Stairs up, spiralling trough what's now inhabitable room. They are closer to the peak, but an inconviniencegot on their way. "Really?"
The Captain sigh while moving down a few steps. The others merely looking at her. "What?"
"See it for yourself, it will be a disaster if we keep utilize that while fighting." Johnn peek at the outside, all he saw was blue sky and no clouds.
He fell on the stair, in disbelieve. "We need to find a way, but how is the way?"
Ferr keep thinking, the first thought had emerged. "Captain, can you teach me how to do magic?"
"I can, but it might not be easy to understand it." Johnn head instantly locked to both of their conversation, all ears heard blowing gust of course.
"Just go ahead, teach me basics of magic."
"If you insist." She explain several examples on this magics, and Ferr was able to grasp the very basic. Now able to materialize energy, but The Captain notice Ferr had used too much energy but it never ran out.
She have a sudden idea, snatching out a paper from Johnn's bag and a pencil on her own. Start to write something in union, for it was a lot of foreign word being tied together by a few line. "Memorize this, now i know why you want me to teach you."
"Sure thing, my core had always been connected to the main source." Ferr's connection to the main source make it able to connect via ground towards Johnn and The Captain.
"Johnn, keep our belongings as they are. Never reach for the surface unless i told you to."
Johnn keep repeating the basic of magic for his own, nodding from The Captain's order. "Keep yourself safe, Folks!"
The Captain and Ferr emerge up from the platform, there's no fence but a falling edge. Right in the center was a statue, it holds two crystal that orbitting each other. 'Let's get this quick.'
The Captain rush towards the statue, with Ferr following behind. But remembering this is a building compacted with animatronics, this twice sized statue could be one of the animatronics. So The Captain isn't just a reckless person, but she keep insisting to take one of the crystal.
She take one of the Crystal, at first there's nothing happened. She examine this crystal, and it pretty much is a rare mineral indeed. "Zirconium, clear and pretty."
"But i don't trust this thing, it got a whole long sword with it." The head have circular gap from the top and bottom part of it, the rest are just armor with comparable density to a tungsten shell. The melting point of this armor is comically high, they are utterly screwed if they were to fight this thing.
The Captain notice another thing about this statue, there's a circle around the pedestal where the statue stands. "Phew, dieu-x machina."
The Captain Inhale, then draw all of it out. 'You think we ready for this? You can handle all the magic i have taught you?'
Ferr nods, standing at safe distance from the circle. It doesn't detect Ferr, The Captain gently roll the crystal out. Only for the statue to move and take it back, then going back to the pedestal. It didn't recognise them as threats. The Captain scratch her head, taking the crystal by herself.
'Really? I thought there's more.' Her gaze was on the crystal, she read all of the carving contained within the crystal itself.
She sigh 'We'll going to try anyway.'
With crystal on her grasp, she dashes back.
The statue detect the crystal moving, it's algorithm had changed. It screamt with force, enough to override the force of gusts. The Captain Cover her ear, Ferr only started to setting up the magic. 'Shiaet!'
The Captain still able to see the circle Ferr had set up, The Captain tried her best on holding The Statue inside Ferr's circle.
Although it indeed is a heavy statue, sitting around half ton but it's movement is efficient. Unlike the other animatronics below, but it didn't have mind yet can't be controlled outside of it's main purpose.
Captain store the crystal on her backbelt, she's unable to do any magic right now. The Statue charge at her, holding a blade on it's right hand and the crystal on it's left.
It freeze, raising it's left arm. The Crystal levitates a few feet upwards, all of The Captain's attention turn towards the Statue.
All light was absent for a second or two, The Captain lost track of where The Statue is. "Really?"
The Captain spot the statue, she parried a snap cut from said statue. She nearly fell off the edge. Heavy mass, and slick footwork is enough to overwhelm The Captain.
But the tides gradually evens out, she's able to adapt into the pattern of The Statue's ambush. 'I get it now, it's irregular pattern make it hard. 2Pi to one,the gap is closing.'
'INITIALIZING' The Captain understands, she lure The Statue inside the circle.
It's pattern now make it hold high the crystal, but it's movement was stopped. 'NOW!'
