Spines of metal mesh inlaid upon crystal speckled stone rattle along the back of the dire wolf golem, and it stomps heavily upon the deep pit's perimeter. The thunderous noise reverberates around the cavernous chamber, and a stale echo reflects up, distantly from the dark chasm. A green glow radiates out from the lupine construct, and a bright white pulse highlights the surface maze of intricate channels. The two meter tall and wide, nearly five meter long, quadrupedal form of stone, metal, and crystal marches upon the outer walkway surface, solidly impacting the floor with each step. From the central platform over the dark abyss, Aristespha, Bach, Cideeda, Dretphi, Sebastian, and Sotalia watch the approaching golem, peering out from impromptu hiding spots, dread blatant upon their faces. Ducking down behind a storage crate, Aristespha calms her breathing, focuses, and carefully gestures out an incantation. A faint layer of magical flow just above her skin ripples briefly to opacity and fades away. Sotalia glances over, drops down, and performs similar motions with worry looming. "Ih, yeah... Good idea. Whew... Check the mage barrier."
With each loud footstep Cideeda's furry ears flick down, and she watches Aristespha and Sotalia enviously. "Whenever I'm able, one of you NEEDS to teach me THAT."
Bach kneels down behind another old steel container, rests the forehead of his helmet covered head on the rusted metal, and sighs anxiously. Readjusting the strap underneath his chin, he smirks weakly at Cideeda. "Yeah. Will definitely do so. But..."
Clenching a shaking hand into a fist, he grimaces and peeks just above the top of the storage box with a wary stare at the golem. "Even THAT probably won't help much against this thing. It's got an Elder Energy core in it somewhere. I can sense it."
Aristespha nods solemnly and grits her teeth. "If nothing else, the damned sword is always accurate in that regard."
Sebastian raises his head high enough, viewing the creature, and frowns sternly. "Okay. First thing. Let's see if we can get clear of this thing. This is not something we want to fight, especially here."
Scanning the bridge connecting the platform to the perimeter walkway, Dretphi grumbles out her frustration, shakes her head, and directs her low voice towards the rest of the team. "Do NOT advise crossing the bridge. Presently."
Her steely gray eyes visibly traces the possible paths, and she shakes her head. "Golem approaching opposing side. Exposed on the bridge. In direct danger on the perimeter."
Sotalia stares right at the entry doors to the chamber and cracks a grin. "Maybe we could fly over? We'd have to ferry over Cideeda and Dretphi, and assist Bach, but it's not that far."
Bach hesitates briefly and musters his resolve. That- That's actually not a bad idea, if we are careful."
Visibly puzzling under her face visor, Dretphi mulls over the concept to a reserved acceptance. "Possible solution. Time our transit. Allow the golem upon the bridge. Lengthen its route back to us after we fly over."
A devious smile graces Cideeda, and she perks her furry ears, furrowing her brow. "Especially, if we leave behind a wad of breaching charges to shake it up when we all get on the outer perimeter."
Aristespha reluctantly sighs and twists her grimace in thought. "Yes. Unfortunately, the problem is that this golem is certainly a machine of war. I would not be surprised at all if it had countermeasures or ranged capabilities."
Sebastian smiles reassuringly to Aristespha and nods in agreement. "That is something we need to make sure of, dear."
Searching the area, he analyzes the architecture with a hint of unease. "Especially, since I can't find a good route that wouldn't put us in line of sight of that thing."
He puffs up chest and rolls his ethereal shoulders. "Okay. Let me test it to see if and how it reacts to me. Might be able to keep it distracted for you all."
Hovering to the edge of the platform, Sebastian zooms out above the deep hole below and flies straight towards the exit. The dire wolf golem halts its progress and waits. Head stiffly sweeping towards the platform, it spots Sebastian moments later and locks on. With Sebastian coasting up higher, the golem's back spines flip forward and crackle with arcs of magical energy flowing into them. Inscriptions glow green, and white energy condenses upon the very sharp tips. Seconds later, a barrage of energy bolts project out from the spines. The projectiles zip straight out and sharply turn, rocketing ahead of Sebastian's flight path. A swarm of white-tipped, green bolts saturates airspace around Sebastian. A few direct hits later, Sebastian's visage dissipates. The assault promptly halts. Sebastian reforms next to Aristespha in wide-eyed surprise and sighs ethereally to the rest of the group. "Well... THAT proved a point I didn't want to be true."
His ghostly form shudders, and he furrows his brow with an uneasy grimace. "Also, those bolts... felt... weird when they hit me."
The team glance between each other, trading uncertain grimaces. Low thumps sound out and bounce around the cavern, growing louder over the seconds. The dire wolf slowly, mechanically marches towards the mouth of the central structure's connecting bridge. Slinking over to thicker cover near the outer ring of the platform , Cideeda draws out both her laser pistols. With the golem stepping onto the bridge deck, she narrows her emerald eyes and carefully studies the construct's simplistic motions forward. Dretphi lays her armored shoulder into large crates and containers and slides them together into a protective barrier, kneeling behind it. Readying her sub machine gun, she aims her attention upon the golem. Over the tense seconds, the magical beast rigidly stomps upon the bridge, the vibrations rattling nearby debris. Dretphi snaps a glance over to Cideeda with a quizzical tone. "It operates simplistically. Does it have high cognitive function?"
