. You should have made me a better offer.” I shrugged when I finished, and I could tell how angry the careless gesture made the two silver-haired elves, but they didn’t seem to have any smart comebacks between them.
They just glared through their serpentine eyes, and I nodded.
“So … here we are with an excellent opportunity for you to not be pricks again,” I continued. “I’m not putting this gun away, and if you want my help with House Syru, you’re gonna have to make sure no one fucking kills me first. Good deal?”
Onym let out a tense sigh and considered my offer as he studied the ferns to his right. “Deal,” he finally said, “but if my father chooses to kill you instead, that’s out of my hands.”
I cocked a brow. “Considering I’ve got a gun on both of his heirs, let’s all hope it doesn’t come to that. Cause I don’t give a fuck about murdering either of you two idiots.”
The brother looked nervously to Onym, but the two elves turned around without another word. Their shoulders were rigidly set as they made it to the mouth of the bridge, and when we began to cross, the two guards at the gate immediately came forward with their glaives drawn.
Onym quickly called out to them in Elvish, and the guards halted where they stood. They caught sight of the gun as we came closer, and their serpentine eyes flashed to the two sons.
Onym spoke quickly once again, and his tone gave the impression he was slightly embarrassed by the situation, but we passed by the guards and entered the house without any trouble.
The leader of House Natyr was seated at his table with three other elves when we entered, and everyone but him shot up out of their chairs.
I steadied my sights on the elf with the pale green hair, and he sneered as he slowly rose to his feet.
“Mason Flynt,” he began snidely, but then Onym stepped slightly to the side, and his father’s black eyes went wide at the sight of the gun at his sons’ backs.
“Good of you to have me back,” I said with a smirk. “Your sons have been incredibly persistent on your behalf, and they’ve finally convinced me.”
“Convinced you of what?” the leader growled.
“Convinced me to help you,” I returned. “It’s clear you’re at a complete loss about how to handle House Syru, but I’ve reconsidered the offer. To be honest, his warriors are more powerful than your own, and from what I hear, they out number you greatly these days.”
I was pleased to see the rage my words brought to the green-haired elf’s face, and his countenance was badly shaken by the time he responded.
His words came like sharp hisses, and he spat as he spoke with his hands braced on the table in front of him. “Your weapons have destroyed my army, and your arrogance will destroy the delicate balance of the elven race. You cannot fathom what you have done by arming House Fehryn as you have. They could--”
“Overthrow their neighboring houses?” I finished for him, and I leveled my eyes with his sternly. “That would be a shame, but not the most underhanded thing I could imagine of the elves. In fact, I’m sure there are plenty of houses who desperately wish they could do the same.”
The leader’s cheeks flushed with his anger, and he looked like he would have said many things to me, if he weren’t too frustrated to find the words.
Onym spoke up to save him the trouble. “Mason Flynt has agreed to take down the leader of House Syru,” he informed the leader.
“In exchange for your vote, of course,” I added.
Onym turned his head only an inch before he said, “In exchange for our vote.”
The leader didn’t seem at all eager to hire me this time. “And if I no longer extend my offer to Mason Flynt?” he asked with a menacing glint in his eye. The three elves who still stood at the table casually rested their hands on the hilts of their swords.
“Then I no longer extend mine,” I said with a shrug. “I go to the highest bidder these days.” An armed elf twitched his hand more tightly at the hilt of his sword, and I turned my head toward him. “There are six bullets in this gun,” I told him calmly. “How many elves are in this room?”
It had been a rhetorical question, but to my surprise, the answer came from the door at the side of the hall.
“Six,” the Baroness answered as she slowly sauntered toward the table and brought herself to the leader’s side. “Though I’m sure my friend would not require an extra bullet for myself.”
“Of course not,” I answered smoothly. She was the last person I expected to find at House Natyr, and my curiosity over her mysterious errand in Nalnora doubled on the spot.
The green-haired leader seemed pleased as she joined him, and he exchanged a long and silent look with the Tenebrae Mage before she turned her two-toned eyes toward me.
