The Dwarves Take on the Iron Twins

“Champions,” the Arbiter said, turning her back to the huge, double iron doors to face them. A fiery cacophony raged inside the chamber beyond, and the violent glow from within outlined the Arbiter’s brilliant red hair as she rested her two-handed sword and regarded the gathered champions before her sternly. “Who amongst you is ready to face the Iron Twins? They have gone mad from the exposure to the Irethi magics,” she warned, “and they must be stopped before their violence spills out of this tower. It will be no small feat.”

From out of the crowd, a grizzled dwarven Jarl shouldered his way to the front. “I will go,” he said resolutely, hefting his mighty shield. “Their magics will nae touch me, nor my allies.”

“Fires burn!” a mad cry came from the crowd, and the wild-eyed dwarven geomancer shuffled out, holding a magical flame suspended in one hand as he stared almost hungrily at the giant twin doors beyond.

“May the light of the Underflow ever bless the Dwarves,” Underpriest Brogni declared as he stepped up to join them, the gem shards in his self-made crown glinting in the light of the Iron Twins’ furnaces. “The Deepstone will help us lay to rest these twisted machinations!”

“Don’t forget me!” an excited cry came, and a moment later, another dwarf barreled out from the sea of champions. “I’ll keep ‘em busy while you guys bring the boom!” Maulie Tankard said, grinning and thumping her flaming sausage-hammer against her shield.

To the left, the sound of metal scraping against the stone floor grew closer and the crowd parted as the Mountain King himself came through, dragging his heavy, enchanted battle axe alongside him. Striding as only a dwarf could up to join the line, he fixed the Arbiter with a resolute glare from behind his impenetrable helmet. “And my axe!” he declared, heaving the weapon up into both hands and striking an imposing figure.

The Arbiter nodded solemnly. “Very well. You brave ones have spoken, and may the light of Lumaya be with you in the coming battle. Remember always, when the day seems darkest, it—”

“Alright!” Maulie declared, rolling up her sleeves and pushing past the Arbiter. “Let's show these chumps how the Dwarves do it!” She marched up to the huge doors and looked over her shoulder. “Ready boys?” she hollered at the other four dwarves, who all hurried to follow her lead.

“Well, just… just remember,” the Arbiter tried again, even as the champions prepared to enter the chamber, “that whenever things seem darkest—”

“Yeah, yeah,” Maulie said, rolling her eyes. “You worry about the arena, princess, leave bosses to the professionals.” And with that, she planted her boot on the doors, throwing them fully open with one powerful kick and charged through to where the giant Iron Twins raged within.

The Arbiter watched the battle ensue, flashes of light and the chorus of explosive rockets strobing throughout the tower. “Dwarves,” she sighed. 

The Idea of Faith - Journal Entry page 7

Faith. That’s what gets us through... 

Freedom. That’s what united us People of the Nations. (Ye,
I’m woman of faith, but I’m of God and Countrie. Forgive me, for what I, for
what ever reasons they may be, possess in my heart for the other Peoples. I
mean.. look at most of them! They can only be of abomination... Right…? What
good out there could, nay, would, make such creature such as an Ogryr or a
Demon? Forgive me….). So, what then, could possibly get us here, two diverged
Nations, standing abreast, on these ships? Well, I suppose I shall tell you (if
this journal happens to fall on strange eyes). 

It all started a trimonth, nay, one month ago (I think? I’m
quite unsure, apologie!) when a Word Bearer rides to town, with message from
the land of Dwarves. To me, you say, O woman of inferior stature? Nay! I’m only
merely a Preacher. I heard through the grapevine of ears of the Church. She
delivered her message with utmost importance directly to Archbishop Pinthroy. O
of what importance! Pinthroy’s aura is quite grim, if I do say so myself. What bravery
that Word Bearer must have! (‘twas it bravery, or desperation?) The Archbishops
reaction and reply frightened me. I thought that poor Word Bearer was to be
slain on the spot! Head off and all! He approached the situation with great
resistance and hesistance. Anyhow, after some bickering and questioning, the
Archbishop went to inform the Queen directly. As if Juliana and Tallia were
emerging from a nightly wash together (Ye, we wish!) men amongst men were
moving with great haste (to the Port of Wretched, I heard. Yuck!). Astralon, Venus
(not a man, though, my apologie), Cardiel, Konstantin (quite scared of this
chap), and even Sir Nicholas! All running! Weird, to say the least, seeing them
without their armor... I’ve never seen anything like this from all my time in the
Church and City. With that said, being a writer of many, I knew in my bones
something was awry. So, I grab a brand-new writing book for me to document this,
and only this. Strange, though… Dwarves calling for gathering of all Nations?
Ye, that is what I said. Why, you must ask? 

Ireth. 

Ships from the Velyzar bay gone amiss, nearby travelers
vanishing, Whou could’ve thought it! Ireth affiliated with none. Until they did...
But not in the way you’d thinkit! 

I know of no strategy or the round table talks, so I will
not pretend to be a smarty boots. What I will tell, is that the walk down to
the docks was, can I say, dubious, yet stimulating. I remember it like it was yesterday, walking
alongside the nobility and aristocracy (well, behind… I have no privilege (yet) to share their strides) of the Sacred Order. Next to me were Tristina the Penitent, Olive the
Maiden, and Euphemia the Witness. We huddled close and scared to Mother
Superior, our mentor, counselor, and in some of us, an actual Mother. Her
calming presence filled us with Blessing and made us brim of Life (well, before
this very instance, at least). We walked cautiously behind the “Tier Two”:
(what I like to call them. The Tier Ones were already at the docks) Aothar,
Deacon Armstrong, Hope, Inquisitor Shamael, Fenax, Hope, amongst others. We
felt protected, ye, yet anticipation, curiosity, and somehow, doom, filled our
souls. 

Once we reached the docks, it was absolutely apocalyptic.
Horrifying, really. Delegates from all Nations were here. Even the Demonspawn
and Knights Revenant! (O how I still shudder seeing Prince Kymar) The air was
tense. Thick. Unbreathable. Tensions were high. Agents were weary,
untrustworthy of each other (and for good reason! Nations battled each other in
the Arena for millennia. With that, politics, power, and greed set its course
for rivalry between the Nations). The Arbiter?! Here!? O what a sight for any
eye. There she was, huddled in a circle with Hurndig, Lydia the Deathsiren, the
Prince, Lord Champfort, and the Queen, with Holsring right by her side.
Roshcard, Cupidus, and Abbess were there, brave, in their wonderfulness of
armor (yet strategically curious), Gliseah, Astralon, and Aniri were floating
above the water, protecting the nearby main vessel, and right on that craft,
was something of fantasy, that I have never once laid my maiden eyes on.
Standing motionless in the middle, was a hundreds of feet tall, metal,
Miscreated Monster! Us ladies’ mouths grew agape. Walking down the steps of the
courtyard into the dock area, eyes still wide, Lady Etessa motions for us. We
walked, nay, a sort of half-run, over to her near the water, still looking at
the golem out of the corners of our peepers, and she exclaimed, yet almost a
whisper, for us to get into the small sailboat. I spoke for the first time
since watching the Tier One scurry away: “What in Lumaya’s name is going on, my
Lady?”  

