The Ambush

The Abyssal Warden trudged forward, its massive feet sinking slightly into the soft ground with each step. The environment changed from a bog to a dense forest, the trees rising around them. Their bark were blackened, as if scorched by some long-forgotten fire. Mist clung to the forest floor, swirling around the Warden's legs.

Inside the cockpit, Galen slouched in his chair, as tried to focus on continuing onwards. The green glow of the Warden's carvings flickered faintly, illuminating the cockpit in irregular pulses. It felt like the machine itself was struggling to stay awake.

[Status report]

[Integrity: 26%]

[Arcyn Reserve: 20%-]

The Arcyn reserve of the Abyssal Warden kept rising during battles, and afterwards, but it peaked at twenty percent. Galen checked on it occasionally to see if it changes at any time.

"Still no sign of civilization," Galen muttered, his voice cutting through the steady hum of the Warden's systems. "If this castle of yours is even real, is it much farther away?"

Morrigan's presence stirred, an invisible weight pressing against his mind. Her voice came sharp and commanding, filled with irritation. "Moonnight Castle lies beyond this forest. Keep moving! I do not enjoy your whining."

Galen smirked, adjusting the Warden's movement as it maneuvered around a cluster of fallen trees. She was still pissed about him being who he was. "Didn't realize goddesses were so easy to anger."

A wave of frustration traveled through him, Morrigan's disapproval manifesting like a storm in his head. "Do not test my patience, Galen Voss. Your sarcasm is as exhausting as your inaptitude."

His grin faded as the Warden stumbled slightly, its leg dragging through a patch of mud. He focused on controlling the Effigy more, gritting his teeth as he felt the resistance in his legs. It was harder and harder to keep the Warden upright with each passing hour.

"Why is this thing moving like a drunk?" he asked, half to himself.

"The Abyssal Warden is not invincible," Morrigan replied coldly. "Its reserves are strained, and its integrity is compromised. If you squander what little energy remains, it will fail you completely."

Galen sighed, leaning back as the Warden regained its footing. "Yeah, well what could we do about getting more energy?"

Morrigan was silent this time. Galen wondered what the answer could be. Before he could press her further the Warden's sensors cut him off with a quiet chime in his head.

[Environmental Anomaly Detected.]

He straightened in his seat, his mind tightening around the Warden. "What kind of anomaly?"

The answer came in the form of faint movement across the Warden's vision. Galen tried focusing more, maybe he could get a clearer view. Shadows danced between the trees, just at the edge of the Warden's faint light. Too regular to be the wind. Too erratic to be animals.

"We're not alone," Galen muttered, his tone shifting to worry.

Morrigan's voice returned, quieter now but no less commanding. "Scavengers. They plague the edges of forgotten battlefields, stripping Effigies of their remains like vultures. Dangerous in their desperation, though rarely more than an inconvenience."

"Yeah, well, they've got an inconvenience heading their way that's fifteen meters tall," Galen said. He kept his eyes fixed on the shadows, watching as they came closer.

The forest seemed to close in around them, the mist thickening like a curtain. The Warden's vision was picking up more movement now. Multiple signatures, their positions circling like a pack of wolves.

"You're sure about that 'rarely more than an inconvenience' part?" he asked, his voice full of tension.

The Warden took another step, and the ground beneath it gave a sudden shudder. Galen glanced down, noticing faint pulses beneath the surface. The realization hit him like a gut punch.

"It's a trap."

The moment the words left his mouth, the ground erupted in a series of sharp, concussive blasts. Trees toppled, their blackened trunks splintering as waves of dirt and debris filled the air. The Abyssal Warden staggered, its balance compromised as one of its legs sank into a newly formed crater.

[Integrity: 22%]

Galen gritted his teeth, steadying the Warden. Its massive frame groaned as it struggled to pull its leg free from the crater. The glowing carvings along the cockpit walls flickered erratically, the low hum of the Effigy's systems growing uneven.

"Morrigan," Galen muttered, his voice tight. "Any ideas?"

Morrigan's presence flared, her annoyance pressing against his mind like a vice. "You are the pilot. Use the tools at your disposal."

Galen snorted. "Yeah, the tools. Let's see… legs stuck, energy capped. What tools do I have?" He looked toward the treeline as machines emerged from the smoke.

