The sorceress and the Cyborg ch 2

Ch 2
5 years later

The door to B23’s cell unlocked and slid open.
<It’s time to go out again B23>
“I though you said I was done with the tests.” B23 grumbled switching of the virtual reality game on his visor that he used to occupy his time in between tests and lessons.
<Correct, you are, the Master intelligence feels that you are now prepared for actual combat>
B 23 stopped; his heart began to race with excitement. “You mean, I’m actually going into battle? Outside?”
He had been in many battles before slaying dragons and mages, taking on hordes of werewolves and vampires, but those had all been virtual simulations. This would be his first time facing an actually real foe.
<You are to escort a transport craft and ensure that it safely reaches its destination. >
“A transport craft? What’s it carrying?”
<That is not of your concern. You are simply to ensure that it safely reaches its destination. >
“Are you expecting an attack?”
<It would be favorable if we are not attacked but we are transporting a very important item. If Riggus Fells forces learn about it, there is a ninety eight point five percent chance that they will attempt to intercept it. To take chances would be inefficient. You must ensure that the transport reaches its destination successfully. >
“Understood I’ll do my best to protect it!” He said.
A panel on the wall of his cell slid open revealing his thick metal armor. It was painted in a thick green camouflage pattern, matching the rest of his machine parts. The armor neatly fitted around the fleshy parts of his body so that, fastening itself electronically as he put it on so that he would be completely protected in battle.
He stepped out of his cell and headed towards the hanger. He marched silently down the dimly lit metallic hallway for ten minutes before he reach the hanger, Thirteen fighter jets were parked in a neat semi circle around a large bulky hovercraft containing the cargo they were to be escorting. As he approached them the hatch of the center aircraft automatically open for him to climb in. The rest would be piloted by drones under his command.
As B23 slid into the cockpit of his personal jet, he pressed his head against the headrest until the four prong plug on it slid neatly into the port on the back of his neck. He flinched slightly as an electric shock traveled down his spine as it connected with his nervous system.  He could now fully control the jet mentally as if it were another part of his body.
He received a transmission from the transport. “Unit, B23, is everything ready for departure?”
“Y-yes we’re ready.”
“Confirmed, initiating take off sequence in 3 . . . 2 . . .1”
The roof to the hanger slid open allowing fresh daylight to flood the hanger. B23 saw the sky for the first time in years. It was filled clouds. He had forgotten they existed. The simulations he trained in didn’t bother with little details about the environment that the machines deemed unnecessary such as clouds. So the sky he came to know was always completely featureless, but now it was filled with all kinds of fluffy white shapes.
<You are allowing yourself to be distracted! > The voice snapped cutting in on his thoughts,  <Remember, you are on a mission, not a sight seeing pleasure cruise. >
“Sorry “ He murmured tearing his view from the sky to the status screen. “Uh, is all units ready for liftoff?”
“Yes,” Barked the response. “All units awaiting command.”
“Let’s go then” And with that the vehicle slowly began to rise, hovering effortlessly as they slowly ascended. The continued like this until they were a hundred feet above the pyramid.

 “Alright switch to mach speed,” He ordered
“Initiating mach speed in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1”
The thrusters on the backs of the aircraft erupted in a blue flame. B23 felt himself get pressed back into his seat as his own jet lunged into blinding speed. The scenery on his display screen began to blur.
“Estimated arrival time in two minutes.”
<Remember, you must be completely be completely prepare for what you will have to do in combat. You must completely terminate all that stand in your way. >
“I know that!” He snapped indignantly. “I’ll do anything I can to stop Fell”
<Are you? Do not forget that I can hear your thoughts; ever since I briefed you on your mission your mind has been troubled about whether or not you can terminate actual organic targets.>
B23 looked down at his arm cannon. “It’s just that all the humans I’ve fought so far were simulations, I guess I haven’t thought about actually having to kill an actual person until now.”
<Don’t forget what you’re fighting for, the people you face would help enslave the land to Fell>
“I know I just wish there was a way to-“
<Wake up idiot! You are at war here! Warfare always demands casualties! You organics of all units should understand that! And you must also remember, the Master Intelligence will not tolerate failures>
“ . . . I’ll do what’s necessary.”

