Episode 127

Sebastian's visage hovers near the dining table, gazing over the piles of research material. "Okay... So... We've determined that whatever this control panel is... It's pretty unique."

Aristespha swirls the dregs of her coffee in her mug and nods slowly. Sebastian drifts his stare over the layered and spread out materials and sighs. "Which makes it likely that it's what we are looking for."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Aristespha winces and wrestles an uneasy frown on her ivory face. "The trouble is how do we even approach this? It would be absolutely insane to try to use the panel when we are not remotely even sure what that would do. That would be outlandishly irresponsible and dangerous."

Glancing over from the kitchen, Bach snorts and shakes his head. "Yeah. If it requires Elder energy, it's obviously going to do something serious. We've yet to find something that requires that kind of power, and it not have the potential to ruin part of the world."

Cideeda's voice bounces out from the doorway leading into the garage. "Haven't heard of any elder energy toasters yet."

Blinking in thought, Bach pulls his gaze away from the comment and furrows his brow. "I mean... Yeah. Don't think any of those exist... Did they exist?"

He curiously eyes Aristespha, seeking an answer. Moments of searching her own mind, Aristespha shrugs back at Bach. "Possibly? There have been sillier things that used Elder energy before the Abstract Prism."

Shaking her head, she focuses back upon the notes before her. "We have to approach this carefully. I do not have a slightest clue what it could-"

Her aetherphone vibrates upon the dining table, and she cocks a surprised stare at it. Picking the device up, she navigates the menus, and her violet eyes scan over the text of a new message. From the archway leading into the hallway, Sotalia steps out with towel wrap over her wet hair and darts her golden eyes between everyone. "Hey, has anyone checked the news? I just got a message from Tassilda."

Aristespha slides her chair back and stands up with her phone in hand. "No... Deedri just sent something to me."

Leaning out from the doorway to the garage, Dretphi holds up her aetherphone. "Trakenthin contacted me."

The team exchange uneasy and tense glances. They all gather around the couch. Aristespha sweeps up the remote from the coffee table and turns on the television. Watching Aristespha flip through channels, Cideeda motion towards the screen. "Try two zero."

After pressing the buttons, the monitor flips to a newscast where a nicely dressed man addresses the audience.

"Early this morning, the GAA responded to a disturbance in the southern regions outside of Amaranth Valley, within the Eagle Rock province. GAA authorities have set up blockades and are restricting the airspace. Our dedicated helicopter team was able to record this video before being escorted out of range."

A video feed appears. The view settles upon a familiar plain surrounded by forest. Zooming in, a massive tower in the middle of the vast field commands attention. Shimmering with magic flow, streaks of energy glitter down numerous channels embedded into ancient stonework. Surrounding the central building, a scattered mess of small structures form an encircling campus, creating a buffer space before huge pillars outlining an imposing wall. Just outside the wall, scattered obelisks pepper the region of overturned dirt mounds and ancient risen platforms.

The shot sways over to a flurry of activity. Groups of lumbering golems stagger towards a GAA defensive line near a recognizable row of rare trees. A single access road guides military vehicles into the fray. Flashes of auto-cannon fire streak across and spray down a golem into a hazy cloud of sparks. Another heavy mech stomps up with blue glows from mounted weaponry lighting up. Balls of plasma burst forth and splash upon the magic etched hull of a golem wandering too close.

The shot shakes about and zooms out completely to a GAA scout helicopter flying up close. The military pilot hand signals, and the feed stops.

"We will keep on bringing you up to date news on this emerging situation."

The team gawks silently. Only occasional blinks interrupt the still stares, motionless towards the television. A hard twitch pulls up Sotalia's upper lip into a pained grimace, and she gasps. "WHAT. THE. FUCK?!"

Curling her clawed fingers towards her palms, Cideeda grits her teeth and bares her pronounced canines, her fluffed out tail wagging erratically. "How the- When did- What could have- This makes no sense!"

Aristespha's violet eyes dart through the racing thoughts in her mind and mouths out phrases that never receive audible words. Dretphi crosses her arms and furrows her brow, fighting off twinges of rage with surges of concentration. Bach plops down upon the couch and sinks back upon the seat. Sebastian drifts down upon the seat next to Bach and gazes blankly ahead.

A spark of fury ignites Sotalia, and she jabs a finger at the screen, her whole body tensing. "NOXIAN! That's the ONLY explanation! Somehow that bastard got there after us! That thing needed elder energy, and he's the only one that would have done THAT!"

Cideeda glances up at Sotalia with her emerald green eyes and combs her hands through her short, multi-colored hair. "But HOW!? How? How did he know about the location... How did he know about the control panel-"

Furrowing her brow incredulously, she sputters out. "How did the GAA get there so quickly?! It's in the middle of fucking nowhere!"

Sotalia seethes, and Cideeda toe claws dig into the floor. Bach glances over towards Sebastian. Moments later, Sebastian meets Bach's gaze. Bach sighs in disbelief, searching his mind. "I think we're beyond asking the what, when, and whys."

Slowly arriving at a nod, Sebastian frowns and narrows his stare. "Yeah, bro. We only got two options right now. We sit back... Or..."

Bach cracks a faint smile. "We do something about it."

Gazing at his brother, a proud grin appears at the corner of Sebastian's mouth. "Yeah. I AGREE."

