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Shackled City Epic: "Vengeance" (story concluded)
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 1049171" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 18</p><p></p><p></p><p>“Arun!” Zenna cried. She nearly rushed into the chamber, but Ruphos held onto her, knowing that whatever had struck down the dwarf was still raging within the invisibility. As the noise of its initial assault faded, however, the air seemed to solidify from where the noises of creaking and whirring continued to issue, and the form of their attacker took shape. </p><p></p><p>It was a mechanical shape, a construct of plates and gears that had the look of an iron barrel, with squat legs and stubby arms that ended in heavy, pointed steel heads shaped like the ends of a flanged mace. It had no discernable eyes, ears, or mouth, but it clearly had no difficulty marking them as targets even within the aura of invisibility. It came forward toward the tunnel entrance, where Zenna and Ruphos watched in horrified fascination. Zenna hefted her crossbow, although it was difficult to see how a mere bolt could harm such a thing, while Ruphos stepped boldly in front of her, holding his mace tightly in both hands. </p><p></p><p>“Blasted hunk of junk!” came Arun’s voice, pain warring with anger in his tone. The hammer lifted off of the ground, wavering slightly before coming up high, poised to attack. </p><p></p><p>“Wait!” Mole said, her voice likewise issuing from thin air, but directly in the path of the automaton. “<em>Mek taral neth!</em> she cried, speaking in the gnome tongue. <em>Halt, don’t attack!</em> </p><p></p><p>The automaton lurched to a stop, the spinning heads on its arms grinding to a halt and dropping down toward the ground. Arun’s hammer came to a halt as well, directly behind the creature, still hanging ready in the air. “Well?” the dwarf’s voice came to them. “We smashing it, or what?”</p><p></p><p>Mole clapped her hands together. “It does what I say!” she said, gleefully. She gave it a command in gnome, and obediently the machine turned about, moving slowly in a circle. After a few moments the invisibility effect present in the room began to take effect upon it once, more, and the automaton faded from view. </p><p></p><p>“We’ve got ourselves a new ally, it would seem,” Zenna noted. </p><p></p><p>* * * * * </p><p></p><p>The companions quickly took stock of their situation. A bit of cautious probing uncovered the limit of the invisibility effect, which was apparently a sphere perhaps fifteen feet across. A second one was located on the far side of the room, where the command that had unleashed the automaton upon them had originated. The spheres were fixed in place, and only affected beings that moved into them; once they left the radius of the effect, the individual returned immediately to visibility. </p><p></p><p>Ruphos treated Arun, who’d been grievously wounded by the automaton’s assault. The dwarf did not complain, this time, as the cleric channeled healing energy into the stricken paladin. The four of them, trailed by the lumbering automaton, gathered in the center of the hall, where they could see each other free of the invisibility spheres. Mole was continuing to experiment with the device, giving it a variety of commands. The pulverizer was powerful, but unreliable; often it would hesitate or simply stand there for up to half a minute before finally lurching into action. </p><p></p><p>“What should we name it?” Mole asked the others. “How about, ‘smashy?’ You like that, Smashy?”</p><p></p><p>The automaton, of course, did not comment, but Arun, Zenna, and Ruphos shared a concerned look, standing close together and speaking in low voices. </p><p></p><p>“We can assume that the creepers know we’re here, and that they may be preparing an ambush as we speak,” Zenna said. “If they’re not watching us right now... with that invisibility effect, one could be standing right over there and we’d never even know it.”</p><p></p><p>“Well, that one that ordered the golem to attack either fled, or it’s hiding,” Arun said matter-of-factly. “Either way, it’s a coward.”</p><p></p><p>“We can’t underestimate them,” Zenna insisted. “Those tunnels are prefect for a surprise attack, and there’s little we could do to react.”</p><p></p><p>“I’m more worried about our resources,” Ruphos added. “My spells are almost depleted, and we don’t have much more in the way of healing. I have a single potion that Jenya gave me, but it is only good for one treatment.”</p><p></p><p>“Hey, I still have my potion as well,” Mole said, stepping into their circle. “And now that we have Smashy here, perhaps we can take a... <em>different</em> approach.”