No response. 

She gave me an impending glare that shivered me to my
leathers, and we sat inside the dinghy. It was us ladies, Draconis, and Harrier
(the men sailed the boat with the nearly decayed oars. And, well, Harrier is
nice to look at… Especially in a time like this!). 

We floated on with haste towards Irethian waters on Dwarven
ships. Very nice, they were! (Well, the main ship was. The vessel we were in
were just small fishing boats lent to us by locals). What, I wondered, was
going to happen? What IS happening? Does Etessa know? Archbishop? The Queen? Anyone? 

We drew nearer. Water splashing all around us, cold, from
the ravaging waters. Then, a mile out, for some odd purpose, the water stops.
Calm. The Apothecary was chanting from a nearby boat. Soothing, it was.  

From a mile or two out, we see the shoreline of the dreaded
and isolated Irethia. My heart beat fast and quick, but the solitude of my
company kept me strong. Then, all at once, I hear, all at once, grinding of metal,
and mechanical like screeching. The monster was moving! This thing took one giant
step, off of the ship, and into the Irethian Bay. Just as sudden as it had appeared,
it was gone. Plunged into the depths! Strange, something as monstrous as that,
simply disappearing from sight. Confusion and wonder set in with me. Do the
Irethians even know we’re here? Well, of course they would, we’re 5 ships right
off their bay. Better question, do they know why…? Is this cordial arrangement?
Nay… it couldn’t be. Look at this Titan! The sheer fear this thing set in to
the people could, in no way, reflect any amicable ground. 

A fast minute or two later, as if the creature had been
blessed by the High Khatun herself, it slowly crept out of the water onto the
shore. It stood, motionless, with algae atop its head, for no more than half of
a minute. Then, Hell itself unleashed… 

Lightning, yes, Lightning! Stemmed out from the Iron Giant
like a vengeful Mother Nature. Being the first official strike of the assault,
one Bolt reached the blacksmiths shop first (me assuming because everything there
was metal). From there, the lightning did its best to branch elsewhere and with
a vengeance, as if someone had personally attacked this fulmination. In the wake
of the light show, the humongous twin blades sweeping in every which direction,
chopping… eviscerating… disemboweling… I still have nightmares from time to
time. I was nowhere near, but still knowing the atrocity that us Telerians
and Gaellans were able to physically conjure, astonished me so. 

The docks were demolished within minutes (O the poor people…
But as I sit here and document these details, now knowing the full story behind
it all, I wonder if the “civilians” were indeed in on the evil that was at
hand. For that, I will never know…). Irethi soldiers blasted away back at the
giant, but it was to no avail. Nothing. The giant just swept its arm right
back, and there goeth that soldier, hundreds of feet away, either in whole (if
he was lucky, if that is considered luck), in parts, or in a mist (I guess it
really determined how the arm hit you and how much the giant detested you…)
Birds, flying monsters, even tried, but fireworks of the back of the golem
rebounded right back. I’ve never seen anything like it, or even read about in
books. A war between Nations is one thing; days on days of fighting, waiting in
bunkers, negotiation’s, supply caravans, etc. but for a single war to emit from
a one machine? One can only dream of such thing. And that was the
incredibleness before me that I write to you now. It was REAL! It was happening
right before me! As if the lightning wasn’t crazy enough, behold: its eye. Its eye
emitted a powerful beam of heat so bright, we even shielded our eyes from miles
away. How is this earthly possible? What would happen if this thing turned its anger towards its Maker? Even mages and their powerful spells and barriers were of no use to
the giant’s ray. 

The giant stops. And stood. Did hours just go by? It felt
like seconds. Was it over? Was the unquenching thirst of blood finalized? It
sure seemed that way. The Irethian army was no more, or so it seemed. No soul
or creature on the docks or anywhere near. Nothing but startling tranquility.
Then, movement. Inland, this time, towards the main fortress of Ireth. Coming
within striking distance of the towers, the mages, desperate in what seems to
be their final days, hurdled their last and only option: Ascension. These
potions were more powerful than anything the strongest warrior in Teleria could
achieve. How, you wonder? Witchcraft... My guess. What else could it have be? Divine
intervention in some way? Nay, nay... this is the works of sinister.
The potions, thousands of them, I’d say, were thrown and splattered on to the
giant, hoping that this one, last hope of conjured liquid could eliminate this unthinkable being.
One spire was no more by its giant heat wave, and then a second toppled from
the explosive munitions. Nevertheless, the mages kept hurdling their last
resort. 

Then, to everyone’s amazement, the giant started to impede.
What was going on? Were the potions working? The giant slowly kept slinging him
arms, slower and slower, until what seemed like an untimely defeat, the giant
knelt. KNELT. How? What did this mean? Was it shut down? Did it die? Did
its giant soul leave its giant body? 

No, it didn’t…. 

It arose. Motionless, once it reached its peak. I could see little
figures, a bunch of them, crowding among the walls of the castle. The giant
moved, but not towards us. It walked into the castle...
Right in to the enemy lair, whom, previously, was its target set for Hell. Now,
friends… Once inside, the gates closed slowly. The final swing of the doors,
and a dull curiousity set in. Was control of the giant now under Irethi hands?
Panic set in on the main vessel. “TURN THIS BOAT AROUND” yelled the Archbishop.
As they did, we did as well.  

What now? What did I just experience? Is the world ending? That,
I’m guessing, as only a Preacher, I wouldn’t know the answer to that ‘til it
was happenin. I do know for certain, at long last, promotion to Bishop will be
mine. However, here now on this ship, awake to the monstrosity developt to be
our redeemer of freedom from the impending clutch of Ireth, I’m here chastened.
There, our supposed Savior, striding systematically on shore, alas, I stood
frigid, woeful, and benumbed. Howsit something so cataclysmic be so beautifully
astonishing? 

Faith. That’s what got us through. 

Journal Entry - Page 77

Suprising, isn’t it? It took nearly a whole bimonth, nearly more
for word to reach me regarding the Iron Twin battle! (that’s what they call the
giant now. Rolls off the tongue, nay?) Since it’s been more than a fortnight, I’ll get right
to it, told directly from the Arbiter herself! O howsit I wish I was a
mighty warrior, capable of receiving honors and medals…)  

Only the mightiest of warriors were received. Special champions,
attuned to accurately defeat the Iron Twins. The Arbiter, of course, from the
High Elves. Geomancer, from the Dwarves. Helicath, from the Demonspawn. Big Un,
from the Ogryrs, and last but not least, Aniri, of our very own. 