Blinking with her thoughts, Cideeda narrows a scrutinizing stare at the golem and flicks her furry ears. "Huh. Now that you mention it... It really doesn't act like it has much going on in the thinking department. It knows something is here, but hasn't done anything apart from shooting at Sebastian when it got line of sight on him."
Carefully keeping a low profile, Aristespha steps up behind a line of crates, peeks out with glowing violet eyes, and cautiously gestures out incantations. With a swift flick of her hand, a small wave of energy radiates out down the length of bridge, pulsing through the golem, and dissipates into the distant cavern wall. Aristespha blinks her eyes to normal and glances over to the rest of the team with a hopeful smirk. "There is no spirit bound to it. So, it must have a control system operating it. Unfortunately, I can not tell if it is a spell or some other device from here..."
She smiles with a hint of confidence. "But I do not believe it could be very advanced."
A sly smirk cracks upon Cideeda, and her furry ears perk with her scheming tone. "Well, if it's a simple program, then maybe we can work within the logic to give us the advantage. Maybe..."
Perking an eyebrow, she grins toothily. "Get it locked up in a routine, and keep it right there."
Dretphi nods in agreement and sighs reservedly. "We need to know the program. Worth the risk to determine."
The dire wolf's heavy steps resonate through the midsection of the bridge, vibrating the entire central platform structure. Debris and junk rattles off the edge of the platform and disappears into the dark abyss below. The team instinctively brace themselves upon surrounding solid infrastructure. Tension visibly surges through the group with each platform shaking stomp. Tightly gripping a steel tube guardrail, Bach peers briefly over the edge, staring into the blackness of the pit, and nervously smiles with a tinge of resolve. "Gods. If we could only knock that thing off the bridge..."
Sebastian snaps his attention over to Bach with a widening grin. "Hey! That's... That's actually an idea worth trying."
Pondering a few moments, Bach slowly nods and furrows his intrigued brow. "Yeah... I mean, you know, as heavy as that thing is to shake this place, I don't think they build it to fly."
Briefly flicking his blue eyes down towards the black void below, he curls a smirk. "And even if it SOMEHOW survives the landing, we'll be long out of here before it has a chance to get to us."
A bold smile appears on Sebastian, and he addresses the rest of the team. "I think it's worth giving it a shot. Any suggestions?"
Cideeda searches through her vest pockets, retrieves a collection of small explosive packs, and a remote detonator kit. She presents them with an eager, toothy grin. "I don't think this will launch it off the bridge, BUT it'll definitely throw it off balance, for sure. And yes, these shouldn't harm the bridge too much being out in the open."
Intertwining her fingers, Sotalia stretches her arms out and smiles with a sinister hint. "Oh, I think I can lighten the load with a strong telekinesis spell. Just need it to stay still for a moment."
Aristespha chuckles confidently and lifts an amused eyebrow. "THAT, I can provide. It might not last long with something this powerful. But... You have worked within those constraints before."
Glancing over to Dretphi, Sebastian points a thumb over his shoulder towards the lumbering magical construction. "You up for helping me distract the thing, Dretphi? Hopefully, it'll stay focused on me, but it might be good to have someone else split its attention."
With a determined smirk Dretphi nods eagerly and inspects her sub machine gun. "I am curious how resilient it is."
Sweeping his gaze between everyone else, Bach ponders a moment and nods with an offer. "I might have something that should help keep it immobilized and maybe help get it over the edge."
Sebastian grins proudly at the team and stirs up his ethereal form. "Okay. You all wait until it is shooting at me. Dretphi, shoot at it. Aristespha and Bach, lock it down. Sotalia, lighten and lift it into the air as much as possible. Cideeda, toss the explosives under it. After that, everyone shields themselves, and we blow the charges."
With confirmations all around from the group, Sebastian jets off into the air, his form flaming brighter. The golem halts its march and snaps its spines into firing positions, tracking Sebastian's ascent. Sebastian flies erratically through the air, and the construct unleashes barrage after barrage of green, white-tipped bolts at his flight path. Stray projectiles drill into the cavern ceiling above, and magical miasma explodes out from the powerful impacts. The energies swell out, and the crystalline specks in the stone briefly flash brighter. Dretphi pops up from cover, steadies her sub machine gun upon a sturdy metal container top, and pulses out bursts of gunfire. Bullets bouncing off, sparks spray out from the surface of the metal and stone creature's body. Solid impacts fracture tiny stone bits off, and lightly dent the metal framing. With a direct hit, a gout of white magical flow jets out from an inscribed channel. The golem shudders momentarily and ceases firing magical bolts. Aristespha stands up from behind a crate, throws her arms forward, and releases a transparent wall of energy forward. The wave glides down the bridge and envelopes the war machine in an immobilizing wrap of magical flow. Standing firmly, she grimaces in a tense pose.
Lifting up his hands, Bach flings out a magical cable from each palm. The woven lines of blue and green strands arc through the air and coast down upon the lupine golem. A visible pulse of energy zips down the lines to the ends, and webs of energy threads rapidly form, wrapping around the limbs and body of the mechanical beast. The golem flexes individual joints against the tension of the magical mesh, and Bach twists his wincing grimace against the struggle.
