The soldierbot looks away to the direction of gunfire, it retaliates, marching forward. Getting my act together, my attention snaps to the direction Baltanthan was in. I scramble to my feet, running as fast as I can while the soldierbots keep the humans occupied. A fog of my friend's magic bursts out, covering too much of the chamber.

"BALTANTHAN!" I cry out, carefully minding the mist while the sound of heavy metal parts collapses within. Feet start to smack the ground and he comes running out, eyes wide and body overcharged with adrenaline.

"Now might be the time to get out of here!" he hisses, heading to the stairs before a wayward shot blows them open. I pick him up from the ground, his feet still struggling to find their footing.

"I don't think that is going to be an option." I warn, huddling down with him behind a workbench. I peek over it, watching the soldiers and workers fall back into the interior while that armoured man holds them back. His sword and shield glow bright, their power and what they can do breaking and cutting down soldierbots. He spins around one, smashing its back in and then carving through another.

Hot metal rains around him and arcane power reinforces his shield.

"I am perfectly fine with-" Baltanthan starts to remark before a soldierbot blasts a chunk out of the workbench. We start to skedaddle and the intensity of their fire drives us around the chamber. Looking to my left, I find that we are a little too close to the swordsman.

"SIR!" a soldier cries out and the brave defender leaps back to break the button on the door. He slashes at the hydraulics. It collapses down with a snap of thunder, sealing the men away.

The armoured man drums his chest, blade swinging at his side eagerly.

"That knight is intent on cutting us all down..." Baltanthan grumbles while he builds up a spell. More shots come our way and although I am the bigger target, I can tell they're coming for my friend. I stand up a little to get a better view and to do the same for them. The soldierbots still focus on the side my friend is on.

I'm being ignored by them...

"COME ON!" I scream down at him, throwing up a shield that for the first time cannot stop an attack. The divine firepower of the machines chunks through my shield and I throw up another. Keeping my friend behind me, we ease our way to a better position. Much as it might cause me problems, I need Baltanthan to fill this room with his magic.

The furthest corner possible needs to be ready to crumble.

"YOU TWO!" the knight roars, his shield keeping the closest soldierbot back for the moment. He raises his blade at us, its edge dripping with the steel it has melted down.

"GET KILLED BY THE ROBOTS!" Baltanthan shouts back, his head flinching under another shot.

"ON MY NAME AND TITLE, KNIGHT LOUCKSEELE, I SHALL DRAW BLOOD ON THE HONOUR OF THE DEAD! THOUGH I AM NOT GRACED WITH DIVINE TEMPLARSHIP, I WILL INVOKE PRAYER!" the man declares, his shield throwing off the soldierbot before then rising above his head. Though I cannot hear his words, his equipment glows with renewed purpose. He charges for us, a soldierbot going down along the way.

"BALT-" I try to scream, taking the brunt of his charge, a small shield barely stopping his sword. Groaning against the arcane force grinding against my gut, the man triggers the magic within. A cross starts to project across its heraldry and I fly into a wall. Crashing to the ground with a cry of pain, I shake my head and get back up.

A barrier arrives just in time to stop his thrusting, energy lance. The knight dodges and weaves his way back into cover while I give Baltanthan what he needs. My friend is forced to apply his magic right against the body of a machine, tearing it apart and improvising the debris. A pattern of rock and stone rains out elsewhere.

Creating several more barriers on top of each other to keep the soldierbots occupied, we focus on the knight. The man slices down some ddrai'och equipment and kicks it our way. It crashes against another machine, denting it inwards. The knight briefly skips sideways into more open ground.

His sword runs along a small slot in the shield, sparking with lively light. Going in first with my wide-faced weapons, I keep the man's blade occupied. Though I am in a suit of plate armour, I do not feel like it. His sword can cut through machine men like nothing, he'll sear my flesh like steak if he gets through.

I desperately hold out for my friend to try and think of something he can use. I can't hold the knight back, I'm giving ground to his skilful aggression. My friend's staff glows, a spell coming to form, only, he doesn't cast it. He hefts the staff down and turns it into a spear.

Pushing back just this once against the knight, I twist around, my tail covered in magic blades. It hacks its way into some broken metal and I struggle to get it out. Baltanthan's magic blasts out, interrupting the knight's charge. I hear him growl and leap back, a soldierbot's blast making it through.

Tearing my tail out, I watch the knight cut down some more machines. He displays the strength needed to throw one overhead and leaps, knee first into another. Blade sinks through metal and rock and slides right on out. My shields break down and the sky seemingly turns green.

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"We can't fight both!" Baltanthan snaps, his staff hosing down the patch of ground to our left. I put a hand over his head and bend him down while I get my bearings. Noting the focus of the machines, I try to trap the knight in with them, focusing on the thickness of magic rather than height. Patting my friend up, we go to the broken door.

"We either fight what's coming for us right now or we go through this door." I point out.

"I vote the door, I can flood the way in that way!" Baltanthan eagerly answers, his side barely avoiding the divine magic. Almost like God's approving the plan, the shot happened to have chunked away at the door.

"Get to it, then!" I bark, bringing up more barriers while the soldierbots get into position. I barely catch a glimpse of the way the power gems on their gun arms change. But, when the arms lower, I understand clearly. Heavy, single shot makes way for rapid-fire pellets.

