Chapter 7: Repentance Pt.2
Closing the camcorder, Steve completed his morning routine once more. He thought it was strange that he was still doing this, he didn't even need the brainwashing runes to make him wonder about that. The camcorder, a gift from his sister, was supposed to be a way for them to communicate back and forth without distractions keeping them from saying what they wanted to say. It was how they kept in touch, they were close siblings and though they had somewhat different ideals neither wanted to lose track because of the war.
But in all likelihood the Zeon Lieutenant would never return. He would live out his days or be killed in this land. Steve had been able to pick out enough of the workings of the world to determine he would not be capable of blending in, there would not be a way for him not to be found out, there would not be a way to survive as he was. He had seen that he was truly an anomaly here, an aberration. There only seemed to be familiarity and procedures for his arrival because he had accidentally pulled off the single greatest bluff in the history of the school.
They had no comprehension of him because they did not know of 'other' places. Other worlds, regions outside their sphere of influence was an alien concept, and that meant they had no way to send him back. There would be no rendezvous, there would be no debriefing, no leave of absence, no warm homecoming, nohugsnosmilesnotearsno-...
Steve shook his head and harshly ripped himself away from the unhealthy line of thinking. Instead he brought himself back to the strange sight before his eyes. His master was currently taking a table napkin and ostensibly trying buff out scratches from his leg armor. Presumably she wanted to endear herself to him, or rather the Zaku, which she calle-.
Shaking his head again to rattle out useless rabbit hole tangents the pilot began considering how to create a safe situation for himself. While it was true he was blind here, he couldn't just wait for information to shove itself down his throat. Colbert was right in that Steve couldn't keep living like this.
Also seeing her adorable little face constantly worrying she might not be 'The Favorite' was making him feel guilty as hell. He didn't appreciate not having any say in the development of a reliance based relationship, but what was done was done, and frankly he needed to be clear about this. He wanted to do it properly though, so he could probably spare a couple days and not scare the hell out of her and have his facts together.
From there she could inform persons that she needed to tell before anything came of the rumors, and then the Professor could go through the other channels. Hopefully Steve could insert himself into this little culture as a perfectly normal not-to-be-murdered individual. It was a multi-step, potentially volatile process, but it had been nearly a week since A Baoa Qu, and as Steve watched the pinkette below try to find a way to access the Zaku's monoeye for cleaning (which it needed, guano was starting to become a problem), he was almost confident that things would work out here.
Louise then stopped and turned her head as if she had been addressed, Steve turned on his receivers to allow himself to pick up the conversation, in case something important came up.
"Headmaster Osmond?! What? Did I miss a summons, I-" Whatever Steve's suddenly frantic master was going to apologize for was cut off by an unseen signal. As he panned his camera over he saw a somewhat decrepit looking old man. The man's hand was held up in a placating halting expression. The man seemed more amused than angry, so Steve was content to just watch and listen to this conversation. At the "headmaster's" side was a woman who was ostensibly his assistant or apprentice. She had a oddly confident bearing, but her focus kept darting back to the Zaku.
It wouldn't have been odd if all the staff, the headmaster, and Louise were ignoring him without trouble. Steve was quite aware that in a world like this a Mobile Suit would be quite a sight to see, but when everyone else treated it as an everyday occurrence, the unique little snowflake stood out. The Zeon Lieutenant almost missed the next part of the conversation due to the peculiarity causing his focus to waver.
"Miss Valliere, it is quite all right, it's understandable for you to be caring for your familiar. It's not surprising to be unable to reach you in your room. Now as I understand it, you and your familiar were the only ones who might have gotten a good look at Fouquet during the attack. It happens though that my lovely secretary here managed to get some nearby woodsmen to describe a suspicious passerby enough for a sketch to be made." he took a sheet of parchment from his secretary and held it out for Louise to inspect as she arrived in front of him. Louise seemed eager as she looked at the sketch and nodded a moment later.
"Yes, that definitely looks like them." She said enthusiastically, as she beamed at the chance to be useful. It was actually somewhat pitiable, like watching someone without any independent joys.
The sketch was then held up for the 'golem's' own inspection. Steve barely kept himself from grimacing. The sketch, while detailed as if created by a great artist, offered no real information. It didn't show any real single feature to pick someone out from a crowd. The shoulders might be described as narrow and effeminate, and the person at the time wore their hair long. Other than those two details though nothing was useful, no color was used, and no facial features exposed, just a dense heavy looking cloak. While such attire might have been suspicious on a colony, Steve was quite aware that it wasn't especially warm here, and someone who travels at night might in fact want something to keep them warm.
