Chapter 345: Maze Running
What came for them was unlike anything Ferro had ever seen.
At first he thought it was an insect, some giant version of a wasp. But then he saw that there were several things about it that no natural creature would have, like external ball joints and skin made of painted metal. And a "stinger" with a flaming tip.
A moment after it appeared it chirruped, and that was when Santina cut it in half through its thorax with a spell. It hit the ground with a tinny lightness that sounded more fragile than it had looked.
"Hm. Guess it’s not made of steel then."
A series of distressed noises sounded from the construct. Ringing out in regular intervals before they died as they shifted down in tone.
Having covered their sensitive ears, Ferro and Lawre both lowered their hands... just in time to hear an even louder buzzing coming from the direction the machine-bug had come from.
A moment later, a squad of ten very similar but obviously more dangerous machine bugs rounded the corner, flying full tilt at them.
"Run!" Ferro shouted as something plinked off the wall nearby.
The three of them ran, Star and Ferro both occasionally turning to cast spells at their pursuers. But no matter how many they killed, the same number would replace them, sliding out from unseen pockets in the walls or coming from other parts of the maze.
"Turn right up ahead!" Star shouted as a split came up. Everyone went right, and then they were forced to turn left immediately. Only at the end of the corridor was... nothing. A dead end.
"What the fuck, Star?" Ferro shouted as the buzzing got closer. "Why did you kill that first one?"