The mutant lunged at Sir Conrad, its spear thrusting forward with surprising speed. Conrad parried the blow with his sword, the clash of metal and unknown material echoing like the smack of a hammer against a mech gauntlet. The force of the impact sent a shockwave up his arm, but he held firm, pushing back against the creature’s strength. Alain and Oswald moved in, their weapons slicing through the rain, aiming for the creature’s exposed flanks. I circled around, trying to find an opening.
Sir Conrad's eyes glowed momentarily, and with a sudden burst of energy, he moved faster, his sword a blur as he struck back. The creature recoiled, surprised by the enhanced speed and ferocity of the knight's attack.
However, the mutant was agile despite its size, its movements fluid and deadly. It sidestepped speedily, swinging its spear in a wide arc and braining Sir Alain, who flopped sideways to the ground. Oswald growled and leapt forward, only to find the creature already recovered and stabbing at his torso. He spun to avoid the deadly tip, and I saw it just barely carved a sliver off his hardened leather.
Sir Oswald raised his shield just in time to deflect another blow. His shield glowed faintly, absorbing the impact and visibly redirecting the energy back at the mutant. The creature staggered, its own force turned against itself.
“What is going on here?” I whispered, confident TUNI would catch my words.
“These humans,” CD responded, his tone analytical. “They have something your ancestors did not. Their core surgeries seem to have given them additional abilities. I will analyze them as well as I can during the fight, and give you a report when I understand the situation.”
I nodded, my eyes now focused on the creature. I'd managed to flank it. Now completely behind the Draconian, I struck, my blade slicing through the rain towards its leathery side. The mutant turned with a hiss, its shield coming up just in time to block my attack. The impact jarred my arm, a feeling much like getting hit in the funny bone, but I kept my grip, pushing against the shield with all my strength.
Another pair of glowing eyes appeared from the shadows, followed by another draconian mutant, then another. The sound of a blaring horn echoed from within the complex, a signal that more of them were coming.
“We need to fall back!” Sir Oswald shouted, deflecting a spear thrust aimed at his chest. The spear tore a line off his shoulder, sending leather peels flying into the rain.
“No!” Sir Alain commanded, standing again. He strode forward confidently, striking aside the creature’s spear attack, and launching one with his sword. His stabbing blade cut through one mutant’s armor, a hard jab to the gut, and it fell backward, oozing blood.
“Waaar,” it muttered wanly.
Sir Alain seemed undecided as he looked over his foe, then stepped back as more of the creatures came out from the gate yard. A trio of them, with more silhouettes following in the distance.
“Waaaaar!” they cried and then charged us.
I swung my weapon at the nearest mutant, the blade connecting with its leather-clad arm. The creature hissed and retaliated, forcing me to dodge a swipe from its claws. The rain poured down ever harder, the ground becoming even more treacherous underfoot. My boots slipped in the mud, dropping me under an almost certainly lethal stab of its spear. I used my opportunity, and stabbed upwards into its lower back area, smiling my surprise when the old tech saber cut through easily, and sent the creature into a squalling, bleeding retreat.
Nearby, Conrad was locked in a fierce duel with the first mutant, their weapons clashing in a blur of motion. He ducked under a swipe from the creature’s claws, then thrust his sword forward, the blade piercing through the mutant’s leather armor. It howled in agony, but did not fall, instead pressing forward and stabbing him through the leg.
He screamed, his eyes wide and his nostrils flaring. Not sure what to do, I quickly sheathed my blade and used all four limbs to launch myself into a sprint, slamming the creature in a full-bodied, rolling hug.
“Deeaaath,” it snarled into my ear. I let it go, getting to my feet and kicking it in the face as it tried to do the same. It was agile, but apparently it wasn’t so good while on the ground.
Alain and Oswald fought side by side, their movements coordinated and precise. Oswald’s sword cleaved through the air, forcing one mutant back, while Alain’s sword danced around their defenses, finding gaps in their armor to exploit.
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A shimmering aura surrounded Oswald as he raised his shield, absorbing the impact of a heavy blow. His sword crackled with energy, and he brought it down on a mutant, the force of the strike amplified by a bolt of lightning that split the air. The mutant screeched as the electrified blade cut through its flesh, the smell of burnt scales filling the air.
Near their battle, I saw Conrad yank the spear from his obviously broken leg, and throw it like a javelin. It flew through the air, and through the skull of another of the creatures.
The sound of the blaring horn grew louder, and I knew we were running out of time. I looked down, saw that the creature was no longer moving, and glanced back, hoping to see Elli and Sir Eadric returning.
