Force Multiplication

Inlight gave his final farewels to both Matriarchs Syrenna and Sokorra, and moved to the gates of the settlement. Plenty of creatures came to Sacred Mountain, some to pray, some to mourn. Such cruel attack at the Proving left the whole tribe devastated, especialy relatives of the victims. Flame-maned pegasi walked on the path down, passing through the creatures some of which recognised him.

"So the rumors are true? Outcast lives, and now a Seeker?" "It's a blessing that you survived the Proving!" "Already healed the wounds? What wonders did the Godness prepared for him?" Each of the Nora could say something about Inlight, and he wasn't surprised – being the sole survivor of the massacre, and now turned Seeker, it was foolish of him to expect no reaction.

The morning was foggy, aftermath of the rain before. Inlight walked on the wet mud, finally seeing the gates, paired with a couple of buildings and the campfire in the middle. He just had to open the gates and go where he needs too, but he soon heard a familiar voice coming from house nearby.

"Inlight..? INLIGHT!" Female voice called him, and when he turned his head, he was quickly embraced in a hug by a familliar hippogriff.

"You're alive! I was so scared when the smoke came from the place where Proving took place! But you really are alive! Were you in Sacred Mountain? Did you meet the Godness!?"

Inlight mumbled something in Sliver Reef's fur, and she broke the hug, putting her talons on Inlight shoulders, who looked down with sadness on his face. "Is... everything okay..?"

"I'm fine." Inlight lied. He didn't want to think about what happened at the massacre. And he didn't want to stay here for longer. "Look, I'm not going to stay here for long, Sliver Reef." He said taking hippogriff's talons from him.

"You're going away? But why?"

"I'm... sigh I was annointed a Seeker." Inlight didn't remember when he saw someone more exited than Sliver Reef when he said it, perhaps there was no one in the world more happier than her infront of him? Her eyes sparkled and wide smile appeared on her face.

"So you are annointed a SEEKER!?" She exclaimed loudly, which alerted some of the visitors. "That means you can get into the Old World ruins! Amazing!" She then put her talons together and mumbled something quiet, while having a serious expretion on her face. "That means you can..."

"I can uh... do what?" Inlight asked with sleepish smile. He didn't know what she was planning that involved him, and she looked like she wanted some kind of artifact from the Old World? Sliver Reef wondered for a bit, and then talked again.

"That means you can go into the Old World ruins, right? That means you can help me out with one thing!" She then moved to the workbench behind her, on which there was long rope with attached hook and motor. Inlight walked near her, and looked at the little invention.

"What's this?" He asked with curious expretion on his face.

"This is my Pullcaster! Mark two. First one's still stuck on that cliff." Sliver explained. "This is my invention to climb tall cliffs more easy! I made this mostly for the ones who can fly but dad always said:" she then cleared her throat and made her voice deeper. "'Do not play with your stupid inventions!' I mean, I'm trying to just help others!" She sighed for a bit, while Inlight looked at the Pullcaster she made.

"If this your upgrade of previous Pullcaster, then why don't you sell it?" He looked at Sliver, who stared at him with blank expretion.

"I don't 'sell' things that could help others, I just give them away." She explained. "And I don't give away this because... it's not sturdy enough. I tried to make it with other ropes but nothing works.." She then suddenly put her hoof on a Workbench. "But it doesn't really matter!" She finished with a small smile on her face.

Inlight looked at his damaged right wing, and sighed heavily. He'll definetly wont fly for the next couple of months. He could use the help of Pullcaster, if, ofcourse, Sliver Reef would make it hold someone. He looked at the invention of some time, coming up with an upgrade, and then looked at the light-blue hippogriff.

"What if you'd combine the rope with machine cables? They are sturdy and light enough!" He said, taking a hoofful of machine cables from his pouch, putting them onto the workbench. Sliver Reef looked at the table, slowly starting to nod.

