The being floating in the air above them had four arm like limbs. Each one held a weapon. Two swords and a cannon like weapon. Two of its arms were folded back to hold the cannon, but that's all Zena could see.
It attacked. The world was spinning. It was only one attack, yet three were dead. Vaporized, the cannon had been shot. The heat alone burned Zena who was the furthest from the attack.
It was the three who were uninjured before Healas' groups arrival that were hit. Nothing was left except ashes that were soon blown away as the Clock Work landed. The cannon was now attached to its back. The two arms it used to hold it moved back to normal, drawing two more blades.
The shock from its attack wore off.
"RUN!" Healas shouted.
Dandelions flooded the surroundings as the Clock Work moved. It struck at one of the injured. The blade connected as the man's head went flying.
Only instead of blood, pappus exploded out of the head as it disintegrated.
"Oh its you again." The Clock Work's mechanical voice rang out.
Its mechanical jaw unhinged, lowing down it exposed razor like teeth. "I won't let you escape again little weed."
It moved through the pappus. Zena saw it in the corner of her eye. It was moving toward her. It was fast, too fast.
Then it wasn't or rather she was not in its path. She had been moved. Looking through the mist of pappus she saw Healas standing in front of the Clock Work.
Healas was exhausted, she pushed her aspect to the absolute limit. Yet it wasn't enough. She knew the outcome, the same as it had been the many times before.
"Why do you try so hard little weed. We've played this game before." The ticking of its voice rang. "Why do you try so hard to live after taking the lives of those who were here before you. Every time I see you humans I think of my maker. I think of his kindness. I think of his care.
I try to see that within you. All of you. Yet nothing. I only see the hate with you all. We never wanted this. You were the ones to start this all. Ten years ago when your people attacked us. Do you have anything to say before I kill you all."
"I have nothing to say. This conflict was started too long ago for it to end now. We tried to make it up to you for what those individuals did, but what you wanted was beyond any reason." Healas said aggressively as the pappus floated away.
Zena could not hear anything. The moment the conversation ended the world went quite. Her eye's had dull long ago. Her focus was only on escaping.
House after house Zena moved. The cloud of pappus had spread much farther than Zena had thought it would. It was covering the entirety of b4. Nothing was left uncovered, but this didn't matter to Zena. She ran and ran. It had taken them twenty minutes to reach b4 earlier. Unlike before Zena was running with nothing being held back.
Then a shiver went up her spine. She jumped to the side, rolling as she hit the streets below. Overhead a dark red beam lit the sky, burning the pappus above the buildings. The roofs had been fully cleared. There were no pappus left above the buildings.
This did not mean Zena stopped. She ran through the streets, turning and running through alleyways. Her breaths were hard.
The world no longer mattered to her. She ran. Turning into an alleyway she moved. She was almost there only a few streets away and she would be safe.
Turning out of the alley a spear was swung at her head. Zena's eye's went wide. She leaned back, falling hard on the pavement. Twisting her ankle badly.
She got up quickly. Looking around she saw nothing.
'Shit, what was that?'
She could not think for long as another beam was fired right above her.
She was moving. Her former pace was gone. Each step hurt more than the last. It was torture. Yet she could not stop.
She was there the Day Clock was in sight. The pappus that had once acted like a cover were gone. She moved. Then something fell.
Infront of her a corpse fell. It was spilt in two. She recognized the corpse. It was a member of Healas' group.
She was almost there. Steps away. Then it appeared in front of her. The Clock Work. It stood there. Not moving. Zena's heart dropped.
She froze. They stood face to face. It moved, walking toward Zena.
"Your soul is unique or rather the fact you don't have a soul core." It was now inches from Zena, staring directly into Zena's now bloodshot eyes. "I think I will take it for myself."
It hand moved piercing Zena. Only there was no blood. Its hand had passed through her skin. Going much deeper than its arm should have.
Zena woke up. Yet it was not from sleep. She woke from reality in her soul sea. The bloody orb in the center proved this.
"How unfortunate its linked to your true name." A voice echoed around Zena as if everywhere.
Then she woke again. The Clock Work's hand had been removed from her chest.
Zena's eyes moved looking at the Clock Work. In an instant she saw its hand. Inches from her face. Then her head exploded. Pappus few everywhere.
She was being held by Healas, inside the Day Clock. She had lived. Her head hurt, her ankle hurt, her arm hurt. Her soul hurt.
Healas stood there holding Zena and someone else. Then Zena was dropped. Healas fell to the floor. Her body was covered in burns and cuts.
Zena took a single glace at the other person, it was the healer.
Looking at the door Zena saw the Clock Work staring at her right in the eyes. Her mind froze, was she safe. The Clock Work could so easily just open the door and enter, but it didn't it stared. Only to disappear a moment later. Seeing this Zena felt everything.
Her body was shutting down. The last thing she saw were people running from the interior of the Day Clock.