Chapter 6: Fated Encounter

Alexiye once again woke up before the cresting of dawn itself. His foot was still a bit on the numb side, but everything else was fine. He briefly checked over everything, including the angel, mostly checking using his hand. The canvas pouches were fine and were most importantly not tampered with. He tightened his cloak around him feeling rather lonely again, even more so now since he didn't even have a comfortable place to stay anymore. The cold reached deeper into his body than it ever had before, even with the warmth of the angel directly on his back.

He sat there awake for a little while, only standing up after it started to get a little brighter. His foot was thankfully more numb and dull than in pain from stubbing his toe earlier. He was more than capable of walking now. He looked around for a tiny bit as he stretched as much as he could, taking out a compass immediately after. He compared the direction of the compass to his mental map, as well as the geography of what little he could see of the mountains off in the distance.

He aligned himself with the route he needed to take, beginning to walk through the forest in the general direction of the mountain peaks he specifically wanted to go over. He put his compass securely away, keeping in the forefront of his mind to unpack the climbing spikes he had in his pack. "Not making the same mistake twice. I have to stretch fully and then get those on my boots, slow is smooth and smooth is fast." he reminded himself of that western line he heard a few times.

He checked over his equipment, ruffling through his backpack and reconfirming where he had exactly stashed his climbing nails. He riffled through his backpack's contents trying to find them, initially searching through the main pocket of the bag, feeling towards the bottom of the pack where he stashed a lot of the more circumstantial equipment. He nearly panicked that he didn't even pack them, until he opened the secondary pocket, finding them sitting at the top of everything. He flicked himself on the forehead, sighing loudly.

He closed his bag once he had equipped his climbing spikes on his boots, now that the terrain was getting rocky and difficult to hike through without them. Though sparks flew as steel struck rocks and scraped flint, he pressed in despite the awkward steps he took. "I forgot why I usually wait until I get to the sheer incline before slipping these on…" he ridiculed himself as he walked. Nearly fumbling on his awkward steps several times walking through the area. He would glance down periodically to make sure he wouldn't humiliate himself by tripping and falling over something he could've seen coming.

The terrain becomes less densely wooded and instead seems to become more of a shrub forest. Perfect in his opinion since even while fully standing he could camouflage himself. He smiled as he could feel the tension and ease around him dissipate. Hiding would be a simple task if he needed to, especially in this environment. Still, looking at these bushes and shrubs… There was something odd about them, it was like they were locked in an eternal spring or bloom season for them… Flowers budded and blossomed on what appeared to be rose bushes… Berries grew on rarer specimens of some plants he recognized… There was even Mistletoe dangling above and around him, fully grown and berries visible.

"What the hell is this part of the forest?" Alexiye said, bringing around his rifle and raising it, feeling a bit uneasy about this whole circumstance. "I don't like it… here at all.." He said, goosebumps forming on his arms and legs as he navigates his way through the shrubbery. "Stay close, little angel, I don't like the feeling of this place anymore…" he spoke softly and lowly to her, getting lower to the ground and becoming cautious, not of his steps, but of the surroundings, moving his compass's position from his bag to in his peripherals so he could subconsciously take note of where he was headed and where he was looking.

"Some of these shrubs must've strangled the wooded plants… This is a mere forest of bushes and shrubs…" He said, being wary of what might live in the shrubs. His footsteps are careful, deliberate. His Gas Mask dangles beside him gently tapping against his shins as he keeps swiveling his head from side to side. His feet snapped and cut through the branches and leaves and vines as he took each new step with his bladed feet. Ironically, it was easier to walk in them now that he was stepping through terrain that would probably have tripped him up if he wasn't wearing them.

He pauses for a moment, before putting on his Gas Mask, "This is a perfect environment for an Alrunes… plenty of foliage to conceal themselves, and above all, the only people going through this brush would be people like me… or adventurers… Chyort, I'm in the shit now…" Now feeling an adrenaline rush flow through him, he realizes this place was the worst mistake he could've made. He put his bayonet in its sheath, and tried to make his Rifle shrink in size a little, to make it both easier to move as well as easier to have move through the brush.