The Captain drive her blade deep on suposed core of this Statue, It's hand reached for the blade that drive deep into itself.
Crack-
Shriek sounds crisp like glass, The Captain moves back in disbelieve. She take glance at her broken blade. It isn't for long until everything turned cold, the crystal began to emit light. The Captain can't help but shiver, yet she can keep up with her high heated body.
She drew her second blade.
The blade is horter than her first one, thus speed is out of question. Chipping metal racks with each other, the force is tolerable for The Captain to held against. But the tempo shifts, it's predictable tempo now had shift towards more slim one. With the pattern shifts from 2Pi to one, went half a Pi to one.
Sharp angles are utilized on each strike, it's easy to parry but another strike is on your way.
Parallel components of this Statue fallen off it's resting places, dramatically lessen the imperfection within the tempo's momentum.
As you can see, this machine was a mechanical marvel among warmachines. Could mimic sapient movements perfectly like it's possessed by a soul. And this particular one, is no ordinary animatronics. For it's sole purpose was to ensure the safety of this Zircon artifact, until there's someone taking it away from it's safe zone.
'NOW!' The Captain halt her footwork all at once, attempting a bind with the more lightweight version of The Statue.
She successfully bind the statue, but she's still far less heavy than The Statue itself. Her small blade began to falter upon the pressure given, for it's too late for The Statue to do anything else.
Everything in the Circle was stopped from taking any action, the complex mind and completely different thinking mechanism is an advantage among the sentient Animatronics.
Ferr carefully strut with caution, and not to cause any disturbance to it's spells.
This is something no ordinary person can accomplish, but Ferr is no person. Ferr walks towards the sealed crystal above The Statue, reaching it in one motion. Once Ferr have contact with the crystal, it sends a ripple trough the locked memories.
With a lot of considerations, Ferr shape a headband around the crystal and wear it.
All of the remaining effect shall be lifted, including the magic restraining seal. Gust fades, The Statue kneel towards Ferr. The Captain faltered, her last words was. 'Johnn, help me out-'
Ferr merely stood there, as the crystal from The Captain's backpack went to it's grasp.
"Johnn, The Captain had faltered. Bring her inside." Several carbonized siliciron shown to attach itself towards Ferr, The Statue get to guard while allowing Johnn to bring The Captain in.
"Ferr, care to explain to me what happened to you?"
The room shifts, Ferr point Johnn to put The Captain on the table shaped from soil and calcium. While a seat rise from the ground.
"It's been a while-but i am not one of those animatronics you and The Captain had obliterated. But I am The First ever Animatronics ever made." A contradiction, what's matters.
"You're the first? Isn't there any besides you?"
"Indeed, but this mind I have unlocked was the true completed prototype. And I am able to-enhance myself trough bunch of data collected all over the millenia."
Johnn pauses, sewing together new information into a blanket.
"So, you're the intended original guardian of this Sanctuary?" Clearly woven out question.
"Indeed, but I was diminished from my duty right after an invasion ocur." For the tone had shifts.
"Invasion?"
"There's only two figure doing it, and i didn't stand a chance against their technology. My Vessels had all been incomplete and unable to be used correctly, but fate had keep it's mind on harming this one." Surely Deu Ex Machina, ain't it?
Getting off the bench, Ferr walk towards staircase."May you rest for a while-I have a protocol to initiate."
Ferr acsend, The entire Sanctuary had been turned on.
Swarms of swarms, drones had scatter around the entire sanctuary. Make it active once more, for the true guardian has awakened. Subtle discharge was released upon the cold drought, storms of forever snow gradually subsides.
Johnn reach for his belongings, on it he took a book. Half rotten, and soggy. Yet, he still use it like it's still new.
"Today is the end of this expedition, I am grateful for being alive and seeing another morning. It's suprising that this only took a month to finish. Well, glad I could be a subtle help."
He reach lower on his book. "Now, it might be another goodbye. Pilgrim paths is not a bad idea either, I'll dearly miss this someday."
He thicken the last "period" on his note, seeing The Captain actually sleeps for the first time. Smirk gloss over his face, dozing off in an instant.