Staring between the furiously debating Cideeda and Sotalia and the frantically analyzing Aristespha and Dretphi, Bach and Sebastian watch the news broadcast quietly. Bach startles and retrieves his aetherphone from his pants pocket. The notification prompt on screen shows a new message from Chad Bosch. Sebastian draws in a shaky ethereal breath. "Bro, this is huge. We're definitely going to be in over our heads on this one. But... We got to do something."

A thought slamming to the front of his mind, Bach perks up his brow. He turns his head towards Sebastian and grins. "Let's call in some help then."

Bach turns his phone screen towards Sebastian, and the brothers exchange glances. Sebastian searches his mind and grins eagerly. "Yeah. We can't fuck around on his one. Our chances are going to be better with their support."

Pulling in a long breath through his nose, Bach frowns. "I don't want to put them in danger. But... I think Isaac already did that... To everyone."

Sebastian hovers up from his place on the couch and nods at Bach. "Then, let's do this."

He floats up and addresses the team. "Everyone!"

In the lull from the interruption, Sebastian smiles at the group. "To say the least, we're going out there and figuring out how to stop whatever is going on. We don't know what we're facing or what to fully expect. This is BIG."

He motions towards Bach with phone in hand and grins. "I think we need to call in some help on this one, as suggested by my bro. And, we have a group right next door that's capable. Any objections?"

Seconds of quiet later, the team realizes the suggestion. Sotalia cracks a smirk and chuckles. "I'm not going to turn down help in taking down Noxian."

Dretphi nods sternly and straightens her posture. "We should warn them. Will take the assistance."

With no further objections, Sebastian crosses his arms. "Alright. Aristespha, Bach, and Sotalia. Message their team to get ready. Cideeda and Dretphi. We're going to need a point to meet up at that's near the site."

He grits his teeth briefly and cringes with a roll of his translucent blue eyes. "We need to keep away from the GAA. That'd be a mess to sort out... And, we don't have the time for that. I think they're doing a good job keeping everything distracted, so we actually have an element of surprise right now."

Glancing over towards Cideeda and Dretphi, he ponders out loud. "So... Something that's opposite to them and a good launch point. We'll meet up and figure out a plan."

Checking over the gathering, he presents a proud smile. "Anything else?"

With no contest and eager grins around, Sebastian nods. "Okay. This is big. Get everything ready. EVERYTHING."

---

Sneaking up the stairwell, Chad glances back down and anxiously listens. Muffled exchanges between Samantha's voice and someone else sound up, and he steps quickly over to the awaiting team in the hallway. "Well... I tried to convince her to let us go get breakfast first but she's not budging. She wants to get all this filming done today all at once."

Tassilda rests her hands on her hips and sways, a souring sneer twisting her grimace. "Of course, she would. I guess she finally conned enough of the crew to work with her and can't waste it."

Rolling his dark blue eyes, Modoran grits his teeth and wrestles frustration on his dusky bluish gray face. "We are going to have to sneak out."

Deedri gazes up at Modoran, furrowing her brow, and flicks her furry ears with her thoughts. "How many people can you use your invisibility spell on?"

Blinking with a tilt of his head of grayish white hair, Modoran visibly ponders the figures and frowns over the results. "I can manage one other person at a time and it still not be easy to detect. Any more than that, and I can't keep focus enough for the illusion to be useful."

He crosses his arms, shaking his head. "It would take too long to ferry everyone, and it is really tiring."

Trakenthin brushes his hand through his short, dirty blonde hair and twists a grimace from the corner of his mouth. "Need to leave quickly together. Simple plan. Fast results. Get away before they have a chance to follow."

He glances over the team and rolls his hazel eyes. "They are liabilities... Can not risk them tailing us into danger."

Chad draws in a slow breath and slacks his shoulders with grumble. "Yeah, you're right. As much as I think we could outrun them, we can't risk even one stumbling upon the meeting point."

A door nearby quietly cracks open, and a fuzzy ear twitches out. Strands of long pink hair slip out through the widening divide, and Veevi's pink pupils peer out at the debating team. Her ears flick with the bits of drifting information, she searches between her anxiety and tenses briefly. She opens the door, cautiously approaches, and hems. Summoning up her courage, she waits patiently for the group to settle their attention upon her. Meeting their expectant stares, Veevi sighs out her tension and addresses the team. "If you want, I think I can help."

Darting glances bounce between the team. Twinges of hesitation solidify into reservation, and attention shifts over upon Chad. Perking his eyebrow curiously, Chad dons a comforting smile. "Okay. Hey, we appreciate the offer. But, I'm not about to let you join us on this mission, it is too danger-"

Veevi's eyes widen in surprise, and she quickly waves off the notion with an awkward chuckle. "Oh! No! I'm not... An adventurer. You all have that handled without me causing problems. Um..."

A bubbling of confidence pulls her grin, and she poses with a mischievous sparkle in her eye. "I overheard you talking, and you need a distraction, right?"

Watching the interest form from the team, Chad nods intrigued. "Yes. That would help."

An eager lip curl unveils a sharp canine, and Veevi tosses her hair back. She straightens her posture with a sinister smile upon her tan face. Checking her sharp nails, she gazes at the team and quirks her brow. "I was thinking. It has been peaceful and quiet lately. The crews and Samantha aren't expecting anything from me. They've written me off at this point."

She narrows her stare towards the stairwell and cracks an evil grin. "They'd be caught totally off guard if I just happened to have a fully unhinged melt down right now."

Resting her hands on her hips, she shifts her weight and swings her tail with the motion. Slowly returning her gaze to the team, she smiles with a giggle. "I'll direct all my rage at Samantha. Blame her for some random failing in my contract. Maybe force an impromptu renegotiation right there in front of everyone..."

