Heart-Broken

Luire and Raithe walked ahead of Rashia. The lithe, pale elven woman told them that the guest suit was just down the hall. The last door on the left. Luire tried to keep his breathing steady. He was on alert. He knew that Rashia, with her long elven ears, would be able to hear them whispering. He glanced towards Raithe with just his eyes as he offered in code:

“I bet they prepared this suit specially for us.” He wondered if she would pick up on what he was trying to say.

Raithe nodded. “Goblins are exceptional ‘host’s. They would not take guests without preparing the correct accommodations. They’ve probably fitted it to all our needs already.” She responded calmly.

Luire glanced back over his shoulder subtly. Rashia’s black-coloured lips curled up into an attempt at a friendly smile. With her sleek mechanical limbs she had a sort of **** strut. A swaying of her hips and moving of her arms that was so tuned and mechanical that it looked unnaturally attractive. There was also the fact that her heeled boots made a heavy thump with every step she took, showing the real weight of all that equipment. Raithe’s response was clear.

She knows it’s a trap. She thinks that if we go along with what they want we’ll probably be countered pretty effectively. So we need to act sooner rather than later. He looked straight ahead, seeing the door at the end of the hall coming into view.

“I’d like to ‘eat’ sooner rather than later. Rather than the food they bring us, how about we go get something?”

Raithe let out a short, amused breath. “I’m someone who likes to spread out my meals. So I agree. A snack now, and a few more small bites here and there sounds better than a full meal.”

Behind them Rashia picked up her pace. Slowly and quietly a blade slid from her palm as she gained on them steadily. Luire’s ears twitched at the sound of the blade’s machinery clicking and locking into place as she was just a few feet away.

“Let’s eat!” He turned and at the same time bounded further away from Rashia. She stood stunned for a moment as in a matter of a second Luire had made distance and loosed an arrow at her. She watched it and just before it was about to collide with her metallic mask it stopped, broken by a barrier with a greenish hue and a hexagonal pattern. Raithe hissed a little at that.

Rashia stepped forward, slowly at first, then with each step her movement came in strides that propelled her forward unnaturally fast.

“Submit!” She shouted.

“You are in violation of the Heart Family’s Code of Conduct!”

“What Code?” Luire loosed another arrow. Just as it was about to collide with the barrier he loosed another, pulling back harder. There was a scent of aura about it that Raithe could detect as it flew forward. The first dented the Aura, then the second flew through the first and attacked the dent on a pinpoint, sinking halfway through before the shaft snapped.

“Rats… That’s basically all I got.”

Raithe analysed the situation. She looked out the window and saw more of the mechanical coven on the move. Her eyes swivelled up observantly to the ring itself that curved around over their heads. She looked down. The grounds were covered in paving and dirt.

Just how far down does one have to go to get to the actual ring? Her eyes moved back and forth rapidly as she thought.

Outside… No. A basement? She turned to Luire.

“Can you outrun?”

Luire looked at Rashi. “For how long?” As he answered and saw Raith look at him he gritted his teeth.

“You’re right… What does it matter? I’ll run, you do whatever you need to do.” Luire waved

“Hey! Try and catch me you hunk of metal!” Luire taunted, tossing a smoke bomb at her. He kicked out the window. Raithe was already gone. As Luire was about to jump he heard something before he felt it. Click. Click. A dial. One more click. He fell from the window as if gravity had shifted. He landed on his back on the wall opposite the window.

“Shit…” He looked over and saw Rashia holding a dial on a ring built into her forearm. She was grinning widely. The woman was still walking confidently on the floor while he was on the wall. He got up and began running away along the wall. Click. Click. He had prepared himself, however and nimbly landed on his feet as gravity shifted again.

Rashi scoffed. “Damn…” She began to give chase.

Jeane rushed to the window of the inn and looked outside. Below a dangerous mix of Seraph-Mountain bears and goblins were rushing in. Jeane glanced back.

“What are the chances that they are here for us?” Chester and Farrah exchanged a nervous look. Heilan blinked, her ears twitching. Her tail stood up and she began to grow.

“Does that mean… Trouble?”

“Obviously!” Heilan snapped.

“Everyone is here, right?” Jeane counted heads.

“I-I am not that Joi girl’s mother, but how in the hell did the brainless Fox go missing!?”

Downstairs Joi had sat Kara down at a table in the restaurant. “Okay… So this is a regional soup. I know what you’re thinking. ‘Joi, why is the soup that colour?’ But I’m telling you, it’ll change your life!” Kara looked down at the bowl with a blank expression. Her hands were resting on either side of it and she was simply salivating a little.

“Hmm. Not much of a talker, huh? I thought you seemed cool… Do you need a nap or s-” Joi craned her head.

“Oooh! What’s going on?” She giggled.