At the very least it WAS accurate, the thief was careful not to give a clear view of himself during the fight. He could offer at least one helpful detail however. He caught a flash of the individual's hair, and he had a prime example of it immediately available. Pointing the index finger of the right hand, Steve singled out the Secretary, who immediately blanched in terror. The Headmaster and Louise both adopted looks of alarm before Steve managed to figure out what was going on and rapidly made placating hand expressions to diffuse the situation. Through some interpretive motions Steve managed to get them to play charades and figure out that he merely meant the hair bore a similarity.
With that burst of awkward out of the way everyone breathed a heavy sigh, Steve added an apologetic motion of the Zaku's hand towards the green haired woman, who sent a somewhat scathing glare back. Understandable, as Steve wouldn't have appreciated almost being falsely executed either.
After the group had once again settled itself from Steve's horrendous break in communication, they were again interrupted by the arrival of a pair of Louise's peers. The blue haired dragon owner and her fiery companion forcibly inserted themselves into the discussion with delicate finesse of a bulldozer. It seemed that the petite dragon rider was taking a special interest in the subject matter, and the redhead was just along for the ride.
Louise did not appreciate this, clearly having some problem with the red haired girl. Thankfully, however, Steve got a confirmation of the pair's names out of this. Unfortunately in his wavering focus he had missed a critical point of the conversation, as it now sounded a lot like these children were being volunteered to hunt down the thief.
Moments later he was able to determine that this was exactly the case. While they had determined that some planning was in order, it did seem that the basic idea was to send the student volunteers, the golem, and the secretary to apprehend the thief who assaulted a defended fortification in the presence of the royal family. It came at such a horrifying shock that Steve was unable to object until the party had dispersed for preparations.
Steve's attention was finally drawn to the overcast skies above as light rain began to fall. The unforeseen rainfall might have been disconcerting or ominous to a planet born individual, whose rainfalls weren't planned and scheduled by a weather control computer. Steve soaked in the dreary ambience and let it amplify his reborn, defeated emotions.
Kirche sighed in exasperation as she plopped on her bed. She had lost track of Tabitha at some point and hadn't been able to find her prior to the rain moving in. It was at the time pouring outside and looked like a significant storm might come of it, preventing her from further searching.
Kirche just couldn't accept not knowing anything about that strange alvis Louise had summoned, especially when it was clear that Tabitha knew something so important about it. This was another of the few secrets that Tabitha refused to divulge however, and despite her best efforts, Kirche couldn't glean anything useful from the diminutive bookworm.
It wasn't that Kirche really bought into the previous slander against Louise, but the sudden shift in demeanor and the blatant success was outside the redhead's ability to suspend disbelief. No one in the Valliere family, powerful rivals they were, should have been able to pull it off. Yet while Tabitha was surprised initially to the point that the Zerbst was able to catch it, two days later she was taking it in stride with only occasional contemplative gestures towards the golem.
As the day turned towards the evening and the rain outside got heavier Steve found himself meeting with Colbert in some sort of study hall. The room had beautifully carved arches throughout, with beautifully finished wooden desks. There was a small bookcase half filled with what ostensibly were quick reference texts. The table in the center had a tea set which had been brought in by Siesta along with Steve's meal. Siesta herself was seated beside the table opposite Tabitha, each with their own texts in hand reading diligently. Steve briefly wondered how much useful information Siesta was actually getting out of the maintenance text, considering she needed a pretty sound understanding of machines to understand the terminology in the manual. More of the Lieutenant's concern however was on the events earlier that day.
"So can you explain to me how the hell you people justify sending school children to apprehend a thief who could easily murder them?!" Steve accusingly asked of Colbert, currently pinning the crime on the Professor despite him not having been present at the time. The Flame Snake looked about ready to yell back but held his tongue and formulated his response.
"It wasn't an assignment," he scathed back, "Miss Valliere volunteered, and Chevalier Tabitha offered her own staff to support her. They aren't mere children, but Nobles, and we must respect the support when it's offered. Furthermore we cannot let Fouquet escape with something as dangerous as the Staff of Destruction."
Tabitha nodded and made a gesture of affirmation with her staff, though this was likely just to draw attention to herself before speaking, "Needs to know danger, I can already handle it."
Steve rounded on Tabitha no less angrily then he did Colbert, "And what the hell does that mean? Why does she need to potentially die? Shes what, fifteen?"