Standing up confidently, Sotalia quickly chants out an incantation and finishes her gestures with a dramatic throw of her hand forward. A nearly invisible column extends out, contacts the golem, and engulfs it in energy. Gritting her teeth, Sotalia plants her boots upon the platform deck, and her body strains within the magical flows spiraling around her. The torso of the dire wolf shifts upwards, the lift cascading through joints down through its legs.
Balling the explosive material up, Cideeda hops up to her feet, gauges the distance with her emerald eyes, and swings her arm back. With powerful underarm toss, she sends the pliable mass sailing over the bridge deck. With a solid thud upon the metal walkway plating, it lands underneath the chest of the golem. A red blinking glow radiates through the deformed explosive clay next to a prominent, protruding antenna. Cideeda drops down into hiding and flips off the cover on the remote control. Dretphi ducks down, keeping her weapon trained. Aristespha releases her spell, quickly gestures, and wraps her hands around the flow streaming from Sotalia to the golem, injecting a boost of energy into the mix. Bach releases his ends of the magical cables, slides down in front of Aristespha and Sotalia, and throws up a golden barrier, anchoring it into the platform deck. Sebastian gazes down and shouts. "NOW!"
Cideeda swiftly clicks the detonator three times. A powerful, concussive blast erupts under the golem, kicking the construct up into the air. Grinning wildly with a manic, golden glow in her eyes, Sotalia's arms tense with the shifts of the magical flow. The dire wolf drifts towards the side edge of the bridge.
"ENERGY. SURGE. DETECTED."
Brilliant white energy surges through the magical machine, arcing across the surface of the golem. The blue and green magical mesh binding the body violently snaps to shreds. The transparent energy surrounding sparks and crackles, rippling into opacity. The enveloping magic explodes, and the chaotic miasma vents away from the golem. Sotalia loses hold of the fizzling spell, tips backwards, and stumbles for balance, Aristespha catching her. Partially over the edge, the dire wolf drops down, crashes on the bridge frame supports, and crushes thick guard railings. Green glowing front claws of the metal and stone beast sink firmly into the deck. It swiftly tears up onto the bridge surface, ripping metal plating effortlessly, and stands back up. Pausing a moment, it stares ahead with a white haze emanating from the eyes and digs claws into the deck.
Flows of magic across the golem flare brightly, and the construct launches itself forward. Each bound of the thunderous charge shakes the platform violently. Aristespha and Sotalia pull each other out of the way and dive off towards one side of the platform. Scrambling out from behind his golden, transparent barrier, Bach rushes over towards Cideeda and Dretphi falling back from the rampage path. The golem drops its shoulder low and slams into the makeshift barricade. The golden shield shatters into fragments, wooden crates splinter apart, and dented, metal storage containers roll through the air. Hovering above, Sebastian wrestles down his terror and watches the falling debris. He releases a relieved, ethereal sigh, spotting Aristespha and Sotalia hiding on one side of the platform, and Bach, Cideeda, and Dretphi keeping low profiles behind cover on the opposite. The magical monstrosity plants its feet securely onto the reinforced metal flooring and slowly sweeps a hunting glare side to side. Seconds later, it shifts its head low and fully opens its razor toothed maw. A rising hum accompanies the condensing energy flowing into its mouth and the green glow pulsating brighter by the second. Sebastian blinks in surprise, points at the golem, and alerts everyone below. "Look out! It's charging up an attack of some kind!"
Five pairs of eyes peek out from behind cover. Aristespha's glowing violet eyes widen in fright. "That's some kind of directed thermal projection spell! Take cover!"
Narrowing his blue illuminated eyes, Bach's tone slides through the spectrum of fear, annoyance, and disgust. "Oh, gods fucking dammit! Of course! It breathes fire! Why would it do anything else?!"
Aristespha ducks down, quickly gestures out a spell, and holds her hands out in front of her, a transparent bubble of energy spreading around her and Sotalia. A few fast incantations later, Sotalia places her hands upon the barrier near Aristespha's and shouts out towards Bach with a dry grin. "Like what?! Frost breath?!"
Bach kneels down, holds his arms out, and rolls his blue eyes with a wry smirk. "Gods forbid people who took time to build a walking weapon to look like a giant wolf stick to some kind of theme!"
Concentrating, he closes his eyes and steadies himself. A fast growing hexagonal grid expands out into an intricate dome, enveloping Bach, Cideeda, and Dretphi. In the few moments, new layers laminate upon the current shell, individual cells fill in with finer meshes, and the fibers of flow anchor into the flooring beneath. Bach glances over his shoulder towards Cideeda and Dretphi. "Keep towards the front, I'll focus protection there."