With Deedri, Modoran, Tassilda, and Trakenthin pondering the offer, Chad blinks in surprise and cocks his head uncertainly. "I mean... Yeah. That definitely could work. I, uh, don't want to demand anything you aren't comfortable with and-"

Veevi smiles kindly at Chad and laughs reassuringly. "It's fine. Really. I'm trying to do better. But, it doesn't mean I'm going to forget who I was. Think of it as using those powers for good now."

Tassilda smirks and rolls her light blue on black eyes. "By the gods, I almost would want to see you unload on Samantha."

With a wag of her tail, Deedri cracks an evil grin and perks her furry ears. "Oh, you won't miss it. You'll be able to watch it later, because the crews are going to record every moment. I'm sure of that."

Modoran nods in agreement and glances down the hallway towards Chad's bedroom door. "If we prep our supplies in your room, Chad, we can go out the front windows. I got a spell or two to help us out."

Firming up his stance, Trakenthin narrows his determination. "Lower equipment. Drop down. Rush to the vehicle."

Chad surveys the acceptance from the team and smiles appreciatively at Veevi. "I think that's the best plan we're going to get any time soon. Thanks for doing this, Veevi."

A faint flush fills Veevi's cheeks, and she averts her eyes briefly. "Not a problem. This sounds... And FEELS really important. So..."

She politely motions the group away. "I guess you all need to get ready. Just let me know when to go."

With a scheming wink, Veevi grins slyly. "I'd wait for Samantha and I to start screaming at each other before you do anything. Just to make sure everyone is paying attention to us."

With a signal from Chad, the team rushes to their rooms. They swiftly don their gear and snatch up equipment. Veevi closes her eyes and performs calming breathing exercises. The team migrates over into Chad's bedroom. Tassilda and Modoran gestures out spells. Deedri scouts out open windows, surveying the front lawn. Trakenthin arranges equipment containers and plots out the process. Chad whispers down the hall and waves to Veevi. "We're ready. Are you ready?"

Veevi slowly opens her eyes and smiles at Chad. "Yes."

Chad nods and motions towards the stairs. "You're up."

Veevi turns towards the steps, and Chad directs his voice down the hallway. "Thank you, again, Veevi."

Out of view from Chad, an encouraging smile cracks out from the corner of Veevi's mouth, and a surge of eagerness skips her down the steps.

Chad closes the door and signals the team. Soon, muffled voices resonate from the floor below. Vaguely familiar tones raise each other around a growing argument. Veevi goes all in with a loud indignant scream, and Samantha calls her with an enraged yell. A vicious squabble reverberates from below and permeates up the stairwell.

Spell energy rushes down towards an anchor point in the front yard. Equipment slips down the curtains of flow and lands safely upon the leaf thick lawn. Chad and Trakenthin slip out the windows and slide down the cushioning magical energy, coasting to landfall. Deedri, Tassilda, and Modoran follow after, and the spells dissipate into miasma carried off by the wind.

The team sweeps up containers and rush over to the black sport utility vehicle. Keeping a low profile, they pass the front windows leading into the living room chaos. Veevi's gaze briefly diverts and spots the team making their escape. Summoning up her ire, she releases a frenzied barrage of spite upon Samantha and seizes the full attention of the camera crew.

Chad starts up the SUV and glances over the group. "Everyone buckled up and ready?"

Confirmations later, he snaps his attention ahead. "Okay, last chance to object before we-"

Gerald stares at the team in the black vehicle. Seconds pass in the awkward deadlock between the Flames of the Phoenix and Gerald. Uneasy glances between the team bounce around. Gerald surveys the situation from his vantage point near the side corner of the two story house. A slow grin grows across his face and shrugs his shoulders with a chuckle. With a hoist of his freshly opened beer can, he salutes the team, pours back the brew, and gives them a thumbs up. Chad bows his head respectfully, puts the SUV into reverse, and backs out onto the road.

The team speeds off out of sight, and Gerald enjoys his beer. He pauses a moment, listening to the furious fight trickling out into the airspace, and walks away toward quieter pastures.

---

In the middle of dense tree cover, two teams stand near the hood of the humvee. Sebastian hovers over and motions over a sketched out map. "Everything is pointing to a rush towards the center."

Chad nods, his brown eyes darting between the rough drafts, and frowns slightly. "Yeah. A slow and methodical approach will put us in more danger."

Peering through the tree line, he stares out towards the upturned mounds, rough passages, and raised platforms in the vast plains down the ridge. "It looks like we have plenty of room to maneuver with our vehicles. And... It looks clear enough."

Sebastian gazes over at a lineup observing the distant activity in the open region. "Any updates?"

Gradually adjusting her binoculars with a claw tip on the knob, Cideeda flicks her furry ears and grimaces her light brown face. "Nothing new. The GAA are keeping these security golems, I guess, busy. They are really sluggish."

Next to Cideeda, Trakenthin pivots the aim of his binoculars over and tilts his head down. "Still powerful when they do attack. Long recharges."

Studying the brief exchanges of GAA and golems on the opposite side of the plains, both Sotalia and Tassilda peer through optic spells with quiet, deliberative frowns. Tilting her head of raven black hair to the side, Tassilda perks up her eyebrow. "They do go down, but we certainly can't hold back."

Sotalia twists an annoyed grimace on her light tan face and shakes her head. "I know. I haven't seen any sign of a weakness. They're walking tanks."

