A single solid rap against the door announced the Castellan’s return.

  It jolted Kaius from his contemplation. After he and his team had reviewed their gains, they’d taken the moment of quiet to cycle. He could still feel the fizz in his Aspects. The Castellan’s one-sided beatdown had inspired a mania in them, one that was fading the longer they waited.

  Channelling that fervent energy by cycling proved profitable: he was brushing up against something. A pressure, or barrier of some sort. Packing more essence into his pillars had grown harder, tougher — like they were ready to burst.

  No doubt he was approaching the first breakpoint of refinement. He’d have to see if his team had made similar progress later. For now, the Castellan had returned.

  “My lord, may I enter?” the automaton’s tinny voice boomed, causing Kaius and his team to straighten in their seats.

  He shared a look with his friends, noting their slight frowns — a reflection of their own tension. It kept him feeling stiff and jittery; the animal part of him still jolted at any sign of the Castellan so soon after that battle. It would have been impossible for it not to, regardless of the fact that it had been nothing but deferential to him.

  Hells, that deference made him more uneasy if anything. A being halfway through the third tier was a bloody mythical thing — power that could have strode into any king's court on the continent and demanded an audience, at least in the lands he knew where mana had once run thin.

  “You may,” Kaius replied, pushing the thought from his mind.

  The automaton had said it would fetch a prosthetic for him, and that was the most important thing of all. Even if it was a crude thing, simply being able to limp around would be enough. Though he suspected — considering the artifice that surrounded him even now — that the prosthetic would be far more advanced than that.

  Entering a moment later, the Castellan stooped low — its immense stature too tall for even the raised ceiling of the Head Researcher’s quarters.

  It was empty-handed, but just as easily it could have stored a device in a spatial artefact. Certainly such a thing wouldn't be beyond the bounds of a creature of its strength. Hells, the damn thing could teleport, so he knew that spatial abilities were within its toolbox.

  “I appreciate your patience, Lord Unterstern. Much of the facility is in a deep state of disrepair due to the current directives disabling active maintenance. The drones are skilled, but things have degraded to the point that their simple minds need guidance for more complex problems.”

  “Were you still able to retrieve a prosthetic?” Kaius questioned. It would not be the end of the world, he could admit, but he wasn't fond of the idea of relying on others for assistance while his leg regrew.

  The Castellan inclined its head. “Of course, my lord. I have it stored. The medical wing had sealed itself off due to degradation — I had to assist the drones in the repairs.”

  Kaius made a mental note: he would have to ask the Castellan later if the facility could be restored now that a thinking automaton had returned to wakefulness. It could wait, though — he was far more interested in restoring his ability to walk.

  “May I see it?”

  “Of course, my lord,” the Castellan replied.

  Approaching the table they had gathered around, the Castellan flourished a hand.

  There was a subtle pop of displaced air as a short, stubby thing appeared on the table’s surface.

  They all leaned in.

  It was odd, to say the least — fascinatingly complex, just as he’d hoped. Two rings were stacked with a handspan of space between them, each as thick as his thumb and twice as wide. Two bar-supports connected the rings before they flowed down to meet in a thick pylon of steel or a ball joint. Another pylon lay below — though only just over a handspan and a half long. It was stubby, eventually terminating in a skeletal foot.

  It was almost like somebody had laid closely fitting armour over bone, and even if it was short, Kaius assumed there would be resizing enchantments involved.

  “How does it work?” Ianmus questioned, leaning over the table to get a better look at the ring of inscriptions encircling the inside of where the prosthetic would attach to Kaius’s thigh.

  “The limb is based on the principles of automata, though this is merely a standard-issue artefact. A minor binding will allow the limb to move in accordance with your natural impulses. It is sturdy and tough, so it will be hard to damage, but you will not be able to feel it. It will likely struggle to hold up under the extremes of your speed and strength. I would recommend avoiding combat — though it should not break if you are forced to do so. You’ll just notice its slower reactions and lack of sensation.”

  “It will move like a normal limb…” Kaius sighed in relief. “Thank the gods.” Lacking sensation was no big issue. No doubt it would be awkward, but if it was as responsive as a numb leg, that was far better than he’d dared hope for.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Curious about its details, he peered deeper with Truesight.

  Lunthracian Pattern Self-adjusting Leg Prosthetic:

  Unique - Tier I

  Lost me left leg pacifying an uprising in Minras Tor. Bastards rigged a cart to blow to take out the Centurions we had — bit of shrapnel from the clankers took my leg clean off, armour or no. My right? That was my wife. No, I don’t want to talk about it.

  A rune-scribed mechanical prosthetic, stamped from imperial steel, and enchanted with the bare minimum to connect to the user’s nervous system. Adjusts to fit most individuals. Standard issue.

  Artisan-wrought Artefact.

  Prosthetic (Leg)

  Durability V, Self Repair II, Form Fitting II, Link II

  Well now, wasn’t that interesting? He’d expected a creation of the Empire to be good, but not quite this fantastic. After all, the Castellan had implied it was a common medical device. From the looks of it, it would be quite durable.