“Destination has been reached now exiting mach speed.” The computer reported. They all dropped out of mach speed flying at their normal speed again. B23 could see a large mountain filling his display screen it was their destination.
B23 laughed nervously, “Heh heh, looks like we’re almost there, maybe we won’t even have to worry about fighting this time”
It was at that moment when a gigantic hand shot up from out of nowhere up from the earth and wrapped its fingers tightly around the central transport ship.



“Hurry up girl, time is of the essence here!” Nero snapped.
Flora though of a sarcastic response she could have said, but she had learned long ago that Nero didn’t tolerate backtalk. He knew spells that could cause maddening pain that sometimes lasted for hour and did not hesitate to use them. She had eventually learned to settle for brooding silently imagining the different way she’d make him suffer before killing him when she got the chance.

To say Nero was a hard teacher was an understatement. She would sometimes be starved for days, locked in the rat infested dungeon until she could master a certain technique or spell Nero had demonstrated. But as cruel of a mentor as he was, he was also an effective one.  As his apprentice she had preformed feats she never even dream of before. She felt powerful enough to take on whole armies by herself.

At time she was tempted to test her powers against her that of her teacher’s and attempt to kill him and then leave the castle and fight the machines on her own but she was not foolish.

Nero was just as powerful as she was, probably more. He would not train her in such a way that she could easily turn on him and kill him. He most likely had some kind of plan for such an occasion. She had to be patient; a better opportunity would present itself where the odds would be more in her favor.  

She pulled her handkerchief attempting to block the overpowering stench of her undead mount. Even after spending five years in a castle full of zombies, she still had yet to get use to the smell of decaying flesh.

It was only two nights ago when they left the castle, Nero had one day abruptly order her to pack her bags, they were going on a trip.  As they traveled northward Nero explained the plan to her. Apparently Fell had somehow gained information that the machines were transporting an item somewhere over the Northern Mountains.
He wouldn’t tell her what it was but he made it clear that it was vital that they intercepted the item before it reached its destination. He claimed that it would decide the outcome of the long hard war.

Flora look forward to her battle with great anticipation, this would be her first time going into actual battle against the machines. For years her hatred for the machines had been festering inside her. She was very excited at finally getting the chance to actually destroy them in combat.

The reached a clearing in the woods. A large but quite lake was there with crickets chirping softly. It would have been a nice peaceful scene if it weren’t for the fearsome assembly gathered next to it. About twenty grim faced archers were there, being sure they stayed very far away from the large red fierce looking dragon with them. He had spiked silver bracelets on his arms and legs and a gold ring running through his snout. He laid down on the grass    messily chewing on a deer and snarling at anyone who got too close.

A woman was sitting the cross legged with her head bowed concentrating on something. The hood on her cloak draped down so that it was impossible to see much of the upper part of her face. Another figure stood there clocked in green. At first he appeared to be human but upon closer look Flora realized that was not so.  He had human features but instead of regular skin he had what appeared to be tree bark in place of skin. As he walked she could see dozens of tiny little roots dangling from his feet as he walked. He little short twig with leaves growing on the end forming a bush for hair.
Flora had heard of these creatures, they were called Oakmen. Reclusive creature that where rumored to lived deep in the heart of the forest. They were said to be hostile to everyone not of their race, how Nero had convince even one of them to work for him, she could only guess
“Cutting it close aren’t we? “ He said to Nero as they entered the clearing.
“How much longer?” Nero asked the woman, ignoring the oakman.
“They’ll depart by sunset. They should bee passing over us within minutes afterwards.” She answered him without moving.
“Minutes, all the way from the pyramid? They can move that fast? “
“Yes, at least that’s what I’ve been shown.”
“Then we shall prepare and wait for sunset.”
They waited in silence; Nero began preparing by casting enchantments over the archers’ arrows which he had claimed were created specifically for this battle. The Dragon continued his grisly meal, snapping bones in its jaws as it chewed.
Sunset came, and the woman then uttered two words. “They’re coming.”
With that everyone sprung to action. The archers readied they’re bows. The dragon finished the rest of his deer and a few big chomps and stood up, stretching his wings eagerly. The Oakman produced a seed from his cloak about the size of his fist. Flora tensed her body as well, not sure what to expect but ready to burst into action at a moments notice.
“How long?” Nero asked when they had all prepared themselves.
“In a matter of seconds I’ll tell you when.” The woman answered.
The dragon huffed impatiently and spread out his wings.
“Not yet” She snapped. The dragon ignored her and took off, sailing over the trees.