"Yeah... yeah that can work!" She exclaimed happily and started working on the upgrade. Inlight waited behind him, taking a look at the closed gates outside. To be honest, he never was comfortable near other creatures. In Mother's Heart or here. Maybe he just felt like he didn't belong here, no one becomes a part of the tribe in 1 day. But soon he'll leave the Embrase, leave his old life. He just wanted to...

"Done!"

Inlight snapped back to reality and looked at Sliver Reef, who with smile on her face was holding Pullcaster now having machine cable as it's base. "More sturdy than before!"

"That... was... fast." Inlight surprisingly admited how fast did hippogriff finished the upgrade. Sliver Reef only chuckled as an answer. "Take it. You helped me make it, and let it serve for you." Flame-maned pegasi didn't want to accept another gift. Uncertainty filled his mind. She already made her an outfir, that was enough! But on the other hoof, he needed the Pullcaster, so he accepted it with a little hesitation. Sliver Reef, spotting this, made a soft smile, and spoke.

"Hey, that's what friends for. To help each other out no matter what!" She stood quiet for a moment, before adding with whisper. "Wait, we ARE friends, right?"

This made both hippogriff and pegasi chuckle. "Yeah, I guess that's what friends for." Inlight agreed, making a soft smile. "Then I'll be going...?"

"Yeah yeah... go wherever you'll need to go. Just stay safe out there, okay?" Sliver Reef said her farewells with soft smile, as Inlight moved to the closed gates. He'll need to ask War Chief here to open them. He had the Seeker mark, so they should let him out. What can possibly go wrong?

"Report."

"War-Chief, reports came of an unknown machine breaking through the South Mother's Watch. If rumors are true, then that machine is faster, more agile and more dangerous than our Braves ever encountered before." Young thestral with dark-blue coat spoke to the War-Chief – a brown griffon with a scar on his left eye and yellow beak, same color as his eyes.

"Pff, what difference does it make? If those Braves couldn't take down one machine like Sawtooth, then they should not have become protectors of the land."

"B-But War Chief! That machine wasn't fighting alon-"

"Look at me!" Falcon Claw looked at the thestral Brave and pointed at the scar. "I got that scar from fighting Stalkers near the Devil's Grasp. I got shot near the eastern border, but I didn't give up! You know WHY? I'm a Nora, All-Mother dammit. We never give up." War-Chief monologued to the poor thestral as Inlight climbed the ladder up on the wall and to the duo. He stood behind them, and after a moment cleared the throat, letting thestral and War-Chief know of his presence. Thestral quickly turned his head and yelped at the sigh of the former outcast, and War-Chief just rolled his eyes and look at the herd of Striders near the gates.

"Dismissed." Was all he mumbled as thestral made his way from the War-Chief and a Seeker, leaving them both alone.

"I came to ask you to open the gates." Inlight declared with courage.

"Mph, and since when do I need to fufill the needs of an outcast, M?" Falcon Claw spoke with mocking tone of the voice, while not even looking at Inlight. Seems that not everyone is welcoming to the sole survivor of the Proving, and now-War-Chief Falcon Claw was not an exeption. This was annoying, but Inlight needed the gates to open.

"Since I have become Seeker annointed by High Matriarchs, for the sacred task for the sake of our land." He declared, taking his Seeker's mark by his hoof, and alarminf a couple of Braves near them. Falcon Claw's pupils shrank, as he turned his head to face Inlight. He saw the Seeker's mark, and frowned even harder than before.

"Since when Syrenna gives a Seeker's mark to outcasts?"

"I've stopped being an outcast since yesterday, War Chief, by winning the Proving!" Flame-mane pegasi started to get frustrated by insolen stubborness griff had.

"Oh, is it now? I don't remember anyone else coming from it to confirm this!" Now he's questioning him even being a part of the tribe!? The air arround him felt like it would set on fire, as Braves looked and only watched. Inlight took a deep breath, tryinf to calm himself down and not punch his idiotic face.