The champions walked slowly and cautiously in to the Irethian
coliseum, from the main vessel that dropped them ashore, that was merely big enough to support the Iron Twins stay. The Iron Twins stood there, waiting, motionless. The warriors stood abreast, waiting. The machine stirred, ready for annihilation of any that stood in it’s way. The warriors
readied their weapons. 

The first to attack was the Holy Arbiter. She first casts
her spell that glows around her fellow combatants, hastening them and filling with
great strength and determination. The big ugly Ogryr then runs up to the giant,
no fear atall, placing his aura from his giant hammer, slugging the giant,
further taking him out from the fight. The evil demon, next. He places an
unthinkable spell upon his teammates. Arbiter says it looked as if orange
spheres encircled them. They receivd no damage from the giant! How! Evil,
that’s how… Their guard elevated tremendously, keeping them in the fight tenfold
longer. Up next, our champion, Aniri. Her main task was to keep the team in the
fight, extending their ability to fight and their Blessings, as well as to heal
them. Last but not least, the Dwarven Wizard, Geomancer. He was the core of
this battle. He weakened the giant, protecting the champions from his terrible
auras and curses. He slowed the giant, removing its ability to fight. He placed
a burning-from-within flame, scolding every inch of metal, as well as reflecting
the giants damage back to it, as well as removing any auras the Twins placed upon
themselves. I mean, a true jack-of-all-trades here, if you will. 

Twas hours of continuous fighting, back and forth, back
and forth. The giant, already near wits end, was shaking, mechanically breaking
down, making clunking noises and steam being released every which way. At the
peak of this battle, The Arbiter throws a bright orange tornado at him (It
is a him, or her?)! The power in which lies with The Arbiter is truly mind
bending. She said it seemed as if the balancing system within the giant failed,
being confused within the twister. This discombobulation was enough to send the
giant swirling, plummeting down to the coliseum floors, bursting into both huge
and small chunks. The champions, being so worn down from the fight, did not even
celebrate. They gazed upon each other, left to right, and acknowledged each
other and their accomplishments. Geomancer fell straight to his back to lay, Arbiter
over to the steps to sit, and the demon straight to the entrance. All happy,
yet Helicath seemed embarrassed, that Arbiter revived them on multiple
occasions, allowing them to continue living. 

A vessel was awaiting the restless champions on the Irethian
shore. Representatives of Tier Ones from all Nations and the Queen were all
waiting nervously. Seeing all them making the trip back, cheers and hoorays were
favored. Rewarding them with the thanks of every Nations local civilians and
High Courts, the champions knew no physical reward could be sufficient, so therefore, none was given. HA! Wow. I would've requested the world and back, twere me! They were all too
experienced and noble, to know their one and only duty was called upon that day.
Unified celebrations back at Castle lasted for only one day, before Helicath
and Big Un began to argue, which turned into an almost all-out brawl. Right
before Big Un almost punches Helicaths head back to Oblivion, the demon casts his
damage blocker. Making contact but with no repercussions, Gurptuk, his traveling
associate, grabbed Big Un back, and begun their leave. The demons next. After
the awkwardness that followed, the Pacts that were cordial, gracefully and
gratefully, begun their goodbyes. With the silent acknowledgment of all, and no
vast reward at hand, the world was saved. For now… 

Until one day, they heard necromancres, wizards, and the
blacksmiths within Iretha, revived the Iron Twins, this time with different
magics. They knew champions would come each and every time. They knew the
champions HAD to come every time. So, from this day forward, the Iron Twins is
a monster needing constant attention, requiring the Nations to, for atleast only
this atrocity, to forge alliance for the better of the world. 

Faith. That’s what still gets us through…  

i

Iron Twins: The beginning..

 Heat…unrelenting,
searing, and inescapable. The forge burned bright as it yielded sheet after
sheet of white-hot metal for the Work. Though the hammer was heavy, uncaring, with
the grip worn smooth from the toil of the Work, he lifted it once more. The
blows shaping the un-Earthly alloy cursed with rage and dark magic into
something the realm of Telaria had never encountered before. 

Exhaustion wracked his malformed body, yet he
took solace from the progress. He could rest his body soon. There was to be no
rest for his soul, and he could feel the hunger of the Device and its pull on
him. Soon… 

Cast him out? Ha!!! Even as the curse incurred upon him and his twin twisted and warped
their Dwarven frames…he never relented or waivered. The Work must continue. His
brother was cut down by the swift blades of a Shadowkin, and his remains lay
within the Work, his spirit bound into the cursed alloy, cogs, and wire. It was
not Just, his twin's fate, nor was it earned! It was HIS curse to bear, the Work
came to him, even as his body withered and strained under the Dark God’s task
he cursed his fate. His twin was merely caught in the fringe of the ethereal blast
of Power that struck him down and bound him to this cruel fate. 

Years had passed, yet the toil continued. At long last, he was finished! The towering
monstrosity, half alive, fueled by the soul of his beloved brother, loomed over
the floor of the cursed workshop. It was time. 

The small part of the Dwarf master smith known as Gaerath struggled with the unholy
bonds of the dark magic that coursed through what remained of his flesh, as his
own arm plunged the cursed blade deep into his chest, stilling his heart
forever.  

But death brought no release. As his soul left his body, the ironbound monstrosity
stirred to life, powered by the twin Dwarves held in thrall by an ancient evil.
Storming forth from deep within the long-forgotten depths of the Keep of the Scourged One, the
warforged creature that would become known as the Iron Twins began their quest
for vengeance! Teleria had a new threat to deal with, the likes of which no one
had faced before, and one whose dark quest would end all life in fire and steel
if allowed to succeed. 

The party was weary. It had been a long trek into the wilderness beyond the walls of Therask and far from the warmth of their hearths and soft beds. Yet the reports of a strange beast of metal and rage that was scorching the countryside in search of some unknown item or being could not be left uninvestigated. 

A broken stone tower loomed over the treeline, and the wall around it appeared to be more of a pile of discarded rock than anything resembling a wall. Trees and brush were more of a barrier than the remaining stone, and the party cleared their way through the underbrush and into the remains of a courtyard. 

An unusually tall entrance into the ground loomed before them, but there were no signs of life the party could see or sense through arcane means. 

After taking a rest to renew their strength and charge their focus, the party started down into the darkness, and into the unknown. 

As the party entered a large, circular chamber, the Iron Twins stepped forward into the light of the torches on the wall. The party looked up in shock! Standing head and shoulders above the tallest Barbarian, the armored form gleamed of an unknown metal and reeked of sulfur and fire. Uttering no sound, the armored monstrosity attacked with lethal speed and precision. Only the shield magic called forth by a powerful caster saved the party from instant destruction in the initial onslaught!

The battle raged on for what seemed like hours, yet could only have taken a bare handful of minutes! The party struck mighty blows with blades infused with all manner of power and magic! Spell and counter-spell blasted back and forth between the party and the cursed metallic monstrosity, as healing chants and potions kept the party members fighting beyond all mortal comprehension! Finally, a mighty blow from a powerful warrior laid the iron-hyded monster low. The party was aghast to find the metal armor empty of a living form of any kind! What sort of malevolent magic was this? Was this the end of the Iron Twins? What clever hand shaped it?