Nero cursed. “Damn that idiot! He’ll give us away!”
“No matter.” She said, “It’s near time anyways! Do it Magnoel!”
The oakman nodded and threw his seed into the lake. It disappeared beneath the surface with a short plop. Everyone stood still for a moment watching the ripples fade away.
Nero frowned. “I assume there was a point to-“
Suddenly a large tree exploded out of the water, rapidly growing at a mind-blowing speed. The lake began to quickly dry as it was greedily sucked up by the roots of the tree as it grew. Quickly the lakebed became completely dry, leaving dozens of confused fish to flop around helplessly on the muddy ground.
As the tree shot skyward, the oakman stretched his left arm upward spreading his fingers. The suddenly, he clenched them shut, as if he was catching a fly.

B23 could not believe what he was seeing. He knew Fell employed powerful magicians but he didn’t think something of this magnitude was possible. It wasn’t quite a giant hand that had grabbed the transport but a massive tree that had sprung up from the ground. It branched out into five thick branches that had wrapped themselves tightly around the transport.

Three of the jets that were directly behind the transport were unable to swerve out the way fast enough and collided with the tree and exploded upon impact. The tree seemed unaffected by the explosion.
“Units A30, F14, and D55 has been terminated” The computer reported. “Warning, Magically mutated organism, type 12, Dragon, approaching from below.”

It emerged out of the clouds and eagerly launched itself directly at B23’s jet.

“Activate shields” He commanded the unit.

Back on the ground the woman was still seated on the ground, her eyes squeezed tightly shut, keeping surveillance on the battle above.

“Tell me what’s happening up there?” Nero demanded  
“Flintjaw has engaged the machines but he can’t touch them. The aircrafts appear to be projecting a sort of energy field that protect them.”
Nero nodded. “Force fields, we have prepared for this.  If this wasn’t such a vital mission, I’d allow the fool to get himself killed but I suppose we have to act now. Fire! My magic shall guide your arrows to there targets. “

It was looking good for B23; it was obviously the dragons first time battling machines. Every time he flew in for attack, the shields threw him back. He retreated and tried to circle around them, unsure of what to do next.
“Terminate the Dragon!” B23 commanded. All the jets turned and followed the firing upon him.  B23 smiled to himself, this would be easier than he expected.
<Look out from below! >  The voice warned him, he looked at his radar just in time to see twenty magically charge energy signatures heading rapidly towards them.
“Evasive action!” He shouted to the other fighters, but his command came too late. The source of energy appeared to be ordinary arrows at first. Those that came in contact with a shield halted their flight in midair then the arrowhead exploded with a pop.
“All fighter shields have been disabled.” The computer reported.
“What?” B23 shouted in disbelief.
The dragon somehow sensed their new weakness and went on the offensive again. He made a sharp u-turn and took a deep breath. The fighter nearest him was engulfed in flames. The engine, overheated by the flames, promptly exploded.
“Unit G39 has been terminated.”
“Pull back!” He ordered the remainder of his unit. All the fighters pulled a sharp loop. But the dragon had caught another one before it had a chance to evade. He raked his razor sharp claws along the side tearing a large gash in it. It hurtled to the ground smoking.  
“Unit P24 has been terminated.”
He was down to one fighter beside himself now.
<You have to stop and think, the laser cannons are doing nothing. > The voice was right, He was taking every opportunity to fire a fierce salvo of laser fire on him but he could not pierce the dragon’s armored scales.
<Try the photon beam from your arm cannon. > The voice suggested.
“Are you crazy? I don’t have nearly enough power for that!”
<Have you forgotten what you’re jacked into? Draw the power from the fighter’s battery! >
“But that’ll take over half of the ship’s power!”
<Well if you have a better alternative then please proceed. >
B23 thought about it. “But even if I could fire a photon beam, I can’t lock onto him he’s too fast for it!”
<Well find a way to get him to fly strait Long enough to lock on. >
The plan came to him instantly.
“Unit H34 lay down heavy fire on the MMO-12!”
The drone obediently began firing rapidly in the dragons face. It screeched in anger and lunged after the drone.
“Good now evade it and fly in a strait line.” He then mentally commanded his own ship to commence the lock on process on the dragon. Since the dragon was flying strait forward, trying to catch the jet, the lock on process was easier than it would normally be.

