It was time for an offensive approach against the enemy. The plans they had were pulled off with great success, despite the invaders' attempts to stop them in their tracks. They had a clear path to the heart of Apoy, and it wouldn't be long before they could root out and crush the enemy base itself. However, there was the vast difference in manpower. Even if their forces were stronger and had fewer weaknesses, the insects could overcome that by sheer numbers. Before they could further entrench themselves in the island, they had to be dealt a severe blow. That was when her next plan came in. She hadn't spent days and weeks holed up in her relatively isolated Machinarium for nothing. Even when she wasn't shipping cargo she was always working on something. Months of preparation for the worst-case scenario now were complete for this very situation, and Shiloh was itching to test them outside of a controlled environment. This would be the most fun she had in years.

Three new models that passed the prototype phase would get a taste of the battlefield today–all specially designed for Apoy's environment. The first model was based off the Bakulaw flying spider, a flying drone that shared its resemblance and acid spitting capabilities. Acid wasn't the only liquid it could spew from its canisters; any sort of alchemical concoction stable enough to be transported could be inside. The second model she had Dalanesca and Xunatar to thank for: a subterranean digging machine capable of tunneling deep beneath the earth. With its specialized sensors it would be able to home in on enemies and ambush them from beneath, dragging them down below the earth's surface. And last but not least, a chimeric machine that was a cross between a scorpion and spider. Possessing powerful pincers with enough force to crush chitin, internal canisters filled with a flammable liquid incendiary, and a whip-like rear appendage to inject paralyzing toxins–it was her pride and joy. The incendiary mixture was unique as it could be ignited even when mixed with water, making it even harder to put out. 

Slipping into the meeting lodge, she moved her finger across the map of Apoy. "Now…where should we start?" The machines were released from the encampment under the cover of darkness while she herself retreated into her station to monitor their progress. Activating her proxy, it was time to play a game of hide and seek. Unfortunately for everyone else participating in the war effort, they would likely cross paths with the war machines very soon.

An unnamed airship soared through the sky, dark wood with an eerie sheen of shifting blues and greens. On the front was mounted a figurehead consisting of a dark jade fox skull that took up the entirety of the bow. As the warship arrived above Apoy, the captain within stirred from his much needed rest; he’d sent his crew to join those on the mainland after a few too-hard won battles against these things invading the lands and taken the chance to get some rest himself. As the vessel came to rest above the island, the one-armed man had made his way above deck and surveyed the area beneath. There was mass carnage everywhere one Kale looked. Even if these creatures weren’t as strong as any one of those fighting to defend their lands, these things made up for any failings in numbers; it was as if watching colonies of ants on a warpath decimating anything in their path no matter the size. This was horror to behold.He shook himself from the dark thoughts weighing on his mind and took a deep breath, trying to prepare himself for the battle to come; just one more to add to the pile. His thoughts briefly went to the flask at his side, pulled by an urge that nearly won, but Kale managed to push the thought from his mind. His icy blue eyes opened, a cold resolve visible in his stare, and he leapt over the railing to plummet to the ground below. He felt the wind rushing passed him and it brought with it a familiar and comforting sensation as he fell, his direction changing just before impacting the ground.As he flew, he narrowly missed crashing into what seemed to be a Bakulaw flying spider; it was far from its native habitat, but there were more important things to worry about. After all, people have strange pets; he’d had stranger pets before. He continued on his way until he found a humanoid creature composed of metallic armor of sorts. Kale set lightly beside the thing and took a good look at it; it was light in frame but the armor seemed quite solid. He looked about but didn't find anything out of the ordinary; obviously this thing wasn't meant to be a threat as the various warriors, soldiers, and mages didn't seem to pay it much mind.

"Weren't representatives of the Conclave supposed to be leading this charge," Kale asked a few nearby soldiers, though they simply nodded and went back to their preparations. The pirate captain frowned at the lack of further answer, but it made sense as there were more important things to worry about at the time. He decided to take the chance to look at what should have been the face, getting close to the motionless creature for a better look. The thing suddenly moved and Kale started for a moment, wind enveloping him and lifting him backwards out of sheer instinct. A few of those nearby let out a laugh but hurriedly went back to their preparations as they met his gaze.His attention was instantly pulled by the sound of something crashing through brush as a massive creature clambered through. The thing looked like some twisted mix between spider and scorpion; large pincers clacking away and some sort of whip-like tail that looked just as deadly if not more so than the pincers. Kale stared in awe for a moment, noticing the shards of chitin and insectoid parts caught in various parts. He didn’t know what to say; the only thought he had then was that of a man obsessed with the rare and mythic creatures and artifacts. “… I want one,” he said to no one in particular; anyone nearby may have heard and thought him mad, but so be it. A few nearby had actually heard his comment and were currently giving him a look that may have been conveying just that.