</p><p></p><p>The three taller companions exchanged a glance, and looked expectantly at the gnome.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 1049171, member: 143"] Chapter 18 “Arun!” Zenna cried. She nearly rushed into the chamber, but Ruphos held onto her, knowing that whatever had struck down the dwarf was still raging within the invisibility. As the noise of its initial assault faded, however, the air seemed to solidify from where the noises of creaking and whirring continued to issue, and the form of their attacker took shape. It was a mechanical shape, a construct of plates and gears that had the look of an iron barrel, with squat legs and stubby arms that ended in heavy, pointed steel heads shaped like the ends of a flanged mace. It had no discernable eyes, ears, or mouth, but it clearly had no difficulty marking them as targets even within the aura of invisibility. It came forward toward the tunnel entrance, where Zenna and Ruphos watched in horrified fascination. Zenna hefted her crossbow, although it was difficult to see how a mere bolt could harm such a thing, while Ruphos stepped boldly in front of her, holding his mace tightly in both hands. “Blasted hunk of junk!” came Arun’s voice, pain warring with anger in his tone. The hammer lifted off of the ground, wavering slightly before coming up high, poised to attack. “Wait!” Mole said, her voice likewise issuing from thin air, but directly in the path of the automaton. “[I]Mek taral neth![/I] she cried, speaking in the gnome tongue. [I]Halt, don’t attack![/I] The automaton lurched to a stop, the spinning heads on its arms grinding to a halt and dropping down toward the ground. Arun’s hammer came to a halt as well, directly behind the creature, still hanging ready in the air. “Well?” the dwarf’s voice came to them. “We smashing it, or what?” Mole clapped her hands together. “It does what I say!” she said, gleefully. She gave it a command in gnome, and obediently the machine turned about, moving slowly in a circle. After a few moments the invisibility effect present in the room began to take effect upon it once, more, and the automaton faded from view. “We’ve got ourselves a new ally, it would seem,” Zenna noted. * * * * * The companions quickly took stock of their situation. A bit of cautious probing uncovered the limit of the invisibility effect, which was apparently a sphere perhaps fifteen feet across. A second one was located on the far side of the room, where the command that had unleashed the automaton upon them had originated. The spheres were fixed in place, and only affected beings that moved into them; once they left the radius of the effect, the individual returned immediately to visibility. Ruphos treated Arun, who’d been grievously wounded by the automaton’s assault. The dwarf did not complain, this time, as the cleric channeled healing energy into the stricken paladin. The four of them, trailed by the lumbering automaton, gathered in the center of the hall, where they could see each other free of the invisibility spheres. Mole was continuing to experiment with the device, giving it a variety of commands. The pulverizer was powerful, but unreliable; often it would hesitate or simply stand there for up to half a minute before finally lurching into action. “What should we name it?” Mole asked the others. “How about, ‘smashy?’ You like that, Smashy?” The automaton, of course, did not comment, but Arun, Zenna, and Ruphos shared a concerned look, standing close together and speaking in low voices. “We can assume that the creepers know we’re here, and that they may be preparing an ambush as we speak,” Zenna said. “If they’re not watching us right now... with that invisibility effect, one could be standing right over there and we’d never even know it.” “Well, that one that ordered the golem to attack either fled, or it’s hiding,” Arun said matter-of-factly. “Either way, it’s a coward.” “We can’t underestimate them,” Zenna insisted. “Those tunnels are prefect for a surprise attack, and there’s little we could do to react.” “I’m more worried about our resources,” Ruphos added. “My spells are almost depleted, and we don’t have much more in the way of healing. I have a single potion that Jenya gave me, but it is only good for one treatment.” “Hey, I still have my potion as well,” Mole said, stepping into their circle. “And now that we have Smashy here, perhaps we can take a... [I]different[/I] approach.” The three taller companions exchanged a glance, and looked expectantly at the gnome. [/QUOTE]
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