Chapter 13: The Revealed

The villagers of Crofton gathered in the town square, murmuring in confusion. Lord Kestrel had called for an announcement, but no one knew why.

“Any idea what this is about?” Alen asked, leaning toward Taren.

Taren shifted nervously, glancing down the main road. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Suddenly, a deep rumble echoed from the distance. Heads turned as a strange sound grew louder a metal grinding, heavy wheels rolling, an engine’s low growl unlike anything anyone had heard before.

Then, from the main road leading into town, the GS516M appeared.

Gasps rang out instantly. The massive yellow grader rolled forward steadily, its tires crushing gravel underfoot, its steel blade glinting in the sunlight.

“What in the stars is that?!” someone shouted.

“It’s moving on its own!” cried another.

The crowd parted instinctively as the machine entered the square, stopping beside Lord Kestrel with a commanding hiss of air brakes.

Lord Kestrel stepped forward, his voice booming over the stunned villagers.

“People of Crofton! You’ve all wondered who’s been repairing the roads these past nights, haven’t you?”

A wave of whispers swept through the square.

“Well,” Kestrel continued with a small smile, “the answer stands before you.”

He gestured grandly to GS516M. “This is no monster, no golem. This is a machine of construction an innovation that will rebuild our roads, restore trade, and bring prosperity to Crofton!”

The crowd murmured in awe as Taren climbed into the grader’s cabin. The engine roared louder, startling several villagers.

“Easy!” Kestrel called out, steadying them with a raised hand.

With practiced ease, Taren maneuverer GS516M to a patch of uneven dirt road that cut across the square. He lowered the blade, and with one smooth pass, the grader flattened and levelled the ground perfectly.

Gasps of astonishment followed.

“Incredible!” someone cried.

“It’s magic, surely!”

“No, look at it it’s pure steel!”

When Taren powered down the machine and climbed out, villagers rushed closer, though still keeping a respectful distance from the towering grader.

“It fixed the road in minutes!”

“I’ve never seen anything like this!”

“Lord Kestrel, where did it come from?”

Kestrel raised a hand for silence. “Its origins do not matter. What matters is what it can do. This machine, guided by young Taren, will serve Crofton and its people.”

The square erupted in cheers. Even sceptics, wide eyed and wary, couldn’t deny what they had witnessed.

As the crowd dispersed, still buzzing with excitement, Kestrel approached Taren with a faint smirk.

“You handled yourself well,” Kestrel said.

Taren let out a shaky breath. “I didn’t think it would go this smoothly.”

Kestrel glanced back at GS516M, now standing silently like a sentinel in the square. “You’ve given them hope, Taren. That’s no small thing.”