Synthetic Survivor: Machine Age

As the group exited the borders of the Great Eastern swamp, most of their lower body was stained and wet with mud from the goblin attack two nights ago. The group steadily gained more traction and finally stepped on the great plains; they were now only half an hour's horse walk away from the Eastern Fortress City.

Rudelf and Shia have been keeping a bird's eye view of the City with their enhanced senses. The mysterious walls which greeted their vision enthralled them while the roaming duos of men of metal made them wary. There was no sight of any of the adventurers who came before them; maybe they were all still inside? It seemed like no alarms have been raised anyway.

The scenery was pretty normal, despite the awkward silence which originated from the city. The plains and the surrounding forestry sees no signs of devastation.

"Eerily quiet," Shia remarked as she stared at two approaching metal men.

"They're coming this way, how should we greet them?" Gord asked.

"Lower your weapons, prepare the cart and the supplies, we are coming in as merchants to trade, we must not let any suspicion fall through." The group nodded in unison, and they continued their journey to the city.

The two metal men hailed them, the group's entourage stopped their tracks and went on their feet to greet the two metal men.

Rudelf took the lead and went ahead to formally greet the two, he went and bowed his head and extended his right hand.

"Hell there, we are merchants from the western regions of Yuhin, we've come here to trade with the city, and we also have several clients waiting for us inside," Rudelf put up such a convincing facade, confident in his nature and stable in posture. The problem was, he was still a tad nervous.

The drones looked at each other confused, was 'hell' used as a sort of greeting in this land? The drones were silent for awhile before finally giving a response at the same time.

"Greetings, we are of the Machine Empire," Their voices were strange for Rudelf and his friends, their voices were jiggly, deep and sort of bounced. Rudelf assumed they were wearing full-armor and their helmets were muffling their voices. He also assumed this due to the fact he could not see any visible facial features except for two glowing 'eyes.'

And also, Machine Empire? They've never heard of such a country before. The more they delve deeper into their enemies, the more questions arise rather than answers.

"Ah yes, can we go inside the city? Our clients are waiting inside," Rudelf smiled, the other three were silently cheering him on behind his back as he put up quite the act.

The metal men fell once again to silence and stared at each other. After an awkward wait that pretty much amounted to a minute, the two drones finally replied.

"You have been permitted by the Overall, may you please follow us,"

"Gladly" Replied Rudelf, he then turned towards the other three who have been smiling since they arrived.

"Alright, follow the gentlemen quickly!"

The drones walked them up towards what seemed to be a gate; it was a mysterious section in the middle of the thin walls which encompassed the city. They did not detect any magic barrier, it was strange, they see some sort of blue barrier encompassing the walls and towered like a dome up the sky, but they have not detected any magic.

They passed through an ominous presence of fifty metal men all bearing the same appearance and looks, staring at them with their glowing eyes. As soon as they passed them, the metal men would look away into the plains once more.

"You are clear for entry, welcome to Human Settlement 1,"

A similar voice announced through speakers, human settlement 1? a specific settlement for humans? Are they not humans?

The two drones stopped by the side of the gate and gestured at Rudelf to come through; the gate was like a tunnel, a short one at that. Rudelf gulped and hurried his group inside; they were all on their guard.

They traveled through the lit-tunnel, the wall was obviously made of metal but a metal, unlike anything they've seen or felt. Gord touched it to feel the texture; his hands rubbed against the surface.

"Such refinement, and smoothness,"

Gord was enamored by the material and how refined it was than any other metal he has encountered.

"This tunnel is strange, not even the dwarves could make this," Shia stared at the ceiling, and her eyes continued to scan the tunnel as they walked through.

Lily's mouth was agape, simple it may seem, it felt as if they were in an enchanted land, another world rather. Quite ironic.

Unbeknownst to them, they were already stepping foot on the territory of another world, a world without magic, a world of technology, a world now long dead but revived by a single man, a single man who was half metal, half flesh.

The group exited the tunnel and what greeted them was burned deep in their minds, it acted like a fire attracted to the presence of a highly inflammable substance and burned bright as they met. The pictures of this wonder and magnificence which befell their eyes would forever linger in their heads, their memory, their legacy.

It was a scene worthy of being passed down to generations to come.

Structures which towered up to the sky made by the very same metal they encountered in the tunnel, architecture, unlike anything they've ever seen. Entire structures made of glass, walls made of glass! The roads were soft and made from something smoother than marble. The roads also had lines they did not understand; the entire city was rebranded, rebuilt by their new overlords.

They were so mystified that they let their guard down, they as a group then wondered aimlessly in the street of this magnificent city. They saw a few people eating at tables and chairs which were on pavements, the sun's shine was almost perfect. It was neither too bright, nor was the sun too dim. As they wandered in the city, they came across houses which were so luxurious in nature that they even rivaled the mansions of the nobility.

They continued their wander, they were seen by a few people, but none conversed with them, they just smiled at them as if nothing was wrong. Though longer they stayed and wandered, the more the underlying darkness became more apparent.

"There are too few people here," Rudelf remarked. The Eastern Fortress City was known for being a very populous city, able to muster most of its male populace in the event of a siege or when the need for them to deploy arose.

"I have the feeling that they were killed," Lily said outright. The other three stared at her and contemplated on her suggestion, maybe she was right?

But before they could doubt further, a woman wearing a weird outfit walked towards them.

The group then formed their usual position, Rudelf upfront and the other three smiling awkwardly at the back.

The woman was beautiful and had long yellow hair; she wore an outfit that could be described as a black military uniform.

"Greetings, merchants from the Western Regions, I am Vilvintine Requina, pleased to make your acquaintance.

"Requina?" The word escaped Lily's mouth. She immediately realized her folly and covered her mouth with her hands. The other three were understandably upset and scared.

"Yes, I am a pure-blooded Requina."

"Erm, sorry to interrupt, I don't mean to be rude but what's a Requina?" Gord, of course, was dumbfounded.

"The Requina was a dynasty composed of powerful magic users, and a ruled a vast swathe of Fiorg before the two ruling superpowers came to be, to think we'd encounter.."

It was baffling yes, but they were suspicious and did not easily believe she was a Requina, she seemed more like a poser, a fake.

Vilvintine smiled and clapped her hands two times.

"Let's not waste any time, shall we? The two rulers of this country will very much like to see you, as for your clients, we have no records of anyone expecting a merchant."

"Oh I see, very well then, we'd just leave our cart-"

"No need!" Vilvintine interrupted Rudelf.

Out of nowhere, a flying behemoth descended from the sky and out from its wings came a strong and fierce wind. The group covered themselves and ran towards the Vilvintine as the behemoth hovered above their cart and horses.

Under the behemoth, a strange light lit in a circle, and their cart along with the horses began to float from the ground, slowly and steadily, the behemoth along with their cart and two horses, flew off into the distance.

The group was further mystified, what the heck was that? A magic beast? Something that rivals the beast which attacked the capital?

"Come this way," Vilvintine simply said as she turned around and walked away.

The group was silent, the most silent of which has been Shia. She was still in relative shock of the city, and it was further broadened by the flying behemoth. The group silently followed Vilvintine as she leads them to the center of the city.