The village was burning.
Orange licked at wooden beams and smoke swarmed the houses, driving the villagers from their homes. Their cries carried over the empty fields that surrounded Hill’s End, all the way to the Echoed Wood on its north and east sides, and to the coast of its south and west. In these fields, long shadows sprawled over the soft grass, dimming as the shrouded figure strode further and further from the bonfires behind him.
The figure paused halfway towards the woodland. He seemed to be searching for someone, or something. The dense midnight mists still clung to the grounds, yet they swirled suddenly, a few meters away in the darkness, causing the figure to tilt its head, as though listening. Slowly and steadily, he turned, barely silhouetted against the distant orange flickering of the village, and raised a single arm. Click.
A large shadow suddenly flew from the misty darkness at the figure’s left. Rapidly it turned, tried to manoeuvre its arm towards its attacker, yet it was quickly knocked away and the readied dart flew away into the darkness. The figure rolled with the onslaught, falling to its knees and using the momentum of the beast to push its overhead and dive away. Sliding to a stop, the figure flipped up onto the curved blades that formed its legs. In the moment, the figure’s hood had fallen to reveal a face of metal, a singular yellow eye staring out into the darkness.
The lumbering beast was slowing from its charge now, coming to a steady halt and preparing for another attack. Estimated length: 9.76 feet. Estimated weight: 989 lbs. Creature designation: […] unknown. Further analysis required. The calculations were made swiftly as the yellow bulb continued its unblinking stare. The threadbare cloak that adorned the robot’s body blew gently as a soft wind manifested in the plains, revealing the scratched and wartorn body beneath. The creature had completed its turn now, and was padding delicately towards the robot. As it neared, Poly slowly began side-stepping the creature, so as not to startle it.
With the two now circling each other, Poly was able to position himself between the beast and the village, and in doing so managed to utilise the light of the fires behind him to better observe his opponent. It had the face of a human, though it was blotchy and warped with bestial intent and savagery. It starred out of the wild mane of a lion, matted and patchy. The rest of its body was similarly shared with that of a lion’s, aside from two enormous and scaly wings that sprouted from its back, and were at present unfurling. Visual input effective. Designation: manticore. The manticore grimaced, baring its teeth at the robot who remained inert, even as a grungy, black liquid seeped from its mouth, staining its lower jaw.
With a roar it suddenly charged forward, black and red wings billowing decisively and lifting its body off the ground, giving it enough height just before it began crashing down stoop Poly. Diving to one side, Poly rolled through the damp grass, springing up with ease and in one swift motion withdrew the greatsword he kept sheathed between the metal plates that helped form its back. Swiftly, he sprang forward, his blades stilts affording him great dexterity on the battlefield. He swung low and hard, aiming to hinder the manticore’s own movement by removing one of its paws; yet the beast reared up onto its hind legs, and the blade soared underneath harmlessly. As it reached the apex of its bound, the manticore swiped at Poly, who lunged backwards to evade the three-inch talons, only to be met with a blow to his side that sent him flying into the dirt as the beast’s spiked tail slammed into him. Assessing … assessment complete: hull uncompromised. Assessment: leto stratagem ineffective. Formulating new stratagem … recommendation: Hadrian-ellis hybrid. Poly steadily rose, but the manticore was faster than he had calculated, and he was quickly knocked back into the dirt by the weight of the creature bearing down on him. Closer to its face now, Poly could distinctly see its human features, though its visual appearance was its only similarity to the Race of Man. Its eyes were the worst, crazed and blood-shot. It snarled at him again, revealing its mouth filled with rows of razor sharp teeth, opening further and descending lower. Danger imminent.
As the creature tried to clamp its jaws around Poly’s head his arms thrust themselves around its rows of teeth, desperately trying to hold them apart. Strength capacity overload. Current defensive capabilities unsustainable. Poly’s arms shook with the effort it was taking to prevent the beast from removing his head, but the jaws grew closer with each passing second. More of the black gunk dripped from the recesses of its throat and landed on Poly’s upper chest. Tsss, the acidic touch began instantly corroding his outer armour as alert flashed through Poly’s mind. Warning: hull breached. Warning: energy levels at 68.51% capacity. Emergency evasive strategy implemented.
