The Machine God Series: An Endless Nightmare

Prologue

Flames ate at the sky, exhaling black smoke as they devoured all in their path. Structures crumbled under the intense heat, the rubber of tires of scorched vehicles melting and burning. Metal groaned as it succumbed to the fire. An enormous vehicle stories tall began to tip.

How did they find me!? In the center of it all stood a beastial figure, slowly stalking it cornered prey. The red of its eyes stood out amongst the orange that lit up the sky. They blinked and focused like that of a camera's shutter, locked on to their target.

How do they know!? Her machine gurgled, red fluids oozing from its damaged armor. It breathed heavily, its joints had seized. It was gripped with fear, fear of the machine that hunted it. Steam hissed from its mouth, its eyes staring straight ahead.

"Move, my stallion! This is no time to freeze!" A woman yelled from within the cockpit, jamming the control sticks backwards.

Slowly, the machine retreated, torn pieces of scrap crunching beneath its hooves. Thick black slime and red fluids from other machines leaked into the footprints it left behind. The beastial mech matched the Stallions pace. It was in no hurry. It was enjoying itself. Its bladed claws left scars in the charred dirt. Long silver teeth glinted in the fire's light.

"Where?" Its voice was deep, mechanically distorted. "Where is what I seek?-"

The stallion shook its head as the enemy drew closer. Flames licked at it's back hoof, eating away at the sensitive covering around its joints.

"It doesn't exist." She said, voice wavering. "What you're looking for doesn't exist in this world."

"You...LIE!"

The machine lunged forward, the saw blades whirring, easily ripping through the stallions exposed neck. The tattered machine reared up, pounding the ground with all nintey tons. Their hunter easily sprung out of its way.

"Behave now!" She screamed, as the enormous machine panicked and started bucking. She was thrashed about in the cockpit, her harness doing little.

Once again the hunter lashed out, nimbly avoiding the flailing mech. It pounced for the neck, but only got ripped out a mouthful of the mane, as the Stallion stumbled to the ground.

"Where is it!? I know... you... you revived one!"

Sparks flew as the deadly blades between it's claws met with shoulder armor, cutting through like paper. The Stallion rushed backwards, damaged leg throwing it off balance.

"Or did you build it? It matter not to me!"

The Stallion could retreat no farther, for it would surely melt in the ravenous blaze of red, blue yellow flames. Face to face with the monster of a machine, they were out of options.

"You will help me obtain my prize" It growled. "I will have an Aeryth!

"I will...not!" The Stallion snorted, and head butted the monster, shattering one of it's eyes.

"I would never help someone like you!" She said firmly, determination overpowering cowardice.

Machine and monstrous pilot alike roared in anger, but this time the Stallion did not back down.

"I will let no one stand on my path. I will not hesitate to kill any who dare get in my way" It snarled.

Then, more figures appeared from the smoke, just a hideous as their pack leader with weaponry just as cruel. "Baron, they come. The military, they were quick this time."

"Nuisances! Fine, let them come. I am quite bored of playing with these weak scientists anyways. I seek something new to tear apart. I shall deal with you later"

Their hunter had turned its back on her. The Stallion was in poor shape, but if they were distracted for long enough...

Bright light filled the sky, blinding the beast and it's pack. Just long enough to get out of sight. Just long enough to hide. For soon enough the military would strike. They would have no time to worry about her.

A white stallion approached the raging fire, trotting through with head held high, disturbed, yet distant from the scene before him. Machine and human alike lay scattered about, a bloody and brutal crime scene indeed. The golden crest of the military caught the light of the flames. Standing proudly with the rest of his unit behind him, the pilot let slip a smile as his violet eyes spotted the awaiting beast, alone among it's chaos and ruin.

"It takes only one mistake. This time, Blood Baron, you will know justice for the pain you've caused. That is the promise of the Soutaurian Military!"

And with that, the Stallion charged forward, looking almost like a ghost against the blackened sky of night.