Sudden silence stills the team. A roar of bright orange and green streaked flames blasts forth from the jaws of the dire wolf, flooding the vicinity. The torrent of fire jet outs continuously, all encompassing. Seconds pass slowly within the magical barriers splitting the raging river of unyielding, supreme heat. Wooden crates disintegrate into fiery specks that drift off the central platform and drift into the void below, the distant darkness snuffing out the faint embers. Metal containers warp under bright orange white glows, and molten globs spatter upon protective bubbles, cooled droplets rattling across the platform floor. Aristespha cringes, and Sotalia strains against the onslaught, both flowing more energy to their protective, multi-layered field. Flames washing over the protective dome, Bach keeps his hands in place and releases slow, calculated breaths, sweat dripping down his visor-covered face. Cideeda stays behind Bach and slides her feet closer to the center of the enclosed circle of floor within. She winces silently, the heat from the bluing floor softening her thinly soled shoes. Easing down onto her polymer and barrier protected knee plating, Dretphi sweeps Cideeda securely up into her lap. Cideeda pulls her shoes clear of the floor, leaving a trace layer of rubber upon the plating, and sighs with gracious smile to Dretphi. "Thank you!"
The flames stop. The green magical light dims down to a dark flicker inside the mouth of the dire wolf golem, and it snaps its maw shut. Straightening its posture, it secures its footing and cautiously sweeps its watchful stare across the area. Waves of heat radiate off the scorched, reinforced platform floor. Scraps of freshly charred wood and other flammable materials smolder, spouts of fire igniting from the gasses. Dull, red orange glows fade to tempered shades on many of the metallic surfaces. A chorus of pops and snaps fill the background din. Sebastian's visage reforms next to Aristespha and Sotalia. His worry and concern blatant, he examines them. Aristespha summons a calming smile and nods to Sebastian. Sotalia wipes the sweat off her brow and gives a smirking thumbs up. Sebastian snaps his attention over towards Bach, Cideeda, and Dretphi. Bach nods back to Sebastian, and Cideeda and Dretphi wave from inside a fading dome.
Bach's voice echoes softly over Aristespha's aetherphone from inside her pocket. "So... Uh.... What's the plan now?"
Pulling her aetherphone out, she holds it close to the midpoint between herself, Sebastian, and Sotalia. "Good question."
Sotalia sneaks a brief peek around the edge of a partially melted container and slinks back to Aristespha and Sebastian. "Well. It doesn't look like it's going anywhere. I guess it's... Like... It's waiting for something?"
Cideeda ponders out loud over the radio. "If it is running on a rough program... I'd guess it's waiting for any signs of activity. If I was to program something like this, I'd have it wait first, and THEN go in to confirm that the targets have been eliminated."
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
Twisting his mouth in indecision, Sebastian grumbles in thought. "So more than likely, even if we try to wait this thing out... It'll probably eventually search for us."
Opposite across the platform, Dretphi nods her helmeted head solemnly. "I concur..."
Furrowing her brow, she blinks and cocks her helmeted head, an intrigued tone brightening her voice. "During the attack... I hit an inscription directly. Energy erupted out. The golem faltered."
Bach glances over his shoulder, ponders a moment, and confirms. "Yeah. I saw that energy burst, too. It must have damaged a flow channel on it or something like that."
Across the radio channel, Aristespha's interest piques, and she thoughtfully replies. "That is an ancient golem without a spirit bound to it. I would assume it has not received proper maintenance in many, many years. It could very well be far more degraded than it appears."
An amused smirk curls on Bach's face. "So... Just throwing this out here... We should shoot it a lot."
He glances over towards Sebastian and shrugs with his hands out to the sides. "At the same time?"
Sebastian darts his translucent blue eyes around his mind and returns a similar gesture. Aristespha hums in thought and squints around the corner of cover briefly. "If we target flow channels, we might disable many of the more dangerous aspects. If we are lucky, we may be able to temporarily disable it enough to get around it and make a run for it."
Sebastian nods in agreement. "Okay. Sounds like the best plan we've got at the moment, dear."
Across the way, Dretphi sighs and shakes her head. "Unfortunately, my weapon did not do significant damage."
An irritated frown overtakes her, and she quietly growls. "Again... The appropriate weapon is not with me."
Pivoting in place, Bach gazes at Dretphi and Cideeda with a hopeful smirk. "Hey, I might be able to fix THAT."
Cideeda and Dretphi stare expectantly at Bach. Holding his hands out, Bach starts an explanation. "Okay. I've thought about the whole weapon enchantment idea, and I might have something simple and quick for your weapons."
Gritting his teeth, he hisses out a surge of uncertainty. "Fair warning... Uh, they probably won't last long and may not work that well-"
Hearing the safety engage, he feels the full weight of Dretphi's sub machine in his hands. Blinking in surprise, he glances up to the eager smile of Dretphi and studies the weapon in his hands. With a slow exhale, he closes his eyes. Faint multi-colored magical flows creep along the exterior of the gun. Coils of magical energy condense upon the length of the barrel and form intricate patterns upon the forward and rear grips. A minute later, Bach reopens his blue glowing eyes and presents the device back to Dretphi. "Okay. Yeah. Simple projectile accelerator in the barrel. You'll have to direct your flow into it to keep it going."
