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Chapter Three: Outsiders

The storm had finally let up on the side of the mountain, and the dirt roads had turned mostly to mud. The various trees, aspens, and pines were still dripping in places.

The large house sat in the middle of a glade, surrounded by grass and flowers. It was a tall and proud building, made of logs, with a circular door in its front, pleasantly facing the road. There was a wrap-around porch and a flagstone path with flowers that lead up to the entrance. It was a pleasant mountain home, tucked away from the valley, just outside of town.

Prognis hated the thing.

She stepped out of the woods, finally convinced that the storm was over, and unbuckled her rain cloak. She marched across the street, her tall leather boots squelching in the mud, and shrugged the cloak off.

The twin suns reflected off her bare shoulders and forehead, and she took a deep breath through the breathing ports below her eyes. Her body was made of iron, her eyes shone green and glassy from under her metal brown. Her face was carefully crafted, glaring at the building across the glade. She let the cloak fall and stepped out on the grass, crushing the flowers that were growing there.

She bounced on her heels and flexed her hands experimentally. Her knuckles were heavy cast-iron bolts, and her biceps were fitted with internal locking sprockets. She stood seven feet tall, with a sleeveless burlap tunic that would keep out of the way of her arms, and loose-fitting leggings that wouldn't constrict her. She briefly considered taking off her boots but decided against it.

Prognis cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted.

"MICHAAAA! I know you're in there! Come out! I'm here to collect my money!"

She bounced from one foot to the other while she waited, testing her knees to make sure they didn't squeak. This close to the house it was easier to see that the door was twelve feet tall, and as it rolled to the side, Micha ducked under it and stepped out onto his porch. He stared at the little bouncing woman on his front lawn, who had crushed all of his flowers by now.

"Where's my money, Micha?" She demanded, "you and I had a deal!"

Micha's body was much wider at the waist, his legs were like two massive pillars, and his cold glass eyes were blue. He looked around the glade.

"Is it just you...?" he laughed, in a rolling voice, "What are you looking to do, little one?"

"Don't call me that," said Prognis, "come on, pay up or I'll collect it out of your hide."

Micha laughed.

"You're not a very intimidating sight, Prognis," he said, "go home. You need to learn not to make bets against titan-class Mechians."

"What, are you scared to get messed up by a common-class like me? Scared your giant titan-class friends will see your messed up face and know what happened?" shouted Prognis. Micha turned away from her and started walking back into his house. Suddenly, a ball of mud splattered on the edge of the porch with a few dead flowers in it. Micha stared at the ball of mud for a minute, then looked back at Prognis, standing defiantly in his front yard, wiping her hand on the edge of her leggings.

Grass and pieces of dirt went flying as he barreled at her, and she side hopped out of the way and he lunged for her, planting her fist into his side. He swung around and cupped his side for a second, as she pivoted to face him, and then they flew at each other.