Derek slapped at the tiny buzzing insect that was flitting around him, biting him every time his attention was drawn away from it. He had thought that, after being unloaded onto this island, the humidity was going to be the worst of it. But these biting insect, they were just something else entirely. He was covered in bumps that itched like crazy! They were driving him insane and if they were a form of attack brought to bear by the insect enemy he wouldn't be surprised. He blew out a breath, half paying attention to the briefing going on in front of him. The heat, the humidity and the insect were all working to distract him. He had seen plenty of people wandering around the island clad in full metal armor and Derek truly believed they all must have something wrong with them mentally. He was clad in a leather chest piece and that was enough to bring forth seemingly endless buckets of sweat from his body. He kept having to refill his canteen he was emptying it so fast. Luckily, when he had removed his red cloak and stashed it, none of the others had commented. They seemed to be holding up far better than Derek was, some were even glancing at him with knowing smiles. Obviously they were used to travelling and the discomfort that occasionally came with it. Derek, on the other hand, had never left Adeluna city until the invasion had begun. He had then felt there was no other choice but to leave his position as a city guard and sign up with the first mercenary company that was heading to the front lines. That had taken him to Endapano, where he and the other fresh recruits had been treated as fodder to be fed to the enemy as a distraction. In theory, Derek understood. The survivors had moved up and more recruits had been brought in. He wasn't entirely happy about this waste of life, but he was a simple foot soldier. He would do as he was ordered until this was over.

That was how he found himself here, in hell. Night was coming on quick, but even that wasn't going to relieve the worst of the humidity. The insect might go away, though. There was always that to hope for. He, and ten others had been chosen for a scouting mission. From what their commander was saying one of the gods had designed some new toys, and wanted to test them out tonight. They weren't given much more information than that, as it would not have any effect on what they were meant to be doing. Or at least, that was what they were being told. What they needed to do, or so the commander said, was to probe the enemy forces and do what they could to harass them. Provoke them, maybe? Or get them riled up so they would be drawn into traps where these new machinations could be set upon them. Derek didn't want to think about that. They were being provided with crossbows, which was lucky for Derek as his own skill with a bow was… Negligible. There hadn't been a need to practice before now. From the sounds of it all he needed to do with a crossbow was point and shoot. Pull back the string and reload. Simple. He still had his bastard sword, and a light buckler. He wouldn't be taking a heavy shield with him, not for this. They needed to be able to move quickly, and quietly.

There was the sounds of chattering, buzzing conversation coming from somewhere nearby. It sounded excited. Derek found himself craning his neck to look over but was snapped at by his command. He gave a sheepish grin and turned back to listen. There was that buzzing again. He slapped at another of those damn insect and cursed under his breath.

The current test run for Prototype Three was an absolute success. Her myrmidon proxy had followed the whip-scorpion construct's movements, watching it tear into enemies and break chitin with a satisfying crunch. Prototype One occasionally would fly by and assist, weakening the more armored insects' protective coating by giving a quick shower of concentrated corrosive. Then Three finished the job with a quick stab from its whip-like tail. A lethal injection was more than enough to stop its victim in its tracks. She had yet to see Prototype Three utilize its liquid incendiary, though it was probably for the best. Even with the high humidity, it would probably start a forest fire of colossal proportions–and cause a massive loss of life on both sides. As she passed by a group of organic fighters, she overheard one of them comment with awe: "…I want one." It was a pity that her proxy had a metal helmet as its face, otherwise they'd see her grinning from ear to ear. Most people would recoil at the design and look on in horror–which was intentional. Fleshy, warm-bodied beings had an innate fear of crawling creatures with spindly legs.

