The Way of the Future: Age of Machines(Completed)

To Bulhin

The bones and the black metal armors of the Undead Knights laid on the floor, many were simply piled together while some were scattered about. The sun began to rise from the east, the orange hue reflecting across the clouds. The sunrise had begun when Artemis began to comfort the little girl.

She was crying still, but Artemis' head pat seemed to work a bit. Not expecting her next actions, Artemis was surprised when the little girl suddenly embraced him. He did not know if the little girl was mistaking him for somebody else or was just acting out of pure instinct. Still, Artemis let the girl be. It opened a lock inside him, this warm embrace. Artemis decided to ignore it, it wasn't anything big or revolutionary.

The girl did not stop from sobbing. Artemis had no idea how to handle a crying child, and so, decided to take her by the hand and they wandered off under the emerging sun. As the two walked across the dead grass, passing by the bones and the enchanted items scattered on the ground, the little girl was looking up at Artemis. Her blue eyes glowed as tears still escaped her lids.

To her, Artemis looked like a savior despite his dark aura and character. In her eyes, she saw her mother within him. And once the thought of her mother crossed her mind, she sobbed even more. The two traveled on foot for an hour before the little girl was exhausted. Not wanting to stop, Artemis took her and carried her on his back.

Should I fly?

Artemis thought.

"No, it would disturb her"

Artemis was not sure where they were going but using his memory, he deduced that they were nearing the border between the Empire, the Republic and the Theocracy. The nearest city of the border was Bulhin, a frontier city surrounded by a huge river. Artemis was too suspicious to enter a city. The tension and threat that he and his forces have generated have made the other kingdoms wary and thus security had been upped. Any individual that would even in the slightest match the appearance of the metal demons would be barred entry, or else, murdered.

Many poor souls have already been killed despite not being a metal demon. Paranoia and fear have spread like wildfire, the surviving escape refugees have also begun to flood the kingdoms, generating even more problems.

The little girl needed nourishment, Artemis had never encountered this problem before, he knew what was edible and what was not but the problem was, were they fit for consumption for a little girl? Artemis decided to scan their surroundings, the trees looked healthier and the grass greener. They must have passed the deadlands that Galianna called.

Using his sensors, he managed to detect a few fruits.

He placed the little girl on the grass, it was much more comfortable than the grass on the dead lands. The girl had stopped crying, instead, she stared at Artemis with glowing eyes. As Artemis was hacking and slashing the foliage and the branches to get the fruits, she watched.

The fruits were composed of apples. There were only apples, was this forest an apple tree forest? Artemis thought. It only took Artemis a few minutes to gather a total of a hundred apples. He was efficient at gathering them all and placing them into a single bag. Artemis was confused where he got the bag from, he did not remember picking it or bringing a bag with him.

Nevertheless, he made use of it. The bag was harmless after all, made of simple fibers, its more of a sack than a bag.

The apples filled the bag almost to its tip. He then carried it on his shoulder and returned to where he left the little girl all the while the girl stared at him.