After searching what remained of the strange keep, the party departed with more questions than answers.

Deep in the shadows, a metallic limb twitched...as scattered pieces of tainted alloy began to shift...twitching slowly toward one another in the dark....

“Is it worth it brother?”

The sound of his words echoing off the metal dome encasing him. 

“What do you mean?” The other replies. 

“All this death, we have been killing adventurers for centuries while we stay
locked away in this fortress, just to protect our precious Soul Essence” 

“Blasphemy Fardbor! Do you not realize how close we are to
our goal, only five more souls and we will finally be free!”

“Yes, I realize this Dazdor, but do you not remember why we are here to begin
with? We were shunned by our dwarven brethren just for being born attached to
each other. No matter how skilled we were at the trades, we were still cast
out. But do you not recall what the Arbiter once said to us. ‘All life has a
purpose in Teleria though it is not always the purpose you most desire, but that
should not stop you from being the best version of yourselves.’ I want to be the
best version of us without having to kill others” Fardbor replies. 

“I love you brother, but I wish to be free from this iron
prison we have placed ourselves in to survive. I wish to know what it is like
to be an individual and soul essence is the only way to achieve that. Perhaps
then we can live in peace, or perhaps…SHH do you hear that, we have visitors, I
can’t wait to test out that new technique to deal with those champions that
seem to be able to hang on with a sliver of health”

The mighty door in front of the iron-incased twins swings
open revealing a new host of souls for them to harvest. In walks five champions
all from a different part of Teleria. 

An armour-clad warrior wielding a hammer and bird upon his
crown. A demon engulfed in purple flames. A corrupted elf with snakes for hair
and vile wings. A knight with a pink and yellow sash wielding a mace. Finally,
a dwarf, one of the Twins kin, donned in cerulean and gold plates. All with a
determined face and fierce eyes.

“You will not have our Essence!” Fardbor and Dazdor scream in unison.

“We are not here for your treasure. We are here to stop your reign of
terror!” Demytha shouts

The warrior form a line and enter a battle pose and charge
toward the Iron Twins. 

“We have faced thousands of champions and have learned from
every battle, we will defeat you just the same. Even our iron shell will not be
stolen for coins this time, COME ON!” Dazdor cries. 

Before the first strike from the Iron Twins land the party
is covered in a lustrous orb and every iron strike and missile lands with no
effect.

What is this power, why are our attacks causing no damage, this is
impossible. 

The battle rages on and iron bits and bobs fill the battlefield, but the glowing orb has not faltered and the champions remain unharmed. 

Heaving and broken the twins unleash their ultimate weapon, a mighty laser. But
alas it also ricochets, and the purple-flamed demon responds with a final blow,
downing the mighty brothers. 

“We were so close, we would have been free…” Dazdor whispers.

“I hope Arbiter can forgive me.” Fardbor exhales as
their iron shell collapses.

Lyara set a brisk pace and put fear on hold. She dreamt about her Ordeal since her Banner
Lord mother rode to battle. If she survived, Lyara would follow. She trained for
the Dragon’s Lair but wanted a name for herself. Hearing of the new Iron Twin’s
Fortress, she was determined to fight there. Terrible warnings weren’t for her.
Gifts from Sir Rochcard of the Sacred Order, a god-blessed bow, quiver and shield
amulet, made her feel invincible. She wouldn’t be the only one to test her
mettle in the newest and therefore most dangerous dungeon. Heroes would come
from Teleria and beyond. Not even an Orc was going to stop her (she hoped).
The smell came first. Smoke, like burning metal and brimstone, wafted and grew
stronger. Hearing laughter, Lyara hid as a Dwarf, Dark Elf, Skinwalker, and to
her horror, two Undead walked into the dungeon like they were on a stroll. Shaking,
Lyara felt this detour was the worst idea ever. Still shuddering, she got up. This
is it. Her eyes adjusted to low light as she crept in. Slow and steady,
remember your training. It felt like forever going down tunnels until she
heard clashing, shouts. Lyara wanted to run away, but instead, her bow in hand
and dagger handy, turned a corner, and got blinded by lightning. Deafened by a crash
of gears and tearing metal. Fighting for their lives against a mechanical nightmare,
its multiple arms twirling in every direction, even five skilled warriors were
hard pressed! The Dark Elf sent multiple bolts from his staff; the Dwarf sent
fire. Even burning, the monster kept going. A Mouse princess attacked with two
swords. One Undead shot sizzling bolts of zigzag energy. Lyara screamed when a
bolt of lightning killed the Dwarf, but one of the Undead waved his staff and
the Dwarf revived. Smoke burned Lyara’s eyes. Now Mouse and Elf were down. The
Dwarf and Undead held. The bow in Lyara’s hand started vibrating and the amulet
gave her small shocks. I have to do something! Lyara nocked an arrow,
and ran into the fight. Her arrow hit true, freezing the Mech for a few seconds,
which gave one Undead time to revive the fallen. Her arrows slowed the Mech as their
destructive blessing rippled out to all its limbs. The Elf smiled as he struck
the Mech again and again. The Dwarf burned it as Mouse ran in, her swords chopping
at limbs until they seized. The Mech’s limbs’ frenzied lightning intensified.
It struck Lyara over and over. I went down fighting, she thought as she
blacked out, but with shouts of “GET UP!” Lyara scrambled as the Undead hovered
over her. “Fight!” Lyara knocked an arrow and kept them flying. Mouse cheered
her. Now only one limb was spinning, it’s lighting strikes dim. The Dark Elf
yelled, EVERYONE DOWN! They dropped as the giant Mech exploded in a barrage of
shrapnel pinging and crashing everywhere. Lyara sat there, coughing and
shaking. An Undead held out his skeletal hand to help her. She took it, and Deathknight’s
eyes lit up blue when Lyara smiled. 

Valkyrie paused as the final locks released from the towering doors. She took a moment to assess her surroundings. The hallway was massive. Statues lay in shambles whilst shrapnel and the fallen enemies littered
the floor. Battles were common in her line of work. The ones fought here were legendary. 

Vogoth remained calm and unconcerned. It was misleading to focus on his mask—it was always the same expression. The slacked shoulders were enough of a tell. Light, hidden behind the steel doors, now raced into their faces. Underpriest Brogni released a chuckle as Geomancer wrung his hands on the staff he carried. They were all anxious to defeat the creature behind the doors. 

As normal, Mithrala initiated the conflict as soon as the doors were wide enough for them. She wrapped a hex around the beast. The runic spell pulsed from their iron chests. The flurry of battle began. 

Fires slammed into the mechanical giant as it whirred angrily around. Its many swords cleaved into their magical shields. One slammed into the ground just as rockets shot out from somewhere above. The pace intensified quickly. Vogoth raced to the front alongside Brogni, working fiercely to keep its attention. Glowing shields flashed with every deflected assault. Protective auras cascaded over each champion. There was no recovery before the iron golem swung around again. 