His feet were the only thing making an easy way through the brush. The bundles of branches and leaves and vines all formed together to make it a challenging task to simply push past them. He paid little attention to his footing. The rocks that littered the ground seemed that they too were crushed and broken by the various vines he cut with every step, they seemed to be gravel or perhaps some kind of sand beneath his feet as he walked, though it was hard to tell what the floor was exactly made of as he stepped and cut through foliage which was on top of the ground.

"Seriously, what the fuck is this place?" Alexiye agonized quietly as he stepped further into this shrub forest, unnerved by the prime harvest season in this area, many plants in permanent bloom. Each step he took he cut through more shrubs and vines with his climbing nails. He kept swiveling his head and spinning his body to keep an eye on the situation around him, keeping a tiny amount of situational awareness. His eyes darted to the skies above to the ground below as he continued to walk. He checked his compass to keep him heading in the correct direction.

"Maybe I throw caution to the wind and AHHGH-!" He screamed as the soil gave way beneath him, quickly drawing his poor Bayonet, trying to stab at anything he could on his fall down, to no avail. He bounced and bounded from boulders and rock faces from this hidden cavern, trying to orient himself to protect the angel on his back, but the fall was too quick. His world was spinning yet he still tried to orient himself in the direction of his inertia. His helmet sparing him from the more extreme harms of the fall.

It was an eternity to him as he slowly descended the rift underground, He tried everything he could come up with, trying to find a footing, stabbing the rock faces as they came in hopes his blade could keep him in place, tried slowing down by jumping but nothing was slowing his fall. Soon he came crashing to the ground, his backpack knocking the wind out of him again. He was in agonizing pain and covered in many scuffs and scratches from the rocks he slid upon. He was in panic mode as he flailed, trying to breathe. His head was the first to stop spinning and once he was able to orient himself, he flipped onto his side to make it easier to recover. His body is numb all over, he assumes he's on the verge of consciousness and so he does the only thing he could in his circumstances and tries to cough, burp and cough.

As he coughs, he finally resets his breathing and is able to breathe again. He lays there for a moment, intense fatigue overcoming his body as more sounds come from further into the cave. "Oh… this… is bull…" He utters softly as he goes unconscious, numbness overcoming his cold body. His hands open and his bayonet clatters out of it. The new figure stands over the splayed out mercenary. His breathing was heavy and labored, but thankfully he was still breathing… Well, it is better than being dead.

…

Alexiye comes to, feeling the numbness and soreness of his body's aches and woes. Upon getting past that in his mind his eyes shoot wide open, panic, adrenaline, and many other fight or flight responses kick into high-gear as he tries to quickly get up and survey his surroundings, feeling much lighter and having shed quite a few layers of clothes. He arms himself with a nearby loose rock as his eyes adjust around him. He is near a fire he did not light, and the Angel was missing. 'Shit, shit, shit, I'm several shades of fucked now' He panics as he keeps looking around.

"Oh… You're awake sooner than expected. I had calculated that your unconsciousness would last 70% longer than it has… Maybe humanity has changed drastically since my creation…" A Monotone voice echoes from behind him. He turns on his heels and raises the rock in his hand. Before him stood a woman, 'because of course', and she stood a bit at a standoff distance. "Stay back and I won't attack you." Alexiye strained his brows as they furrowed.

"I was with a girl, she glowed brightly. Where is she?"

"Secured. Further into the cave in my station."

"You better tell me what kind of monster girl you are."

"Monster… Girl?"

"Don't play dumb, you know what I mean."

"I am sorry human, but I do not. I request you to clarify."

"You are female, have female features. What species are you?"

"My frame was built with female physiques due to Unit Standardization."

"Unit… Standardization… You were built and not born?"

"Correct. My unit type was designed for Multi-role use."

"... Step closer. Into the light."

The girl before him was not really a girl… Or a living thing in a literal sense. Standing before him was an ancient Automaton. The ones that were supposed to be remarkably rare. Yet he just so happened to fall into ancient ruins and it just so happened to be active. "An Automaton…" He whispers softly, "A Type ! #*% Model, yes." Alexiye was fluent with the language of this world, yet whatever words came out of the Golem's mouth was something he couldn't even understand.

"What was your task and purpose for your model's construction?"

"To serve our chosen masters."