"I need those gates open, Falcon Claw! You can still guard this little gate and be ignorant of what's happening outside. Just as incompetent latrine guard you are!" Inling argumented, which caused a couple of Braves to glance at him, some with shock, some with amazement. War-Chief looked him for a moment, like he would attack him at any moment. Falcon Claw made an angry side eye to everyone who was near him, and in the end, groaned.

"Fine. It'll be better without you than with you anyway!"

But suddenly, something was heard from the distance. Something distant was aproaching the gate, and Braves, then flame-maned pegasi and brown griffon looked at what was coming.

"What was that?" Inlight said, alerted. That was probably a machine, large enough to make the trees move on their way. Each tree after another, it shattered it while moving to the gate. Pegasi then turned his head do the herd of machines nearby. If that was a Sawtooth, machines shouldn't have get alerted, as they were of the same kind. But despite of what he thought, the unknown machine came closer, and every machine in the herd – from Watcher to Strider, looked in the direction of the forest, lights turning yellow. That was not an ordinary machine. Every warrior looked at the forest, in hopes to find the machine that was coming in this fog, until...

A large machine jumped from behind the rock, nothing like everyone seen before! Instead of white-gray armor of an ordinary machine, it had black and brown elements. It ran on the four legs each of them sharp as the Sawtooth fang. None of them had the machine cable, but were made out of different parts, connected with hinges. It's one eye glowed angry red, as from the back of the machine appeared long metal arm, with pincer on the end. Inlight recognised that arm, he saw it in... his nightmare? But how? Pegasi couldn't think about it, as some Brave yelped in mix of surprise and horror. "THE DEMON!" He screamed, as the machine moved in the fog, only silhouette was seen.

"RAISE THE ALARM!" War-Chief Falcon Claw screamed, as soon after a horn-like item was blown, signaling of an attack. The machine, meanwhile, started to move to the herd, making Watchers run in hopes to not get slaughtered. Striders, meanwhile, started panicking and gallop arround like mad machines. The demon stopped near them, and fixed himself to the ground as the cylinder-like structure, slightly angeled on the top of it's head, started spinning. From it, six lights, made of purple and black smoke, flew into the machines, making them fall. Purple and black cables soon covered the neck and head of the horse-like machines, as their alerted yellow light was replaced by a dark purple. Machine after a machine, they stood up, like they were now filled with pure anger and rage.

"By the All-Mother... what it's doing to them!?" One of the Braves screamed, shocked to see how the demon covered them with purple. Inlight turned on his Focus, to try to scan the infected machines, and he saw how they started to follow the new machines, like it was...

"Taking control..." he whispered, as he saw how the demon now started to move fast in the direction of the gates, the herd of controled machines following it. Inlight and the others aimed their bows, as other Braves who could use magic started to launch magic bolts on the lead machine. But no matter what flew, was it a magic bolt or an arrow, everything couldn't penetrate the front armor of that unknown machine. When Falcon Claw realised that impact was inevitable, he signaled everyone.

"Brace yourselves!" He screamed as the machine slammed itself into the gates, shaking it with immense force. Soon the corrupted Striders started to attack, trying to destroy the doors inside and slaughter everyone inside. Falcon Claw looked how the machines were behaving, and with anger in his eyes turned his head to Inlight. "Look at what you brought us here, you motherless curse!" And before pegasi could react, he flew down on the wet ground along with other Braves, taking their position. There was no other choise but to join them and strike the machines.

He walked on a wet ground to one of the covers, hearing how War-Chief directing everyone on how to fight the enemy. What was that machine? It was not like anything Inlight seen before. It didn't even looked like it had machine mussles to begin with! And that arm? How could he see it in a nightmare? Inlight shook his head and frowned. He had to prepare for the battle now, he will find answers later. He loaded his bow, and braced himself before machines could break the gates.