“It is good to see you again, Mason Flynt,” she said in her deep and sultry voice. “I began to worry when I did not hear from you again after you left for the south.”
The leader curled his lips into a sneer. “So … you have been to House Quyn?” he asked. “And what gracious deed have you provided for them in exchange for their vote?”
I shrugged once more. “None,” I admitted. “They would not give me their vote for anything.”
Onym snorted, and the leader smiled smugly at his son. “They are a house of cowards and fools.” He smirked wickedly. “The weakest of the houses, and the least well-armed. I wonder at their arrogance sometimes, I truly do. It is so wholly unfounded.”
I nodded. “They do seem to live in their own little world,” was all I said.
The leader chuckled at this and glanced to the Baroness. “They will regret it in time,” he assured her.
The Baroness smiled sweetly to the leader before she leveled her ghostly eye on me.
I couldn’t decide what the Baroness was playing at amongst the Houses of the elves, but her look held much more behind it than her soft smile suggested, and I chose to direct the subject away from House Quyn before any more questions were asked.
“And will you regret it?” I asked the leader. “Here I am, offering to dispose of your enemy for you, despite your many attempts to have me killed over the last week. What are you going to do with the opportunity?”
I let the leader glare as he worked through his options, and he finally spoke to his guards in their native tongue. The three elves let go of their swords and took their seats, and the leader slowly did the same as he eyed his sons.
“You have a deal, Mason Flynt,” he said. “Now, remove that infernal weapon from the backs of my sons.”
I glanced briefly to the Baroness, and she gave me a nod so subtle I wasn’t even sure I’d seen it. Slowly, I lowered the revolver to my side, but I kept it cocked as the two sons rounded the table to stand on either side of their father.
Baroness Batonova shifted only enough to leave a space for Onym, and I was surprised to see the black-eyed elf didn’t appear irritated she remained so close to him.
With everyone settled in their proper places, the leader brought his fingertips together in front of him and sat in deep thought for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was low and scheming.
“House Syru is a powerful house,” he admitted, “but they are not impenetrable. Their warriors are well armed and well trained, but they rely heavily on metal weaponry, and the gate that bars the entrance is made of steel.” The leader raised his black eyes to me. “Which is where you become quite valuable to me. I know you have the power to manipulate metal. My sons have told me as much. With this, we can easily--”
“It’s not going to be easy,” I interrupted. His over-confidence didn’t surprise me given the haughty speeches I’d heard on my last visit here, but it did make me wonder if he had any idea of the extent of the dark powers at work within House Syru. “Have you fought their warriors before?”
The leader looked insulted and narrowed his eyes. “Once, of course,” he replied, and he waved his hand dismissively. “It was a year ago now, but we lost ten elves to the fight, and it didn’t seem prudent to waste another ten until we were sure their fortress could be infiltrated.”
I raised my eyebrows in amusement and decided they might actually be ignorant to the rune magic working against them.
“That’s it?” I asked with a snort. “You’re not remotely prepared for this, then.”
Onym’s lip twitched into a snarl. “We have you,” he growled.
“Yeah …” I agreed, “and there’s only one of me. I fought the warriors of House Syru this morning. You’re going to need a better plan than just sending me in.”
The elves shifted and exchanged tense glances at this, and the leader considered me closely.
“You fought their warriors today?” he clarified, and he eyed me up and down as if he was looking for proof. “You’re sure?”
I smirked. “Yeah, I’m sure,” I countered and gestured to the bloody stains all down my legs. “They’re more than strong, they’re resilient. They could keep on fighting with three arrows straight through them. I shot one with this gun, and he still came at me harder than either of your sons could manage unwounded.”
Now, Onym’s eyes widened, and he looked to his father. “They’ve gotten stronger,” he said in a low voice.
The leader nodded. “How many did you lose?” he asked me bluntly.
“None,” I replied, and then I looked to Onym and grinned. “My women are better fighters than your men. Especially the half-elf with the blue hair.”
The black-eyed elf narrowed his eyes into furious slits, and I heard the Baroness let out a low chuckle.