A large Tube extended itself from the control panel. He inserted his arm cannon inside it, connecting it to the cannon of the fighter. “Target locked” The computer reported.

HE then drew the power from the battery. He gritted his teeth as the electricity coursed down his spine and fired.  A blue pillar of pure energy shot through the air. The last fighter, unit H34 was disintegrated instantly, a necessary sacrifice. The dragon somehow sensed the attack and tried to evade, but he was too slow. It hit him in the side. An earsplitting screech of pain rang out before it dropped towards the ground.

“But that’s impossible” Nero spat outrage back on the ground. “I though he was supposed to be the most powerful dragon in the land. They said nothing could pierce his scales!”
  “They fired some sort of powerful weapon at him. I’ve never seen anything like it before, even after the machines attacked.  It vanquishes everything it touches.” Era responded.
“Is he still alive?” Nero asked
“I don’t know he’s fallen out of range of my third eye.”
How many fighters are left?”
“One it’s headed back for the tree.”
Nero turned to Flora. “Girl,” He said. “It is time for you to prove your worth. Get up there destroy that last fighter and retrieve the contents of that chest and bring it back to me.”
Flora’s heart began to thump with excitement. She was eager to finally have the chance to crush some machines, but nervous as well. This would be her first time in battle.
She unsheathed her sword. “How am I to get up there?”

Nero produced a small bottle from his bag “Drink this potion, It will give you the temporary power of flight. Let me stress the temporary part. It will only last minutes. I will advise that you do your job very quickly and get back to the ground before it wears off”

She took the bottle and uncorked it.
It was of a thick greenish texture and stunk badly, like sour milk. It didn’t taste any better as she drank it. It was all she could do not to throw it back up.  Almost as soon as she managed to choke it all down, she felt her feet begin to leave the ground, she was floating.    
“Look at your destination and will your body towards it.” Nero said.
She did as he instructed and cast her gazed towards the sky. She began floating upwards.
“Now go up there and bring the item back to me. And remember, should you fail, I will make sure you suffer for it.” Nero shouted after her.
“We’ll see about that.” She muttered.

“Hah” B23 laughed, “I did it! I killed a real live Dragon.”
<This is not the time for celebrations. > The voice scolded him <The central transport is still compromised you have to free it from that tree! >
B23 quickly sobered up. “Right sorry. “ He turned his jet around and headed back to the tree.
Suddenly a young girl in a brown cloak with pink hair appeared in front of his jet. Before he even had time to react she landed on the nose and brandished her blade, which was crackling with magical energy and jabbed it into the cockpit.
It exploded though the monitor showering sparks all over him. The sword was then jerked back out and he heard the girl shouting a spell. The gash left by the sword was hit by a ball of compressed air, ripping it open into a gaping hole.
The girl raised her blade preparing to thrust it into him but then she stopped. “You? You’re human!” She gasped in astonishment.
B23 caught by surprise was unsure of what to do next.
<What are you doing? > The voice snapped. <You need to get rid of that sword! If it can cut through the ships hull than it can cut through your armor. Activate your magnet repulser>
He aimed his cannon at the girl’s sword and blasted it with a stream of negatively charged ions. The sword was ripped from her hand and sent spinning off in the air. His cockpit began flashing red.  The fighter began dipping in a nosedive. His jet was lost, pushing the girl out the way he ejected himself from the seat.
He flew from the cockpit activating his jet boots. Just in time before the whole fighter burst into flame and fell burning to the ground.
The girl flew in front of him, floating in the air by what could only be magic.
“Before I kill you, tell me.” She said. “What is a human doing working for the machines?”
“Why do you think? We’re here to stop Rigus Fell from enslaving the land.”
“And killing everybody is better than enslaving them?”
“What are you talking about? The machines are here to aide humanity!”
.”Really? And you call killing every person you come across aid?”
“ Huh? We don’t-“
<Don’t listen to her! She’s trying to confuse you with lies. Just kill her now>
 B23 nodded his face hardened with resolve. “I do not wish to harm you, but if you insist on interfering with my mission I will have no other option but to terminate you.”
Blue flames began to surround her body. “You can try.” She said.
He fired an energy blast at her, which he had been charging up in his arm cannon. Her lips moving rapidly as she mumbled incantations, the girl caught the blast with her hands as if it were some kind of ball and hurled it back at him. He barely had enough time to doge it. Lightening bolts shot from her hand and struck him. He gritted his teeth in pain. He activated the plasma shield module on his arm. A circular shape energy field Blinked onto his arm absorbing the worst of t he lightening. The shield blinked off as he fired again at her this time with tree consecutive shots. She couldn’t catch at of them at once.
She flew out the way of his blast. He began to strafe in her direction with machine gun fire this time. She shot another lightening bolt at him. He quickly activated his plasma shield again to absorb it.