“Someone’s in trouble, look at all the soldiers and mercenaries!” Her bunny ears stood up.

“Oi, oi. They’re coming in here.” She looked around.

“Wonder who’s the unlucky fellah?”

“Fin… Fin!” Teuta groaned and finally just shouted.

“Hero! Snap out of it! Please…”

You looked over. “Huh? Teuta? What’s wrong?” You asked, sitting without a shirt on. Elvin was drawing lines at the joints of your limbs, then dotted lines around parts of the limb. You looked at him.

“What’re you doing?”

“I’m drawing lines around the cuts. It’s unfortunate you brought that girl in with her limbs already missing.” The femmy goblin male licked his soft lips while eying you hungrilly.

“The best part is the scraps, you know!” He chuckled, considering what Teuta was saying.

“It’s useless, darling, he’s deep, deep in a trance.”

“A trance?” You lifted a brow.

“But I feel fine.”

“I know, I know.” He patted your leg affectionately.

“And you ARE fine, because I said so.”

“Oh, okay.” You shrugged.

“Hero… For some reason when I hear that I think ‘sandwich.’ I can’t wait. I suppose the whole ‘turning a hero and a Holy Knight into a brainwashed member of my personal Golem Coven is also pretty special.” He admitted off-handedly.

“Golem Coven?” You asked, looking around.

“Yes. Beautiful mechanical warriors drawn from the best stock we can find. One would automatically assume that you are made worse by the process. The limbs consume parts of the Soul, after all. Dull your emotion… But, what you gain from them is so, so much more than what you lose. Marina.” he asked.

“Mm. Yes Master.” An elven golem with long, fading pink hair walked up obediently. She wore the same smooth metallic mask over her eyes that they all did. You observed her with wide eyes.

Elvin took her arm, pulling it easily from the socket. “Soma users spend years developing themself to the point that they can achieve this level of armour and strength over their limbs. In addition, there are other features. He pressed a portion, causing a blade to shoot out. Then he pointed to a ring around the forearm.

“Can your arm do any of that? I don’t think so. This can do so much more.” He pops it back in.

“It’s all built out of Ring Metal. Fennek is the largest Ring we know of. Large enough to host a city. Large enough to be mined… If those bastards would allow it!” He slammed the table.

“What’s wrong with mining a ring?” You asked passively.

“It’s so stupid. They say that a cracked ring releases chaotic Aura. So… In the past to get our precious material we sneakily crack other rings, take what we want and leave. I choose to believe it is a coincidence that the two instances of this are ones where two Primals were created.” Elvin chortled.

“We have so much material laying right below our feet…”

“You have this big manor with so many guards. Why wouldn’t you just secretly mine on your own property?”

“Hehe. Oh that sounds like a good idea, Hero.” Elvin tapped his nose at you. He winked very obviously and added.

“But, unfortunately you would need a way to hide the chaotic Aura signature that is produced. Only the GREATEST of the Noble houses would have access to such remarkable Tech.”

You thought about it for a moment. “Isn’t-”

“Why yes! Yes indeed, House Heart does happen to be the GREATEST Noble house. Thank you for noticing.”

“You won't get away with this, Heart.” Teuta spat. It was all she could do.

“On the contrary. I have a few new girls being refurbished, then you’ll see exactly why I WILL get away with this.”

You both looked into the factory. Within there was a tired looking girl and a struggling girl both being held near some machinery with goblins in smocks and goggles hanging around waiting.

“How are those two holding up?” Elvin asked.

Without looking, Marina folded her arms behind her back in a martial pose and reported. “Master, our candidates come from similar backgrounds with opposed demeanours. I believe that the girl who is struggling to escape her fate is a poor girl from the slums.”

“Darling, why struggle? You know how good your life will be once you join the Heart Family as my Golem?” Elvin asked, taunting her into arguing.

“Just let me go! I don’t want to join your stupid family.” The girl said harshly.

Marina gritted her teeth and was about to step towards the girl but Elvin stopped her. “Relax, Marina. So we have one with quite a strong opinion.. Oh my, it would be so awful to give such a girl POWER, wouldn’t it? She might use it against me.”

“I will definitely beat the shit out of you the moment you give me a chance to, Heart, you bastard!” She kept struggling.

The other girl continued to stand quietly. “Who do we have here?”

Marina sighed. “A convict. She has accepted an offer to join in place of a life in prison.”

“That is a calculated choice, my dear.” Elvin complimented.

“You have a good head on your shoulders.” He waved a hand.

“Do them both at the same time.”

Elvin turned back to you and Teuta, all smiles. “Normally, hosting so many Golems would not be practical, but… We have a very, very good source of material.” He offered coyly.