An explodion was heard coming from the gates, and the smoke had covered the gates. After a moment, horse-like machines covered with purple cables charged for an attack at the Braves. Some were taken down at the barrage of fire, but others managed to get close enough to strike. The fighting started across the settlement, different creatures with spears and bows were battling mad machines. Inlight released the arrow in one of the Striders which fell on it's side, purple light fading from the body. The demon walked from the gates filled with smoke, and with it's arm it came to attack unsuspecting Braves. But suddenly, it received fire from the Pegasi with mane colored like fire, and it turned it's glaze to him.

"Come on, you big metal brat! Come and get me!" He screamed. The metal demon, in turn charged at him, making it's arm visible and ready to strike. Inlight fired a couple of more arrows at the machine, before charging at him too. He then suddenly slid in the mud and straight under the agile machine, which stopped, and looked back at the attacker. The box-like part on machine's side, colored with white stripes, suddenly opened, and bomb flew from the box, moving towards the pony!

"Oh-!" Inlight exclaimed before rolling back, trying to move as far away from the explosives as possible. A ray of explodions and smoke has risen from the ground, and the demonic machine landed just infront of the smoke. Inlight stood up again, and looked at the machine, which was ready to strike through him with it's arm! But suddenly, arrows flew into the back of the machine, knocking it a couple of steps back. The robot turned it's sight of angry red back, and saw how couple of Braves, who dealt with corrupted machines, and now were firing at the new unknown machine. The metal demon quickly moved forward and attacked the warriors, as Inlight was observing it. He had to scan it, quickly! He turned on his Focus, and managed to scan the machine before it ran away.

"It's weak to fire..." Inlight whispered, as he saw a couple of wood planks, lightened with explodion. He took some arrows, and lightened them with fire, before putting them on the bow and aiming on the agile machine. It was swapping Braves awau with it's long arm, until suddenly, a dark smoke appeared from it's eye. The machine stopped, and a lot of creatures stepped away. Horns of some Braves started to impulse, and one after another, weapons they holded started to fall one after another!

"By the All-Mother, what is going on!?" Someone shouted, as the dark smoke had filled with red dots and flew back to the robot's eye, reactivating it completely. Some Braves yielded, as War-Chief Falcon Claw watched all of it in horror. Inlight saw the perfect opportunity to launch the fire arrows, and released them, making them fly fast towards the target. Projectiles exploded on impact, covering the machine with oil and fire. The machine shook from the fire, and once again turned it's glaze towards Inlight. Inlight, in turn, put his bow to his back and picked the pullcaster, aiming towards the rooftop of the lodge. And as the metal demon was about to strike, flame-maned pegasi leaped into the sky! He pushed back from the edge of the rooftop and landed straight on the machine, which already exinguished fire, between the grenade launcher and corrupting box. Everyone stared at the fight between Seeker and the demon with amazement, together with Sliver Reef, who hid behind the workbench. Even Falcon Claw was surprised how things turned out.

The machine tried to make Inlight Dust fall from it, but pegasi made a grip on one of it's components, holding a spear by his mouth. Metal was hot, but still Inlight had to hold to it for a little longer, because... suddenly, a cylinder-like structure came from underneath the armor, smoke coming from it. This was it! Inlight swinged his spear, and with all of the force he could make hit the heat sink, stucking his spear in the middle of it. But the metal demon quickly struck Inlight with it's spear and dropped him on the ground, away from the machine.

Inlight fell on the mud, while Braves ran from the machine. It turned it's glance to the others, and with angry red light began to move to them. An electric lights were seen from the heat sink. With each step on the mud demon made, it slowed down, light fading one after another. And when it lifted it's sharp leg, it stopped mid-action. A moment had passed, then another. The water has started falling on the wet ground, exinguishing the fire machines made. And after that, the demon tilted to the side, before falling on it's side, angry red light fading from it's eye. The remaining machines were defeated, and the settlement had become silent once again.

The machines were defeated.

Author's Note

I rewrote this chapter 6 goddamn times, and I almost made it to post it. I lost all of my courage for some reason, and couldn't even finish writing.

Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, I'll try to post next one earlier. Cya!