Hey, I know this one is kinda short but that's ok. Not much else to say, so here it is, ch. 22. R&R plz.
The Legend of Midna: Clockwork Darkness
Chapter Twenty-Two
"Are you all ready?" Eoghan said as he readied himself for battle. He couldn't tell who it was that waited for them at the other end of the corridor, but he was sure they were trouble.
"I'm ready, of course," Siobhán affirmed, preparing a bolt in her crossbow.
"So am I," Cailin said, with an unusual glint in her eye.
"Alright," Eoghan said, "well, let's do it, then."
Together they approached the center of the corridor, and as they did so, the two figures at the other end approached as well. As they cleared the gap, it became evident what they were up against. The human figure became distinguishable as a mechanical man, similar to that which Eoghan had fought during his trial, only sleeker, better put-together…more human. Above his right shoulder was now clearly a bat made of bronze, its tiny wings driven by gears and springs. The man carried in his hands a long staff outfitted with straight blades on each end.
"Tell the master," the mechanical man said to the bat. It quickly turned around, with more speed than something as heavy as it should have been able to do in the air, and sped off towards the door through which they had come.
"Oh no you don't!" Siobhán shouted, and loosed the bolt at the bat, hitting it square in one of its wings. It faltered, but managed to stay aloft, and soon it was out of sight. "Damn," she breathed.
"You are the interlopers master Zagros spoke of," he said, his voice deep and smooth with a slight metallic hint to it. "I can assure you, you will not make it out of this room alive."
"You sound awfully confident," Eoghan said. "Who do you think you are anyhow?"
"I am Igos du Ikana," the automaton answered. "I am the king of the great nation of Ikana."
"How can you be the king of Ikana?" Cailin interjected. "The Ikana were a race of men. You're a machine."
"I am still the king of Ikana," Igos answered. "Master Zagros fashioned me this body that I might be a more effective leader."
"If you're a king, why are you taking orders?" Siobhán persisted. "It seems like it should be the other way around."
"I take orders," Igos answered, "because of what I have to gain. Master Zagros will return life to the great nation of Ikana in return for service. The Ikana will once again rise up to take the land that it rightfully ours, filled with new life, life that you will not have. Now, enough talk. Prepare to die!" With that, Igos raised his weapon and charged the three of them. Siobhán loosed another bolt, this time directed at Igos, and hit him square in the chest plate. He staggered back for a second, but as he regained his balance he swung up with his weapon, catching her in the side and flinging her into one of the nearby pillars. Eoghan countered by thrusting his sword into Igos' elbow joint, only to be thrown to the floor by a powerful kick.
"Let's see how you like this!" Cailin shouted. Combining her wind and fire magic, she engulfed Igos in a flaming gust. It passed, but Igos remained, seemingly unharmed.
"Nice try," Igos said mechanically. He then twirled his pole before bringing one of the blades down to slice her in half. Cailin dove to the side, evading his strike, but just barely. As she regained her footing, a crossbow bolt whizzed past her head, barely missing her. It found its target when it lodged itself securely in one of Igos' eyes.
"You will pay for that with your life," Igos said coolly. He brought his blade down to meet her. Thinking fast, Eoghan dove in front of her with barely any time to spare; a second later, and Igos' blade would have sliced Siobhán open. Instead, it was deflected by Eoghan's shield.
"I have an idea!" Cailin shouted. "Follow my lead!" She focused her water magic, and sheeted Igos' legs in ice, rooting him to the spot.
"Foolish girl," Igos said, "you think this will keep me here forever?"
"No," she replied, "but this will. Siobhán," Cailin shouted. She focused her spirit magic and fired a beam at Siobhán. "I've augmented your strength using spirit magic. Now, go into his shadow and hold him down!"
Siobhán nodded and, using her shadowjumping technique, entered Igos' shadow. From where he stood, a pair of bluish hands could be seen protruding from the floor beneath him. They curled around Igos' ankle joints, and amazingly, pulled them down through the floor, rooting him to the spot.
"What are you doing?" Igos' tone was that of disbelief, distinguishable even through his mechanical monotone.
"Finishing you off," Cailin said with a wicked glint in her eye that was very uncharacteristic of her. "Alright Eoghan, I don't think I need to tell you what to do."
"No you don't," he said. He then took a running start, leapt, and with one fell swoop of the Gilded Sword, Igos' head parted company with the rest of his body.
"Alright, sis, you can come out now," he said. A moment later Siobhán emerged from the shadows to rejoin the group.
"Can you believe it?" Siobhán wondered at the destroyed body of Igos du Ikana. "This machine housed the soul of somebody else. That's incredible." She bent down to study the broken machine.
"Yes," Cailin said, "but it's a terrible thing not to allow the dead to rest. Now come on, we need to get moving so we can stop Zagros from doing whatever it is he plans to do."
"I mean," Siobhán said, apparently oblivious to what Cailin had just said, "look at this, this is amazing. To think, Zagros was able to imagine this, and then actually build it. He must be some kind of genius. He's probably even more powerful than Ganondorf was supposed to be."
"Don't act so impressed," Eoghan said. "It almost sounds like you admire him for it."
"Oh, what?" Siobhán stuttered, coming out of her reverie. "Oh, right, no, I don't think that. But this does give us a better idea of what we're up against."
"True," said Cailin. "Now let's go stop Zagros."
"Yeah," Eoghan agreed. "Let's do it."
Together they headed through the door before them, and up the stairs to face their final adversary.