Waving off the spell between her hands, she cracks a confident grin towards Tassilda and chuckles eagerly. "I guess we'll just have to hit them with our most powerful spells."

A competitive spark lights up Tassilda's light blue on black gaze, and she smirks slyly. "Oh no. Whatever shall we do?"

The two turn around and focus back onto the gathering near the humvee. Sotalia adjusts her cloak and shrugs her shoulders. "We need to hit them hard and fast. No weaknesses. But, thankfully, nothing that special from them."

Walking away from the line up watching the vast, disjointed plain, Bach scratches the back of his head and stops next to the humvee. "I get the feeling they're not fully powered up."

Dretphi glances over at Bach from charting out the map further and cocks her head curiously. "Any tactics demonstrated?"

Bach blinks in thought. "Not really. Other than lumber towards something in the area and shoot it?"

He shifts his gaze over towards Cideeda and Trakenthin. "You all see them use any kind of tactics?"

Trakenthin shakes his head of dirty blonde hair and curls an unamused frown. "No. Simple reactions."

Lowering her binoculars down, Cideeda furrows her brow and darts her emerald green gaze at Bach. "Those cyber-zombies from a few months ago had more going on than these things. And, they seem to be set against the GAA forces, right now."

Meeting Bach's returning gaze, Sebastian's ethereal visage grimaces and crosses his arms. "That'll give us the best opportunity we're going to get."

He lands on the ground next to Chad and lifts his brow. "So, ride as fast as possible, minimum engagement, and just try to get through one of those wall archways?"

Chad crosses his arms, straightening his posture, and studies the map. He glances through the thin canopy of bare branches at the towering structure rising out of the center of the vast field. Returning his attention back towards the meeting, he sighs with a reserved smile. "Yeah. That's all I got. It's only a few kilometers, but it's going to be a wild ride."

Modoran steps over nonchalantly and observes distant flickers of suppressive fire from the GAA. He twists his mouth and nervously chuckles. "They got armor over there. What do we have?"

Team members exchange glances, seeking an answer. Aristespha tosses back her silvery blue hair and tips her head up. "I have protective barrier spells I can layer upon our vehicle, and Bach is backup."

Deedri perks up her furry ears and grins confidently. "I can do similar spells. I wouldn't recommend going head first into anything, but it'll soften a direct hit."

Her furry ears droop, and she struggles keeping a bold smile, her auburn eyes averting awkwardly. "And that's one direct hit. If I get some time to flow more energy, I can be ready for another attack."

Blinking her violet eyes, Aristespha twists an uneasy smirk and sighs, her confidence waning. "The same for me. It's incredibly taxing."

Chad and Sebastian exchange glances. Both signal everyone close. With a few hand motions between each other, Sebastian urges Chad to speak first. Drawing in a long breath, Chad addresses the congregation. "Okay. With everything we know, the fast approach along a route with the least golems around is the best plan we have. Avoid attacking unless necessary and focus on getting to the center."

Confirming the pause from Chad, Sebastian picks up the conversation. "We know there's security golems lumbering around. There may be other things. Hopefully, if we keep our presence less hostile than the GAA, there's a chance we might seem like the lesser targets and use that to our advantage."

He frowns firmly. "We probably got one shot at this. So... Don't. Hold. Back. Once we get through the walls, we're entering unknown territory. The goal is to ride for as long as possible and find Noxian. After that..."

Shrugging his shoulders, he dons a hopeful grin. "Well... We'll improvise."

A heavy silence weighs down and cements the severity. Chad presents a reassuring smile and stands tall. "Together we can make this happen. We just have to be careful and smart about it."

He taps upon the map on the hood of the humvee and directs attention upon their marked position. "We ride out together and keep close. That way we can help shield and cover each other."

Sebastian nods in agreement and gauges the crowd. "Any objections? Speak now."

With a quiet agreement from the assembly, he smiles proudly and waves over to the map. "Good. Let's figure out a few routes and backups."

---

Late morning sun beams down upon the tall grasses swaying the breeze. Faint gunfire echoes in the distance. An engine roars out from the forest along with a powerful turbine whine filling in the gaps. A chorus of wooden snaps and harsh rustles flood the air. A black sports utility vehicle and an ancient humvee plow through thick shrubs and send brush toppling off to the side. The two machines bound off the slight bumps and launch down the long incline. With a final leap, both vehicles steer towards their goal. Carving wild paths through the tall grasses, the humvee lines up on the right side of the SUV and pushes through the waves of the paling green sea. Both Cideeda and Chad grip steering wheels, keeping on track with each hidden dip and bump beneath the flow of overgrowth. Flickers of magic ripple from the fronts and sides of the machines, an unending torrent of yellowing grass tops smacking into metal.

Jetting above the two groups, Sebastian zips high above and surveys the paths between huge mounds of upended earth, obelisks, and ancient platforms. His visage darts back down through the humvee, and he calls out inside the cab. "The first part of the run is clear, but in a few hundred meters there's a golem off to the side."

Chad's voice crackles out from an aetherphone speakerphone in the cab. "Keep to the other side and see if it leaves us alone?"

Sebastian nods towards the emerald green eyes reflected in the rear view mirror. "Yes. But, get ready. If it pays us any attention, take it down."

Glancing over from the black SUV, Chad grants a nod towards Sebastian and his voice sounds out in the humvee's cab. "Affirmative."