"I mean why were you a different model from the standard ones?"

"Oh, the Type $!&% serve as Pseudo Retainers and Legionaries. More for the defense of their Masters or Mistresses. Type !#*% Standard Models such as myself are made for Labor and Taskings that are normally outside of combat."

"... So then, why are you active now?"

"My station sensors felt intense movement and feared a cave-in was about to collapse upon it, and so it activated me to preserve the model stored within… When I went to investigate the frequencies I was detecting, I found you unconscious and injured."

'Huh… apparently I'm heavy enough to trigger sensory equipment… Damn, I'm fat…' Alexiye thought as he reflected upon the Automaton's words. There is a brief silence that looms in the air for a moment. "So, I take it you were intending to dress my wounds?" Alexiye poised to the Automaton, "Indeed, but here is not the best place to do so. Given the other being's nature, it was imperative I transported her into the station so that she may not be interfered with. Several different species of… 'Monster Girls' dwell within the overrun ruins of my factory."

"Well lead the way then, I may be walking wounded but I am still capable of walking."

"Follow me, I'll address your wounds once we're in a more secure location"

"... As if being underground is secure…" Alexiye murmured under his breath, following the Automaton he trailed behind it, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings as much as he did with her. Despite the fact he was missing most of his equipment and clothes, he was still somewhat combat capable. Effective? Absolutely not, but he figures he'd at least put up a valiant-enough effort in a desperate last stand… With a literal stone as his primary weapon…

The walk was short but shockingly agonizing for him as the adrenaline wore off and he was feeling the entirety of the fall. The strain on his bruised muscles, the clothes he wore rubbed open wounds, it was all miserable, but he believed he was doing a decent job at keeping the true extent of his pain a secret… This Automaton already had gone over his wounds to address any life-threatening injuries probably, or so he could reason if this model apparently was 'Multi-role', whatever that implied.

The glow was unmistakable and the door to the room was functioning, which is surprising, given the state of the surroundings. The 'building' resembled more the surrounding rock face rather than a proper building. However the structural integrity was still sound… As sound as a ruin could be… It was strange as none of the lights worked so it was only the Angel providing light for the room, yet it was amply lit even from one source… A very subdued source since she was still wrapped in most of his clothing…

"So, as my dedicated medic… I hope you know what you're doing, bot…"

Alexiye finds a spot to lay down, not because he wanted to help the Automaton, but rather because the adrenaline which coursed through his veins early was starting to wear off entirely and now he was feeling all of his wounds in. He groaned while lowering himself down and dropped the rock within arms-reach of him, just in case he needed it for whatever reason. It would be infinitely closer than trying to get up and rush for his bayonet or, god forbid in his current state, his rifle.

"My bag." He started, pointing to it, "green colored air-tight sealed box. Red Cross on it. There you will find medical supplies."

"Not necessary"

"N-not… Necessary?"

"My internal systems have the capacity to aid you."

"... Before you do anything to me… Fill me in on… the procedure…"

"Of course. First I use my balm dispensers within my mouth and use my vocalizer aid to-"

"You will be using my equipment."

"Not necessar-"

"You. Will. Be. using my equipment."

Author's Note:

Hello again people! I have returned and uploaded the next chapter for this... Which predated the other thing I uploaded recently... yeeeeeeeeeeaaaaah... Sorry this took me so long to finish, legitimately was dealing with stuff. But lucky me, It's only been a few days since my most recent activity on Fanfiction! I'm trying to get back into my writing groove. Mostly because I wanna get done with these two stories and have a neat little portfolio to show off! All of my stories do have their entire plots sort of thought out in advance. I think I have explained my writing style here before, but I'll explain it again just in case. I basically work off of narrative checkpoints. It's all a matter of connecting story beats to other story beats. The journey to reach them and get to the next part. I say this to explain to you that I have a vague Idea of what I want to happen next, but it's a matter of writing it down as I bridge the two checkpoints together.

Anyways, I MIGHT have another chapter out for either of my stories I have going right now by December 15th or so... MIGHT being the key word there. Either way, hope you guys have a merry timezone, and I'll see if I can force myself to write and further this day... Attention Span is a pain and I wish I could strangle it.

Sincerely, Soryuz