Painted Grey, Part 1

What did the mines have, if anything? Where did the ores go? Were there still ultrantulas roaming about that place?

Thoughts like this had put Tholan back on the path to answer questions that the community reechoed. Today, it was literal; he was granted leave by Garrold to check the mines, maybe see if there was anything to salvage there for the people. He made sure that Lindia was comfortable before going; she had been a bit more sporadic, especially when she transformed at night uncontrollably, but he attributed such to stress from the pregnancy. It had been three months, and she would be needing to cut down on her workload. He was about to head out when Merchen came to him. "I'm coming with you!" he boldly exclaimed, holding a spear of his own design.

"Merchen, this is just a short patrol, and I can get it done faster alone."

Merchen did not agree to the disagreement. "Tholan, Hommock is dead. Trentil is dead. I have no one left but you. If I lose you, too..."

Tholan sighed. The call for new blood was upon them, but none of their recruiters were successful yet. Still, he kept faithful to the patron deity's deliverance in all its forms, but Merchen was right. "Fine, but it's just a short trip. And if anything happens-"

"Back home with all speed, I know!" interrupted Merchen, and he quickly became silent afterward. Tholan nodded and, hefting his pack, he and Merchen headed through the gates and navigated back to the mines.

The former Hunter's camp had long been stripped of useful items and parts, its dead being given proper burials according to their customs. Pushing past this to the caves, Tholan noted that the only thing that did not change were the white strands. No fresh ones. Perhaps there were no more ultrantulas in the area? Then again, if it was too good to be true, it usually was, and he hefted his spear. Merchen, seeing this, followed his example, and they pushed past the camp and back into the trees. They had just reached the recently-covered red crux when Tholan silently halted the two.

A disturbance was made through the strands; something had come this way.

He motioned for Merchen to move lower and silently, with the latter following in his descent. They continued, Merchen converting his usual quips to thought, looking upon the white strands with a feature of awe and worry. They finally arrived at the mines, and stood upon the slope facing the large cave entrance where the body of the ultrantula lied, albeit decomposing to the elements and the creatures of the forest. Even in their human forms, the stench reached their nostrils and forced them to cover their faces.

What they couldn't cover was the noise of something moving quickly towards them.

They both crouched, spears at the ready. Merchen started transforming, but Tholan stopped him, whispering, "If it's Hunters, we want to appear friendly!" They both turned back, the clear pitter-patter emanating from the beast's lair. Immediately, a child ran out of the entrance. Or, at least it looked like a child.

The clacking of boots halted just outside of the dead spider's lair, as the armored being stood and observed the two poised above it upon the slope. It stared at them with what looked like red glowing eyes underneath a mask of metal. Upon its back was some sort of tank attachment, with tubes that attached past the shoulders. It its gauntlets was a large green crystal, reflecting what little sunlight penetrated through the surrounding foliage. Tattered rags clung to the armored build, from a vest to what looked like makeshift pants, an odd accomplice to the already strange child wearing armor. That is, if this thing was a child. Tholan tried to smell out the scent of the being, but could only make out the aromas of iron, steel, dirt, and other unidentified scents that weren't being drowned out by the literal rotting corpse behind the being.

Merchen turned to him. "Tholan, is this...an automaton?"

Lessons from previous teachers told about the use of metal men being sent to the wars of the world long before Tholan first peeked out at the outside world. These creatures were unfeeling, needed neither sustenance nor air, required only the basic maintenance, and were reported to be amongst the most terrifying weapons used on the battlefield. Of course, there were the stories of soldiers donning armor that made them almost invincible, pushing through enemy forces with substances in their veins that brought the bloodlust to their eyes; this "child" was literally seeing red as it looked upon them.

Suddenly, the child looked to its right, and immediately walked over to a spot. Using its boot, it stomped upon the ground until a resounding "clang" was heard, and then it stepped over the spot, repeating until another "clang" birthed from the area. It turned to face the slope, looking past the two, and a strange vibration was heard building up from where the child stood.

It started hovering!

As if that wasn't strange enough, the child leaned forward and actually sped up the slope, blurring past the two without even glancing over at them! It then landed on the ground with a heavy thud before running into the forest. In that moment, Tholan could have sworn that a muffled "huff" exhumed from where the being landed. Confusion suddenly set it, but it didn't matter at that moment; the child was gone, and silence was their host here.

After a minute of staring at the location where the armored being had made its exodus, Tholan turned and looked back down the slope. Despite the rotting air pouring from the large cave below, he ran down until he was at the vicinity where the stomping happened. Leaning closer, he brushed at the dirt until he felt the large steel rails underneath. Figures, he thought. It was a mine track.

Merchen followed him down, barely able to speak from both exhaustion and the muffling of his nose against the decomposition within spitting distance. "Tholan, what was that? Was it here when you fought the ultrantula?"

Tholan shook his head. "This...is different. I think we're dealing with an automaton." Merchen's eyes widened, only to immediately shut as the aroma was affecting their eyes as well. Before Merchen responded, Tholan gave a response: "We're going after it. We need to assess the situation; this could get worse if left disregarded."

Merchen stared up the slope in the direction where the armored being had hovered before running off, resolute to acknowledge this otherwise uncanny dilemma. Tholan, however, couldn't help but wonder if this really was a weapon of a foregone era. He was sure of what he heard.

That thing breathed.