"War alvis." she responded while turning a page in her book.
"Eh?"
Clearing his throat, Colbert continued for the Chevalier, "Regardless of her age, the nature of her summoning is going to cause many to try and gain her power for themselves. As far as most people are concerned your machine is a self sustaining intelligent golem. Alvis are not a common thing, she will be sought out." Pausing for a moment to mull over the situation, Colbert seemed to sag as he continued, "As much as I wish none of my students would have such concerns, she will be dragged into that world."
The Lieutenant lowered his head and contemplated this, before flopping into a seat with a sigh. "God dammit, yes I guess that makes sense. So this is MY fault?"
Any response to the dejected pilot's conclusion was interrupted by a bright flash from outside. The pilot jerked in his seat as if shot and snapped his wide eyed gaze to the window. A loud crash was heard shortly after and Steve dove for cover towards the bottom of the window from his chair and withdrew his sidearm. "What the hell? Is the academy under attack again?"
The incredulous glances he got in return were rather insulting in Steve's opinion, "What the hell are you doing with your thumbs up your assholes?! Move! That's cannon fire!"
Ignoring the crass insult, Colbert continued to stare at Steve for a moment, before explaining, "No... that is lightning... from the thunderstorm. You truly do not know what lightning is?"
Steve's only reply was a blank increasingly lost expression. While the reactions were varied, it was clear that this was the first time that the others in the room truly understood what Steve was. Steve looked like any other person, but it was now clear he was completely foreign to this world and its phenomena.
Colbert was the first to make a comment, "I guess where you lived you wouldn't have that, I'm sorry for not warning you, it simply never occurred to me."
Siesta looked between Colbert and Steve rapidly in confusion before voicing her own confusion. "What do you mean? How could anyone not know what a thunderstorm is?" Tabitha's level of interest seemed to imply similar confusion, but did not need to voice it, merely offering support to Siesta's question.
Colbert thought for a moment on his response before deciding he had a decent enough way to explain his understanding. "Well, Lieutenant Smith has informed me that he lived in a colony founded among the stars." Siesta nodded, clearly having understood that much, while Tabitha narrowed her gaze incredulously. Colbert, a teacher by trade, picked up on Tabitha's gaze and expounded further, "However impractical it would seem for us to accomplish a similar feat, if we assume that his people have managed it, one then needs only to consider how an astral dwelling people would live. Steve here has already recounted to me in great detail a megalithic structure, a massive cylinder rotating in space, with homes and farmland on the inside." Steve seemed to pull himself out of his stupor to grunt in grudging approval, the flame professor took it as consent to continue, "While they would need water, they found ways to reuse what they have, and therefore have no need for rain." At the second grunt Colbert turned apologetically to Steve and motioned him to make his corrections.
Calming himself a bit further from the clap of thunder outside, before wincing at the next one, Steve formulated his own explanation, "Any ground not taken up with industrial or residential structures is actually just set aside for parks and comforting amenities, the farms are in a separate structure outside the colony. We do have rain, but it is artificially induced and never as heavy as this. Early pioneers figured out that colonists didn't react well to each and every day being perfect and sunny. It also keeps the grass and trees moist enough to flourish and look pretty."
"Why is it shaped like a pipe? That doesn't give much room to live." Siesta interjected. Steve was actually impressed, although the assumption was wrong the fact she was thinking about it without an understanding of geometry said good things about her mind.
"Because space doesn't have gravity... as you are familiar with it anyway."
"Gravity?" Was the simultaneous inquiry from Colbert and Siesta. The question actually provided a significant problem to Steve and he wasn't really certain how to explain it. He had thought they would know about gravity, but really he was giving them more credit than he should with any technical term. Magic translator shenanigans be damned.
"Right, gravity. Well if you jump in place you fall back to the ground right? Thats because of gravity, its why you don't get flung off the planet while it spins. It's like the chain on a flail. Only really big things have any significant amount of it, so the colonies spin to produce a similar effect, we get pushed to the sides of the colony because we are like the ball on a flail, but we have no chain, just the wall." Steve made a series of hand gestures to illustrate his point, regularly returning to what he thought the motion for using a flail was. The frowns he got in return for the gesture were not comforting. "Anyway its actually the reason I have you transcribing that book Siesta. My Zaku isn't meant to operate in a full gravity environment like it is. Its still set up for space operations, where it has to be able to move without any friction."
