Talia of the Thornlands

02 Infiltrating the Armoured Platoons

Did she murder two humans?

Talia forced her heart to be still - this was an act of war. Those Machine tamers had destroyed the lives of countless others. Was it not her duty as Princess to avenge her people?

Talia closed her eyes and focused on the other outcomes.

She had discovered a fatal weakness of the mechanical demons terrorizing their world. Part of her wanted to rush back to the nearest Thornland base and report her discovery but curiosity overtook her.

Talia had yet to learn what these Machines were on the inside.

With their tamers dead, the Machines did not make any aggressive advances towards her. Did the brutes need their tamers to guide them at all times?

Talia climbed over the open pit of the nearest mechanical shell, knife at ready. Ladder rungs led into the dark belly of the Aggressor. She started to climb inside.

"Welcome user. Please identify yourself,"

Was this the voice of the Machine itself?

When she did not answer, it repeated, "Please identify yourself,"

Talia did not answer.

As she fumbled in the inner darkness, her feet caught on the last rung and she grabbed at the nearest object within reach to steady herself.

Unfortunately, this object, a spare suit hanging on a protrusion beside the stairs, promptly fell with her.

"Identity confirmed. Welcome E099-Rury," as soon as the voice spoke, the insides lit up in a mild yellowish light.

The suit had an identifier plate in it and it had landed on the scanning device required to activate the tank.

Talia comprehended a connection, though not in complete clarity. She theorised that the creature relied on touch to forge a connection to the occupant.

For better or worse, she would disguise herself as this E099-Rury who now lay dead outside.

She put on the suit but as soon as she strapped the helmet on her head, she felt dizzy. The helmet must have some kind of balancing mechanism that protected the invaders from the atmosphere of Thornland.

She took it off.

The voice spoke again, "Would you like to return to the preplanned course?"

Talia replied in her best imitation of Rury's voice, "Please continue,"

*****

The room was shrouded in darkness. In the centre, a circle of light streamed down on a humanoid silhouette.

Talia drew closer to the light and recognized the ominous presence of the fae Elder, Mallory, her teacher and guardian. Memories of Mallory always brought a smile to her face but today the fae Elder felt distant and unfamiliar.

In this dark room, the Elder held a menacing aura. Talia stopped outside the ring of light as the fairy started to chant:

"Child with the red eyes; Bright face and content smiles,
Why doth thou bring forth a silence so deep?
In ten years and six, thy will shall be done;
The thread of flax spun; The path will be paved;
Eternal rest befall the brave;
A hundred years of sleep shall guide them to the last grave."

Before she had time to comprehend the words, new voices spoke from behind her.

"Elder Mallory, does eternal rest imply death? Can you not tell us in clearer terms?" an elegantly dressed, young man asked the question.

The fairy let out a mirthless chuckle, "The words of the prophecy flow from the Sap of Life itself. We Elders are merely vessels that voice them."

"But what does it mean for our child?" This time it was a young woman who spoke, "Is there no way to protect her from this?"

The fairy was quiet for sometime, "The last time we had a Dark Prophecy, the world nearly ended. Do you truly believe we would not try to stop it if there was a way?"

A solemn silence descended upon the room.

Mallory spoke again, "Besides, the Prophecy cannot be stopped. We can only wait and watch."

*****

Talia awoke with a gasp.

The dream left an uneasy aftertaste.

Was that the rumoured Dark Prophecy of her birth? Was she destined to bring death upon her people?

Her vision cleared and she found herself once again at the heart of darkness. Was this part of the dream?

She fumbled in the darkness and realised she was still in the stomach of Rury's Machine.

However, the lights were turned off and the beast no longer spoke.

At first, she assumed the creature was asleep but waiting did not seem like a good idea. The inside of the Machine was starting to get suffocating. Talia confirmed that the Sap of Life indeed ran thin here – the air was almost unbreathable.

She willed the remaining air to cloak her in a livable veil. Once her breathing stabilised, she focussed on getting out.

This turned out easier than expected.

Talia climbed the rungs of the ladder that led to the head. A quick search and a gentle tap on a protruding knob opened the head of the Machine just as she had seen earlier.

She climbed out but this time the Machine closed off once she was outside. She expected to find herself in a night shelter.

Instead she found herself in a vast hallway.

Several dozen other Aggressors were lined up beside hers. There were no signs of the smaller suited creatures that controlled these Machines.

None of the Machines moved.

Was this a hidden resting place for the mechanical fiends? The place looked too immaculate to be a natural formation. A suspicion began to nag her but she was yet to confirm it.

For the moment, she would have to move carefully to not awaken the creatures.

Talia looked about for a safe route. She concentrated on the flow of the Sap of Life and a path appeared.

The cloak of air surrounding her trailed towards a slit in the roof of the hallway. The air flowed faster in that direction. It was a ventilation duct.

The Machines still seemed unaware of her presence. Then she recalled that the creatures could not move without their tamers.

She took advantage of the situation.

Talia boldly climbed onto the back of a sleeping Machine and reached out to grab the slitted bars.

*****

"We must find her at once," Celeana was inconsolable, "The Prophecy must not be fulfilled,"

Hesiod drew his Queen into a gentle embrace, "Our child is not a monster,"

"But we have not even heard from the Elders" Celeana sobbed, "Our Talia could be in danger."

At that point, their conversation was interrupted.

"Your Majesties," a breathless messenger called from outside their tent, "There is an emergency,"

"What is the news?"

"The Machines have started an attack in the west. A large army is approaching as we speak,"

The King and Queen immediately stepped out of the tent.

"Prepare the troops at once," King Hesiod commanded, "I will lead them personally,"