Footsteps echoed down the great ivory hall, drowned out by the aching noise of the groaning fauna... vines climbed every surface of the gold plated, white building... and dirt succumbed nearly half the building, it was submerged... a building lost in time.
Multiple metallic hisses ranged against the sunken walls, the noise was deafening as it proved to be a sound chamber... no exits, one entrance. Soldiers plated in metal glared through, their flashlights barely illuminating the dark room. Inside they knew their target was hiding... but what else could be in this... old war relic? They didn't know.
Slowly they began their march inward, checking every corner and price of rubble slowly looking for that damned treasure hunter... she had stolen their blueprints for the last time, this would be the final time. They had gathered the elite of the elite, the Maudri empire had no greater soldiers... and no greater weapons either, they each held a Boltace... a weapon capable of firing 60 metal spikes in 30 seconds.
The young treasure hunter gathered her breath, she stumbled around the dark room... she knew she was in trouble, big trouble... every time until now she has gotten away easily, this time she had made a mistake. She got too greedy, and likewise due... she paid for her sin.
Yet, her luck was indefinite. She could always count in it, and this was no different... there was absolutely a way out of the death zone she had made herself, a small hole? Maybe a vent? Maybe she could sneak past them?
She desperately looked throughout the room, hastened by her circumstances... she stroked her hand against the wall for balance, the viney fauna luckily obscuring her oppressors vision as she moved along.
Her hand stumbled as part of the wall gave way, a small panel opened up beneath her grip... and she stared into the picked black label, she couldn't read it... both due to the light and her lack of linguistic training, but she did notice a large switch. The Treasure hunter was greedy, and she knew she couldn't let such an opportunity escape her... it could give her some form of advantage.
She flipped the switch. A large thunk rang out as light flickered into being! Crisis! She had made her self visible! Immediately she dipped behind cover, but not before she was seen... the squads of soldiers rushed over to her location befor-
CRACK
A large vine snapped as machinery whirled to life, revealing a large mound of black powder... it glowed and reflected the now irradiant light that filled the ivory hall.
The Soldiers aimed towards the machinery and kept a watchful eye as they slowly made their way over, whatever was going on... they needed to know.
Something compelled the girl, the black powder called out to her... begging her to consume it, it was... memorizing...
Even the Maudri Soldiers, their years of training, their countless battles, and more sophisticated bodies, couldn't bear resistance to such desires.
A younger soldier, broke formation to secure a taste of the black powder... he consumed more and more of it, yelling out to his comrades to join him! It tasted delicious he declared!
The young girl held back her temptation, while she desperately wanted a taste... there was no way she would risk herself getting caught...
One by one, more soldiers broke formation. They greedily gulped down every small sample of the Black powder, even licking it off one another's armor as it stuck to them. That's when the first soldier collapsed, his body began twisted and melding against its will... and pustrals formed out of it.
It was no problem for the rest. They happily kept eating, and as they slowly consumed each bit of powder and as each slowly contorted and became infested... the loud whirl of machinery became louder, and louder and louder... it scrapped the ears of the Soldiers and the Girl... and as the soldiers perished, the bodies began moving once more.
The corpses of the soldiers were slowly dragged away by the infested outcroppings, each making it's way to a now revealed platform... in the center was a large black ribbon.
The ribbon moved unnaturally, despite lacking any form of outside help it constricted the bodies and formed them into a mass as the girl watched in horror... yet she had to hold on hope, there were still more soldiers on their way... she could hear their ships outside as the machinery finally hushed down.
The bodies melded into a mesh of viscera and steel, the armor of each soldiers snapped and morphed against nature to form a layer around the bloodied massacre, it formed a torso, legs and arms, and finally... a featureless head that gazed endlessly.
The color changed from the mismatch of green dyed steel and white painted boltaces,it became pitch black. Darker than Dark, more endless than infinity, it dangled from the ribbon as a large pipe forced itself through the tangled mess of vines... it plunged into the humanoid beast, and slowly the nooks and ends of the thing became glowing a soft ivory white.
" Ebony Online, Null energy Online. Awaiting connection from Operator... "
The large humanoid spoke, though robotic in tone it held the same warmth a living voice would garner. The young girl didn't quite understand her circumstances, yet she didn't hesitate to push forward... she made her way to the... Ebony... As she approached the Ebony, she reached out her hand and slowly touched the thing.
" Energy source detected. Engaging siphon protocol. "
A thin black tendril of energy pierced through the young treasure hunter's torso, it left no sound yet inflicted the girl with painful torment, she felt like her soul was being sucked out of her... and she wouldn't be far off in that assumption.
" Energy siphoned, Operator Awakened... beginning transference... "
The young girl fell as the tendril that held her off the ground gave way, the large humanoid contraption gave way as well, falling just besides her with a pound metal thunk.
A heavy moan echoed from the metallic behemoth, with whatever strength it could muster... it pulled itself up on its legs, the lights flickered as it desperately tried to manage the energy it needed.
The girl was too freighted to even move, the beast easily consumed many soldiers even while it was nothing but powder... now that it was formed... or... now that whatever it was ' awakened ' she could be in for worse.
"...where... huh? Vines... wh... how long have I been... "
A deep, male voice resounded from the humanoid as it made it on it's legs, it barely stood as it gathered its thoughts and bearings.
It took notice of the girl laying at it's feet.
"... a... Livaris... girl? Dead or... no, I sense... breathing... she must be ... asleep... how did she get in a Crimson Base... or... how did she awaken me... "
The Ebony Suit picked up the girl but heir stomach with one hand, despite her best efforts to not to... she made an audible ' peep! '.
To respond, the suit affirmed its voice.
" Not asleep. Answer me, what happened? "
Desperate to mask her failure, she insisted on keeping quite and pretending to sleep despite her already being found out, it didn't matter to the suit...
He needed answers, l it didn't matter how long it would take for them to be addressed as long as he could take the time he needed.
That's when he heard the noise from outside the hall, the soldiers has gathered around the entrance... yet didn't dare to show their faces yet, they didn't know what threat was in the hall... and they didn't know that it would be 7, 000 years old.