Colbert frowned a bit as if not understanding the difficulty, but Steve had let this rabbit hole go on far too long, the shock of the thunderstorm had really rattled him, "Anyway what are we going to do about this 'Thief Hunt' that I basically volunteered my master for." Steve was becoming gradually more comfortable with calling Louise his master, while the word had certain other meanings, it seemed effectively like a simple if awkward command structure. He wasn't opposed to getting orders, just to dieing for them.
Colbert made a face of dejected disapproval at the topic change, obviously preferring the discussion of science to potential violence. However he let the matter continue out of necessity, "Well Longueville found during her investigations that several villagers recounted a suspicious figure going in and out of an abandoned logging cabin and warehouse in the forest. They also provided the descriptions for the sketch artists to put together."
"Have I mentioned how terrible that sketch was by the way?" Steve interjected with a wry grin.
"How do you mean, I didn't see anything wrong with it."
"What? As in it didn't violate anatomy? I suppose I can't draw that well but damn. It had no defining features whatsoever. They wear a heavy dark cloak, from what I can tell so does anyone who travels a lot here. I would certainly like one if I were out in that." The pilot countered, pointing behind him. "They have long hair, so I guess that rules you out Colbert, and they are vaguely effeminate. This is all the information that sketch gave. So I guess if we go arrest every female adventurer, merchant, mercenary, vacationer, and vagrant we will get them."
Colbert shifted awkwardly in his seat, recognizing the point Steve brought up, "I suppose that our information does seem pretty weak."
Another thunderclap had Steve wincing as the point was conceded, "God damn how do you people live with that crap?" Taking a breath to regain his composure he formed a proper response, "Anyway it doesn't matter, we are being sent to investigate, if we don't find anything that is great, you people are just idiots. What we need to do is plan for the off chance the thief IS there."
The ensuing discussion while brief, could even more briefly be summarized in one sentence for the Lieutenant.
Stand in front of the golem and hope for the best.
He was still quite displeased.
The high pitched ringing of a repurposed sensor alert was rather welcome when it woke Steve that morning, it allowed him some measure of regularity, and let him begin preparations for the journey ahead him. Flipping open his camcorder again he began his routine of recording the diary for sending his sister, regardless of the likelihood of actually sending it. "Well sis it seems we are going to pursue that thief from last week, we meaning one staff member and three students. I am actually not kidding. Dragon girl and her friend volunteered to come along and are going to be riding the dragon while I carry the secretary and my master in the Zaku's hand. No military or police escort whatsoever."
Steve paused to consider if he was actually okay with this, as he could probably at least delay things by just refusing to move. He had actually considered earlier just going to the location early on his own, but noted he had no relevant maps in his Zaku's computer and wouldn't know where to go. "The plan is more or less to go directly to the location, check for anyone in the area and question them. If no one shows up, we search the premises for the staff, and if we don't find anything, stick around and wait for someone to show up. Almost all of these scenarios have the potential for things to go horribly wrong and for people to get killed. Anyway I need to start getting ready, we were going to head out fairly early in the day. I barely got any sleep last night because of something called a thunderstorm too, this is going to suuuuuck."
Louise met the sunlight with enthusiasm as she entered the main courtyard. The grounds gave significantly under her fine traveling boots, the burst of rainfall last evening soaking the soil through and turning it into an uneven mush. The groundskeepers would be displeased with the amount of damage done to the grounds by the various mages milling about and the numerous large familiars summoned this year.
Actually, she mused, the groundskeepers would likely be furious at the damage her familiar would impart to the landscaping just by remaining in the courtyard. It might have been prudent to move it to the forest. Her recent success in the summoning it seemed wasn't going to lessen the repair costs incurred by her presence then mulled sullenly. At the very least they allowed her to volunteer in the pursuit of the Mage Thief Fouquet, allowing her to redeem the damages that allowed the brigand to make off with their prize.
Perhaps she was being too hasty though, she had been all too ready to fireball the poor secretary, Longueville, who she thought the golem was accusing. She would endeavor to be much more careful regarding her decisions in the future. Her familiar was admirably preparing itself for the excursion, testing its mobility and examining its weapons for faults. Of all its sundry behaviors, her golem's diligence was alone in a sea of quirks. Outside the tripping incident in the forest, it acted less like a golem familiar and more like it's own entity.
It wasn't much longer before the harlot and her friend the dragon rider arrived ready to accompany Louise in the journey. "So Louise you seem to be taking a lot of interest in your protector familiar, having second thoughts?" Kirche needled, her own familiar not to be seen, as it was impractical for this mission.