The ambushers had constructs of their own. The seemed to be a patchwork of parts and desperation. One limped forward on a pair of mismatched legs, its torso bristling with rusted armor and salvaged plating. Another crouched low, stance like a predator, its jagged blades sparking as they dragged against the earth. A third, larger machine loomed behind the others, carrying an unwieldy cannon that looked like it had been bolted together from Effigy limbs. Its barrel glowed an angry red, crackling with unstable energy.

"Great," Galen muttered. "They have their own mechs."

[Unknown Tier Effigies detected. Status report unavailable.]

The scavengers moved with patience, circling the Warden like wolves closing in on wounded prey. Galen forced the Warden to tear its leg free from the crater. Mud and debris sprayed outward as the Effigy righted itself, towering above the approaching constructs.

"Come on, big guy. Don't let me down."

[Wings of Oblivion]

But nothing happened.

[Wings of Oblivion could not be activated due to insufficient Arcyn.]

[Arcyn Reserve: 20%-]

Even the maximum possible amount of Arcyn was not enough.

The predator machine lunged first, its jagged blades swiping at the Warden's exposed leg. The Warden raised its arm to swat it away. The Warden's clawed hand connected with blade, tearing metal, sending the scavenger staggering back. It kept moving, its glowing eyes locked onto the Abyssal Warden.

[Integrity: 21%]

[Night Shroud]

A dark mist billowed from the Warden's body, swirling outward and cloaking the battlefield in shadow. The scavengers hesitated, their vision trying to adjust. Galen seized the moment, maneuvering the Warden behind the nearest construct with the mismatched armor and slashing at its exposed joints. The scavenger machine collapsed with a metallic wail.

The Effigy with the massive cannon strapped to its back began to charge, the barrel glowing an unstable red. It was aiming at the sport the Warden just now attacked it comrade from. Galen barely had time to react before it unleashed a blinding energy blast. He raised the Warden's arms instinctively.

[Emerald Veil]

The shimmering green barrier materialized in front of the Warden, absorbing the impact of the blast with a hum. The energy ricocheted off the Veil, scattering into harmless fragments that burned small craters into the forest floor. Galen felt the vibration in his chest as the Veil flickered before stabilizing.

[Arcyn Reserve: 4%^]

[Warning: Critical Arcyn Reserve.]

"Fantastic," Galen muttered, sweat flowing on his brow. "Anything else up your sleeve, Morrigan?"

Her voice cut through his thoughts, cold and impatient. "You are expending Arcyn faster than it can regenerate. This recklessness will leave you defenseless."

"Yeah? Well, I don't exactly have a lot of options here!" Galen snapped. "If you've got a better plan, now's the time!"

The other scavenger machine charged, the one armed with the jagged blades on its arm. Galen sidestepped its swing, using the Warden's bulk to shove it into a tree. The impact sent a shower of splinters into the air, but the Warden staggered from the effort.

The cockpit dimmed, the glowing carvings flickering weakly. Galen cursed under his breath, his heart pounding. "This thing's running on fumes."

Morrigan's presence grew heavier, her frustration palpable. "The Abyssal Warden draws its Arcyn from my essence. My power is what sustains it, but…" She hesitated, her tone softening. "I am not as I once was."

Galen froze. "Wait. You're saying the Warden's running on you? And you're running on empty."

Her silence was answer enough.

"Great," Galen muttered, shaking his head. "So, what? Can't you just power through it? Because we're about five seconds away from being scrap metal here."

"I cannot give what I do not have," Morrigan snapped, though her voice wavered. "If I push myself too far..."

"If you don't push, we both die," Galen interrupted, his tone firm. "You need me to keep you alive, right? Well, I need you to keep this thing moving. We're in this together, Morrigan. So stop holding back."

Another silence, heavy and tense. Then, a sharp surge of energy flooded the cockpit. The green carvings along the walls flared brightly, their light casting jagged shadows. The Warden's systems roared to life, the hum of its core growing steady once more.

[Arcyn Reserve: 40%-]

Galen felt the rush of power like an electric jolt. A grin came to his lips. "There we go. Now we're talking."

Morrigan's voice was quieter now, weary. "Do not waste it."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Galen said, focusing his thoughts. He felt the Warden respond, its limbs moving with renewed precision. He knew exactly which ability he wanted to use.

[Wings of Oblivion]

Emerald energy erupted from the Warden's back, forming massive, glowing wings that shimmered with energy. Galen witnessed the battlefield slowing, the scavenger machines stopping under the display.

He grinned. "Let's finish this."