1.10

The quiet, peaceful town they had left behind was now completely changed. Fire danced around many of the buildings. Burnt husks were collapsed on the ground. If it was still standing, it was badly damaged.

“Help,” came a shrill voice.

“We’re on it, you two go ahead.” Bodwyn and Sharampf raised toward the burning building.

“Tad, go and help them,” instructed Fenrick. The tortoise galloped after the pair.

“This doesn’t look good.” Mamzo looked a little worried at the destruction around him. He brandished his daggers in both hands and surveyed the village. “I won’t be nice to anyone who gets in our way, especially Hank.”

“I know.” Fenrick readied his sword and shield. The two of them slowly walked through the burning town.

The carnage surrounding him reminded Fenrick of a more haunting time. He had to fight to steady his breathing.

“Over there.” Mamzo kicked off toward a bandit ahead of them, Fenrick was close behind him.

Bodwyn and Sharampf entered the house with Tad on their tail.

Constricting lungs and burning eyes made it hard to navigate the burning building. Bodwyn and Sharampf could hear the screaming voice, but were blocked by a burning beam.

“Give me a sec,” Bodwyn called to Sharampf. He readied his hands and shot the small amount of water. The water disappeared before impact. “Dammit, not enough. Tad?”

The geyser of gushing water made short work of the burning beam, but it still burned with heat.

“Allow me.” Sharampf’s mechanical fist pulverised the beam into a thousand pieces. Sharampf stepped aside and Bodwyn and Tad ran ahead of her.

Bodwyn followed the cries for help and found himself in what looked like the dining room.

A child cowered in the corner; tears streaked her dirt covered face. She locked eyes with Bodwyn and pointed at the collapsed table.

Poking out from underneath the table was the upper half of another child. The child wasn’t moving.

“Sharampf, lift the table, I’ll get the kid out from underneath.”

“Sure.” The mechanical arm lifted the heavy oaken table with little effort. Bodwyn grabbed the kid and pulled him free. The table cracked as it smashed back down.

The house creaked; a constant stream of water gushed from their eyes. Bodwyn’s fur was singed all over.

“We need to go.” Sharampf scooped the girl up and ran for the exit. It collapsed behind them just as they leapt free.

Leaping through the air like a leopard, Mamzo closed the gap. His daggers sunk into the chest of the bandit as he turned. His target was silent as they fell.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Another bandit rounded the corner and charged for Mamzo. Fenrick cut her off.

Fenrick’s opponent was an amateur; the incoming attacked blocked with his shield. Before she could recover, Fenrick stepped in close and slashed at her side. She screamed in pain and Fenrick struck a mighty smack between her eyes with the pommel of his sword.

Mamzo surveyed the scene and noticed a town guard quivered behind a building.

“You gonna help or what?” Mamzo pointed at the guard and snarled.

“Have you seen it out there.” The guard’s voice squeaked as he screamed his reply.

“You’re a guard. Help protect it.”

“Dad’s the captain, he made me do it. My brother has completely lost it.” The guard’s nose dribbled as he spoke.

“And where’s your dad?” Mamzo barked.

“He’s rallied the other guards and run to the Cracked Cauldron.”

“Fenrick, they’ve gone after Glayda.” Fenrick was immediately by his side.

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“Let’s go.”

Fenrick and Mamzo arrived at an intense scene. Hank and the automaton stood in front of the tavern. Three guards stood further behind Hank, and a glowering Glayda stood at the entrance of the Cracked Cauldron. Two mangled bodies lay at her feet, a gnarled, giant club rested on her shoulder.

The automaton stood just over six feet in height and looked like it was made of tarnished iron and bronze. Every now and then, Fenrick could see some of the gears moving between its joints and under its carapace. One of its arms looked like a large canon. Cables ran up the arm and wrapped around into the back of the automaton.

“Back down Hank, you don’t want this to get ugly,” said Glayda. Though the spoke with gruff authority, both Mamzo and Fenrick could sense the trepidation in her voice.

“It turned out a little more violent than I thought, but isn’t that exciting?”

“Hank, please, leave us all alone.” The captain of the guard stepped forward. He was a little older, a little skinnier, and his head was covered with liver spots.

“Does he seem a little unhinged to you?” Mamzo asked.

“Look on the back of his neck. There’s a glowing symbol.” Fenrick pointed to a small, glowing, red symbol on the back of Hank’s neck. “If it’s what I think it is, that’s the reason he’s acting so violently.”

“Stand back old man. I never wanted to be like you!” Hank’s voice spiked with emotion.

“You don’t have to be. Just, stop hurting these people.” The older guard took a few more steps.

“What did we miss?” Bodwyn came up on Fenrick’s left side and Sharampf on his right. Tad pushed in between Bodwyn and Fenrick.