You nodded, watching the two girls. As Elvin gave the word, the team worked. A few suspended goblins landed on them from above and attached a clamp that straightened their arms and shoulders into an easy and clean position. The clamp was a claw with a slot in the centre for something to pass through. As they pressed a button something clicked. It was fast, too fast for a normal person but you could see a blade release from the top of the clamp and swing down smoothly through the slot. The arms were caught and set aside gently in rows.

“Tasty.” Elvin commented idly.

“Commoner is a bit stringy, though. Almost only fit to use as horse feed.”

It happened so fast that the two girls were barely even aware of what had happened before the bleeding wound was capped by metal and affixed to the bone with long screws. Slowly, the metal seemed to heal the skin around it until it looked seamlessly attached.

“Woah…” You watched with wide eyes, numb to it due to the ****.

“That’s wild.” Their legs were done in much the same way as they were attached to a crane to keep them up. All the limbs were set aside neatly. The same process happened to the cuts at the very top of their thighs. It all moved so quickly, with a metal spine being bolted and sunk into their back. The limbs were attached after that and seemed to power immediately. The woman that had it in her mind that she wanted to fight clenched her fist.

“I- I feel strong. Heart I’m going to-” Her eyes crossed as unceremoniously an emblem was pushed into her forehead as if it was butter. The emblem was flat with a gem in the shape of a heart that seemed to glow, but the back of it was long and pointed with several smaller needle-like rods around it of varying lengths. The girl stood there, eyes open wide. Her pupils moved rapidly as it seemed something was happening to her brain. She came, though her legs did not buckle or move. Just her hips wiggled, and her chest rose and fell faster from increased breathing.

“Going to..?” Elvin asked.

“S-serve you for the rest of my…” She twitched.

“Life, Master.”

“How is our sensible one holding up?”

The quieter girl flexed her limbs, then looked up. “I feel fine, Master. Thank you for the opportunity.” Notably she was not given the emblem.

“Your brain can stay intact, honey. I just need a bit of extra insurance. Nothing personal.”

The girl lifted a brow. “W-” A mask was lowered and pressed into the upper half of her face. Her mouth fell open.

Elvin crossed one leg over the other and leaned over to you to explain. “Twenty-four seven Heart Family propaganda. The masks are dual purpose. Cool, and very, very effective at controlling those who are a bit more agreeable. The gems are mostly for those who are too wild to control. However…” As he was speaking, Teuta was being fitted. The metal caps were socketed over her limbs. She gritted her teeth as the spine was pushed in. A thick collar was fitted around her neck.

“We also have an amusing prototype. What do I do if I want to hear the protests of the woman who I have captured and converted? What if I want to hear her cries as she is **** to betray her friends? This collar is the solution. It interfaces with the limbs and does not allow the Golem to interact with me or any other figure I designate in ways that are not allowed.”

“That makes sense.” You nod, furrowing your brow.

“Wait… What? This is so, so… Gross. Right? Teuta?” You looked up. Elvin cocked his head to one side.

“Wearing off already? Oh my… Well, we’ll be quick, anyway.” Teuta was fitted with limbs. A goblin approached, handing over a sword.”

“We retrieved this from their effects back at the inn.” The goblin advised.

“Fun.” Elvin smirked.

“As much as you want to draw that sword and kill me, you can not, so attach it to your side and restrain your Hero like a good girl.”

“The inn…” You frowned.

“What- what did you do to my friends!?” You questioned angrily, the fog was lifting.

“You’ll see.” Elvin teased.

“I’ll need two bodyguards to help me walk in the slums below the city. Two talented golems that will hunt down any stragglers for me.”

“Monster…” Teuta uttered in a quivering tone.

“Hero, I can’t control myself. I’m sorry.”

“I know, Teuta… I don’t blame you. This- this is all my fault.” You watched as the goblins approached with clamps for each of your limbs.

Raith bounded down the spiral steps, pursued by several Coven Golems. Luckily she had her tail for stability. She jumped several steps at once, hugging the wall and making sure she was aware of everything that was up ahead with her ability to sense Aura.

“They may be empty shells at this point, but they are burning bright. The amount of Aura they have at their disposal…” She gritted her teeth.

“What am I thinking? I have to get to the Hero. But… If I am going to save him from this place I NEED power. More power… I am not you, Kara. I have not gone around consuming potent Aura from men over the past hundred or so years…” She landed on the ground floor and was surprised to see blue gems warding the entrance to a tunnel.

“These aren’t barriers… They are Aura Jammers… I couldn’t sense anything past here but would that mean…” She stepped through and was immediately assaulted by an extremely chaotic Aura signature.

“Holy… What are they doing!?” She gulped, running towards it while lowering her Aura sensing to stop her head from pounding and screaming at her. She entered into an open space where the floor opened up. Staring down into it she saw crews working, chipping away at parts of the ring in a sort of strip-mining method. Goblins in heavy, but still probably ineffective protective clothing, looked up from what they were doing to stare at her.