There was nothing there. Not that I could see through the storm at any rate. I drew my blade once again, facing the charging enemy, another mutant coming right for me. Its spear was aimed straight for my heart. I sidestepped at the last moment, the spear grazing my armor but not piercing through. I countered with a swift strike, my blade slicing its neck. The attack drew forth a rich spout of spurting crimson blood. The Draconian gurgled as it fell, and I warily made my way back to Conrad’s side.
“Alaric,” he moaned. His face was pale white, and he’d fallen to his knees, though he still held his sword and shield before him. “I’m too good a knight to die an auxiliary. Hold my flank.”
I couldn't help but smile at the quip. I held my saber ready, watching the suddenly paused and confused-looking horde. They had withdrawn into a line just at the gate and were staring at something behind us.
Sir Eadric and Elli had arrived, piloting his Toxotai, the massive mech stopping just behind us even as Sir Alain and Sir Oswald moved to where we stood. Leveling and aiming its arm ballistas, it fired.
A golden glow radiated outward from the mech itself, and an aura of strength and resolve washed over us. I felt my fatigue ebb away, replaced by a renewed sense of vigor and determination. The mutants hesitated, their expressions worried and some were even afraid.
“Fascinating,” CD blurted. “Just marvelous. I will need to study those prime specimen, that’s for sure.”
Eadric began firing in earnest, utterly destroying our enemies. It was a massacre.
The mutants fell back, their numbers quickly dwindling as Sir Eadric’s ballista decimated their ranks. The first bolt tore through a mutant's chest, sending a spray of dark blood into the air even as it ripped through three others behind it. The next bolt struck another mutant in the head, the force of the impact exploding brain matter and impaling another of its kind.
Another mutant attempted to flee, but a bolt caught it in the back, lifting it off its feet and smashing it into a nearby wall. The power of that meaty slap exploded the body into blood and entrails.
The creatures shrieked in terror, tangling with each other in an utter rout as massive bolts impaled them, pinning them to the ground or sending their pieces flying through the air.
“Dooooomsdaaaaay!” one of the remaining mutants rasped, and they keened loudly as they spread apart, disappearing into the sprawling, multi-building base complex.
We stood there, breathing heavily, watching as the last of the creatures vanished from sight. The rain continued to pour down, the storm showing no signs of letting up.
“Everyone okay?” Sir Eadric called out from his mech, his voice amplified by the comms system.
“Not at all,” Sir Alain replied, wiping rain and blood from his face. I noticed a welt beginning to form where he’d been struck by the spear. “Alaric and I will see if we can open the mech bays. It might have another lock. Sir Oswald, Elli, you two get Sir Conrad into the mech and do what you can for him.”
Alaric and I stepped through the gates, the heavy downpour soaking us to the bone. The immediate area inside the gates was a wide-open courtyard, now littered with mutant dead. To our right, a series of low-slung buildings stretched out in rows, some of their windows shattered and roofs partially caved in. On the left, we saw what appeared to be barracks and administrative buildings, their facades marked with the wear of centuries.
The complex sprawled out before us, each building connected by a network of cracked and overgrown pathways. A rusted bulbous water tower loomed in the far distance, barely visible through the curtain of rain.
We moved quickly, our boots splashing through puddles and squelching in the mud. Thunder rumbled overhead, and flashes of lightning illuminated the ruins in stark, brief bursts as we went.
After a few minutes, we reached the mech bays. They were massive structures, much better designed than the bays of Alnda and made of stronger stuff. The reinforced doors were partially ajar, likely due to the passage of time and the relentless elements.
“Let's get inside,” Sir Alain said, motioning for me to follow. “We'll see if we can find a control panel to secure the doors and keep out any unwanted guests.”
I nodded, and the two of us stepped through the opening and into the dim interior of the mech bay. Lights flashed overhead, and we blinked away our temporary blindness to see a vast empty space filled with rows of maintenance equipment and tools scattered about, long abandoned by their previous owners.
I glanced around, searching for a control panel.
“Over there,” I pointed, spotting a console mounted on the wall near the back of the bay.
We approached the console cautiously, then seeing no danger, I set to work, fingers flying over the controls as I tried to decipher the old tech interface.
“Come on, come on,” I muttered, feeling the pressure of the situation. The last thing we needed was another attack while we were still trying to secure the area.
Sir Alain stood guard, his eyes never leaving the entrance. “Hurry up, Alaric,” he urged. “We don't have much time.”
Finally, the console beeped, and the heavy doors began to close with a groan of protest. As they shut, I felt a small measure of relief. We had a secure base of operations, at least for now.
“Good job,” Sir Alain said, clapping me on the shoulder. “Now stick around while I get everyone and their mechs into the bay. We’ll set up camp here and start taking care of business in the morning.”