"I am not having second thoughts! Just thinking about my familiar's odd behavior." Louise retorted. Kirche only responded with an expression as if she had bit into a lemon, before mumbling something. Tabitha seemed to glance directly at Louise as she made the comment before going back to her book and prodding at her dragon occasionally with her staff to ensure it didn't wander off.
Any further bickering was preempted by the arrival of the Headmaster's secretary, Longueville, as she looked about for something else. "Where is the carriage we are to use?" Ostensibly, she expected some comfortable form of transport.
"We do not need one, Zerbst and Tabitha will just ride the dragon while we ride my golem." Louise replied, perhaps having too much pride in her own familiar to not see how distinctly uncomfortable that would be. She began to doubt her decision as the secretary blanched and swallowed uncomfortably before gazing up at the imposing familiar. Before she could amend her decision and summon a cart and steed the woman nodded and began walking towards the golem.
A few moments later they were seated in the construct's palm and being carried through the main archway, out into the forest with the wind dragon and its two passengers flying overhead, a constant eye on their progress. From then on most of the journey was relatively silent, the rhythmic bass footfalls of the golem vaguely irritating but ignorable with enough concentration. Uncomfortable with the notion of not conversing with an individual forced into captive audience, Louise was the first to speak up. "What do you think made Fouquet into a thief? I can't imagine what would make a Noble stoop to such acts."
After an annoyed grimace Longueville grew pensive, "There are some mages born outside of traditional Noble families, and some who had their nobility stripped from them for no fault of their own. Such persons commonly find employment difficult if not impossible, due to the stigma of hiring a disgraced Noble. Many commoners after all are displeased with Nobles and are all too eager to impede them at every turn."
Louise considered this perspective for a moment, recognizing the irritation she had felt regarding Mott when he had been harassing the maid, and Monteromancy when she had contributed to the same affront. It was easy to see why a common person would see fit to take petty vengeance on such persons when disgraced and stripped of their power. It was really rather chilling to see herself in that potential position, though her family made a point of giving the servants due respect and courteous understanding.
Her reply was delayed by the discomfort of her stomach rising into her chest as the golem carefully navigated a small ridge on the way to the reported location of the thief. Longueville continued before Louise had regained her comfort, "I am one of those Nobles stripped of their title..." She said with a grim expression. "What keeps me going is that I am not just working for my own benefit."
Louise once again paused in contemplation, wondering what she would keep doing for her own family should she lose her Noble status before Longueville announced they were within sight of the cabin. Looking ahead, one could see it wasn't much, just an old somewhat decayed office and a dilapidated warehouse. Louise could see why most people wouldn't want to bother looking around such a location, the decrepit old place was probably a mess of glass shards and shredded splinters.
The golem stopped a short ways before the cabin, and deposited it's passengers dutifully on the ground. At the same time the dragon landed a bit closer and followed its rider and the harlot climbed off and joined the golem riding duo. "So we didn't see anything from up above, but the trees are pretty dense in some places." Kirche commented, supported by a nod from Tabitha.
"Well then we need to check inside, we aren't just going to leave because the thief isn't home." Louise harshly retorted, perceiving the comment as a request to give up. Marching ahead with renewed purpose, Louise took the lead with Kirch and Tabitha closely behind, as Longueville stepped away into the forest making an unheard excuse.
The golem looked towards the small cabin dejectedly for a moment, before taking a position facing the other side of the path, keeping an eye out for anything strange.
Steve's console was suddenly consumed in a wash of seismic alerts as the trees behind his Zaku were blown away by a mass of mud and clay bursting through them, aimed at the Mobile Suits knees. Steve barely managed to start turning the Zaku to try and evade when the blow caught him and toppled the Mecha with the greatest of ease.
Steve was thankful for the harness that kept him from being killed by smashing his head on a console. It was far from comfortable, but he had larger problems, like the fact he was now being dragged at a significant pace away from the buildings. Frankly, bringing a Mobile Suit along probably wasn't very intelligent for a stealthy approach, making an ambush more alluring to the enemy. Finally getting his bearings, Steve fired the thrusters in the enclosed feet of the Zaku. Magically collected river stones, clay, and mud quickly gave way to immense pressure and heat and the mound was blown apart.