Turning to see who had been so kind as to give Prototype Three a glowing compliment, she paused. There was something about that one-armed man that was very familiar. Shiloh was sure she had seen him before, more than once. Before she could fully recall, the arthropod construct was chasing after its next quarry and followed suit. So far she had been tracking One and Three, but still no sign of Prototype Two. The 'Centipede Digger', as she dubbed it was likely underground churning its way through tons of soil and rock. It was a modified excavator and everything that went in one end came out the other. Meaning anything that happened to get caught in its grinder would be reduced to a fine consistency of wood mulch. 

P-Two's depth must be several meters below, since she wasn't able to feel tremors. Even if she did, it wasn't a problem. The volcano on the island had started becoming active and the insects might not know the difference. All Antikytheran forces were behind the fortification walls at the moment, so that left other allied solders on the field. She had given them a fair warning, but who knew what could happen? If somebody got caught by the Digger, resurrection would be–to put it lightly–messy business. The three machines were equipped with sensors to differentiate between enemies and allies so she probably had nothing to worry about, but she liked to be thorough. Dusk was approaching as she traced the Centipede's path towards an uncleared portion of the jungle. Having been so focused on her constructs she was caught by surprise by a small warband of moth-like creatures that dropped from the upper canopy. Surrounded, she was cursing her luck and considered abandoning her automaton proxy when she felt the ground beneath her rumble.  

The tremors were weak at first, then began to intensify as the frequency came faster. Having trouble standing on her feet Shiloh thought the old volcano was finally ready to blow when the Centipede Digger erupted from the ground, catching one of the moth-men screeching in its mechanical maw. The screaming didn't last long as the insect archer disappeared and the Digger was arcing back down to catch another insect upon re-entry into the earth. Scrambling out of the way, she was laughing like mad. At last, she finally saw Prototype Two in action! The warband scattered as the excavator tunneled after them, leaving mounds of loosened rock and soil on the rainforest floor. "Well that settles it. Time to head back to the fort." Shiloh was ecstatic. Operation Thelyphonida was a success!

The machine beside him moved to look in his direction, though Kale only barely noticed. The one-armed pirate was far too engrossed in the antics of the machine before him. The creature whipped its tail about, stabbing creatures to paralyze them before snapping through their carapace with its mighty pincers. It was truly magnificent to watch and only made him want one of his own even more.

A small rumbling from beneath began, subtle enough at first to go unnoticed. Kale turned his gaze to the rumbling mountain towering int the distance, thinking this to be the source. As the tremors grew in strength, it became clear that this wasn’t the case. The man’s jaw dropped open and his eyes became glued to the creature that had just burst forth from the earth; a massive worm-like thing that swallowed the ground and rock to crush it into oblivion. It burst forth like a shark out of water, aiming to swallow insects and spitting out their remains from the other end. It was a magnificent spectacle to behold.

The pirate took one step towards the thing and vanished in a gale, reappearing beside the thing’s target and grinning as the flying bug looked at him in terror. He latched onto the bug and threw it towards the gaping maw of mechanical crushers and grinders before once more vanishing into a rush of wind that followed behind.

The crushing machine’s insides contained countless devices seemingly intended to grind into dust anything unfortunate enough to cross paths with the behemoth. The gust of wind wound its way through the inner workings, watching the once flying creature as it was crushed, ground, and churned into debris and flushed out through the monstrosity. Kale materialized on the other side in awe and with a great smile on his face. “I definitely want one,” he said.

As the thing fell back into the earth, chewing away at the dirt and stone beneath, some of the bugs yet to scatter turned to make use of their numbers; the man before them was stupid enough to place himself there alone, after all. They discovered their folly when the man held up his one arm and a metal chain flew from a small gateway, the jagged barbs and spikes latching into their chitinous plates. Sparks flew from it as Kale grasped the other end and sent a bolt of lightning coursing through the metallic weapon. The chain vanished just as the pirate stepped into another breeze, reappearing back next to the metal thing.

“What else is out here,” he demanded of it, excitement ringing through in his voice.