Dretphi graciously lifts her submachine gun up from Bach's hand with a thankful, warm smile and readies it. Bach faces Cideeda, and a pair of clawed hands deposit a laser pistol in each of Bach's open palms. Nodding, he focuses. Meshing patterns encapsulate the hand grips of the pistols and threads of magic sink inside the devices. Only faint glows from the vents hint at the processes happening within the weapons. Bach gives the laser pistols back to Cideeda and sighs unsure. "Um, for you, photon amplifiers help energize the beams. Flow what you can into them to help keep the magic going. Again... I don't know how well it will work in this short of time and-"
Feeling a familiar, soft five claw tip squeeze on his upper arm, Bach gazes ahead. Cideeda grins toothily and winks to Bach. "Perfect time to test."
An appreciative smile appears Bach and widens into a bold grin. He draws his transforming plasma pistol out. Sebastian nods across the way to the magically armed Bach, Cideeda, and Dretphi. He smirks proudly to Aristespha and Sotalia. "Okay. I think that side is covered."
Fluttering her golden, darkened sclera eyes, Sotalia chuckles, flexes her long nailed fingers, and rolls her shoulders in a stretch. "If it's made of metal and stone, I think I'll see how it likes the cold. So, if anyone sees frost, shoot. Let's see how brittle it can get."
Aristespha nods with a determined smile to Sebastian and readies herself. "I will see if I can disrupt enough around the jaw. We certainly do NOT need another fire attack like that."
Sebastian directs his ghostly voice to Aristespha's aetherphone. "Okay. Everyone get ready. I'll get its initial attention, then... Light it up."
In the lull of eerie quiet in the echoing cavernous space above and below, the dire wolf scans its head side to side. In the sweep, it slows at two points on either side of the platform. Immediately in front of the construct, Sebastian rises up through the platform floor and jets upwards into the air. The golem backs up, lifts up its head, and flips spines towards him. Dretphi pops up from cover, crimson flows filling the channels leading to the barrel of her submachine gun, and unleashes volleys of accelerated, high velocity rounds. The recoil surprises her and leaves a delighted, enthusiastic grin upon her tan face. Cideeda takes her aim and fires blue laser beams at the golem. In a moment, she concentrates and focuses faint flows down her arms. With each rush of energy, the beams color shift towards violet. Leaning out from cover, Bach unleashes charged bolts of plasma. Sotalia quickly gestures, points a finger at the golem, and hoses concentrated, cold streams upon choice sections of the golem. Potent, precise beams of energy from Aristespha powerfully drill into the maw of the war machine. The furious flurry of beams, bolts, projectiles, frost, and energy rattle the armored golem. Molten flecks of metal splatter upon the platform floor, the cooled specks rattling away. Fragments of stone clatter on the metallic surface. Arcs of disrupted magical energy spark out into plumes of miasma spewing forth from breaks in flow channels. Frosted parts shatter violently under well placed shots, and the metal and stone beast stumbles around.
Weathering the unyielding onslaught, the mechanical dire wolf slams down its front claws. Bracing itself, its jaws fling wide open and expose a bright green cloud venting out. A precise beam of magical energy lands right inside, stunning the construct. Volleys of frost, plasma, photons, and high-velocity mass race into the mouth of the golem, and a loud crashing from within slams the maw catastrophically shut. Wandering aimlessly backwards, it drags trails of smoke, and magical energy sizzles out from the dented gaps in its jaws. The dire wolf exposes its side. Sotalia steadies her stance, raises both hands forward, and concentrates a potent frost ray right upon the belly of the beast. The column of cold squarely impacts and freezes over the midsection armor, billowing forth clouds of vapor. Dretphi braces her submachine gun against herself tightly, unleashes a brilliant wave of magical energy into the barrel, and flips the mode switch to full auto. A torrent of automatic fire tears into the frozen middle plate, shattering the armor into a rain of fragments under the deck. Rounds fly through the new opening and ricochet loudly inside. An explosion blows out the belly of the mechanical beast. The golem flings its fractured glare towards Bach, Cideeda, and Dretphi's position and charges recklessly forward.
Bach scrambles clear of the oncoming golem. Cideeda scrapes her claws upon the floor and launches herself away. Dretphi spins into a dodge, and the construct crashes through mostly melted containers. In the chaos, the beast claws wildly and thrashes about. A tail swipe catches the sub machine gun and strips it out of Dretphi's hands. Diving away, Dretphi repeatedly rolls from the golem, rights herself upon her heavy boots, and stands up fully. Swiftly drawing her machete from her back magnetic mount, she readies herself. The dire wolf searches around and levels its flickering glare upon Aristespha and Sotalia. Miasma steams through the cracks, and sparks drop out through the holes in its body. Claws sink into the platform deck, and its lines itself towards Aristespha and Sotalia. Loud heavy boots clang upon the floor, and a machete solidly scrapes the side of the construct's head. Sprinting off to the opposite edge of the platform, Dretphi stomps loudly and yells challenges in venomous Grath. The golem's attention shifts fully to Dretphi, and Aristespha and Sotalia scramble off. Spotting Bach and Cideeda waving them over, they slide behind cover. Sebastian jets over next to Dretphi. The dire wolf stands firm, cautiously lining up a charge at Dretphi, often diverting suspicious attention to Sebastian. Aristespha, Bach, Cideeda, and Sotalia watch the showdown. Shuddering briefly, Sotalia snaps her confusion upon the golem and points a finger to a white glow within the creation's blown out frame. "Good fucking gods! The armor around the belly came completely off- Is that a power cell?!"