Raithe looked down into the cracked Ring, then looked back over her shoulder at the Golems chasing her. She took a deep breath and jumped down. The Golems were basically on her tail, snipping a bit off her bushyness with their blades. She closed her eyes as she was close to landing near the bottom.

“Fools…”

What she felt there was unmistakable. The nascent form of a new being was already coalescing for who knows how long. Birthed by the chaotic Aura being given off by the Ring. She breathed, preparing herself for an internal struggle.

Have nothing against you, nascent Primal. You did not ask to be born. It is not your fault… But you are using the power that I NEED right now. She touched down and her hand touched the ring.

To an outside observer it was an instant. Within Raithe, however, she had fought a war with a burgeoning God for what felt like centuries. When she opened her eyes it was over. She looked up and vaporised everything around her with a thought. What fell around her, and what was left of the miners were just their tools and the limbs of the golems. The only things that produced ash were the protective clothes. All the good they did. She blinked up, traversing the hundred or so yards she fell in an instant. Her eyes were burning with blue light and Aura was crackling around her. As she passed the blue warding crystals they shattered, and in the distance loud, eerie sirens could be heard droning.

Where is Fin… She shut her eyes, then opened them immediately.

I don’t have TIME to navigate these halls. She turned and held her hand out in the direction of Fin, then loosed a large, steady beam of solid energy. It was too much for her, so it kicked up and she ended up carving right into the sky. On the exterior, the manor and the grounds had been split in two cleanly and things were catching fire. Raithe sighed at the devastation she caused due to lack of control, then stared down the corridor she made. She blinked to the end, confronted by Teuta holding fin while clamps were being fitted around his limbs.

Raithe held her hand up. “W-wait! Don’t hurt Teuta!” You begged.

“What is this!?” Elvin stomped up and down.

“What is this hole!? Who are y-”

Raith exhaled, shut her eyes and centred in on the Aura signatures of all the goblins in the room, but she once again could not control her strength and reached out to all within 300 yards. Before she opened her eyes she snapped her fingers. Within their big dopey ears sparks erupted quickly, then smoke. Their eyes and mouths briefly shot blue flames as well. They fell over. Raithe opened her eyes.

“I fried their brains. They are alive… In a sense.”

You looked around. All of the golems simply stopped whatever they were doing. Luire panted, descending the steps. Marina’s mouth fell open as she looked. “P-pink…” She muttered to herself.

You began to tear up. “R-raithe I’m sorry! We have to go save Kara! They went to the inn!” You begged, close to sobbing.

“I understand.” Raithe nodded. She smiled at you, lifting your chin and wiping your eyes.

“For you, my Hero, anything. Let us save my sister.”

Raithe carried all of you in blue Aura bubbles at incredible speed outside the Ring. You felt the Gravity shift as you left its space. It was jarring. Raithe looked down as she slowly lowered you. She identified all of the enemies. She held out her hands, materialising an exact amount of tiny blue suns the size of a grape all around. She quickly calculated trajectories and movements and positions for over three dozen individuals all at once. When she was down each ball of plasma shot down in a straight line towards their designated target.

To you, what it looked like was goblins and bears falling around you suddenly as a blue orb shot into their chest and ignited their insides painfully, with their mouths and eyes and ears spitting blue light. You rounded the corner and saw a flash of red. Then you saw the mechanical dog limbs, pointed and digitigrade. The creature, a red haired beastfolk wandering the floor with a dull, black expression and a mask, began to wander towards you aimlessly. You begin to cry as the new dog-like entity bounced in front of you for attention.

“No no no… No… Kara…” You were close to pulling your hair out, then as tears left your eyes and dripped down your cheeks you began to notice a lack of a big tail, and thinner ears.

“Joi…” It was still bad. The poor girl was still turned into a mindless animal with ridiculous dog limbs, but… A guilty thought crossed your mind. Relief.

It isn’t Kara. Where? Where is she?

As you looked around you were the one who was found by Jeane and the others hiding in a room. To your relief you saw Kara there as well, sitting like nothing was happening.

“Oh… Oh thank god!” You could breath again.

Heilan pouted. “D-don’t cry, Fin. When we saw what was happening we tried to get everyone safe that we could. Joi… put herself in the way to save Kara. That’s how we managed to get her to safety.”

“Oh…” Your lip quivered as you stared back into the hall. Joi was curled up, resting as an animal would with her little puff-ball tail wagging and her ears twitching.

***

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this story and want to read more of it, more Chapters are currently available to read at https://www.patreon.com/TVWintergreen I upload new chapters every week day with extra content also being released constantly to my discord for Extra Tier Members."