The battle raged. Whenever the team weakened, the creature bolstered. When the creature stumbled, the champions drew themselves up and doubled their efforts. 

Time seemingly stretched out into eternity. Neither willing to yield. Just as the construct truly showed signs of weakness, fires spewed from a hole in its face, melting everything in its path. This is the nightmare told through many tales. Win or lose, it wouldn’t be long now. 

Even as the words entered her mind, Geomancer screamed in agony. Taking the full blast, the beard on his silent face smoldered as he fell to the ground, staff rolling away. She yearned to aid her companion, but the ferocity of relentless combat held her back. They could care for him if they won. No, when they won. It was the only acceptable outcome. 

Brogni bellowed in a feverish rage. Vogoth’s muffled shout  echoed in tandem behind his stoic facade. Only Mithrala appeared unphased, for the many centuries of lost companions hardened her heart. Her gaze matched those of the expressionless golem twins bent on destroying any threat to this castle.   

Thunder cracked the skies outside. Vogoth raised his axe while Brogni called to his God to unleash hellfire through their weapons. Valkyrie knew this tactic all too well. Steeling her nerves she raced to use Brogni’s
shield to launch into the air. All three drove their weapons home with a mighty blast! The Iron Twins fell and the castle shook under its weight. As it slammed through the floor, the fire—once contained within the golem’s shell—melted through and into the cracks of the stone. 

The Tellerian Menace was no more.

Greetings! I apologize for the possible mistakes, here is my text:

The iron horror

We were at Sky peak. We had gone to fight an error of the past, an ancient war machine, a real jewel forged from a dwarf know-how lost forever. We quickly climbed the stairs carved into the mountain. Barely out of breath, we entered the tower and there, in what looked like the interior of a titanic clock whose cogs were rolling between huge massive chains, lay our enemy. It was an iron golem with two trunks whose faceless masks sheltered an abyss that inspired only death. We were forced to overcome; trapped on an elevator platform, the chains pulled and took us to the roof. The company moved forward in silence. The calm before the storm.  

Hurndig screamed a war cry and struck the ground with his hammer, shaking the balance of the platform. Trunda Giltmallet leaped over the master artificer and charged, swinging her hammer effortlessly over her head. She struck a terrible blow in the giant's mechanical knee. Taking advantage of the enemy's imbalance, Boragar the Elder whispered a few words to his staff and raised it, sending out a mystical heat wave. I, a simple honor guard, had definitely lost my fear and charged. With all my strength I struck his shoulder, to which he reacted instantly. With a quick side step, I dodged the machine's retractable sword, Trunda took the opportunity to strike back in his blind spot. But with his other arm, the giant spat a column of furious fire at the Elder. Boragar surrounded himself with a magical shield. The flames passed over the old dwarf, who emerged without a hair of scorched beard. Our company responded with a deluge of hammer blows that rumbled against the metal like a storm. Far from being helpless, the giant created distance with one swing of his terrible sword. But as we stepped back to take a breath, the giant took a new stance. From his back came a multitude of projectiles that shot straight at us.  

- On the ground! 

Hurndig armed his huge backpack and unleashed a hellfire, blowing all the missiles out of the air. The fight resumed with a new intensity. The machine was precise, it projected its electrified pendulums on me. My armor deflected the blow, saving my life. Trunda swung her hammer at the giant. In another swing of his deadly pendulums to strike the Venerable Boragar this time, the top of the machine tipped over. He turned his hips completely to present his twin again. A dull roar arose. From the hole in the middle of the face a death ray shot out. In a final assault, the company charged the giant before the building was cut up by the beam. Shaken by the attack the giant tried a movement of the pelvis, but collapsed on the back, bursting in thousand pieces. We had overcome. 

Our ancestors had gathered to build this apocalyptic machine and today we have destroyed it with the strength of our arms and our unfailing courage. The evil hordes will learn to fear us.  

 Yeah, it's more than 3,000 characters, but so what.  This was fun!

The Butcher & The Blacksmith - Dawn of the Iron Twins

In recent times, the Telarian High Council was summoned to address Siroth’s rising
power of darkness over the land. Seated was Lumaya’s own emissary, The Arbiter herself, followed by King Lonatharil, Archbishop Pithroy, Sethalia and the Barbarian Eldar Skarg. They decreed a Dungeon Tribunal commence and commissioned the Arcane Guardian, presiding over the City of Ireth and it’s surrounding lands, to summon each Dungeon Master for tribute towards the creation of a new Dungeon Keep, positioned on the Sky Peak just outside the
city walls. The new keep was inspired by Lumaya’s own wisdom of challenging heroes to walk the path of Awakening. Only by awakening could the heroes rise against
the oncoming waves of death and destruction. The new Dungeon Master had to maintain all of the strengths of the current Masters, yet none of their mortal weakness…A Mechanized  Golem.  Each Potion Master contributed the superior potions from their respective keeps as
they knew they could be susceptible to the weaknesses of one another and needed
to combine their elements of affinity to make the challenge viable.  The Outland Keep Masters also made tribute for the project; The Armor of Klyssus for alloy, Dragon’s Fire from Hellrazor to forge the machine, Skavag’s Silk for sinewing the pieces, the Essence of Rage from
the Minotaur for imbuing remarkable stats to overcome, and finally Fyro’s
Eternal Flame to inspire the monstrosity’s formidable skills. The Arcane Guardian himself requested tribute from his kingdom and surrounding lands, with the most precious gift being the coveted red gems mined by the Nyresan Dwarves from the Red Spike Mountains
beyond the Dragon’s Keep. At the behest of Sethalia, the Lady of the Land of Rebirth, the Banner Lords’ own Lady Quilen was conscripted as ForgeMaster and
lead of the mech and keep. There was no better champion in the land to compose and execute such a task. With all the resources gathered, the advent of the Path of Awakening had commenced. In time, the High Council convened to oversee the state of the project as a recent spawn of undead hordes attacking the Barbarian camps drafted a sense of urgency. Upon their arrival, they were amazed at the progress and intellect of the Lady Quilen. The Sky Peak had been excavated down to the bowels of the mountain to produce an everlasting heat source that would power the lift of the Sky Peak, producing an arena for battles to come. Within her Master Forge, under the lift, she had slated the resources orderly and began drafting the elements to construct the Keep Master. Lady Quilen overlooked no details, even sourcing a Fleshmonger from the Skinwalker Faction to feed the laborers as they worked, accounting for the project’s logistics. As they inspected the work, the Council began their decent and in passing under the lift, a massive explosion from beyond the foundations of the tower shook the entire land and, the Fleshmonger and Lady Quilen, both trying to pass by one another on the landing, lost their footing and fell headlong, together, into the forge below. The shock, being as great as it was, sent all of the resources and plans down into the forge along with the two unfortunate souls. Feeling the despair creep in at their immeasurable loss, the High Council began trudging out the entrance of the keep. But a slight vibration in the stones halted each one in their tracks, and turning around, they witnessed a cacophony of sound and light emanating from the forge. A mighty wind reverberated the tower and when the dust had settled, looming before them, was a gigantic iron beast. The most striking and immediate feature was a twin torso halfway up the base. On it’s arms were blades of glimmering, gilded metal. But most noticeable was the singular oculus that glowed red, presumably from the power of the gems or maybe even Fyro’s Eternal Flame. At once,  the Iron Twins stood, towering over the High Council of Heroes. Without wasting anytime, faster than a bolt of lightning, the Arbiter began a Destiny’s Call to rouse the heroes and prepare for battle. But before she could then rally them, with almost pre-cognitive speed, the Iron Twins advanced and reared up, delivering a Ruinous Swath upon all five heroes and leaving a scorched brand upon their flesh in the shape of the archer’s target. No doubt a signature of the Lady Quilen herself. As they recovered, the Arbiter, still assessing the situation and looking to rouse the heroes, mentored them and boosted their next attacks while healing them from the first onslaught. But as before, she realized that once she levelled support to her allies, the Iron Twins seemed to gather strength and speed through her own skills and immediately blasted the troupe with Fires of Insanity, their marks burning deeper into their flesh.  Knowing speed was both her ally and her weakness, she became distraught that none of her colleagues could decrease the Iron Twins speed. But, as some will recall it as the Light of Lumaya, others a random coincidence, out of the corner of her eye, the Arbiter caught a glint of light, the smallest of glitters, coming from the side of the metal bohemoth. A single thread from Skavag’s silk was protruding from under the armor.  Rousing herself to inflict some Forced Humility upon the Iron Twins, she set her whirlwind of fury up the Twins and the thread, being caught up in the twist, began to unravel and unravel, pulling the giant apart from the inside
out. Without the ability to sustain its form, the mighty powers within began to erupt in to a massive explosion and the twins blasted apart in a myriad of metal and small, red stones. In the aftermath of the battle, the High Council members gathered what they could and found that the gems had been infused with a living essence, presumable from the Butcher and the Blacksmith and had produced a sort of soulstone. The metal alloy pieces, too, emanated the same power. The Council took these pieces and returned to the Bastion, bringing them before the Alter of Souls. There, they discovered a merchant and found that, in exchange for their "soulcoins", they could summon the soulstones to awaken the Telarian champions to higher degrees of skills in battle. Mixed emotions of bereavement and relief at both the sacrifice of their fellow Telarians had yet still produced Lumaya’s effect of enabling Telaria’s champions to climb a new path of enlightenment as their war against Siroth continued.      