Steve rolled away from the frantic grab of another clay hand before slamming into a group of trees and being forced to a stop. The spacenoid was grateful for the injection of skills from his familiar bond when he was quickly able to understand how to get his mobile suit to a kneeling position. The Lieutenant then flowed into a thruster assisted roll to the side as a pair of massive arms laid out a hammer blow where he had been recuperating. Coming to a full stand, Steve was finally able to properly evaluate the situation. He had been dragged nearly two hundred meters from the others. The golem would have to go through him to reach the students however, so they were safe. Miss Longueville would just have to make do wherever she was, as Steve couldn't spare the focus to keep watch for her. His opponent had prepared for a slug match this time around.
The Zaku pilot grimaced as he noted his gun had been thrown free in the initial collision, and he now was forced to engage in close combat with an opponent who had orchestrated the battle for their benefit from the beginning. The enemy finished pulling together their humanoid's components from the debris of the previous attacks and rather than continue the offensive took a powerful gloating stance as if to egg Steve on.
Steve shifted the grip on the Heat Hawk as it finished warming from the conduits in the Mobile Suit's palm. Steve kept the axe steady in the right hand, leaving the other free for other avenues of attack should they present themselves. Steve wasn't going to buy the gloat. The remaining tremors from the brief foray into the forest were sending back odd seismic signals, including something his computer found significant in front of the enemy construct. It didn't take a genius to determine the thief was probably undermining the ground there and intended to make him fall into a pothole.
Fortunately for the Lieutenant, he had not been born the day prior. Rather than pushing into another frontal charge along the ground he coiled the legs and primed the main thruster pack on the Zaku. Once he had determined his preparation suitable he pushed off and fired the pack at full burn. Steve was thrown back in his seat as the forces of gravity and inertia fought hard to keep him in place, giving way to freefall as the Zaku went ballistic. The mage didn't appear to know how to respond, despite having been attacked in a similar manner the previous time. Steve supposed that some paradigms were so far removed that the locals had a hard time adjusting even with prior experience backed by hard evidence.
The golem had failed to anticipate Steve's leap, and once it finally snapped to, barely managed to divert itself away from the full force of the blow. The left arm of the golem was harshly severed at the 'elbow' despite being almost three meters thick. The driving force of the burning hot Heat Hawk and the entire weight of the Zaku behind it left no room for argument.
The enemy quickly began forming a new arm, but rather than compromise their torso again they seemed to divide their focus and instead started forming an arm a short distance away, from the base of a massive old tree. Their current arm tore up a smaller one from the ground and swung it at the Zaku like a club. As he Shifted the Zaku towards the right Steve was able to avoid the strike completely and with his free hand grab the massive piece of lumber and pull, dragging the golem off balance and towards the already swinging Heat Hawk which neatly severed its head. Steve wasn't simple enough to try and get his weapon trapped in the enemy's magical mass again while going for a torso strike.
The severed head made a satisfying thump when it pancaked against the ground. The rest of the golem looked like some child's malformed playdough monstroscity with its squat stance marred by its 'wounds.' Without another obvious avenue of attack though Steve found himself feeling exposed, and performed a shorter jet assisted leap back. As he landed the golem quickly rushed its completed arm and club, the combatants then sized each other up again.
They had both completed successful assaults on the other and each had a feel for the other's current strengths. Steve had been limited in his options by the fact he was defending the students in the cabin, but he observed them moving back to the skies on Tabitha's dragon, they didn't appear to have any extra weight aboard, meaning the thief likely had the staff on them. The mage began charging once more, not even bothering to replace the construct's head. Steve supposed it must be superfluous. Switching to a two handed grip on the heat hawk Steve held the axe low as he set the Zaku at a deliberate and significantly slower pace. At the last moment as they closed Steve quickly lunged forward while raising the heat hawk.
The golem came to an immediate stop and tried to brace its club with both hands to block the heat hawk, to no avail as the heat hawk smashed straight through the club, leaving two useless halves in the golem's possession. As the pilot finished his swing, he immediately pushed the thruster pack to full output and charged forward into the golem, catching it full on with the shield. The lighter mass of soil was easily torn from the ground at the cost of its legs, and propelled back through the forest at the cost of its arms. Steve cut his throttle as they came to a denser portion of old forest with a developed canopy. The torso of the golem continued onward with its inertia and slammed into what appeared to be some sort of massive spruce. The pitiful broken mass continued to spasm slightly, indicating it was still receiving magic.
Moving the Zaku forward in a slow walk, Steve prepared to deliver the coup de grace when a small human form began digging its way out of the stomach. "Opposing mage, you have been defeated, dismount your golem immediately and surrender." He broadcast over the loudspeaker. He doubted the sound would escape the forest and reach the flyers overhead, but even if it did he wouldn't totally object to it, this would be a good context to be revealed in.