The humvee's top hatch slides open, and Sotalia rises up through the portal. She stabilizes herself with her hands upon the roof, and Dretphi firmly holding her waist. Glancing over, Sotalia watches Tassilda pop out through the open sunroof. During a hard bump Tassilda tenses and grips onto the supporting arms of Trakenthin and Modoran. Windows roll down, and Bach and Trakenthin prime their pistols.

Sebastian darts out ahead of the pair of vehicles, coasting high above the passage through the obstacles, and searches the area. He spots the standing golem down the way. The teams divert away from the ancient machination. Sebastian narrows his glare down at the golem and keeps ahead of the vehicles. The humanoid golem shudders and sways its weight down upon a rocky boot. Its rigid upper torso shakily rotates, and flutters of magical energy radiate into a rune etched barrel at the end of one arm. Sebastian flares up his ghostly form and shouts out with a point. "OPEN FIRE!"

Both Sotalia and Tassilda deftly gesture through incantations, and flows of magic spiral into forming energy between their hands. With quick glances, both countdown. The golem raises its arm towards the humvee. Two beams of prismatic energy slam into the magical mech. Burrowing into the layers of armor, the melting forces sink into the stone behemoth. The golem tips back, and a volley of plasma bolts push it past its center of gravity. The SUV's and humvee's wheels bounce when the humanoid mass splashes into the flowing tall grass.

Both vehicles turn down a passage, drifting with the momentum, and another golem stomps out from the cover of a distant obelisk. Sebastian calls it out, and both rides veer from a collision course. The magical monster sluggishly swings its charging weapon towards the teams. Streaks appear in the air, and loud cracks echo out. The golem shakes with each electromagnetic round impact and spews forth magical sparks. Two balls of energy cut through the dissipating vapor trails and slam into the rocky giant. Powerful bursts erupt into concussive waves, rippling out upon the grass tops. Another heavy slam rattles the land.

Steering around mounds of debris, the SUV and humvee settle back on course and turn down a corridor between risen platforms. The grass fades into patches near scattered piles of dirt, and the sun glints off of smooth stonework under the tires. The stillness and peace of the passage infuses fresh new paranoia in the teams.

Panels from the raised magitech platforms spring open. Groups of hovering magic tech drones spew forth. The tailed, ovoid machines zip menacingly, leading with bulky arms of destructive utility tools. Cideeda narrows her emerald green eyes briefly and springs them wide open in surprise. "What the hell are those- They have saws and drills?!"

From an aetherphone in the cab, Chad's voice crackles out. "Why would the defense system send maintenance drones after us?! The fuck?!"

Bach darts through the rush of thoughts in his mind and grits his teeth. "Shit! It might not be fully automated. Someone must have activated them!"

Both blinking in surprise, Sotalia and Tassilda exchange stares, motion out spell gestures to each other, and agree. Swiftly going through a series of incantations, both summon up surges of magical flows into their hands and aim their power above. Volleys of bolts zip chaotically towards the swarm and crash into a few. Streaks of prismatic energy coils through the air, sharply turn, and burrow through targets. Vapor trails crack into existence behind gauss rounds along with plasma pellets scattering into the mess. Drones tumble out of the mass and crash into fiery piles upon the passage floor. Both Tassilda and Sotalia continue feverish sprays of spells into the approaching swarm. In their furies, they thin the horde to a few stranglers. Summoning up their energies, Sotalia and Tassilda coordinate fire upon the last batch. Bolts and streaks tear the drones into flaming metal carcasses, trailing smoke behind. In the moment of victory, mental math from all calculates the trajectory of the falling machines. Sebastian shouts out. "TAKE COVER!"

Dretphi catches Sotalia, dropping down from the humvee hatch, and Modoran swiftly pulls Tassilda clear from the SUV's sunroof. A maintenance drone splatters upon the hood of the SUV. Another crashes upon the roof of the humvee and tumbles into pieces off the back. Shimmers of magical flow radiate out upon the surfaces of the vehicles, and Aristespha and Deedri feel the strain. A hail of machine pieces rain down along, and explosions from dead drones pepper shards out through the area. Cideeda brakes hard, swings the steering wheel to the right, and forces the humvee around a cluster of smoldering machinery. Chad darts the SUV around one pile and slips around another fiery mass.

The teams form back up, turning sharply back towards the central tower. Sebastian materializes back into the cab of the humvee and glances around at the team. "Is everyone okay?"

Sotalia crawls back into her front seat panting. "I am... I just need a minute. That was a lot at once."

Sebastian nods and calls out towards the aetherphone mounted on the front dash. "Chad? Everything good?"

Chad's voice crackles out. "We're good here, too. That was WILD."

Relaxing his shoulders, Sebastian shakes his head. "Yeah. We're getting pretty close. There's probably a few other surprises-"

He catches the glint of something from the shadowy alleys between the surrounding raised platforms. "WATCH OUT!"

A fiery mass of blue-white splashes over the front of the humvee. The magical field warps away from the metal, and Aristespha winces in the sudden strain. Sucking in a tense breath, her violet eyes flash brighter, and the protective barrier latches back. "Gods! What was that?!"

Dretphi snatches up her rifle, drops her visor, and stands up through the hatch, chambering a round. Quickly spotting her target, she braces herself and pulls the trigger. A bright eruption of sparks blows out near a corner, the loud report echoing off all the hard stone surfaces around. A smaller bipedal golem flops onto the ground. Readying for the next shot, Dretphi grimaces with rage trickling into her voice. "More golems. Small ones."