Part II - Scourge of the Void - >;-)

                                                       THE IRON TWINS 

Long ago in the lands of Telleria there was a wizard. His wife was 9 months pregnant when
he discovered a new form of magic. Unfortunately, he couldn’t complete his
research as his wife went into labor. The night was stormy and not a single
star in the sky, the wind howled and wailed, rain trashed so hard as it blades
were raining from heavens. The mother gave birth to twins, alas the strain of child
birth bested her, she took one look at her children the first and it also became
her last. She closed her eyes and drifted into a slumber from which even her
husband the all-powerful wizard couldn’t wake her. The heartbreak was so huge
for the wizard he moved to a distant land that outlined the lands of Telleria so
as to separate himself from the civilization. The twins started to grow slowly
and steadily, they trained in all sorts of combat and were a master of all
sorts of weapons that Telleria ever saw. Many years passed the wizard was dead
focused on developing the new form of magic. Now that the twins were in their
teen years and could care for themselves the wizard could study the new form of
magic that he had discovered. From the depths of the caves of a certain
mountain came a few crystals, these crystals were blood red and when treated in
a particular way and blessed with the light of Lumaya that can be filled into
the crystal with the help of a certain kind of sacrifice or equivalent exchange
the crystal glowed as bright as the stars in the clear sky blood red and bright.
Just when he was about to perfect the crystal the forces of evil heard of the
method. To grab the greater power the forces of Siroth marched towards the
adobe of the wizard. Unaware of this situation the wizard kept working and
perfecting it. The army of Siroth reached the wizards adobe led by the powerful
Duchess herself they attacked. The twins tried to protect their father buying him
as much time as they could they fought finally seeing the twins in their way
Duchess fought the twins herself, she cut one of the twins in half and struck
the others heart with all her might. The twins were on the ground their
strength failed them against the darkest forces of Evil. The wizard didn’t run
away even while he grieved for his sons the wizard destroyed his own creation,
and gave Duchess a fake crystal that looked very similar. Even after getting
the crystal the forces of Siroth did not spare the wizard. They destroyed
everything he held dear to him in front of him taking away his very will to
live. The wizard passed away with a final prayer to Lumaya. By the time the Arbiter
heard of this and marched towards the place with her own party of the Honor Guard,
Elhain and Dark Kale they reached the place of the disaster. There was nothing
left the wizard was long gone, but the twins they were still fighting, though
they couldn’t move their souls wouldn’t leave their body, seeing them in that
state with one of them cut in half and one broken completely, Arbiter took pity
on them. Then another disaster struck, the army of Siroth came back, the Arbiter
had to take up her sword and held off Duchess all by herself and Elhain joined
the fray. Now with only Dark Kale and the Honor Guard left to protect the twins,
with every passing second the twins kept losing. They couldn’t wait any longer,
without waiting for the Arbiter to return the two started to help the twins as
best as they could. Duchess would not let the Arbiter out of the match as the
two Queens of combat locked their weapons the Dwarf built a metal armor that
could house the body of both the twins in one as the core and the armor was
huge. Using the dark arts acquired from the doom tower and his travels Dark Kale
used the souls of the twins and housed them into the armor thus giving the armor
life using soul transmutation. The twins roared to life and charged into battle
destroying most of the army in one fell swoop. The dwarf had done a really good
job at the armor as it had almost all of the weapons that the twins needed. The
forces of evil were pushed back and the battle was won at last. Alas! The twins
would never get their bodies back and even Arbiter cannot reverse the soul
transmutation. The twins had to be joined as their souls were connected with
the bond of undying love. Now that the battle was won Arbiter talked to twins
who were heartbroken at their father’s loss, they explained their fathers magic
to Arbiter that they learnt while their father worked on the project. After thinking
for a while Arbiter asked the dwarves to create a huge fortress at the place
where the mountain stood, and asked the Twins to guard it from the forces of
evil. She taught the twins a way to convert the immense energy released from
the battled they fought into the power of the crystals their father had developed.
Now the twins always guarded the Fortress that came to be know as the Iron Twins
Fortress. Which stood tall providing challenge to all the champions of Telleria,
the once who were successful in defeating the twins got the special magic that
Lumaya had now blessed on the discovery of the Wizard. This magic strengthened
the very soul of the champions and awakened them to a higher level of existence.
Fortunately, these champions can’t be defeated by the forces of evil as they lacked
one aspect which all of Telleria had- the bond of friendship. The twins would
be bound to each other from then to end of eternity for one was always
incomplete without the other.     

