Before we headed out towards the lizards camp, Ivona wanted to first go back to her village, which she said was called Walden. In Walden, there is something that she needs.

Vincent gave me the water container, and he kept the lizard's ax. There wasn't anything else on the lizard.

We started moving to her village. As we were walking I wanted to go ask Ivona one particular thing that has been on my mind since we found her.

„Hey, Ivona, why does your crossbow follow you like a magnet?“

„I programmed it.“

„. . . ?“

Wait, what. Do they have computers around here? Her village doesn't look modernized enough to have them. I do recall seeing these programs on the shield's screen, does that mean you can make your own? I am not a programmer, so how would I do it?

„How did you program it to follow you?“ I asked.

„When you activated your artifact did it sting you with needles?“

„Yeah?“ It was not a pleasant memory.

„When it does, it would make something go inside you, then those things inside you would change your heart to be connected to the artifact.“

Back at the ruins, I did feel a lot of pain in my heart when it was dispensed into me. But what exactly did it do? When I felt the pain, was that the connection that she was talking about? What the hell is wrong with this shield?

„So did your crossbow also sting you?“

„Yes, then the connection progress started when it found my heart.“

Uh huh. So she also felt that pain like me. I wished the shield would at least warn me before I pressed that button.

„These artifacts need to connect to you to be able to be used fully. Many artifacts would do this, but some would not.“

Yeah, so there are more of these artifacts, but I wanted to know how she programed her artifact crossbow to be able to follow her.

„Okay, but how exactly did you program it?“

„On the crossbow screen, there was a button to make it so it would not be far away from me, something like that.“

Like a checkbox? That is not programming, that is a selection menu.

I would find out later when I power up my shield. I didn't ask for more info about it.

But I would want to know more about this connection, what did it do to my heart? I think Ivona doesn't know much either, so I didn't say anything. Again, I will try to find out when I get the energy stones.

----------

We finally arrived back at the village, there was still fire around, but it was getting increasingly smaller.

Ivona went inside a house that had parts of the walls missing and looked down on the floor. She then knelt down and took out a loosen plank, and then grabbed a pack out of this hidden spot.

She opened it and took out a couple of holsters that had arrows in them. She then strapped the holsters around her thighs and two more around her waist. She then also strapped another holster around her lower left arm.

Jesus, how many holsters do you need? Isn't a quiver enough? That would hold as many as these holsters combined. Or maybe she doesn't like using one.

The holster around her arm was kinda different than the others. The arrows in there looked like they were glowing.

„What is up with those arrows on your arm?“

„They are special made with zettra stones.“

Zettra stones? Would that not power up my shield?

„I know what you are going to ask, but no, these stones are too small to give your shield enough energy.“

Well damn.

While we were inside the house talking, Vincent was outside on the lookout for dynamis. He told me to go with her inside because I can only talk to her.

„Can I ask why you didn't have these on when fighting the dynami? And why you would hide it under there?“

„Because I didn't want my parents to see the crossbow and my gear. They didn't want me to become an artifact hunter because they say it would be too dangerous.“

Protective parents, huh. How old is she exactly? She does look young, maybe in her teens?

„And why I wasn't wearing my gear was because I didn't know the dynami would attack. I was out in the woods testing my crossbow with a few arrows when I heard yelling at my village. I took down a few dynami, but the wall next to me collapsed and I was knocked unconscious.“ She said as we were leaving the house.

„Why would they leave you in the rubble?“ Vincent asked when I translated back at him, then I translated his words to Ivona.

„They didn't see me at that moment, I got lucky with that.“

Yeah, that was really lucky.

„Can I ask you one more question?“

„How about this, I will tell you everything that you want to know after we save my people.“ Her words came out strong.

No more questions then. She did look like she had enough talk for now. But there was so much more I wanted to ask. I guess that has to wait.

----------

We moved out of Walden and proceeded to move on the road until we would find the dynami camp.

The skies were getting reddish now, night time was approaching.

While walking we noticed a light in the distance.

„There it is. The dynami camp,“ Ivona said.

There were tents around the camp, and campfires lit the area.

„We need to get closer to find the villagers,“ I said.

„We should go in quietly, not go all gun blazing. There are more of them then there are of us,“ Vincent pointed out.

