• Chapter 18: The Mad Robots

    The parade continued on, until it reached the town center square.
    “Now,” said Governor Ingotoni, “we shall launch the fireworks!”
    But another explosion went off, and it wasn’t the “fireworks” that the governor intended.
    The mechanoids soon emerged from the warehouse, with weapons—both actual and makeshift—in their hands.
    “What in blazes is going on?!” Ingotoni asked in shock.
    “It must be Erebus’ doing!” said Valerius.

    Galina soon prepared her staff.
    “Lead me to the highest point in the city,” she said to the governor. “From there, I should be able to cast a low level electrical spell that should turn them off!”
    “Follow me!” said the governor.
    “We’ll stall for time!” said Valerius.
    Valerius then got out his plasma blade. Nauplius, Rouvin, and Zanthe got out their respective weapons as well. While they didn’t like the idea of damaging robots the city needed, they knew they had to fight them to protect the people.
    Some of the welding robots activated their blowtorches and started shooting flames about. Rouvin shot a few arrows, severing the tubes connecting the fuel to the ignition and rendering their tools useless.
    A few drill robots were starting to run at them, with their drills spinning and intending to skewer the people. Nauplius hammered the streets to open a pit to the sewers and made them fall in.

    While the chaos was continuing on outside, Galina followed Governor Ingotoni into the tower of the miniature Parthenon.
    “Good thing the elevator works!” the governor said in relief.
    The two entered into the elevator and rode it up.
    “What is going on with the carnage?” the governor asked Galina.
    “The fiend Erebus,” explained Galina, “he is gathering up items to perform the Forbidden Ritual!”
    “The Forbidden Ritual?!” repeated Governor Ingotoni in disbelief. “The ritual that could make a man into a god without the official gods’ consent?!”
    “The same,” sighed Galina. “It also ties in to why he kidnapped Delphinia, the healer of Olympalantis.”
    “That is dire indeed,” said Ingotoni. “Obviously, this robot chaos is something to stall for time.”
    “He won’t get away with misusing your city’s robots,” replied Galina. “That I promise you!”

    Valerius had just taken down a robot that looked like it was about to pick up a small car to throw at innocent bystanders.
    “Good think I took it out just in time!” he said, wiping some sweat from his brow. “How are the rest of you?”
    “My arrows are hitting them quite well, strangely enough,” answered Rouvin.
    “To me, they’re just nails that need hammering in!” joked Nauplius.
    Zanthe finished casting some ground-morphing spells to restrain a few.
    “Whoever said nature can’t trump technology never asked me!” cheered Zanthe.
    “I just hope Galina can reach the high point in time,” said Valerius.

    The elevator soon made it to the roof of the tallest building.
    An image of Apollo soon appeared. Galina and Ingotoni knelt before him.
    “Ho, there!” said Apollo. “My fellow gods see your city is having a little trouble.”
    “Yes, great Apollo,” answered Ingotoni. “The fiend Erebus has caused our robots to go crazy!”
    “Sounds to me like you need our special lightning rod!” chuckled Apollo. “Here, let’s get things set up!”
    With that, the god put his two fingers into his mouth and whistled. A chariot with silvery winged horses soon rode down.
    “Come on in!” said Apollo, motioning to the chariot.
    Galina did so, and the door to the chariot closed. Apollo then walked up to the horses.
    “Take this woman to the lightning rod platform,” he said.
    The horses nodded and flew the chariot up. Strangely enough, it was a relatively comfortable ride, despite the circumstances.

    The horses and the vehicle soon landed on the platform surrounding the large lightning rod. Normally this platform was used during calm days to do cleaning on the rod. And it could also be adjusted to reach particular heights.
    But now, it would be used by Galina for a specific spell.
    Touching the lightning rod with her own magic staff, Galina chanted in koine Greek to cast a low-level Thunder Spell.
    Electricity soon flowed out from the highest point, and small sparkling electrical balls fell down, striking the robots.
    The robots soon became still as statues.
    Calm had returned to Ingot-Menitsa City.
    The people rejoiced that the heroes had saved them.
    The chariot soon escorted Galina and the governor back to the others.
    “Thank you, heroes,” said the governor. “Especially Galina in this case!”
    “We had to, governor,” replied Zanthe.
    The governor soon approached Valerius.
    “Galina told me of Erebus’ plot, friend,” he sighed. “And I too fear the worst for all the empire.”
    “Where could he have gone?” asked Valerius.
    “Apollo’s messengers are now looking into it,” answered the governor. “For now, it is time for a bit of respite.”
    Valerius still feared for Delphinia, but they did need time to rest, as well as find out where Erebus was next.
    The five heroes soon traveled to the governor’s penthouse again, and slept for the night.
    While the party rested, one of Apollo’s servants soon saw where Erebus had gone next—on the island of Magnisi.
    And he was aghast at what he had done. The warlock had cast a spell on the island’s famous Magnetic Ore Mine. Without the mine, the island would head into financial hardships.
    “I must return to the mini-Parthenon!” the messenger said, and he flew off back to Ingot-Menitsa, as fast as his wings could flap!