A determined grin parts her mouth, and she holds up a palm, magical flow condensing into a tight ball of fire. "OH... If I'm feeling this right, that's GOT to be holding that Elder energy. Take this!"
She lobs a bright orb of blue flame at the golem. The fireball zips right to the cylindrical, white light radiating cell... and dissipates to a fading cloud. Blinking in utter bewilderment, Sotalia cocks her head. Cideeda lines up her laser pistol and gently squeezes the trigger. A blue-violet laser streaks to the target and refracts into a harmless scatter within centimeters of the energy cell. Squinting with glowing blue eyes at the golem, Bach grimaces with a grit of his teeth. "Shit. Yeah. It's definitely charged with elder energy. It's radiating a tiny amount around it."
Aristespha twists her mouth and growls in frustration. "Just enough to keep a disruptive barrier around it against magics and energy weaponry."
Bach nods, stares at the cell inside golem's chest cavity, and cocks his head to the side. "Well, it may not be protected from physical attacks, especially at that main connection. The field doesn't seem that strong there."
Listening to the radio across the way, Dretphi focuses her glare at the white glowing module within the golem's broken midsection. Stern determination washes over her face, and she calmly calls out. "I think I can hit it. Should I try?"
Bach blanks to the echo of Dretphi's voice over the air and radio, and blinks to Aristespha, Cideeda, and Sotalia. Mustering his resolve, he nods. "Yes. Aim for the junction between the cell and cables. Get clear and over to us regardless!"
Cracking a small grin, Dretphi tightens the grip on her machete and eyes Sebastian's visage. "Keep its attention. I am attacking."
Sebastian nods, flares up his form to a flaming brilliance, and charges at the golem. "HEY! WATCH ME! YOU STONE COLD BITCH!"
The head of the construct snaps and processes Sebastian, losing track of Dretphi. Charging forth, Dretphi swiftly sprints to the construct, swings her large blade, and guides the powerful thrust of the tip right at the join between power cell and cable. A shower of sparks erupts, the machete's edge grinding firmly into the junction. Magical miasma sprays out, the blade scraping against connection. Dretphi pulls out of the golem and escapes. The creature shudders momentarily and continues to lumber around shakily. Dretphi dashes across the platform and slides behind cover near the rest of the group. Pressing her back against a pile of debris, she shakes her head in anger and disappointment. "Sorry. Could not impart the required force."
The golem stomps heavily, slowly towards the far edge of the platform. Each thunderous step shakes the entire structure. Clouds of smoke billow out, parts rattle loudly, internals spark brightly, and the war machine closes in on Aristespha, Bach, Cideeda, Dretphi, and Sotalia. Sebastian's form reappears next to Aristespha, and he poorly masks his worry with a smirk. "Okay! It's no longer really paying attention to me, and I think it's had enough of our shit at this point."
Peeking out, Sotalia barely contains her fear. "Uh... Um... So... Maybe we can fly to the perimeter. I can carry Dretphi. Aristespha you get Cideeda. Bach, try your best and keep near Aristespha?"
Aristespha swallows hard, attempting to calm her flurry of thoughts. "Magic attacks dissipate. And energy gets deflected... What to do... What to do..."
Observing the fright and panic seeping out of everyone, Bach searches the area and catches the glint of a familiar gun barrel. The weapon rests meters away, past the mechanical beast and near the platform edge. He lifts his hand up, aims his palm at the precariously positioned weapon, and focuses his blue glowing eyes. A woven magical energy cable launches from the condensed energy in Bach's hand, glides to its target, and latches on. With a hard yank, Dretphi's submachine gun hops clear of rubble, bounces swiftly along the floor, and slides right next to Dretphi. Silence halts the team. Sebastian cranes his head around and puzzles at Bach. "What are you thinking, bro?"
Bach blinks in thought, draws a long breath in, and explains. "Really, really high speed projectiles. I overcharge the holy hell out of what I put on there, and Dretphi takes the shot. We just need an opening."
A proud grin emerges upon Sebastian, and he nods in complete agreement. "Okay. Quick plan. Cideeda and I draw its attention. Aristespha and Sotalia, hold it for the shot. Bach and Dretphi... Make the shot."
The golem halts meters away from the last blockade of rubble and debris. Lowering its head, it digs in its claws, and-
Sebastian flies up from the floor at it, waving his arms menacingly. The construct ignores the nuisance and-
Twin beams of blue-purple light carves across its side. The dire wolf swings its head over and watches Cideeda sprinting between cover and pulsing laser blasts. The fracture metal and stone machine attempts to return focus ahead and struggles against a wave of energy enveloping it. An unseen force wrestles, slides, and grinds it gradually against the platform floor. The massive body pivots and exposes a clear view to the power cell within the midsection. The power cell brightens.
"ENERGY. SURGE. DETECTED."
Dretphi lays her weight against the submachine gun upon a metal container and lines up the shot. Closing his eyes, Bach carefully places his hands under the weapon. A flood of bright magical energy flows into the gun's barrel. The golem rotates a few more degrees. A wave of white energy erupts from the power cell and coats the surface of the war machine. Spells upon it visibly fizzle, and it regains freedom.