„Don't worry, we have her.“

„We don't know how good she is. She might miss all her shots.“

„I have faith.“

„. . . .“

We moved in closer. Our only cover were big rocks, no trees were around. It was a bit darker now, so the shadows would be our friend.

I did something like this similar when I was trying to steal back what was stolen from me by space pirates. I almost died back then due to my many mistakes.

The camp was now just a few meters away.

„Let's go in the tent near us,“ Ivona said quietly.

„But if there are dynami in there?“

„Then we kill them.“

Vincent once used her crossbow against a lizard, but it did nothing. Is it more deadly when she uses it instead? It is her artifact after all.

We were able to get behind a large tent unseen. Ivona loaded an arrow, then we listened if there were any lizards inside.

We heard nothing.

Ivona took out a knife and made a small gap and looked inside.

She signaled us that there were none there, then she made the gap bigger so we would fit through it.

If the lizards would go behind the tents, they might find this ripped then they would alert others. Was it a good idea to do this?

We went inside and looked around. There was some random stuff here, maybe all from Walden? Her village?

I saw no weapons around. I still have to stick with a knife and a useless shield? When that lizard struck my shield before, it hurt a lot. And my arm was numb from that blow, but it was thankfully better now.

„Over there, on the table,“ she said and pointed with her finger.

On the table was a rock, and it was glowing.

„Is that a zettra stone?“ Vincent asked.

„It looks like it.“

I moved towards it, and my shield was starting to get a reaction from it.

Huh, so does that mean it is? I thought I would get the stone later on. We just ended up lucky with the tent choice.

„So. . . how do I get the energy?“

„Put your shield on the table, then let the stone touch it.“

I couldn't take it off, so I laid my arm on the table and held the stone in my left hand. I inspected the stone, it was like a normal rock, but it had some gems in it that was glowing with its energy. Then I placed it on my shield.

A few seconds passed and not much happened. But then finally my shield was getting brighter, and the stone was weirdly getting smaller.

I took a closer look at the stone, but I saw nothing much.

I glanced toward my left and saw some books around, and a magnifying glass. I took the magnifying glass and looked into it towards the stone.

I was able to see something really small moving around. Ants? No, they would not be that small.

Then I took an even closer look, then I felt my heart skip a beat. Then I quickly moved away from the table and the stone.

Vincent saw my reaction.

„What is it?“

I looked back at him with a horrifying gaze.

„There are nanomachines in my shield!“

Vincent gave out his own terrifying look for a few seconds, then went back to his composed face.

„Let me take a look.“

I gave him the magnifier, and he looked at the shield.

„Holy shit,“ he said and backed up.

„What's wrong?“ Ivona said.

Did she know about them? She must have! Those things are deadly. Vincent and I have had troubles with nanomachines before. When we were working together somewhere on a different planet, they killed a lot of humans and aliens.

„Why didn't you tell me there were nanomachines?!?“

She looked confused.

I said it again but in her language this time.

„They are harmless. They are these tiny beings working to get the artifacts running.“

„No! They are not harmless! They are killers!“

Then a thought hit me. The thing that was dispensed into me. . . were they nanomachines?!? Are they inside me right now? Were they the ones to make me feel all that pain before? That would make sense.

Nanomachines. And she thinks they just live in artifacts to work on them? How can she be so blind?

She was bewildered and had nothing to say.

This shield is infested by nanomachines. I felt like my heart was about to collapse.

„Ethan, don't freak out on us,“ Vincent said calmly.

„Please, take my arm off, I don't want this shield on me anymore!“

Then all of a sudden, a lizard came in.

We all stood there in silence for a few seconds, staring at each other blankly.

Then we all moved towards our weapons.

The dynami was about to open its mouth when Ivona quickly aimed and fired.

Her shot went straight into its eye and out the back. The arrow flew outside the tent, and the beast fell down with a thud.

Uh oh.

„Ethan! Quickly charge your artifact!“

„That's not going to happen!“ I refused Ivona's request.

I didn't want all the nanomachines to wake up and start to crawl on me!

„Please! We need your artifact! It would help us a lot!“

„Like I said! No! And didn't you say you could defeat all of the dynami?“

„I might, but it would be better if we had your artifact!“

Then I felt Vincent gripping me and pulling me down. Then he pinned me to the floor and held the zettra stone in one hand. He didn't say a word, he just pressed the stone against my shield.