Another humanoid machine peeks around another corner ahead. Dretphi swings her rifle around, and a streak of magic darts across, railing into the smaller golem. Dretphi glances over and spots Modoran in the SUV sunroof nearby. Modoran grants a quick nod and nocks another arrow. Between rifle reports and silent streaks, a few ambushing golems manage lining up their attacks. Balls of blue-white energy vent out magical barrels. Defensive driving leads the parties into safer positions. Chance guides a number of attacks close. The fiery chaos coats the vehicles, straining the barriers. Projectiles from other defensive golems spark along the sides of the humvee and SUV.

Dretphi ejects a magazine and grabs the next from down in the cab. A small squad of leaner golems appear at the ready. A hail of projectiles ripple upon the defensive barrier. Dretphi manages a reload in time, ducking down. "Incoming!"

A volley of energy orbs erupt and burn off the magical barrier. Aristespha flops back into her seat in a daze. Sebastian worriedly glances over to her. "Dear! You okay?"

Aristespha shudders, holding the temples of her head. "Yes. I just- I- I could not hold it."

Returning her full attention towards the passage ahead, Cideeda tenses, her emerald eyes springing wide open, and her claws dig into the wheel. "They're running towards us!"

Bach holsters his pistol and slaps his hands down upon the floorboard of the cab. With a brilliant flash of bright blue from his eyes, a surge of flow rushes into the humvee. A golden hexagonal barrier materializes from the front bumper and spreads out, forming a protective plow. Cideeda desperately aims for a clear path and braces herself. "HOLD ON!"

A human sized golem lunges out at the humvee. It crashes upon the golden barrier and bounces over the vehicle. Another bipedal machine dives low. The humvee pitches up violently and slams harshly down. A sparking spray of stone segments tumble out behind. Chad glances over from the SUV, and his voice crackles out. "You guys okay?!"

Sebastian checks over the team picking themselves up and settling back in their seats. "Looks like it. But, we're not in the best shape at the moment."

Chad nods and calls out over the radio. "We'll take lead. Give you all a chance to recover."

Granting a quick nod, Sebastian smiles appreciatively. "Thanks."

The SUV takes the lead down the chaotic passage. Modoran sinks arrows into targets, and Dretphi sends anti-material rounds down range through enemies. Trakenthin covers with volleys from his Gauss pistol. Smaller security golem attacks slip through and pelt the SUV with impunity, magical projectiles pinging off barriers. Sebastian zips ahead and spots a final wave near the end of the segment. With Sebastian pointing out the attackers, they blind spray around the corners. The rounds spark off the wavering magic barrier. Modoran looses an arrow, spots incoming energy balls, and reflexively drops down, yelling out. "GET DOWN!"

Dretphi follows through, and the volley burns over the SUV, melting off the protective field along with most of the paint. Chad squints through a blackened windshield, wipers streaking sections clear. Another blind fire barrage bounces around the passageway. A cacophony of loud metal thunks, pings, and clanks resound from the front of the SUV. Lights flood the dash in a rainbow of warnings, and new erratic noises challenge the harmony of the engine. Chad glances around and calls out. "Everyone okay?"

Trakenthin and Tassilda inspect themselves and each other. Modoran pats himself and quickly checks on a dazed Deedri. "I'm okay. Deedri?"

Deedri winces back to awareness. "I'm fine. Just... Gods, I lost the spell... I'm sorry."

Modoran reassures Deedri with a side hug, nodding his head to hers. Sebastian's ethereal tone sounds out from Chad's aetherphone. "Chad! Is everyone okay?"

Chad fights against a frown. "Yes. But, our ride took a hit or a few. I don't think she's going to make it."

Cideeda's voice crackles in. "You don't have long. I smell every bad thing possible coming from it."

Sebastian's ghostly visage phases into the cab of the SUV, and he glances over the dash light spectrum flickering chaotically. "SHIT. Chad, do you need to ride with us?"

Chad grits his teeth, shaking his head, and sighs in defeat. "No. We can't slow you down. We need to get as far as this thing will take us back and get clear this shit show."

He grins at Sebastian and nods respectfully. "We've done all we can."

Sebastian bows back and smiles proudly. "We got this. Thanks for the help. Now, get the fuck outta here and get to safety."

Sebastian's form dissipates. The SUV steers away from the humvee and turns around, skidding with the momentum. Sebastian reappears in the humvee. "They're heading out. Just hope they can get to the treeline."

Bach, Dretphi, and Sotalia watch the black vehicle race back through the cleared route, a faint trail smoke forming behind. Turning their attention ahead, the sun shines upon the tall walls around the campus surrounding the massive tower. Cideeda points out towards the massive archway ahead. "We're almost there. We just got to keep-"

Arcs of energy ignite the top of the walls. Pulses of magical flow fire up stout flow channels in the huge support pillars. A slow wave of translucent energy waterfalls down the towering wall face. Bach squints briefly. "That doesn't look good. That looks like a barrier coming down!"

A massive figure steps into view from a side passage, Sotalia mutters out. "Oh. That's big."

The huge humanoid golem stomps out, pivots in place, and stands imposingly. Cideeda eases up the accelerator and darts her emerald green eyes around. "Shit, I don't see another route around."

Dretphi grins menacingly at the target. She rushes to the back of the humvee and grabs hold of something heavy. From the hatch of the humvee, Dretphi hoists up the minigun and yells out. "Keep it steady!"

She primes, arms, and readies. The huge golem adjusts its aim.

