[@Hostile][@Thecrash20]

The light, constant sound of tempered breathing filled Amma's ears, accompanying the soft crunch of leaves and branches underfoot as she raced across the treeline. She knew, if she focused, that the stamping of heavy paws copying her rhythm aways behind belonged to Canti. A small smile graced her features, comforted by the presence of the powerful predator. If anything went wrong, there wasn't much more threatening than a full-grown manticore within this side of Ceas. Hopefully, she could enlist the aid of the skyeels that traversed the riverbed and clouds above before she encountered the metal golems. Their lightning magic was swifter than her spear, and all the more deadly.

Strangely, there was another sound that slowly entered her senses. A rumbling, unfamiliar sound that reminded her of steel impacting stone. And it was getting louder, as if it was- The Stormborn's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as she understood her train of thought, throwing herself to the side just as a giant, grey beast of metal seemed to have suddenly appeared in her path, speeding by the area she had been moments earlier. Wiping sweat from her forehead after witnessing her close shave with death, another point of importance struck her mind as a terrible screeching followed by a loud "thud" sounded out in the woods seconds later.

She had a tail. A tail that had just been attacked by the strange, metal beast if her ears had not deceived her.

Frantically, she pulled herself up from the ground, breaking into a sprint the moment she regained her bearings towards the source of the twin noises. As she drew closer, voices became faintly audible, becoming clearer with each step she took. Taking advantage of the conversation, Amma stalked into the surrounding foliage, blending into the background seamlessly as her eyes landed upon four of the metal golems she was notified by, the metal beast from before... and the barely heaving body of her former ally.

She hadn't known Canti very well, having only met the manticore a few months ago as she settled within the wilderness of Norton. They crossed paths multiple times in the past, but had only made brief conversation. She deeply regretted not learning more about the beast before he died. Blight, she couldn't even give him a proper sendoff with the golems taking watch over his corpse. Some "Friend to All Creatures" she was, the sarcastic thought screwed into her brain. 

With nothing else she could possibly do, Amma witnessed the arrival of another of the strange golems, overhearing each conversation clearly from her hiding place within the brushes. Their surprisingly accurate imitations of the human form and language unnerved the hermit, especially the mentions of "Teams", "mercenaries", and even conventional swearing. It was as if these golems were actually sentient, capable of thinking of other things besides simple commands and ideas.

Hopefully they would leave soon, and took their metal creature with them so she could transfer Canti's body where it belonged. And later, when what needed to be done was finished, she could find the golems again to interrogate why they had come. 

This time, she would bring her Spear as well. Blood for blood, after all.