„What the hell Vincent!“

„I know we had a bad past with them, but we need your shield right now! And besides, these ones are not the same we encountered before!“

„Get off me!“ I yelled out.

I struggled but was not able to get away from Vincent.

I saw the stone getting smaller and smaller, and felt my shield getting its power.

„Just a little more. We don't need all its power to be useful,“ Ivona said, but Vincent probably didn't understand her.

I tried getting Vincent off me, but he was stronger than me and has always been stronger.

The screen on my shield turned on and showed its three buttons to choose from.

„There! That should be enough!“

„Ivona said it has enough power! Can you get off me now!“

Vincent did and dropped the small stone. The stone had barely any glow left, it must almost be depleted. I am not taking any more of that energy.

The shield had its energy, and I felt the power in me.

We heard footsteps outside.

„They're here!“ Vincent called out.

I didn't have time to check the shield screen, I didn't even want to be close to this thing anymore.

„When we are done here I am going to find an option to throw this crap away from me,“ I said irritatedly and took up the dead lizard's ax and readied it and my nanomachine infested shield.

Three dynami came in with their axes and mace.

„Bring it on you overgrown lizards!“ I yelled and rushed at them.

When was the last time I got so angry and reckless? What was I doing?

Ivona shot a lizard, and it fell back.

I blocked an attack from one of them and my shield reacted. I felt a rush of wind from the shield and the lizard's ax went flying out of his hand, and the lizard was propelled backward with insane velocity, the lizard body collided with a second lizard outside and they both fell down.

But not only did the lizard fly, but it made me also fall backward.

„Holy god that thing is powerful!“ I heard Vincent say.

I quickly went on my feet and swung my ax at the lizard with the mace. . . and missed.

Well, I was using my left arm after all. I would hit nothing with that arm.

The lizard struck me in the waist and I spat out blood. I stumbled backward, holding my bleeding belly.

„Oh, that hurt! Oh. . . that hurt!“

I was about to dash at the beast with my shield, but Ivona's arrow hit its head. Then like any other lizard, she has hit, it fell down.

She only needs one shot to kill them? She really could do this on her own.

The tent wasn't that big, so Vincent could not attack, or he could accidentally hit me.

We went outside with weapons ready.

There were about six dynami standing around with their ax and maces in hand. They growled angrily, then all of them charged at us.

So they are not going to make it easy? Fine, I'll just blast them away!

I stood in front of Ivona and Vincent, holding my shield tight, then let them swing at me.

One struck my shield, he and two others flew away. Then once again I flew backward. I fell on my back, but I immediately got back up, ignoring the pain.

Vincent dodged an attack from a lizard, and swung his own ax and hit. The lizard didn't fall, he just looked annoyed and growled at him.

„Yeah, I don't like getting swung at by an ax either buddy.“

The lizard tried hitting Vincent again, but he managed to duck and swing his own strike at him, and he was able to cut off the lizard's arm.

It screamed in anger and pain, and Vincent finished him of.

Meanwhile, Ivona was shooting at other lizards who were arriving at our battle. Dynami fell after the other.

Two lizards came at me from two sides. I made one of them fly, but the other hit me in the stomach with its mace while I went flying towards him. Then again I spat out blood.

I rolled out of the way from his second attack, then once again I stood up, barely keeping myself standing. I was losing my strength.

„Why do you reptiles like to hit people in the stomach!?“ I managed to say, then fully knowing the consequences, I aimed for his head, and swung my shield with all my last bit of energy that I had.

I heard cracks, probably from his skull, then he was shot towards the sky, while I spun in circles towards the ground and hit it hard with my body and my own head.

My sight started to fade, I was hearing static sounds around me, I felt a lot of pain from my shield arm, I couldn't move my body.

I was starting to regret everything that has happened to me.

Why did I follow Vincent to Tessera? Why did I grab the shield? Why did I use it?

Why. . . Why!

I took a last glimpse towards Vincent and Ivona. They were fighting strong, but there were a lot of lizards.

Then once again, I fell unconscious for the third time. My last thoughts with full of regrets.