  It would be idiotic to pursue a fight until he properly healed. At the very least, it looked like the thing wouldn’t immediately snap on him if he was forced to fight.

  “Is there anything else to it?” he asked.

  “It is no combat augment — merely a medical device. But there is one more thing. It will reshape itself as your limb grows, without the need for mechanical adjustment. Be aware that in the final stages, excess material will strap to your leg, likely interfering with armour.”

  Kaius nodded. Another boon. With how complex the device looked, if he'd had to adjust it himself he was worried he’d break something.

  “Well then, what are you waiting for? Put it on!” Porkchop insisted.

  Kaius laughed, feeling the heft of the device as he picked it up.

  Sliding his stump into the brace, he threaded a little mana into the artefact. That was enough — power surged through its inscriptions as the two circles of metal sank tight to his leg. More filaments erupted from within the bony limb, wrapping the brace bars that sat at the front and rear of his leg, tying it securely.

  Kaius heard nothing but a dull whine as the limb lengthened, growing until it matched his own. Just as the Castellan had warned, he had no feeling for it — but automatically, as the impulse to kick his leg out so he could get a better look crossed his mind, the prosthetic straightened exactly as he had intended.

  “Very nice,” he said with a satisfied smile.

  “It’s certainly bloody convenient,” Kenva agreed. “Is there any more of them? Something like this could really get us out of a bind if we get into a spot of trouble out in the field.”

  Kaius saw the wisdom of her words immediately. In the current circumstances, this lost leg would be little more than an annoyance, but on a delve or in a dangerous region filled with wild beasts, the ability to keep moving and keep fighting could be the difference between life and death.

  He gave the Castellan a questioning look.

  “Apologies, my lord, but much of the supplies I found were degraded. This piece was repaired using scavenged parts from most of our stock. This is a research institute — there was not much foreseen need for large volumes of prostheses.”

  Kaius winced, though he knew he should not be ungrateful. On the open market, a prosthetic like this could probably fetch him a small fiefdom.

  A shame.

  “There are still a few remaining,” the Castellan continued. “Enough parts for one more, perhaps. Though you would have to pick between an arm or a leg.”

  “An arm,” Kaius confirmed immediately. If they could only have one more, it made sense to cover both bases. The chance that they would need two leg prosthetics was slim — he hoped it was slim.

  The Castellan inclined its head. “I will direct the drones to prepare it for you before you make your leave.”

  Porkchop nudged him. “Ask if there’s any more loot — something else we can take with us. Metal arms and legs are good, but surely there’s more. This place seems different from the others we’ve heard of. Less damaged.”

  Trust Porkchop to have only one thing on his mind. Kaius smiled — but it was a fair point. With full access to everything in the facility, they would be fools not to take advantage of it.

  “Good thinking! Gods, I’d love to get my hands on one of those bolt-throwers — even if it’s not as powerful as my bow, they looked convenient.”

  “Unfortunately, this was a research facility,” the Castellan replied. “So we lack much in the way of gear for adventurers.”

  “Not even a bolt-thrower?” Kenva asked, a disappointed frown on her face.

  “Unfortunately not, madame. The armoury was destroyed — one of the priority targets of the current directives. As were most other caches of precision tools and usable equipment.”

  “The prosthetics alone will serve us well — at least until I develop the abilities to accelerate limb regrowth,” Ianmus replied.

  “There is one thing,” the Castellan said. “Part of the reason I suggested the Head Researcher’s quarters. He was not a man of finery, but he did come from a lesser House.”

  Abruptly, the Castellan dipped into another room through a plain steel door on the far side of the living space. It returned holding a steel ball the size of Kaius’s fist, inscribed in dense sigils.

  The Castellan placed it down on the table.

  “As befitting his station, the head researcher appropriate transportation for him and his entourage was required. If my lord is an active adventurer, as he says, this will doubtlessly prove useful.”

  Curious anticipation burned in Kaius’s chest. At first glance, he failed to see how an artefact like this would help them with transport, but considering everything else he’d seen in this ruin, he did not discount it just yet.

  He analysed the orb.

  Arachnocine Landyacht:

  Unusual - Tier II

  Amongst my finest work, this line would be the pride of any Lesser Noble. Swift and well armoured, eight legs mean that the craft moves so smoothly you could balance a full cup of tea on your finger and not notice you were moving. I’ve furnished it in only the finest hardwoods, silks, and inlays. It has everything that you and your entourage would nee— Weapons? Why would you need weapons?

  A spatially stored, semi-autonomous landyacht, crafted as a high quality pleasure vessel for the wealthy and well connected. Deepsteel-mithril alloy grants its hull and mechanical legs a light weight, yet almost unbreaking durability. Semi-Amphibious.

  Artisan-wrought Artefact.

  Autonomous Vehicle

  Steel Inviolate III, Linked Autonomy V, Spatial Compression VI, Self Repair III, Buoyancy II

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