Dretphi squeezes the trigger of the radiating weapon.
A visible streak instantly traces from the barrel of Dretphi's gun right through the obliterated junction between power cell and cable. Faint shock rings form around the vapor trail, Dretphi rides the gun's recoil backwards onto the floor, and Bach reflexively drops to the deck. The construct steadies from the impact and freezes. It stands motionless. The white energy dissipates into the air, and the green flows throughout its body stop. Dire wolf golem collapses into a heap of stone and metal pieces upon the middle of the central platform.
Dretphi stares upwards in pure astonishment and slowly sits up. Rolls her shoulder, she glances down at the red heat radiating off her gun's barrel and secures the holding strap onto her armor. Sebastian's ethereal form drifts cautiously up to the quiet remains of the golem. Hovering around the still pile, he releases a long, relieved sigh. "OKAY. I think it's fucking down for the count!"
Aristespha seats herself down, resting her back against a container fused to the platform floor, and tries to breath easy. Cideeda plops herself on a pile of debris and recollects her thoughts. Bach tilts his helmeted head against a metal panel and slowly calms himself. Sotalia stands triumphantly, grins proudly, and tosses her fiery orange, wavy hair back over her shoulders. "WOO! Now THAT was a fight... But..."
Motioning towards the cavern exit, she awkwardly smiles with a tilt of the head and sheepishly raises a hand up. "Gods... I think I'm just done for the day. Anyone else?"
Hands rise up from the rest of the team in complete, humored agreement. Sotalia exhales, steps out from behind a partially melted container, and nonchalantly walks over to Bach and Dretphi. She freezes mid step, snaps her head in wide-eyed terror at the golem pile, and screams out. "I-I FEEL S-SOMETHING! LOOK OUT-"
A sharp shrill screech pierces the cavern air, and a massive shock wave of green energy explodes out from underneath the former construct. The powerful tide bubbles out swiftly and launches parts in all directions. Aristespha, Bach, Cideeda, and Dretphi reflexively dive down behind nearby cover. In the mere moments available, Sotalia braces herself and her close magical barrier flashes visibly around her. The expanding field of force kicks her up into the air. Attempting to balance herself mid flight, a stone armor plate crashes into the thick barrier around her head and deflects off. The protective shell holds. Sotalia's dizzy expression fades to unconsciousness, and she limply tumbles high in the air... past the edge of the platform.
Tilting his head up, Bach watches Sotalia fall from the apex of her arc. Widening his panicked eyes, a brilliant blue glow flashes out. He throws his hands forward, and a maelstrom of magical flow swirls along his arms. Woven strands of blue and green launch out from each palm, jet through the air, and latch onto Sotalia's shoulders. A weave of supportive fibers wrap a mesh harness around Sotalia's body. Sotalia falls out of view, and the magical cables drape over the platform edge. Bach clenches onto each cable and plants his feet.
The slack snaps tight, and the full force yanks Bach forward off his feet. Bach's helmeted head slams violently, visor first, against the reinforced metal plating of the floor. The lines drag him harshly across the rough rubble. His armor scrapes against the platform surface, and he bounces off piles of debris. Bach grinds to a halt, his upper body between the melted remains of two guardrail support posts and his arms hanging over the platform edge. Painfully grimacing, he focuses through the daze and gazes down through the crackled, golden barrier on his visor into the dark void below him. In his locked grip, two taut, several meter long cables support an unconscious, gently swinging Sotalia in a magically woven blue and green harness above the black abyss. Tension spikes in the quiet and Aristespha, Cideeda, Dretphi, and Sebastian snap to full awareness. Sebastian yells out in a panic. "BACH!? SOTALIA?! ARE YOU TWO OKAY?!"
Jetting over to his brother's side, fearfully gawking below. Joy erupts on Sebastian's face, and he hovers to peer into Bach's helmet. "Bro, you okay?!"
Bach stifles a cough and groans. "Yeah. I got her. The lines are stable. Just need a moment and to clear my head... And, I'll get her up."
Sebastian energetically waves everyone else over and nods to Bach. "Hang in there, bro. EVERYONE, GET OVER HERE-"
A cacophony of metal stress resonates throughout the entire platform and the structure beneath. A second of abrupt silence shatters into rumbling cracks of rocks around an anchor point and twisting whines of support structure collapsing. The entire central platform sharply pitches. Cideeda briefly slides and reflexively sinks her claws into floor plating gaps. Aristespha scrambles for a grip, dodging flaming remnants of wood crates. Dretphi bounds over, snatches up Aristespha, and clamps onto a section of intact guardrail. Bach drops over the edge to Sebastian's absolute horror.
