Page 40 of Alien Warlord's Fury

"Good." Claire's jaw set with determination. "Let's do it."

I caught her arm as she started to rise. "Not so fast. There are guardians."

"Guardians?"

"Ancient constructs. They protected these ruins long before Hammond arrived, but the Nexus corruption has affected them too." I scanned the area, picking out the telltale signs of their presence—slight disturbances in the energy field, subtle shifts in the ruins' shadows.

"They're unpredictable now. Dangerous."

Claire's markings flickered across her skin, responding to her rising tension. "You've encountered them before?"

"The Aerie has records. Stories passed down through generations." I studied the terrain, mapping our approach route. "They were created to protect these sites from intruders."

"Now they're as corrupted as everything else Hammond touches."

"So what's the plan?"

I outlined our strategy—Claire would channel her energy into the conduit, creating an overload that would disrupt Hammond's power supply. Meanwhile, I'd keep the guardians occupied, protecting her while she worked.

"You want me to overload it?" Claire's voice held a note of uncertainty. "My markings are still unstable from the vision."

"That's why it has to be you. The conduit will respond to your energy signature." I met her eyes. "Can you do it?"

She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "Yes. But Nirako... I'll be pushing my limits."

"I know." I reached out, my fingers brushing against her arm where her silver markings traced delicate patterns. "I'll be right there."

We waited until dusk, when the shadows lengthened and the energy fields around the ruins pulsed more slowly. Moving from cover to cover, we approached the conduit, staying low and using the broken structures for concealment.

Twenty paces from our target, I froze, raising a hand to halt Claire. A guardian emerged from behind a fallen column—a construct of metal and stone, its form vaguely humanoid but with proportions all wrong. Energy crackled across its surface in erratic patterns, and its movements were jerky, mechanical.

"Wait," I breathed.

Claire pressed close behind me, her breath warm against my neck. "There's another one," she whispered. "To the right."

I followed her gaze. The second guardian was larger, its form more bestial than humanoid. Both constructs moved in irregular patrol patterns, guarding the conduit we needed to reach.

"Their energy signatures are fluctuating," Claire murmured. "I can see weaknesses in their patterns."

I nodded. "That's how we'll beat them. You guide me to those weaknesses while you work on the conduit."

We separated, moving to flanking positions. Claire circled to approach the conduit from behind a partially collapsed wall, while I positioned myself to draw the guardians' attention when the time came.

I caught Claire's eye across the ruins and nodded once. She responded with a determined look, her markings beginning to glow more intensely as she prepared herself.

I stepped out from cover, deliberately scraping my boot against stone. The guardians' heads swiveled in unison, focusing on me with glowing sensor arrays where eyes should be.

"Come on," I muttered, drawing my blade. "Let's dance."

The humanoid guardian attacked first, lurching forward with surprising speed. I sidestepped, using an Aerie combat technique designed for mountain predators—let the opponent's momentum carry them past, then strike at their exposed flank. My tail flicked once, aiding my balance.

My blade connected with the guardian's side, sending sparks flying but doing minimal damage to its armored form. The bestial guardian circled, trying to flank me.

"The smaller one's central core fluctuates when it moves!" Claire called from her position. She had reached the conduit and placed her hands on its surface, her markings flaring bright silver in response.

I ducked under the humanoid guardian's swing, rolling to avoid the bestial one's charge. They were coordinating their attacks, trying to pin me between them.

"Left side on the big one!" Claire shouted. "Its shield drops for half a second after it charges!"

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