Page 32 of Alien Healer's Touch

From the darkness emerged something otherworldly. At first, it appeared as liquid metal flowing into the room—a silver-blue substance that caught and reflected the chamber's dim lighting. Then it coalesced, rising into a vaguely humanoid form with limbs that stretched and reformed with fluid uncertainty.

"A guardian," I whispered, cold recognition washing over me. Our elders spoke of these constructs that protected our most sacred places.

This one showed signs of damage and decay. Its form wavered asymmetrically, one arm longer than the other, its head tilted unnaturally. It moved with jerky, unpredictable motions as if struggling against its own nature.

The chamber lights intensified, bathing us in cold blue illumination as the guardian assessed us with faceless scrutiny. Patterns of light activated across the walls, corresponding to its movements.

"Kavan?" Selene's voice held a tremor. "What is it?"

"A security construct. It protects this place from intruders." I positioned myself between her and the advancing guardian. "Stay behind me."

The guardian shifted, its form becoming more angular, threatening. Crystalline spikes extended from its limbs as it advanced with halting steps, each movement accompanied by a whisper like crystal against crystal.

I drew my blade, the ceremonial weapon all Nyxari carried. "We mean no harm," I called out in our ancient tongue, hoping the construct might still recognize the language of its creators.

It paused, its faceless head tilting as if considering my words. Then it struck with terrifying speed.

I parried by instinct, only to watch my blade pass harmlessly through the guardian's semi-solid form. The creature's arm reformed around my weapon, nearly trapping it before I pulled back.

"Weapons won't affect it," I called to Selene, backing up to keep her protected. "Its structure reconfigures around physical attacks."

The guardian advanced again, extending a crystalline appendage that flowed like water yet struck with the force of stone. I dodged sideways, the attack missing my chest but catching my shoulder, sending me spinning against a console.

Pain flared across my back where I struck the edge of the ancient instrument panel. I pushed away just as the guardian attacked again, this time extending both arms into blade-like projections that sliced through the air where I'd stood a moment before.

"Selene, stay back!" I shouted, rolling beneath another strike that shattered a crystal display case.

I sprang up into a fighting stance—balanced on the balls of my feet, tail extended for counterweight. The guardian paused, its form rippling as if reassessing.

Selene had backed toward the central crystal formation, her markings glowing intensely in response to the facility's activation. The walls pulsed with corresponding patterns of light, complex sequences from our oldest texts—security protocols executing after millennia of dormancy.

The guardian shifted again, growing larger, more threatening. Multiple limbs extended from its torso, each ending differently—blades, hammers, grasping appendages. It advanced with renewed purpose.

I feinted left, then dove right, trying to draw it away from Selene. The guardian compensated with unsettling speed, one limb stretching impossibly to cut off my escape.

"The wall patterns!" Selene called out. "They change when it moves!"

She pointed to sequences illuminating the chamber walls, complex glyphs that shifted with each of the guardian's actions. I dodged another attack, observing what she'd noticed.

She spoke truth. The guardian didn't operate independently—it responded to commands projected through the facility's systems. Its attacks matched patterns appearing on the walls moments before each strike.

"It's executing a program," I called back, ducking beneath a horizontal slice. "The facility controls its actions."

Understanding dawned. This wasn't a conscious entity seeking harm—it followed ancient security protocols without comprehension.

The guardian struck again, a crystalline fist hammering toward me. I rolled aside, feeling the impact shudder through the floor. As I rose, I noticed its movements becoming more erratic, less coordinated.

"It's damaged," I realized aloud. "Like everything else here."

This might offer an advantage, but damaged systems often proved more unpredictable than functioning ones. The guardian's next attack confirmed this—a wild sweep that nearly caught me off guard, forcing me flat to avoid decapitation.

As I scrambled back to my feet, I glimpsed Selene studying the wall patterns with intense concentration. Her analytical mind worked even amid danger—a quality I admired deeply.

The guardian lunged forward, multiple limbs extended. I leapt back, but not quickly enough to avoid a glancing blow that tore through my tunic and scraped across my ribs. I staggered, momentarily unbalanced.

The guardian pressed forward, flowing across the floor to corner me against damaged equipment. I searched for escape, finding none as the creature reformed, limbs coalescing into a solid barrier blocking retreat.

"Kavan!" Selene called. "The patterns repeat! It's cycling through attack sequences!"

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