Derek stared in wonder at the flying machines, the weapon in his hands forgotten. They had been sent out, finally, just in time to watch as the strange machinations had begun to tear apart the insect enemies. They hadn't been briefed about anything like this, but surely anything that was killing the insects was friendly. They looked so much like insects themselves, though, especially the one with the scorpion tail. That one would be giving Derek nightmares for weeks. He tried to think about what possible reasons the insects could have for making these things and using them to destroy their own people. There weren't any good reasons. So… Friendly units. He nodded to himself, having finally talked himself into it. Friendly insect machines. He shuddered, despite the warmth, and wondered again what the point of them being out here tonight was. These new creations seemed to be doing just fine against the insects alone, in fact the two of them looked like they hadn't taken a lick of damage since the fighting began. Crouched down low in the trees, vaguely aware of the other mercenaries hidden around him, he finally noticed the group of people not too far away who also seemed to be observing.

When it finally looked like things were calming down and the mercenaries could move on to their target, Derek saw the unit of moth archers descending on the group of observers. He knew he wasn't much of a shot but he couldn't allow allies to be killed, even if it meant giving away their position. He could hear the sounds of others adjusting their positions to do the same and smiled as he lifted the crossbow, aiming down it's length. He had been told to just point and shoot. Simple. So he pointed and prepared to shoot when the ground began to shake. From out of the first sprang another insect, appearing to kill the observers off in the distance. Only, it didn't kill the observers. Whatever it was, it swallowed one of the flying insects and then swung back down to the ground. It disappeared, but from the shaking in the ground and the trail it was leaving it looked to be chasing the insects that were fleeing. Derek couldn't blame them. If he had been facing something like that then he would have probably chosen to flee, too.

That left a few lone insects and the observers from before, as well as the terrifying machines. There was a flash like lightning, illuminating a man with a chain connecting him to an insect. It seemed like all kinds of strange things were going on over there, and here he was, huddled behind some bushes with the rest of the scouts with just their bows. It looked like whoever they were they had a handle on things and weren't going to be aided by a few bowmen. Derek looked around and saw his commander had had the same idea and was gesturing for everyone to move on. They needed to get moving, further into the forest. They had already waited too long and had a lot of ground to cover before the night was through, especially if they were going to discover anything useful.

The mercenaries moved slowly, quietly, leaving the terrible machines and their observers behind them. Somewhere in the forest there was something possibly worse than those machines. Derek hoped their information was wrong, hoped that the worst thing he was going to see tonight had already happened.

"What else is out there?" The voice made her leap up ready to smash a metal foot into the next being she saw. The helmed visage of her proxy turned and saw the one-armed man, this time face to face. Her actions stopped midway, and she had a good look at him. Silence followed, then she pointed at the stranger with a mechanically distorted reply. "…It's you." It was him. Shiloh had been feeling that odd sense of familiarity ever since the glowing compliments on her new war machines. It nagged at the back of her mind, and she had only just put it all together. "Wargs in the Virens…" And there it was. There weren't many one-armed people she'd met in her lifetime. And this man was the very same one she'd crossed paths with back when she went after that monster bounty from the Winking Mermaid. Did he know who she was? Probably not. She was always somewhat paranoid about keeping a low profile. Very few individuals had ever seen the Steward of Antikythera's true face

.She should've figured it out earlier when she saw how the man kicked one of the moth-men into the gaping jaws of the Digger with that cheeky grin. The lightning show he pulled off after confirmed his identity. "Enjoying the show? Maybe you'll get to see an encore, depending on how badly these over-sized bugs want a one-way trip to the Infernos." Not being able to show facial expressions was a crying shame right about now. Joking aside, it was back to business. "So are you sightseeing, or here for the bloodbath?" Word about the invasion should've made it across the globe by now, but she didn't expect everybody here to be part of the forces fighting them off. Some people were here to help, some were here just to get a free pass at slaughter and bloodshed. Either reasons weren't a problem for Shiloh, as long as they achieved the same goal.

The Digger returned into the ground, tremors weakening as it tunneled away. She'd let it run its course for a few more hours before calling it back. Performance aside, she had to check if its hull and chassis were holding up against constant collision with rock and soil. All that impact might affect the more delicate machinery in the long run. As far as she knew, it had been doing its job–targeting only hostiles and avoiding anything that wasn't insectoid. The Centipede would remove enemies and enrich the local soil with their compost. A win-win for the island in her opinion.