“He’s got father issues. And Fenrick thinks he’s being controlled or something,” said Mamzo.

“Who doesn’t have issues with their parents?” quipped Bodwyn.

“What do you mean he’s being controlled?” Sharampf asked. Fenrick pointed out the glowing symbol.

“What’s the plan?” asked Bodwyn.

“Take out the automaton. Hank must live.” Fenrick’s stern voice cut through them like ice.

“Why? He’s hurt so many people. People have died because of him,” said Sharampf.

“Two reasons,” said Fenrick. “First, he’s not acting himself. There’s an element of control. Second, if he lives, he can face what he’s done and work to make up for it.”

“Stop!” Hank screamed. The automaton turned and faced the town guards. It raised the cannon. The cannon whirred to life and started to glow.

“What are you, nuts?” Bodwyn made to grab Fenrick, but he slipped away.

The cannon became louder. The two other town guards ran from the scene.

“Hank…” the older guard took another step forward.

“Please, stop. Get away.” Hank sounded as though he were in pain.

The automaton lifted the cannon and took aim. Just as the cannon was about to fire, Fenrick smashed into the side of the arm with his shield.

The cannon erupted with arcane energy. A roiling beam of green and purple erupted forth. It barely missed the guard, and blasted the side of a building.

“You’re that gnome from before,” Hank hissed.

“Yep. You lot ready?” Fenrick called out to his friends. The rest of the group burst out of the bushes before he finished the question.

“You li-” Hank’s approach was cut short when Sharampf’s mechanical arm slapped him aside with a wet crunch.

The automaton swivelled and faced the newly arrived targets. Its other arm retracted, and a blade popped out.

Sharampf’s arm darted up and caught the large blade. For a moment, the two looked at each other. The cannon thrummed to life once again, breaking the brief stalemate.

The automaton pulled its blade free and immediately swung another attack. Sharampf miscalculated the intended block, and the automaton’s blade gouged into the side of her mechanical arm.

Hank pulled himself up and made to join the fray, but was intercepted by Mamzo and Bodwyn.

“Step aside,” Hank snarled.

“Nuh-uh.” Bodwyn waggled his finger.

“If it were up to me, you’d be dead. Fenrick convinced us otherwise. Don’t push your luck.” Mamzo twirled his daggers between his fingers and bared his teeth.

“I’ve got no problem killing you,” Hank roared. He lunged forward and locked himself in a deadly dance of blades with Mamzo.

“Need help?” Bodwyn asked.

“Help Fenrick,” said Mamzo. “I got this one.”

“Don’t kill him.” Bodwyn chuckled and joined Fenrick.

“You’ve got this one?” Hank jeered. His attacks took on a frantic energy, and he pushed Mamzo back.

“I’ve been killing since before you were born.” Mamzo’s face slowly morphed into a grin.

The two parried and dodged and thrust their blades with furious speed. Hank got a swipe at Mamzo’s side, but the thick, rock skin took the blow. Mamzo’s dagger sliced along Hank’s arm and drew blood.

Hank lifted both arms to attack. Mamzo used the moment and jumped up. His head crushed Hank’s jaw and the bandit fell backward. Hank was out cold.

“Look out,” Sharampf yelled. Mamzo heard the cannon fire and rolled aside just in time as the purple and green blast flew by him and hit another building.

“How do we stop it?” cried Bodwyn. Bodwyn fired another helpless crossbow bolt.

“We need to destroy it,” replied Fenrick.

“Great plan,” replied Bodwyn. “I obviously meant that.”

The cannon glowed and the automaton brought the sword down on Fenrick. Fenrick’s legs strained from the force of the blow as he blocked it with his shield.

Sharampf’s mechanical arm wrenched the cannon down just as it fired again. Scorched earth surrounded the small crater.

“We need to stop the cannon,” said Mamzo. He circled the automaton, unsure of what to do.

“Ya think?” said Bodwyn. Bodwyn fired a crossbow bolt and it found purchase between the metal plating in the cannon arm.

“Any magic that would help?” Sharampf asked. Sharampf let go of the cannon to dodge the sword.

“Nope,” Bodwyn replied.

“Well, we’re cooked,” said Mamzo. He brought his daggers in and cut the cable that ran from the cannon into the body.

The mighty blade of the automaton bit into Mamzo’s arm. He dropped his dagger and growled in pain to staunch the red-hot burn.

“Sharampf, do something,” said Bodwyn.

“I’m trying.” Sharampf’s giant hand clasped the head of the automaton. Electricity exploded around the automaton as Sharampf turned up the intensity.

After a few moments of seemingly nothing, Sharampf slowly pulled her arm away.

“Did we stop it?” Bodwyn asked.

Fenrick approached the automaton from behind and pushed it. The automaton lurched and fell flat on its face.

“Thank you,” said Glayda.