Melanie and Eddie marched up the narrow trail toward the outpost of Arcstorm.

"I'm glad they had something in our size," Eddie remarked, spreading his arms a little in the mail armor he'd been given. The staff in his hand glowed as lightning struck the metal spears adorning the top; a few sparks erupted from some of the control nodes mounted along the length of the staff as the channeled energy dispersed.

Melanie glanced in his direction, but her face, like his, was completely hidden inside the metal edged mask she'd been given as part of her armor.

"They must really be desperate to give us these," Melanie replied. "Elder Denton said they were for maintenance of the system while in operation, so not many were ever made. By loaning us these, they've lowered the number available to either help their own people or protect visitors."

"I hadn't thought about that," Eddie said. He quickly changed the subject. "Who or what do you think we'll find up here?"

"Impossible to say," Melanie answered. "It could be almost anything, a person, someone altered like me, or a completely mechanical construction. I don't think we'll know until we see for ourselves."

The path narrowed to the point they had to move single file. Melanie held up a hand.

"Wait," she said. "If you were defending this place, wouldn't this be the ideal place for an ambush?"

"I'd say so," Eddie agreed.

"Let's take this one at a time," Melanie suggested. "There's no reason an attack should get both of us."

"I'd prefer if it didn't either any of us," Eddie added.

"Agreed," Melanie muttered as she stalked forward and crouched before entering the narrow pass. The mechanics of her mask's eye lenses adjusted automatically with clicks and whirs, enhancing her vision of what lay beyond while simultaneously filtering out the intensity of the perpetual lightning flashes. She was grateful as well for the earpieces she'd been given with the rest of her protective gear as they filtered out only the thunderous explosions of the lightning, allowing her to hear everything else perfectly well.

Although she couldn't see anyone, she did get a good look at the front gates of the Arcstorm outpost. Heavy gates, covered in reinforcing bands and a multitude of rivets, blocked the way through a ten foot high wall of black iron. Melanie assumed the outpost had once been a cave as the metal wall merged with a rocky overhang, making the gates the only way in or out.

Copper rings of ever narrowing diameter were evenly spaced from the middle of tall poles to the sphere mounted at the pinnacle, creating a vaguely conical shape of a mechanical tree on either side of the fortified gates. Electricity crackled between the rings in waves like the ripples of light at the bottom of a pool. The spheres at the top of each pole either hurled or accepted lighting in what would've been deafening blasts if not for Melanie and Eddie's protective gear. Blue-white energy arced out to spark against the metal walls, the unyielding rock of the mountains, or the ground, leaving scorch marks wherever it touched.

Keeping her staff raised to conduct the electricity safely should it come near her, Melanie turned sideways and squeezed through the narrow pass. The fortifications seemed to get bigger with every step she took. The air trembled with the power being constantly unleashed. She suddenly wondered how she would gain entry if the one controlling the outpost didn't open the gates. The thought had barely entered her mind for consideration before a rumbling began shaking the ground under her boots. A muffled clanking sounded on the opposing side of the wall, but it grew louder as the gates pulled back and allowed the sound to escape.

Eddie had followed her through the pass and now stood at her side.

"What kind of reception do you think we'll get?" Eddie asked. Because his tone indicated he knew the answer, Melanie didn't bother to respond.

Neither Melanie nor Eddie moved toward the open gates, waiting to see if anything emerged, but nothing did.

"Do you think that's an invitation?" Eddie questioned.

"More like a trap," Melanie replied.

"Only one way to find out," Eddie said, taking a step forward before Melanie halted him with a hand on his arm.

"I'm more durable and more easily repaired than you," she told him. "I should go first."

"Can't argue with you there, and even if I could, I'm not sure how much I'd want to," Eddie said. He reached up a hand and placed it atop hers. "Be careful in there."

She gently squeezed his arm in what she hoped was a reassuring manner, but since she had so little experience with such, she wasn't entirely sure. Returning her hand to the grip of her weapons, she walked slowly toward the gates and paused beside them. Melanie took a quick glance inside before dodging back, expecting an attack. When none came, she crept around the corner and went inside. Staying well behind her in case she needed to exit in a hurry, Eddie cautiously followed.

The main area beyond the gates was a long tunnel. Electrical lanterns hung from the walls, illuminating everything in shades of blue as electricity crackled through their interior components. Pipes were mounted to the walls and ceiling in an organized tangle of tarnished copper. Wires and bundled cables hung like vines everywhere as well as snaking their way across the dusty floors. A few large, slowly turning gears were visible sticking out of the floor to near hip height. Melanie spared a brief look down through the opening in the floor and found the mechanism went down further than the ambient light could reach.

"Most of this looks planned," Eddie observed, "but some of it seems rigged by someone who either didn't understand the design or didn't care."

The doors suddenly moved again, grinding shut behind them cut off all escape.

"I believe you mentioned something earlier about a trap," Eddie reminded.

"Yeah," Melanie confirmed. "This seems to be it."

She started to draw her sword, but Eddie spoke up.

"Until there is some sign of hostility," he suggested, "we might want to avoid bringing out any weaponry. Perhaps, whoever is here is waiting to see if we're peaceful or not and will respond accordingly."

"It's possible," she admitted, pausing to consider the situation. With a nod toward Eddie, she returned the blade she had halfway out of the scabbard, but she kept a firm hold on it in case it was needed. She moved forward, constantly looking for any sign of a potential ambush.