A barrage of mass chisels off chunks of finely engraved stone. Dretphi's whole body tenses against the rippling shocks coursing through her armored form. She muscles the constant line of rounds and paints exploratory bullets across the stonework beast. A stream of projectiles punch through weak spots and spill forth into tender internals. The final bullet leaves the barrel, and the last belt link falls. The huge golem stands still in front of a distant backdrop of the descending barrier. An erratic flicker pulses across the golem's form. The rigid stance wavers into an unsteady sway. The massive magical machine tips to the side. An explosive boom launches forth a wave of debris.

Cheers sound out from inside the cab, and Dretphi grins triumphantly. The humvee speeds around the downed golem and powers towards the final straightway to the archway. With the team collecting themselves, a panel opens up in another large stonework platform and another swarm of maintenance drones erupt forward. Sebastian spots the approaching mass. "OH SHIT. REALLY?!"

A deep, loud shriek reverberates in the skies above. Sebastian and Bach search instinctively overhead. Fast, booming pulses resonate. Streaks of prismatic energy hail down. The barrage of beams home in and spear drones into molten craters. A draconic shadow casts down upon the humvee, coast swiftly over. Bach's aetherphone rings, and he quickly turns on the speakerphone. Kaleb's voice calls out from the other side of the call. "So, what do you guys need from us?"

Bach grins excitedly and stares ahead at the descending curtain of energy approaching the archway. "If you can somehow disrupt that barrier coming down, that'd be great!"

Kaleb calls out through the speakerphone. "Well, I'll try shooting it. That's all I got."

Flying close towards the walls, Lagi levels off and steadies his speed. Kaleb observes the falling magical veil and grimaces uncertainly with his particle power blaster in hand. "Any suggestion where?"

Bach's voice crackles over Kaleb's helmet intercom. "Try above the archway and work upwards."

Kaleb nods understandingly and pats Lagi's shoulder. "You heard the man. Line up for a pass for that archway they're driving towards."

Lagi clicks to confirm and navigates into an approach. Kaleb readies his blaster, takes aim, and pulls the trigger. A few shots sink into the descending waterfall and ripple out disruptively. Kaleb ponders a moment and studies this weapon. Bach's voice sounds out. "That seemed to work a little. Can you do anything more powerful? We're still too far and tapped out."

Kaleb pauses in thought and catches Lagi glancing back at him. He grits his teeth briefly, hissing in a long breath, and nods resolutely. Checking his seating on the saddle, he cranks up the power dial on the particle blaster to full. "Lagi... Let's go for another slow pass. It's going to get rough."

Lagi blinks his bright green eyes and cocks his head, a high-pitched hum from the blaster catching his attention. Flapping his wings, Lagi darts around and sets up the approach. Kaleb secures an arm in safety straps, braces his other tensed arm against his side, and tightens his grip on the blaster. They close in on the target archway, and he laughs eagerly. "Don't tell Shadeesa I did this!"

A constant pulsing stream of charged blasts rip through the air. The explosive bolts of energy splash into the lowering veil. The field bubbles with each strike and blows out sections into plumes of miasma. The curtain divides at the impacts and staggers with the bombardment. The humvee closes the distance. Kaleb winces in agony, the punishing recoil railing his elbow into ribs. His muscles struggle to steady the blaster and keep him in the saddle.

The team speeds closer to the archway. Kaleb strains against the blaster, keeping it firing on target. With an accidental shift in the saddle, his elbow slips off his ribs and behind his back. A muffled pop follows a blast. The weapon ceases and dangles from a safety line. Kaleb lays forward and gasps in shock, his arm flopping limply upon Lagi's blue black scaled side. Pulling away from the target, Lagi worriedly chitters and chirps. Kaleb collects himself between gulps of air and pained snorts and grins against the agony. "Light it up, Lagi! Make grandpa proud!"

In the cab of the humvee, Cideeda guns the humvee down a clear straight away. "SHIT! I don't know if we'll make it through."

Bach calls out into his aetherphone. "Kaleb?! What happened?! Are you two okay?"

Kaleb cackles confidently. "LOOK OUT!"

A large dark shadow briefly shades the vehicle. The team gawks ahead. Torrents of magical flow pulse across Lagi's wings and body and swirl to a central point in his gaping maw. A radiant orb of blue-white energy swells. Flapping his two pairs of wings, Lagi hovers in place in front of the archway and aims his mouth ahead. A column of plasma erupts forth, splashing upon the ancient wall above the archway. Swinging his head up, Lagi drags the molten beam higher and slices through the descending magical curtain. The flood of plasma parts the veil, and the plumes of heat billow it off the surface of the wall. Lagi swings the spray side to side, ripping up and tearing off layers of the barrier waterfall, flinging shredded magic energies off molten stonework.

The humvee speeds through the archway, and the last blue white flames fade from Lagi's maw. In a rush of power, the barrier anchors into the ground and seals the entry.

---

Speeding through the debris of the recent fighting, Chad swerves around a flaming drone pile up. The failure lights on the dash frantically blink, and a chorus of alarms ring off. Glancing down at the garbled errors on console display, Chad summons up a brave smile against his clenched jaw. He stares ahead at the darkening smoke swirling with the white steam venting from under the hood, and cringes at a new metallic clang joining the chaotic symphony. He pulls in a hissing breath and mumbles. "Just a little farther-"

A bang shakes the vehicle, and the engine sputters dead. Tassilda blinks in shock. "Oh gods, what was that?!"

Chad muscles the steering wheel, the SUV coasting along. "Piston, rod, valve... Just anything, at this point."

