Chapter XII: The Forgemaster

Chapter XI

Sean

We moved as quickly as we dared, darting from building to building, room to room, doing our best to not be seen by these monstrous automatons. Something that could take out a Colchis Bull by itself was nothing to shake a legion of gladii at. We got past three more before we had to start fighting.

We approached the intersection carefully, making sure that nothing was coming from further down our particular path as well as behind us before we checked to see about the other two directions in the intersection. When we peaked around the corner we saw a kid who’s hand looked like they were on fire. But the fire was purple. He was throwing daggers at an automaton. Although throwing is probably not the right term, they just floated out of his bag and flew at it. The first was smacked aside by the automaton and broke into a million pieces, but the second and third slammed into its chest, causing flame and smoke to shoot out of its eyes, mouth, and wound before it collapsed.

“C’mon Steve! They went this way,” came a feminine voice from behind him, and the kid disappeared down another intersection.

“They must be part of the four that came from the east,” Anna said. I thought that was probably the case, but before I could respond my instincts screamed at me to move. I spun and pushed Anna back, then jumped further into the intersection. The wall where we had been standing before exploded as a hammer slammed into where we had been standing. I brought out a basic Gladius and Whiplink. Anna got up and looked like she was about to yell at me, but then saw what happened and brought out her bow. The automaton looked back and forth as if it was trying to decide on who to attack first. I made the decision for it.

“Hey Bronze for brains, over here!” Then I charged. Looking back, not the smartest move. I did a quick review in my mind as I charged. The dagger from that kid shattered when it was hit by a hammer, so probably shouldn’t take a direct hit from the weapon. He targeted the chest, which took the other automaton down, so I should go for the chest also. I dodged a simple over the head smash and slashed at the hand. My cut barely hurt the thing, and its back swing caught me in the stomach. I flew into the back wall and was dazed.

I shook my head and got up, nothing felt broken but that usually didn’t mean much, shock might be taking the pain away. I looked at the automaton to see it closing in on Anna, who was firing arrows at it like made. Unfortunately the magic arrows from her ring weren’t doing anything. I decided on the stealthy approach, and while it was distracted by Anna I used my flying shoes to lift into the air. As soon as I rose up I knew I was injured, because I could not control my flight as well as before, that always happened when I was injured, no matter the injury (it is really annoying when it’s only a paper-cut and I cannot fly in a straight line). I weaved back and forth till I got a clear shot, then dove straight into its back and stabbed.

My sword pierced its skin and hit something. I heard a fwump and jumped back, floating in the air with my weapons in hand. Fire erupted from its eyes, mouth, and wound. Then it stopped moving. I lowered myself to the ground and collapsed, the adrenaline and shock wearing off. My ribs stung as Anna ran over to me. She pulled something out of her bag, grabbed my jaw, and shoved in a little cube. She then used her hand to force my jaw open and shut to chew up the cube, which tasted like the best blueberry muffins I have ever had. Ambrosia. She then messaged my throat so I would swallow, and all I could think was that her hands were really soft. After I swallowed the food of the gods my ribs popped back into place.

“Oh thank the Gods,” Anna said before putting her head on my chest. “I thought I lost you there.”

“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” I mumbled as I took hold of her shoulders and lifted her off me so I could sit up. My stomach still felt a little sore, probably the bruise, but otherwise I was fine. I got up and helped Anna to her feet.

“Lets keep moving, we can’t let the other four, whoever they are, have all the fun.” She scowled at me, and smacked the bruise (which hurt!) and we continued down our tunnel.

Soon enough we heard the sound of something being forged, and the heat was getting to feel like a super forge or something. After a few more minutes of moving forward we found a giant circular room. We exited on the walkway and saw a giant metal creature slamming its fist (which was a hammer) onto a piece of metal. It made a grunt of satisfaction at its work, then used its other hand to place close the front of an automaton. Its hand, the one that wasn’t a hammer, was then held over the completed automaton for a moment. The automaton activated.

“Caligulan Steel unit 100, activated and shall begin patrolling.” Then it marched off through a hole in the wall of the forge under us. The big metal dude looked up at where we were and roared, then it reached down and tried to pick up the anvil. A golden arrow shot from Anna’s bow and slammed into its forehead, just above the eye. It roared again and staggered back. A steel robot thing came out onto the walkway from our left, its hands looked unfinished, just blobs of metal. It rushed towards Anna, but I intercepted it and quickly jabbed its chest, destroying the control unit. It fell over sideways and into the fire pit.

The giant metal dude had more arrows poking out of it, but they only seemed to annoy it, because it kept on roaring in rage. However, no more automatons were coming. It frowned, then ripped its hammer arm off and threw it as us. I grabbed Anna under her arms and flew out of the way. The arm smashed against, and crushed, the walkway we were standing on, and when I landed I saw that the back of the giant metal guy had opened and someone was running away. I grabbed Anna again and we flew down to the tunnel he was running down.

“Stop!” Anna yelled, and fired a blunt arrow at his legs. The running fellow tripped and rolled and I what I saw chilled me to the core.

Brian got up and dusted himself off, his black military fatigues clashing with Enrage, his golden hammer, hanging off his back.

“You idiots, you cannot stop us. Emperor Caligula shall defeat the gods.”

Chapter 13