>>5902944What you were staring at was undoubtedly a Titanus. You weren’t aware of its capabilities, but from what you were told, it was a war machine that could rival entire armies with its strength. Fighting it now in your current state was far too much of a risk. The Titanus floats above you, demonstrating the ability to take to the sky. You take a step back into the castle, only for the construct to slowly turn towards your direction and look down on you. The soulless machine has spotted you, and for a second you believe it will attack immediately. Instead, it addresses you in a familiar voice.
“Still alive, Blair?” Wedge’s voice echoes from the Titanus. “We’ll have to change that.”
>“Wedge?!” You exclaim incredulously. “What’s he doing in there?!”“The TItanus requires someone to operate it from within.” Hoff rasps from behind you. “And Wedge has assumed that role.”
“Hoff, you’re still alive too?” Wedge says, his voice amplified by the machine. “What is the meaning of this?”
“Stand down!” Hoff cries out, waving his arms. “We’ve lost! If she wishes to go to Zanado, we cannot stop her!”
The Titanus remains there hovering in silence. For a second, you believe Hoff may have succeeded in getting Wedge to stop. Your heart sinks though when the machine points its shield towards you. It begins gathering energy akin to the Viskam you saw earlier, but with much greater strength and density. Every instinct in your body tells you that unlike the Viskam, you wouldn’t survive a direct attack from that thing.
“Some Agarthan you turned out to be!” Wedge says. “To think my loyalty to our lord would be greater than one of his own kind. I will be the one to erase Blair and her wretched company from existence!”
Hoff trembles, taking several steps back to face you and Anemone. “G-go! If your resolve is that strong that you must face Anacharsis yourself, then so be it. If you can prevail over this creature, then you’ve earned the right!”
You suddenly feel weightless as Hoff’s Warp spell overtakes you and Anemone. You vanish just as the Titanus fires its beam directly where you were standing. You reappear just outside the castle walls, a massive explosion occuring behind you. It levels the entire front half of the castle into total rubble. Struggling to your feet, Anemone helps you up as the two of you observe the damage dealt in awe, along with several Rusalkan soldiers who had managed to escape.
“Eulalia!” Anemone shouts. “We have to get back to the others! We can penetrate that thing’s armor with her weapon. Move!”
Nodding, you and Anemone leave the other stricken soldiers behind, running as fast as your legs could take you. As you make your escape, you hear the walls of the castle come crashing down, accompanied by the screams of several more soldiers.
“You will not escape me!”
