Chapter 19: (CH18)THE TALONS OF WAR
Luis stepped out into the warm morning light, arms stretching overhead. The sun filtered through the village trees, calm for once. Behind him, Icon followed quietly, its new Bleeding Talons catching the sunlight like sharpened chrome.
"Luis!" Rico jogged over, waving. "How was—" He stopped short, eyes landing on Icon. "Okay... what is that?"
Luis smirked. "This is Icon. My... assistant."
Icon tilted its head slightly. "I LIKE BIRDS."
Rico blinked. "Right. And I like not getting stabbed by sentient tin cans. Is it safe?"
"SAFETY IS A RELATIVE TERM," Icon said, tone deadpan. "I DO NOT STAB MASTER. ONLY MONSTERS. AND BIRDS ARE NICE."
Rico turned to Luis. "...Is your robot high?"
Zyx materialized mid-laugh, nearly floating upside down. "Oh, it’s very high. High on bird facts and carnage."
Luis sighed. "Just ignore both of them. You said you wanted me to meet the other Hosts?"