Heart of a Machine

Chapter 6

Aloy's trip back to the Memorial Grove was rushed, with Aloy mounting the closest machine and pushing it at full speed the whole time. The result was that her mechanical body was covered in filth from the occasional tumble or when she was hit by a low hanging branch. Upon arriving, she dashed through the grove to find Hekarro and Kotallo in a large fighting ring.

Approaching the two, they turn to Aloy, and Hekarro greets her. "The champion returns. From what I have been told, you had to move mountains to get the Sky Clan to attend the Kulrut. Quite literally."
Aloy gestures at the Marshal. "Kotallo helped."
He chuckles in response. "All I did was show you the Bulwark. You did everything else."
"Either way, you both served well. And now the Kulrut is at hand. Some have come to compete, others to bear witness. They know Regalla will come for me."
Aloy sees where this is going. "I'll do what I can to make sure she doesn't try anything as long as you remember our deal. What's the plan?" He calls for Kotallo to explain.

The Marshal steps forward. "There are only two ways to attack the arena. Through the throne room you just passed, and the trail on the north end. Barricades have been erected at both. But if Regalla wants to attack the Kulrut with machines, she will have to come by the trail."
Hekarro finishes surveying the arena. "You will join the defenders there. Good the line, and I'll have my Marshals. You will be free of your service and you'll receive your reward. Make what preparations you need. Once the Kulrut begins, you must see it through."
Ally looks to the North. "I'll go now."
"Dekka will be waiting for you at the north barricade. Strike true as the Ten, and I will see you when it is done."

Aloy works her way around the crowd to the north barricade to find the Lowland Chaplain. She addresses Aloy after she finishes giving her troops instructions on what to do. "They will defend the Kulrut from below. But from above..." she gestures to a machine cannon.
Aloy inspects it while picking it up. "Impressive. Where'd you get it?"
"One of our squads ripped it off a fallen machine. The honor is yours. Regalia may have her tricks, but you will show her our teeth."
Aloy nods, and the sounds of the beginning of the Kulrut are ignored in favor of HEPHAESTUS. "Aloy, the Vanguard is ready. Do you want their help in the coming battle?"
Aloy subtly nods and whispers. "Send them in."

A Tenakth soldier announces. "Machines, approaching from the trees!" True to his word, four humanoid machines emerged from the tree line in a frantic fashion, each one having a slightly different design and holding a different weapon.

The one at the front, the leader, was the tallest, at around 15 feet and had a specially designed head to look like he was wearing a helmet, and he (at least his shape was indicative of a "he") carried a long sword that burned with a constant stream of blaze, down dripping from the weapon to ignite the grass beneath.

The next was slightly slimmer than the leader, and like the other three, only stood at 13 feet tall, and like the others they lacked what could be called creative flare on their heads. This one carried a halberd that leaked purgewater from blade to staff.

The final two were very similar, having broader shoulders and thicker arms, most likely packed with machine muscle. One carried a giant war hammer with glowblast at its center, and the other carried a spiked flail that exuded the frosty air iconic to chillwater.

Dekka raises an arm. "Prepare to attack!"
"Wait!" Aloy quickly intervenes, formulating an explanation. "Look, I've seen a lot of machines, and one thing they all have in common is the eyes. These ones aren't acting hostile. Let's see what happens." When Dekka gives her a questioning look, Aloy insists. "Trust me."
Dekka hesitates before lowering her arm. "Hold your ground."

The machines meet the humans at the barricade, and the leader stabs his flaming longsword into the dirt. "We come to aid you at the order of her majesty the Queen."
Aloy whispers to Dekka. "I think he's talking about the Machine Queen."
Dekka nods and steps forward. "What are your orders?" The Tenakth soldiers show off their weapons in a show of intimidation. This act elicits mechanical chuckles from the hammer and flail Vanguards.
The leader raises a placating hand. "I assure you, the five of us mean no harm to you."
Dekka looks around while the Tenakth laugh at the machines alleged stupidity. "I count four."
"Don't be so sure about that." A fifth machine, this one a darker color than the others, and shorter, standing at only 10 feet suddenly appears behind Dekka, startling the Tenakth. This one, unlike the others, had a black metallic cloak and hood that is currently down and open, showing off feminine features, and the various metalbite daggers and throwing knives that adorn her frame.