Heat radiating from infernal machines was punishing enough without the cacophony of chains on pulleys and a multitude of gears doing the unknowable. Pushing forward the doomsday machination forced the tormented raiders on their heels as its voltaic pendulum swung counting down their ruin with each terrifying swath from its dual paired arms on a rotating torso shared by the Iron twins.

Swoosh!

The company’s demonspawn barrier deflected a blow from a whirring fist-less appendage. “Our doom creeps closer with each swing,” the pale-skinned maiden of pain swore to her unlikely companions.

Swoosh!

Her gray-skinned faction sister prophesized back, “We must look within to the mirror of our souls to defeat the gatekeeper. Only then will we unlock the key to our awakening.” The doom told her in her nightmarish reveries that she wouldn’t die this day despite their faltering against the gigantic abomination.

Swoosh!

Eternally damned and resilient the demonspawn gazed at his companions with stoic determination as if to say, ‘I stand as the shield. Make haste as even a I can’t stand forever.’ Godtouched and a conduit of rejuvenation, Aniri nodded in agreement with the infernal creature. “Even our combined might of celestial and infernal fused to bind our resolve cannot withstand this abuse!” Heated iron pendulums swung again scorching and marking the raiders with wounds foretelling their imminent deaths.

Swoosh!

Each terrifying rain of insanity from the iron abomination hastened their demise. Reflecting on the doomsayer’s words he knew he alone could finish this. In the presence of the twins overwhelming heat emanating from them and their environment was not death alone to him or his fellowship. And even iron could be melted and reforged. An incantation lit in his mind as if reading the runes from flaked ashes of a forge with each pendulum strike to the demonspawn’s barrier.

Swoosh!

The gray-skinned sister fell and was immediately risen by the Godtouched. Narma danced and dealt her hell crescent blades marking their iron fleshed foe. Helicath knocked to a knee dug his pyroclastic claws into the same. Suddenly flame erupted from the short raider as fire stuck to the swirling death. The dwarf intended to reflect whatever the gatekeeper of souls could inflict upon them.

Swoosh!

Heated iron struck against the barrier destroying it sending the companions to their backs but the eternal wisdom of a grizzled dwarf with his reflective stone returned the apocalyptic demise back unto the sender destroying it from within as the once superficial wounds inflicted by claws and crescents ripped open and blew like a giant tea pot overwhelmed with heat. The Iron Twin’s destroyed itself upon the dwarf’s dual incantations.

Aniri was the first to stand and to look upon the ruin of the machination that was. “My blade is kin to what we behold in the gatekeeper’s death. I am now twice blessed. I can see the reflection of myself and in and of that is a blessing we have awakened in ourselves.”

Detective Kimi and the Sinister Twins Part I

If there was a prize to be won for eccentricity, Nobel would certainly have made the shortlist. 

From his impossibly wide trousers, to his naked upper body to his golden horns that had obviously grown through his eye sockets to come out as snakes, he defied every rule of fashion, modesty and nature. 

He must have been able to sense his surroundings though, Detective Kimi mused, because apart from the desk where he had collapsed, the walls were covered with meticulously drawn schematics. 

Crime series enthusiasts would have spend their time trying to find some meaning in the arrangement of notes that Nobel had scattered holding on with his last breath. In Kimi’s experience, murder victims were usually  busy dying…

No one knew for sure what this disgraced genius had been working on, secluded in his own fortress, his only companions desolation and dismay for the world that had shunned him after he blew up his twin brother during an experiment. The same world had eventually embraced his explosives and certainly provided the funds for this - whatever it was - Laboratory? Lair?

Although nested on sky peak and looming large over the other keeps, only recently had it raised concern when a neighbour had complained the noises were breaking her spiritual balance. 

The floor was soaked with much less blood then would be expected from the severe cuts he had  received. Cauterized, like a surgeon’s patient - to stop the bleeding? If ever a murder weapon was a signature, this must be it. Nothing in this room could have served the purpose, so it would still be with the murderer…

“He must have tried to lock whatever is behind this safe door.” It was the brassy voice of Dreng, the officer who had found the victim and called for backup. 

After showing up out of nowhere a few years back, he had made an impeccable carreer in the Telerian police force - Kimi trusted him blindly… well, almost. 

She could relate to him partly because he also never faced danger without his silent partner, whom he carried on his back and called his twin brother. As if on cue, Sachi appeared, pointing silently at a particular design on the walls. Quite the eyes! Considering who they were with, Kimi decided to keep it a secret for now…

There was in fact a trail of blood led from the safe to where he was lying, and fresh blood dripping from the vault’s handle. 

Could he have locked his murderer in there?

Also with them was Teodor, the Savant. Some called him a tech wizard, because he was supposed to be able to figure out any mechanics just by reading a short description of them. He was eyeing the schematics with scrutiny - something about them seemed to elude even his masterful mind.

A bright red light was blinking above the vault door. Kimi had always considered these kind of warning signs the most charming of invitations. 

She signaled to the minotaur officer who was used to be their hatchet man. 

Hakkorn applied his inhuman force in a single hit of his spiked hammer - and the safe-door conceded defeat. 

He hadn’t been known as “The Smashlord” in his Pro Wrestling days for nothing…

As they entered the spacious hall, they could hear a countdown from speakers all around: 2, 1. 

All of them had to catch their balance as the whole room was set in motion, huge chains churning to lift it up. 

A particularly large contraption suddenly started moving, too, a motion rippling through the many joints of its extremities. 

Rising up from the ground, the tangled parts unfolded to represent legs and arms of a giant humanoid with two bodies, melded like those of siamese twins. 

The lash came without warning. 

Kimi made a roll, narrowly avoiding the ruinous swath paved by the attack of their razor-sharp hands. Looking around, her companions had sustained some serious injuries. 

Suddenly, the hall resounded with a noise drowning even the clanking machinery as Hakkorn let out his rallying bellow. 

Everyone came to their senses quickly, shrugging off any handicap the attack might have left them with and braced for anything that may come now.  

“Slow down for a minute!” Kimi unleashed the shower of magical petals upen the monstrous machine, slowing them and hindering their aim. 

“This is Detective Kimi of the Telerian Police Force! Identify yourself!”

Two menacing voices resounded in unison: 

“Intruder alert! Any Intruder must be eradicated!”

Teo was had been cooking up one of his savvy potions, it seemed, for he raised his hands and rained some fluid down on the enemy. 

Thankfully, Teo’s poisonous mixtures were also corrosive, apparently, because the Iron Twin’s mechanics were creaking dangerously as the fluid seeped into them. 

Sachi was still recovering from that first blow - Monday just wasn’t her day…

Kimi made another attempt at communicating:

“Who are you and what do you want?”