The vehicle slows to stop upon the stonework floor between upturned earth and raised ancient platforms, in the middle of smoldering combat debris. Chad glances over his shoulder. "We're going to have to go on foot. The tall grass isn't that far away. Once we get there, we should be hidden enough to rush to the treeline."

The team scrambles for their belongings and gets ready to disembark. Modoran checks out the back window. His dark blue eyes spring open in fright. "We have a PROBLEM."

The team follows Modoran's point down the corridor. Golems of all sizes step out from side routes, pivot, and march towards the SUV. Trakenthin darts his hazel eyes between the approaching enemies. "We are the only target nearby."

Pulling out his laser pistol, Chad unbuckles his seat belt and motions to the open sunroof. "I'll distract them. They're probably after the SUV, since it's a big target. I'll keep firing to keep their attention-"

Tassilda rolls her light blue on black eyes and grips Chad's shoulder tightly. "NONE of THAT. We can figure a way out of this together."

Narrowing a determined stare at Chad, Deedri frowns sharply with a scolding hint in her tone. "Don't you split from us and try to do that heroic sacrifice shit. There's a way... We got illusion spells we can use to hide long enough to get clear and-"

The cab darkens. A rush of air gusts into the space, and the bewildered team searches around. A powerful, loud shriek echoes just overhead. Chad gazes up through the sunroof in utter disbelief. "You've got to be kidding-"

Lagi drops down and lands on the black sports utility vehicle. Scrambling for grip under the flexing metal, he scratches around the quarter panels. His claws curl around and into the wheels. Kaleb leans over from his saddle and calls down through the sunroof. "HEY! My friends told me you all might need some help out of here. Hang on a moment. Lagi's got this."

A pulse of green lights up Lagi's eyes and flow radiates out through his body. Surges of energy burst forward along his four wings and rush down his legs and arms. The blue black scaled dragon roars out, prismatic waves rushing out of him. His wings pitch up and slam down. Torrents of wind launch heavy debris meters away. Powerful flaps press shock waves of flow swirling into downward gusts of air. The Lagi rises into the air and hoists up the battered and beaten SUV. Flapping furiously, he gains forward momentum and climbs up into the skies. The eager dragon shrieks out in triumph. Chad and Tassilda grip the dash wide eyed. Trakenthin maintains a stoic stare ahead despite the crushing grip on the overhead cab handles. Deedri and Modoran hold onto each other, with Modoran catching the excited grin winning out over the fright on Deedri's fair face.

---

Behind a defensive perimeter, GAA forces rush forth, preparing for the next assault. Specialist Thayal calls out, snapping the aim of his binoculars towards a distant target. "Captain! Sergeant! We've got incoming!"

Sergeant Violet firmly addresses Thayal, fighting her confusion. "What? Where? The golems fell back a while ago."

Energetically pointing to the sky, Thayal rushes towards the access road and yells out. "Dragon with a vehicle! He's on approach towards the road! CLEAR THE RUNWAY!"

Sergeant Violet gawks, and Lagi coasts down with the SUV beneath him. Captain Hackle perks his eyebrow in honest surprise and cracks an amused smile. "WELL."

Slowing down to a low altitude, GAA crews running clear, Lagi releases the SUV upon the road and glides down to a soft landing upon a grassy spot. Moments of uncomfortable silence later, The Flames of the Phoenix depart their vehicle. Chad steadies himself back on his two feet, recovering his senses. Pivoting around, he surveys the wrecked machine. He stares at the fatal damage upon the SUV and snorts. "Well... They finally did it. They killed my fucking car."

Trakenthin walks up and pats Chad on the shoulder with a commiserating grimace. Nearby, Kaleb manages to release himself from his safety harness with his working arm and slides off onto the grass. He pokes Lagi and grins through his pain. "You okay?"

Lagi clicks and chirps between pants and snorts. Kaleb nods and sits back down, cradling his arm. "Good... Good. Now, if I can just figure out how to explain my dislocated shoulder-"

An aetherphone chime rings out. Kaleb pats around his pockets with a distant stare. Lagi glances over, blinking, and grumbles out. "Uh. Oh."

Kaleb holds the device out and dons his most innocent smile, the video call connecting. "We're okay."

Shadeesa's green on black eyes stare out from the screen through Kaleb's very being. The heavy silence crushes down any hope for words. The moments pass. A long exhale later, Shadeesa softens her gaze and smiles warmly. "I love you."

Kaleb grins. "I love you, too."

He awkwardly averts his eyes and nervously chuckles. "How did you know that I-"

Shadeesa narrows her eyes and tilts her head of dark green hair with a smirk on her light gray face. "News helicopter caught you diving in from above."

She perks her eyebrow at a detail through the call. "Did you do something to your arm?"

Briefly averting his gaze, Kaleb swallows his pride and tips his head down with his embarrassment. "I dislocated it while... Running the blaster at full power."

Narrowing her glare, Shadeesa contains her aggravation. "Do I need to take you to a clinic?"

Searching around at the Flame of the Phoenix and the gathering GAA forces, he chuckles between pained winces. "How about I ask around, first? I'm sure they got medical mages around here."

Shadeesa frowns with a hint of humor. "GOOD. Need you in good enough shape to handle Cassidy tomorrow."

Off to the side, Captain Hackle steps between all the chaotic activity. His attention wanders through the flurry and spots Chad standing near the wrecked SUV. Walking up, he stands up straight and stares over at Chad. "Could I have a moment of your time? I'd like to ask some questions..."

Chad stiffens his posture and blinks wide-eyed, slowly pivoting around. "Uh... Yes, sir..."