Recovering from the surprise, Dekka looks back at the leader. "What are your orders from this Queen if yours?"
"We have been ordered to aid the Tenakth and defend the Kulrut."
The Tenakth defenders whisper among themselves whike Dekka narrows her eyes in suspicion. "How do we know that this queen is real and you're not Regalla's feeble attempt at spies?"
"Feeble!?" The flail Vanguard steps forward menacingly, only held back by the hammer Vanguard.
"Easy pal!" A good knock on the head calms him down.
The leader is unfazed by the goings on behind him. "You wish for evidence of the Queen's existence?"
"I do." Dekka is unwavering in her demand.

Aloy is troubled by that before HEPHAESTUS speaks up. "The Vanguard are designed with holographic projection technology for carrying messages. Tell them what you want to say through your Focus and they'll do the rest."
Aloy looks at the leader and imagines her introduction, a light projecting from the leader sees and constructing an exact remake of the "Machine Queen". "You doubt my Vanguard?"
The Tenakth whisper and stare at the projection, wondering if it was a type of Vision. "You are the Machine Queen?"
The projection nods. "I am. Regalla has made an enemy of me and I wish to ally with her other enemies."
Dekka hums. "This will need to be brought to the chief's attention after the Kulrut. Might I know the name of a potential ally against Regalla?"
Aloy sweats internally, never having considered the need for an alias before. However, a word comes to mind, from a piece of Old World literature. "I am Queen Machina of the machines."
Dekka gestures to herself. "And I am Dekka, chaplain of the Lowland Clan."

Unfortunately the peaceful moment is interrupted by a stampede of rebel machines. Ally calls out to those below while picking up the machine cannon. "Here they come!"
The leader of the Vanguard draws his sword from the ground and turns to his group. "Machina Vanguard, attack!" While Aloy shoots at distant machines, those on the ground deal with the ones closer to home with startling efficiency. Mostly the Vanguard.

The stealthy one would turn invisible and stab machines, the metalbite weakening their armor while the flail and hammer duo make the machines brittle and smash them. In a way, they reminded her of Erend. The halberd Vanguard throws his mighty weapon at elemental machines, disabling their attack before running them through. And the leader was the most enthusiastic, charging up front and running machines through with his sword, effectively burning them from the inside and tearing them apart.

Once everything was done, the area outside the barricade was a mess of machine parts, shattered, frozen, melting, drenched and scorched. Many celebrated, but Aloy was suspicious of how easy it was. She even saw the leader and the stealthy Vanguard member whispering to one another while they looked around. Looked like she wasn't the only suspicious one. Enabling her unseen Focus, she looks to the distance and sees the ground being disturbed. Apparently the Vanguard leader saw it as well, since he readied his sword. "Rockbreaker! Everyone head for the arena!"

Everyone drops from the wall, making it inside the barricade before it collapses. Unfortunately the Rockbreaker was faster and crumbled the arena walls as it passed under it before bursting from the ground to attack Hekarro, and exploding, knocking down those in the vicinity. The resulting hole let dozens of rebels into the arena to wreak havoc. Rising to their feet, the Vangaurd begin wheeling the mass of rebels. Aloy gets up and sees Regalla and scowls, preparing to scale the building when a Silverfang bursts from the hole, hissing and spitting metalbite. Aloy sees the ballista high on the wall and yells at the stealthy Vangaurd. "You there! You're fast right?"
She nods. "Yes."
"Good. Get up to the ballistas and destroy this thing as fast as you can."
"Yes my Queen."
With that out of the way, Aloy throws a rock at the Silverfang. "Hey!"