Detective Kimi and the Sinister Twins Part 2

The voices joined again:

“Call us the Iron Twins! We cannot let another intruder live! Father will punish us!”

What was this? 

A creation deluded with grief over its creators death, denying it?

And who was the other intruder?

It had seemed that Teo’s corrosion would slowly eat away at the Twins, but their gears ground and creaked, and it seemed they were completely reset, ready to fight as ever!

If they had indeed gone insane with grief, the fires of insanitly burned brightly as the jet-like right hand of one of the twins turned out to be a flamethrower!

Dreng took the initative now, dropping a portable cage for catching delinquents on the Twin’s head - a silly gesture that still left a dent in the Twin’s armor and lifted the spirit of his allies to his level. 

Since this was becoming a longer fight, Kimi concentrated her energies on coordinating her allies with signals she had subconsciously conditioned them to respond to. She called her little secret the “Spirit Flux”…

Hakkorn just gave the Twins one of his trademarked Smashs that would have stunned even the mightiest foes normally - but had little effect on the condition of the mega-machine. 

Teo’s applied a skill he had acquired while training to be a physician  - when all of his patients had become worse after treatment. He had made it an art of its own, calling himself a Vile Physic - now it helped slow down the movements of this contraption again. 

Sachi had now been swinging her sickles long enough in prepration. If those Iron twins had had a heart, Sachi would surely have pierced it! But whatever she damaged in their chest, it seemed their blows would be a little less dangerous for it. 

Kimi shouted at the twins now: “Your father is dead! You can stop this!”

“All intruders lie! We have always been our father’s favourites! The plan is almost complete, just as he foresaw!”

Whatever this sullen machine’s strange concerns were, they didn’t prevent it from continuing its attacks:

They turned 180 degrees, and the other twin shot a pair of pendulums from his hands, sending a current through them and shocking the police force!

Teo moved first this time, making a move he described in his papers as “chymistry” - sad proof that dyslexia befalls even the genius. The bad spelling did not made it less effective though, as the Twins were visibly weakened, their balance becoming shaky - they would not block hits so well in this state. 

Catching his breath, he spoke up: “I think I’ve seen that plan in the study - he called it a Doomsday machine!”

None of the policemen liked the sound of that…

With an elegant swing of her sickle, Sachi scratched the twins eyes - they would have a harder time hitting the right spots to debilitate the her allies now. 

“So the plan isn’t complete yet? You can still surrender, and set an end to this!” Kimi tried her best to solve the situation peacefully. 

“It is too late anyway - the Doomsday Device has been activated!” was the twins ominous  response. 

Their next attack was an all out combination of every attack program they had displayed so far, and it nearly brought Teo to his knees. 

A stern look appeared on Sachi’s upper face as she put all of her concentration into the next attack. It was truly inspiring to see her like this. She launched a devastating blow and everyone was eager to join in!

They had to finish this fight fast!

Hakkorn’s nostrils were huffing as he prepared his ultimate attack: The reckless Blood Sacrifice! It hit the twins hard, something was breaking within…

Kimi decided this situation required a Lady’s touch, adding just two more hits to the damage, making the Iron Twin’s ripe for execution. 

Creaking and screeching, they would  not be able stand the pressure much longer. Small explosions were going off all over their torso. 

Kimi wasn’t convinced they had been fighting murderers: She had seen them slash and burn, but never at the same time…

“I’ll give you one last chance to save your life!”

“We surrender! It is done anyway…”

Everyone relaxed and sighed a breath of relief, only Dreng stood stiffly, his stare focused on the Twins.

Suddenly, he used his flaming swords to loosen two pendulums, apparently spare parts, that had been suspended on the side walls.  They had been brought to white heat by the omnidirectional flamethrower attacks. 

As they came swining down on the heavily damaged Iron twins, something in their inner mashinery went up in flames. 

“NO MERY! I will have my revenge!” Dreng shouted madly. 

“Your turn to suffer! - Oh, I can’t wait!” - With those words, he flung his flaming swords at the twins, making flames go higher!

It set off a series of explosions, making them collapse. One last big bang ended them for good. 

Sachi gave Dreng a particularly disgusted look. He had just killed a suspect that had officially surrendered!

“Explain yourself, Officer Dreng!” Hakkorns eyes were gleaming menacingly. 

“Sachi showed me one of those schematics, an old one. You were one of his creations…the original Iron Twins…” Kimi offered. 

Dreng took a deep breath: 

“A failed attempt he called us! Do you know how it felt, being discarded by your own father? Me and my brother ended up on a trash heap. I did all I could to repair him, but no specialist I went to could fix the damage. His battery has been dead for years!”

Kimi was shocked: All this time, he had been a walking tomb for his little brother!

“I couldn’t forget or forgive - but I never planned to come back to this accursed place again…” Dreng’s thoughts were flowing frantically now: “He laughed at me! Showed me his new creation! Suggested I throw myself on a trash heap now that I witnessed its superiority!”

“Letting go of a grudge is difficult when you feel it’s the only thing you have in the world… and yet…Being replaced can be even more hurtful than losing a loved one… That’s why you finished it like you did - because you were envied them…”

Dreng hung his head in shame. 

In sibling rivalry, were there ever any winners?

Being raised by a cruel father, how could there be a set of good twins?

“I have no reason to doubt that these Iron Twins were really scared of their cruel father. 

Whatever drove Nobel’s mad mind, it was not love for any of his children. It appears he lived only for hate and destruction…”

“But in your head, they were the twins he preffered over you - the past can surely be a prison…”

Although Kimi couldn’t see an expression behind the bars that comprised Dreng’s face, she could feel the surge of shock and regret as his mechanical body stiffened. 

“Maybe we’ll learn more about who Nobel really was once this elevator stops.”

“It won’t stop.” Everyone turned to look a Teo’s grim face. 

“And it’s not an elevator. It’s a huge, launching rocket. This is the true Doomsday Machine! A rocket loaded with enough explosives to wipe out all of Teleria! And there’s no way to stop it now!”

Dreng came alive again: 

“I will link to the mainframe and detonate it right now!”

He didn’t ask for permission, but hastened to find the plug still compatible with his design after all these years. 

“We can use the attached study as an escape pod!” Teo urged. 

There was no arguing with death. 

As they ran out of the room, Kimi saw Dreng’s image reflected in one of the metal plates one last time. Expectations can make anyone blind to what is really going on. Maybe he wasn’t one of the sinister twins after all…

Hello!

From this moment on we stop accepting new fan-fiction texts for the contest. All the texts published below this message will not be considered for the rewards.

Thank you for your contribution!

We will choose the best entries and announce the winners later.

if i win contact me on my discord: nonametomato#4290

My discord EidenXll#5976

This was a crowded one :) 

Where at?

Soooo any idea when the winners will be announced? It's been a week.

You all picking stories, orrrrrr?

Hi! Yes, in case you win, you can choose which account gets the reward