Poly’s body suddenly coursed with electricity, sending wave after wave into the manticore, which reeled back in pain, howling. Poly lurched forward, sitting upright and raised his left arm, open-palm, and fired three bolts in quick succession. Fkt! Fkt! Fkt! The first pierced the manticore’s still unfolded wings, tearing a small gash and causing the creature to retreat several paces. The second went wide, missing its head by several inches. The third nestled its way into the creature’s open mouth. Its gargled roar of anger and pain echoed over the plains, reaching the still burning village. Energy levels: 36.53% capacity. Poly observed its sorrowful retches as it tried to remove the splinter from its throat, as he stood, using the hilt of his weapon as an aid. With a deep gargled splutter, the manticore finally loosened the bolt and it retched it to the ground where it rested, half-eaten by and covered in the acidic goo.
Poly advanced, sword clutched between his two hands, ready towing. The manticore padded backwards slowly, its eyes never leaving the robot. It swiped feabley at the air when it sensed Poly was getting too close, until it suddenly stopped, and closed its eyes. Assessment: target wounded and weakened. Further assault unlike– The manticore’s mouth snapped open, spewing yellow flames in a wide arch, error! Unknown element. Fire breath incompatible with target’s designation. Designation: … unknown. He darted backwards, lurching his body away from the heat. Sensing fear, the manticore pursued; to its folly. Polly pushed off from his back leg, jabbing the greatsword forward into the beast’s body. It let out a whelp of pain and swiped blindly with its paws, catching Poly off-guard and tearing off a large portion of its armour, and crumpling some of the endo-skeleton that formed his arm, causing him to drop the greatsword, which remained embedded in the creature’s side. The manticore advanced, unfurling its wings once more and taking to the night sky.
Poly pursued, desperate to prevent its return to the village, for the cause of the fires was now clear. His gilded blades afforded him additional speed, and before the beast could ascend too high, he jumped grabbing onto the manticore’s spiked tail. The beast whirled quickly, flinging the robot free and sending him crashing to the ground. It released another volley of fire, yet Poly quickly evaded it.
Rolling, Poly found purchase on hard stone and once more raised his arm to fire. Error. Integrated firing mechanism inoperable. The manticore had flinched with the raising of the arm, but finding no assault, dove towards Poly, flicking its tail out from its advantaged position in the sky, sending a barrage of spikes shooting towards him, with the creature not far behind. Evasive maneuvers employed. Poly dived backwards, turning 90 degrees so as to prevent a smaller target and crashed into the ground, quickly rolling to the side. Thud! Thud! Thud! Several large spikes pierced the ground in front of him. Thk thk! Two more nestled themselves between Poly’s shoulder plates. Warning: energy levels: 19.61% capacity. Attempting to stand, Poly found his arm mechanisms were locked where the tail spikes had pierced his armour. Reaching up, he roughly pulled the splinters from his armour. Sparks flew, yet he could once more. Dexterity levels drastically compromised. The manticore was gaining ever closer, its wings furiously beating as it neared its weakened prey. Formulating new stratagem … Grasping the tail spike, Poly pulled back his remaining good arm and waited. Closer and closer. 45, 40, 35, 30 … stratagem employed. Poly launched the tail spike forward, whistling through the air until it landed, right in the manticore’s eye.
The inhuman shriek of pain echoed across the field, and Poly began running. The manticore dipped, much closer to the ground now, barely 10ft above the grassy fields, with purely its momentum keeping it airborne. Poly leapt up as the manticore began passing over him, grabbing the hilt of his greatsword and pulling down on it hard, tearing through the flesh of the manticore’s body until the sword was positioned upwards. Digging his feet into the ground as he landed, Poly dragged the sword lengthways across the underbelly of the beast, spilling blood and guts over the grass as the beast flew over him, before the blade freed itself and the manticore crashed to the ground behind him.
Poly crouched, turning to observe the body of his foe sliding to a stop. He stood and began walking towards it, observing its hind legs twitching as the life drained from them. Wearily, the robot limped over to its adversary, and raised its greatsword aloft. The sickened creature looked up with anger and pain. Black goo was oozing from every orifice, merging with the blackened blood and now congealing in the mud. Stratagem successful. The sword sung once more.
As sunlight crested the hills, a lonely, battered old soldier began limping his way back towards the village. Perhaps they could use some help rebuilding their village, and maybe he could find a tinkerer there too to help with his wounds.
Samuel D. Capper 