The wind rushes around Bach. The pit walls blend into the darkness below and contrast only with the blue and green cables leading to Sotalia. Terror rattles thoughts and panicked chaos freezes Bach in the moment. The edges of the pit rise higher, and Bach stares distantly stunned. Cutting through the fearful deadlock, a familiar spark ignites a torrent in the back of mind and impulses. A wave of determination overwhelms Bach. Gritting his teeth, his eyes flash bright blue, and he clamps onto the magical cables in his hands. The lines snap taut, and a flurry of retracting magical flow reels Sotalia swiftly into Bach's arms. Securing Sotalia with his arms under her shoulders in a tight hug, Bach focuses within. Moments later, Bach and Sotalia's descent slows to a standstill. Lifting his head up, Bach opens his bright blue eyes and flashes a brave grin. The two ascend upwards and swiftly gain altitude. Sebastian spots his brother's eyes distantly below and cheers down. "YES! HOLY SHIT! THAT'S IT, BRO! KEEP IT UP! Aristespha will be there as soon as we get Dretphi and Cideeda on the bridge off this thing!"
Blasting his way up with Sotalia in his arms, Bach continues to gain altitude. The rate of ascent... slows. Bach pants and the speed sharply decreases. Progress stops, and Bach strains painfully to maintain flight. The glow in his eyes dims gradually, and he sinks slightly down every second. Glancing at the unconscious Sotalia, he shakes her around. "WAKE UP! Gods dammit, Sotalia! WAKE THE FUCK UP! I can't maintain enough lift for both of us! Come on..."
He gazes pleadingly. "Wake up, cast a spell... Please wake up..."
Sebastian stares with grave concern, realizing the grim situation forming below him. "BACH! HOLD ON!"
The air rises up around Bach, the illumination in his eyes dims further, and the descent into the black pit speeds up. Desperation overtakes Bach. He stares into Sotalia's face... And winces with tears in his eyes. "Gods... Dammit..."
Bach frowns, cringes, and cries out. "No..."
Drawing a deep breath in, he renews his embrace of Sotalia and closes his eyes firmly. Gritting his teeth, pain radiates through the entirety of his body, and he reopens his blue eyes resolutely. Within the dimming blue glows in his eyes, pinpoints of white flash out. A wave of white magical energy spirals into jets of downwards flow over him. The embedded crystals in the cavernous ceiling flicker brightly with flashes of light deep down in the unending pit, faint sparkles of mineral light emerging from the darkness. Distant repetitious, mechanical clicks echo out into the chamber. Electrical lighting dims out along the perimeter. Sebastian's visage warps and distorts.
"PREVIOUS. FLOW. DETECTED."
Bach stops mid air and firmly holds position. Faint swirling white flows shape beneath him, and he ascends up with Sotalia in his arms. Seconds later, Sotalia stirs, blinking and groggily searching around. Her golden eyes spring wide open, her awareness returning. The dark abyss below spooks her, and she reflexively wraps her arms tightly around Bach. Shivering uncomfortably, she glances at the energy flows near her, and realizes Bach's hold of her. Turning her head around, she peers into Bach's helmet, and notices the distant, strained determination on his face. Bach breathes cautiously, shakily, and trickles of fear crack his resolve. Sotalia summons a calming tone in contrast to the overwhelming concern on her light tan face. "Hey... How are you doing, Bach?"
Barely managing an audible response through strained breaths, Bach visibly twinges. Sotalia stretches her arms out, gestures out a spell, and carefully speaks an incantation. Flows of magic support her body in flight, and she gently eases out from Bach's grasp. "It's okay. I'm okay. Don't worry."
Bach manages an unsteady nod and sways, the flows of energy thinning. Swiftly slipping her arms under Bach's shoulders, Sotalia tightly squeezes him close. She gently speaks into the ear vent of his helmet. "It's okay. I got you."
With a loose arm wrap around Sotalia, Bach's eyes dim back to normal. He nearly collapses in her arms, keeping consciousness against obvious exhaustion. Sotalia hoists Bach up towards the safety of the connecting bridge. Flying up, Sotalia nestles her head upon Bach's shoulder against his helmeted head, tightens her embrace, and sniffs. "Thank you."
Bach weakly chuckles with a tired, happy tone. "You're welcome... Thank you, too..."
Sebastian zips next to Sotalia and directs her towards the bridge exit onto the perimeter. Aristespha flies over and supports Bach opposite of Sotalia, the two ferrying him to an awaiting Dretphi and Cideeda. The team reunites upon the perimeter walkway, Sotalia and Aristespha landing with Bach. Aristespha guides Bach down and steps over, removing her small backpack of medical supplies. Sotalia follows down to a seat next to Bach, wrapping an arm firmly around Bach's waist and her other hand tightly holding his upper arm. Sebastian keeps watch and stares suspiciously at the cavern exit and inspects other areas. Cideeda kneels down, gently claws Bach's arm for his attention, and undoes the straps to his helmet. "Hey, you okay under there?"
Cideeda pulls the helmet off, and Bach cracks a weak smile and lifts his head up. "Yeah... Just a bit... tired... right now..."
Dretphi drops to her knees, removes her helmet, and directs her nervous worry at both Sotalia and Bach. "O-Okay?"
Sotalia gazes with her golden pupil and almost black sclera eyes at Dretphi, nods uncertainly, and contorts her face, hiding forming tears. Dretphi's stare softens, and she wraps her arms around both Sotalia and Bach. Tearful sniffs sound out from Sotalia, and Dretphi gently rubs her on the back comfortingly. Bach softly snores.