The thing spoke in a weird metallic voice, though it declined to answer Kale’s question. What it did say caught the man off guard. “It’s you,” it said in an almost familiar voice, though it took a moment given the added ringing. The pirate had heard this voice before, the thing’s next words confirming it. “Wargs,” he repeated thoughtfully, “Virens… The lady with the axe!” For a moment, he marveled at the luck it would’ve taken to run into her again, but quickly dismissed it to appease his own sense of honor.

His hand disappeared through a small portal and pulled a small satchel out of it. With a dizzying bit of speed, Kale tied the drawstring around the metallic figure’s wrist. “There,” he exclaimed with a satisfied smirk, “It’s about time I got your cut of the bounty to you. I’ve been hanging on to that since I turned it in. Thanks for leaving the head with me, by the way. That was awkward to carry to the city with one arm.”

“I came here to help, actually,” the man said while trying to scratch his elbow with his side, “Didn’t expect to run into anyone I knew, though. Glad to see these wonderful things roaming about! I do hope these bugs don’t give up; I’d love to see more.” Kale sounded as excited as a child being given a gift.

Kale watched as the remaining moth-things flew off in a panic, caution being thrown to the wind in favor of panicked escape. Surely they’d be back with larger numbers to take on these machines, though. “So tell me,” he said, “Are you actually within that thing?” He tapped his knuckle against the metallic shell, listening for an indication of whether something was contained within. “What about you? Are you here for the show or do you plan to take part in this fight?

Their progress through the jungle was slow, difficult, and Derek was beginning to wonder if the gods were punishing him for something. Those tiny biting insect were swarming and no matter what he did Derek couldn't get them to leave him alone. He huffed in frustration right as there was the sound of a twig snapping from somewhere in front of them. He lifted the crossbow and looked down the length of it, waiting and hoping that if he was forced to use it that his aim would be true. He was about to offer up a prayer to that effect when out of the darkness ahead there was movement. It was hard to make out what it was, there was another mercenary directly ahead of him and his human eyes just couldn't make anything out, not at this distance. He took a deep breath, his hands becoming slick with sweat that couldn't entirely be attributed to the heat. Give him a shield and a spear and put him in a line and he was fine, but out here at night in the dark it was completely different. There was something about being in the dark that made his heart race. He had never thought of himself as being scared of the dark, he had done his fair deal of night patrols but in the city there was always light no matter how dark it was. They weren't even allowed torches. Of their number there were a handful who could see in the dark, some elves, a dwarf and something that Derek just couldn't define. They were all similarly armed and armored, light leather chest pieces, crossbows and short bows and a variety of short swords and axes in case things got close. The ones who could see were scattered through the formation to help those who couldn't. It hadn't occurred to Derek to ask why so many of them couldn't see in the dark. Surely those in charge could have found more people who were better suited that this. 

His idle thoughts were cut off and brought back to the present when there was the sound of violence from up ahead. There was a definite struggle going on there, and Derek took a few careful footsteps, feeling with each foot before settling his weight on it so as not to step on anything that might make a sound, when there was the sound of crossbows snapping and firing. Bolts flew through the air and connected with the struggling mass in front of him. He was still a couple of dozen feet away, but there was a screeching cry and then silence. The movement had stopped. Derek gripped his crossbow tighter, waiting. There didn't seem to be anything else nearby. There was a faint whisper, an order to continue on. On the way past the area where the sounds had come from, Derek could see what looked like some kind of animal and a humanoid insect. The animal looked like it had been torn open by the insect and the insect had three bolts sticking out of it. If there was one nearby, then that must mean there was more. Derek took a deep breath and continued onward.

Those who could see in the dark were able to take out four more insect soldiers that were hidden in the dark over the next few minutes. For there to be that many must mean there was something nearby that needed guarding. Derek had been useless each time, hearing only the sounds of bows and crossbows firing. From between trees he thought he might have seen a glimmer of something, a light perhaps. There and gone again, swallowed up by trees. He thought of saying something, seeing if anyone else had noticed but a buzzing from above stopped him. More flying insects descended in a rustling of branches and leaves. Derek swung his weapon up and sighted, firing and missing in his haste. He cursed under his breath, grabbing for a bolt and trying to reload. It took him some time and by then there were a scattering of corpses surround them. Luckily, none of them belonged to the mercenaries. He was feeling more and more useless, though. There was more of the buzzing, and he felt like it was vibrating through him. He swung the crossbow around, looking for something, anything that he might hit. One of them dived at him, looking almost human in the darkness. His second shot went as wide as the first and then the insect was on him. Derek held the crossbow up, across his body, using it to shield himself from the attack. The force of the insect landing on him drove him from his feet and suddenly he was on his back, a hissing and spitting face inches from his own.