“They are impressive, surely,” the Tenebrae Mage agreed. “It is a shame they will not join you on this errand. Then again … ” She trailed off as she flicked her gaze to Onym, and the black-eyed elf looked like he was purposely not meeting her sights. “Perhaps it is for the best.”
“Enough,” the leader growled. “We can handle House Syru without your filthy bitches.”
I narrowed my eyes as my patience wore thinner by the minute. “Baroness,” I said in a low voice, “if I were to kill the head of House Natyr and both of his sons right now, would another family just take their places?”
The shadowy woman cocked a brow as her lip twitched into an amused smile, and I continued. “Would they be more agreeable, do you think?”
The Baroness looked like she was about to answer, but the leader spluttered angrily beside her, and she slid her two-toned eyes his way.
“We are agreeing to work with you, Mason Fly--” he hissed.
“Then you will never refer to my women as filthy bitches again,” I interrupted, “or the next thing through your mouth will be one of my bullets. Understood?”
The leader flushed with anger as he eyed the gun still clutched in my hand, but he nodded curtly.
“Good boy,” I continued. “Now, how many warriors can you spare? For that matter, how many sons?”
The leader kept his scowl firmly in place, and he didn’t respond for a long moment. Finally, he began to knead his hands and looked like he took the situation more seriously.
“I have only eighteen warriors remaining, and my two sons to lead them,” he admitted. “I will not send all eighteen with you, but you may have eight. That is all I can spare.”
I furrowed my brow and considered this. “Ten elves, one mage,” I muttered. “Those are shit odds, but it’ll have to do.”
The unbelievable power of the warriors who led the ambush in the jungle that morning had caught me off guard, and although the four of us had managed to keep them at bay, I didn’t doubt there was more going on amongst these elves than I could imagine. The extent of the Master’s influence there was still unknown, and I hadn’t seen enough to satisfy my concerns. One runed elf was really only the surface. I still had no idea what waited for me at House Syru, but I didn’t doubt I was unprepared.
“Yes, it will have to do,” the leader shot back. “And you will do well to remember our vote is only yours if you succeed.”
“Well, it’s either I succeed or I’m dead, so I don’t think I’ll forget,” I informed him. I shook my head at his condescending expression, but as I did, I noticed the slightest shift beside him, and I looked up in time to catch the two silver-haired elves exchange a brief glance.
I made a mental note of the gesture before I casually continued.
“Where can I find the head of House Syru once we’re inside?” I asked.
For this, the leader turned to the brother with the murky blue eyes.
He took a small step forward. “The leader spends his time in the upper room at the far back right corner of the house. There are two windows and only one door guarded by two elves. Unlike the warriors in the grounds, these guards have metal plating which encases their entire torso, and they wield axes rather than swords.”
I nodded and was impressed by the extent of the elf’s knowledge. “I’ll need two guards as well,” I decided. “The rest can handle the elves in the grounds once we’re inside.”
Onym turned to the armed warriors who sat at the tables and spoke in Elvish. Two of them nodded diligently and stood. “They will join you,” Onym informed me.
I thanked the two elves, but it occurred to me this seemed to be a task Onym and his brother were avoiding, despite being at the forefront of most of their endeavors.
“We should leave soon,” I told them. “House Syru may be planning a counterattack after this morning, and it could help us out if any of their squadrons have already left on those orders.”
The leader nodded his agreement and motioned to his sons. “Ready your men, be prepared to leave in ten minutes,” he said, and the two silver-haired elves quickly departed through the door at the side of the hall. Then the leader waved me away unceremoniously. “You will be joined in the front.”
The two elves who had been assigned to me rose and led the way, and I bit my tongue to keep from saying anything I might regret to the leader.
I just nodded once to the snide elf, but as I turned to follow the guards from the room, the Baroness said, “I will see you out.”
The leader looked to her instantly. Then his face relaxed a measure as she sent him half a smile, and he nodded his consent.
I stood at the door while the Baroness took her time coming to my side, and she slid her inky black arm around my own as we made to leave.
Her skin was as smooth as silk and curiously cool to the touch, and I noticed the air became charged with magic shortly after we exited the hall.