This wasn’t working for Flora. She had little time left before she felt the power of flight in her beginning to ebb away in her. She had to finish this quickly before she had to land. She then had an idea. She directed a spell at his feet, which had the jets on the soles keeping him airborne. Quickly they became encased in ice. B23 suddenly realized he couldn’t fly anymore. He dropped like a stone. She didn’t have time to watch him fall. She had to retrieve the contents in the transport before her flight powers wore off.  
Suddenly there was a loud earsplitting crack. And the tree began to fall.

Back down on the ground as the crack sounded Magnoel began screaming in pain. His arm suddenly snapped at an unnatural angle where his hand bumped against the elbow. The crash as it hit the ground was deafening and the sky began to darken with the dust, blotting out the sun and frighten all the birds in the woods
“Wait, what happened?!” Nero snapped
“It broke!”
“What do you mean it broke?!”
Vines began crawling up his broken arm from under his robe straitening it out acting as a splint. “I miscalculated. Arrrgh!” He grunted through grit teeth. “Trees were never meant to grow this tall. I thought that if I broadened the trunk, made the wood little bit stronger – oooh! – But it didn’t work the tree became top heavy –Aaah! - weight at the top was too much it broke.”
Nero backhanded him across the face knocking him to the ground.  “You Incompetent idiot I thought you knew what you were doing! This is why I don’t like working with the living! Totally incompen-“
The vines shot from Magnoel’s arm and wrapped itself around Nero’s neck.
“You may be Fells highest lieutenant but you will learn that you may not strike a oakman like such and get away with it!”
Nero grabbed vines with his hand they turned brown dried up and crumbled as he touched them. “Please, your pathetic little parlor tricks don’t intimidate me.” A ball of black fire began to grow in his hand. “I think it’s time you learned your place you houseplant!”
“This is not the time!” Eyra snapped. She was now standing, no longer in her trance. A third eye had grown into in her forehead. “It fell exactly in the direction of the unlocking chamber. Hopefully your apprentice has retrieved it but if not, we can’t risk that thing activating prematurely we have to go and get it and bring it to Fell!”
The flame in Nero’s hand died down. “We will finish this later” He snarled at Magnoel. “And if we don’t get the gem I’m telling Fell that this was your failure.”
Magnoel scowled back at him.

He turned to the group of archers. “Men,” he said. “I just want you all to know that you preformed your tasks very well. Things aren’t going as planned but it is not your fault. But now we’re going to have to chase after that thing and I need bodies that don’t fatigue and get tired and well, to put it simply, you’re more useful to me dead than alive, so don't take this personally.”
He stretched out his hand. In a split second black tendrils shot from it and speared each one of the men through the heart. They were coughing up blood and dying before they even knew what had hit them Nero waited patiently until the last man drew his last breath and slumped lifelessly over held up only by the shadowy black tendrils. Eyra turned her head in disgust.  
Nero then sent a pulse through the tendrils when it hit the bodies they began to jerking rise themselves back up, like martinets on strings. When they all were sitting up strait Nero withdrew his tendrils, which were sucked back into his hand as quickly as they came out. They were all standing up strait now looking as if there were fine, except for the bloody holes in their chests, and vacant stare now in their eyes.    

“Well” Nero said tossing his bag to the nearest corpse. “Lets go!”

B23 panilkly banged his ice-encrusted feet together as he plummeted towards the ground. “How long will it take my boots to melt this ice off?”
<It will take fifty three seconds for the jet boot to become functional again. You will make contact with the ground in thirty-seven seconds. >
“Well that’s not good is it?!”
 <No but the good news is we have removed your original skeleton and replaced it with a more sturdy metal one. I estimate that your armor should absorb most of the impact. So if you stretch your limbs out and distribute the impact evenly throughout your body, you should, according to my estimations, survive this. >
“And the bad news?”
<This will be extremely painful for you. >  
Wham!