There was a shout and the insect was torn off of him, dispatched quickly by others who then helped Derek to his feet. There were no admonishments, no telling him he had done badly. They were all in this together. It made him feel better, if only a little, about failing not one but two shots. He would have to do better next time. The party moved on but the vibrations continued underfoot.

Before she could refuse, the one-armed man pulled something out of a pocket of dimensional space and tied it to the proxy's hand. "What the-?!" Caught off guard, Shiloh didn't have time to react. To her dismay, he pushed a sack of coin onto her and she sure as the moons wouldn't be able to return it in this state. Scowling back on the other side the rogue unwillingly received a very delayed payment for a bounty she'd practically forgotten. At this point it was too late to argue; she'd have to take it. And apparently this man knew she left the head for him. Answering her question about his business here, she kept staring at his noticeable lack of an arm. Fortunately the automaton proxy had no face, so it wasn't easy to tell where she was looking.

So he wasn't handing out empty compliments when he saw her working prototypes. "Glad to see somebody share the same enthusiasm for once." When he knocked on the myrmidon shell, it moved like somebody avoiding a tap on the shoulder. "That depends on your definition of being present, if you're asking." The proxy crossed its arms to explain, "I'm here to make a few preparations in case things go south–which probably will happen. You can never be too careful when it comes to planning, ever. So just in case we're not able to get reinforcements, we can still keep our heads above water for a while." She wasn't making any promises after Dalanesca of all people getting axed despite being a deity.

"I'm sure you'll understand that I can't exactly tell you anything substantial as we are technically in a war zone. The bugs likely have ears everywhere and the less information that gets out the better. In fact, I could just be talking complete nonsense in an attemt to spread misinformation to make them try something. But who knows?" True to form, Shiloh was paranoid enough to know no conversation outside of secured rooms were safe. 

Meanwhile, miles away from the two passing acquaintances through circumstance, a small winged reptile sailed over the trees. Completely hidden from the ground's perspective was a ferret riding on the little wyvern's back, smack dab between the wings. As absurd as it was, this was no ordinary ferret. Indeed this was in fact a ferret with the mental capacity of a human, fluent in Adelunian common. Niall had snuck out from the deity's camp on the beach against her orders. With the help of said deity's miniature wyvern, the intrepid adventurous hob was on his own mission to soar the skies as a scout. For he was Niall–Captain of Ferrets! What better way to take a page from his owner's book than to be a great sky captain himself? He had even borrowed a pair of goggles for flying–which were clearly too big for him. One lens was as large as his face.

"Hob-goblin to Sky Lizard, do you copy?" The ferret said loudly to his flying friend. Telepathically the wyvern confirmed, and asked what he wanted. "Any signs of enemy camps in the trees? …Oh. Maybe we should fly lower! Everything looks super tiny way up here." The wyvern didn't think it was safe getting so close to the top of the jungle canopy, but Niall thought they'd be fine. Besides, they were so small that they could pass for a bird. The bug people wouldn't shoot at random animals, would they? Hardly containing his excitement as they began to descend, Niall didn't notice a giant wasp emerge from behind until he heard its angry buzzing. The wyvern was doing its best to escape, pulling twists and turns to shake it off their tails. But soon it was getting too close and it had to make a steep dive in a last-ditch effort to get away.

The wyvern lost control and the two tumbled through the jungle canopy screaming. Niall bounced off several branches while falling, and his winged friend snagged itself in a tangle of vines. Catching his jaw on a thick liana, he flailed around until his paws got a hold of something. Scurrying over to the wyvern the ferret gnawed the vines setting it free. Unfortunately their combined weight was more than the branch's carrying capacity. With a snap, they plummeted again only to break their fall on some humans. It is quite jarring for a small animal to fall on an unsuspecting man's face, as it would be equally jarring for a ferret to find a man's face right up against his. Letting out a yelp, Niall unintentionally smacked his tail into that face before rolling off.