"AH! DAMMIT!" Baltanthan cries, ducking down after my shield's quick failure.

"STAY AWAY FROM THOSE MEN!" the knight roars, suddenly appearing to cut us down. Somehow, I catch his blade between my hands and I quickly throw it out of my grip. His footing off, he spins around awkwardly to deliver the next slash. A barrier flashes into existence just in time, parrying the blade.

"GET THE DOOR OPEN!" I scream at my friend, pushing the knight back after putting my shields up. Thankfully, the soldierbots all seem to turn on me and the knight. But, not so helpfully, many of them are unwilling to fire and instead march closer. The knight notices and keeps my back to the soldierbots.

"I should've known." the knight mutters, his body drawing fire in the hopes I will be hit by it.

"I will not let you loot the remains of my people..." I growl, knowing he's probably recalling a tapestry his people have torn down.

"These ruins are ancient, they're as much your people as the people of Ancient Jhermonikra are mine. Not at all!" the knight bites back with, his blade finding an opening and taking it. I cry out, hissing in pain as the orange trail he's left on my armour cools. Metal cracks and falls apart and I put a shield up.

"This place is as ancient as me..." I spit, growling against the pain and stumbling to the ground. Crying out once again, I punch the ground and get to my feet. My friend comes into view and I spot as some of the machines change their focus. Their fire eats into the protection I gave him.

"AND THE MEN IN THAT NEXT CHAMBER ARE MY DUTY! ON BLOOD AND HONOUR!" the knight roars, charging past me and cutting down more soldierbots. By circumstance, he cuts down what is going for Baltanthan and then turns on him himself. I spot the opening around my friend and block it up with some shields metres from him.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY FRIEND!" I scream, rushing up and barrelling into the knight. We spiral out of control, banging and crashing across the floor until we come to a slow halt. The sparks and abrasion have scratched up our armour and decor. I flex my fists while the knight eyes his lost sword.

Throwing another barrier up, I stop him from reaching for it but he has no problem getting to his shield. Defensive magic and steel clash, an arcane reaction blasting us apart but we stay pushing against each other. Hissing in pain, I dig my claws into the stone as best as I can and push up. Moving my tail, I bulk it with Iderim-Ovi's might and smash it down.

The knight backs off, dazed and injured, a dent in his helm. He twists towards the soldierbots and blocks their shots. Somehow, his magic can hold up where mine does not and a bright, shining light builds up at its core. He recoils back like an artillery gun and much like one, his projectile detonates.

Though there is no shockwave and only light, I dive to the ground and cover my head. Blinking away the pain, I get back to my feet and rush to my friend. Glancing at his progress, I wall the knight off further. The soldierbots need to deal with him.

They need to...

The knight readies himself, shield in hand, alight with power and blessing.

"How's the door looking?" I ask my friend, freeing him up so he has more room to work with.

"I am getting somewhere." he explains and he starts to knock the thick metal to see if it can be dislodged. I try to help him, smashing my protected hands against what he has worked his magic into. Nothing seems to happen and I step aside so he can focus. Turning around, I look at the battle still going on between the remaining machines and the knight.

He's slowing down and it's not stopping him from destroying more with just his shield. Though some of the soldierbots are stopping to watch me and Baltanthan instead, any the knight is too close to turn. They open up with fresh firepower and take out more of the chamber, one even scores a hit on the man's free arm. Left with only his shield, his defence becomes the best offence.

More magic blasts out of it, destroying a handful more machines and he crushes down on one that fell over. He dives into cover, his body seemingly turning still while he gets his focus together. The knight rolls out into the open, shield left behind and he charges desperately for his sword. He takes another glancing blow and rolls over the blade, its power lighting up.

"WAIONR AND GUAREROISNCER, HEAR MY DEFIANCE!" the knight roars, his blade lighting up with enough power to shatter it entirely. The room flashes bright and I cover my eyes, even Baltanthan who's looking away groans in pain. Slowly opening up my vision again, I bring down some shields and step into the open. A lone figure stands in the smoke and a bit of green zips to him.

A couple of half-melted soldierbots turn towards me and march up. Their weapons at the ready, I gulp and take a step back. A third one comes into view, still largely intact. The machine lowers its weapon and I apply more shields to Baltanthan's location.

"Error. Error. Unregistered combatant. Unidentified. Identify." the soldierbot says in my mother tongue and I blink, unsure of what it said. I keep looking back to where my friend is.

"Identifffffffffffff-eye."

"I-don't-tify." the other two repeat, their voiceboxes fuzzy and distorted. One shivers and sparks, trembling like a cold animal. The most intact one takes a step forward, a needle suddenly protruding from a finger. It stabs into my neck, shocking me with the insignificant pain and I fall to the ground.

"Running database. Checking Citizen Codex. Family name located: Aelcyrn." the functional one says, as un-understood as it was a second ago.

"Aelcyrn..." I repeat, my family name feeling so foreign on my tongue. It's been some time since I've last said it myself. I don't even recall if my friends and Nin even know I have a surname.

"Warning. Liadanann Aelcyrn has no military authority. Warning. Warning. Warning supermanded. New authority status given. Inspection time slotted. Reasoning: Direct family to sacred trust." the machine goes and I blink at its gibberish, slowly rising in line with its vision.

"How's that door coming, Baltanthan!?" I call back to my friend, scared for my life although nothing has happened.